Dennis Alcapone

Dennis Alcapone is a Jamaican reggae DJ and producer from Clarendon, Jamaica. Born Dennis Smith in 1947, he begins his career in the late 1960s after training as a welder and working for the Jamaica Public Services.

Early sound system work

He is inspired by the sound system culture he hears in Jamaica, including the set-ups run by Duke Reid, Coxsone Dodd and Prince Buster. He is also influenced in particular by King Tubby’s Hi-Fi, which features U-Roy, and by the Kentone sound system, which features DJ Pamapdo. With two friends, he sets up the El Paso sound system, where he performs as DJ and helps build its popularity.

Recording career in Jamaica

Producer Keith Hudson notices El Paso and invites Smith to record, beginning with “Marker Version”. A run of singles follows in 1970, including “Spanish Amigo”, “Shades Of Hudson”, “Revelation Version”, “Maca Version” and “The Sky’s The Limit”. He then moves to Studio One with Coxsone Dodd, where he adopts the name Alcapone, shortened from the gangster-film nickname that has followed him. This leads to “Nanny Version”, another major Jamaican hit.

During 1971 and 1972, Duke Reid releases a series of his singles, including “Number One Station”, “The Great Woggie”, “Teach The Children” and “Musical Alphabet”. Around the same period, he also records for Bunny Lee, including “Ripe Cherry” and “Guns Don’t Argue”. Between 1970 and 1973, he makes more than 100 singles and releases three albums for a wide range of producers, including Hudson, Dodd, Reid, Bunny Lee, Lee Perry, Joe Gibbs, Prince Buster, Alvin Ranglin, Prince Tony Robinson, J.J. Johnson and Phil Pratt.

Style and influence

His style combines singing and DJ toasting, with a distinctive high-pitched whooping delivery. He is later described as an important influence on DJs such as I-Roy and on the later sing-jay style. Dillinger first uses the name Young Alcapone in tribute to him before changing it at Lee Perry’s suggestion.

Work as a producer and later activity

He also works as a producer, recording with Dennis Brown, Augustus Pablo and Delroy Wilson, as well as issuing self-produced material. After international tours in the first half of the 1970s, he moves to London in 1975 and becomes less active musically, though he continues to record occasionally. He returns to live performance at the WOMAD festival in 1989.