Eek-a-Mouse

Eek-a-Mouse

Eek-a-Mouse is the stage name of Ripton Hylton, a Jamaican dancehall deejay, songwriter and music producer from Kingston, Jamaica. He begins performing under this name in 1979 and becomes one of Jamaica’s best-known dancehall artists, while also being regarded as a reggae performer. His work sits within dub, reggae and roots reggae, and he is associated with the development of singjaying, a style linked to early toasters such as Big Youth.

Career

Hylton begins his reggae career while in college, but he does not attract a wide audience until 1979 with the song “Once a Virgin”. That same year he adopts the name Eek-a-Mouse, taken from the racehorse he often bets on. His most successful period runs from 1979 to 1992.

His first studio album, Bubble Up Yu Hip, is released in 1980. Among his best-known songs are “Ganja Smuggling” and “The Freak”. In 1981 he appears at Reggae Sunsplash, at a time when the festival is still mourning Bob Marley’s death. He remains a regular performer at Reggae Sunsplash and often works with the reggae duo Michigan and Smiley.

Recordings and later work

In 1988 he releases Eek-A-Nomics, which is his last full-length CD until 1996. His later studio album with new material, Eekziled, appears in 2011. He also features on P.O.D.’s album Satellite, contributing vocals to the rock-reggae track “Ridiculous”.

Personal history

Hylton is born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1957. His career stops in 2008 after he is arrested on charges including rape and narcotic possession. He later flees to the United States and then to Paraguay. In July 2013 he is released after a plea agreement, having pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges for assault on a female and attempted crime against nature, with time already served covering his sentence. He later performs again.