Elephant Man is a dancehall artist from Kingston, Jamaica. He is also known as O'Neil Bryan and has performed under the alias The Energy God. He starts out in music as a member of Scare Dem Crew before moving on to a solo career.

Style and stage persona

Elephant Man becomes known for a distinctive stage image and performance style. His nickname comes from the size of his ears, which leads to the childhood nickname Dumbo. He is noted for his yellow-orange hair, a low-key voice, a light lisp, and highly animated performances that include jumping, running, and climbing on stage props and monitors.

Career highlights

He gains wider international attention when his single "All Out" is used in a Puma campaign for the Olympics in 2004. Another track, "Willie Bounce", appears on several mixtapes in early 2006 and borrows the opening bars from "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor. He is also associated with New York-based label Bad Boy Entertainment.

Controversy

Elephant Man faces criticism for lyrics that call for violence against gay people. In 2003, the British LGBT group OutRage! calls for the arrest and prosecution of Elephant Man, Bounty Killer and Beenie Man under hate crimes laws.