Gappy Ranks is a UK reggae and dancehall artist from the United Kingdom. He is born Jacob Lee Williams and is described as half-Dominican and half-Jamaican.

Background

He develops his musical identity through writing at school, where he works on creative writing assignments that help shape the Gappy Ranks persona. His musical influences come from the Caribbean, but his listening also extends beyond dancehall to artists including Bob Marley, Alton Ellis, Gregory Isaacs, Otis Redding, Michael Jackson and Celine Dion.

After leaving school, he experiences homelessness and other personal difficulties, and music is not his main concern for a period. He then resumes promoting himself and his music in Harlesden.

Career

He works with local sound selector Movie Star Jonny and with Unique FM, then collaborates with the dancehall group Suncycle. During this period he spends time in the studio and begins learning studio engineering before moving forward as a solo artist.

As a solo performer, he works with producers Kray Twinz, rapper Twista and MC Lethal B, with UK producer Sticky involved in those collaborations. He also records with Jazzwad, Jet Star Records, Cory Johnson of LOS Defenders, Major and Sting Ray, and travels to Jamaica for self-promotion with the help of Jagwa, who works with artists including Bounty Killer.

Performances and releases

His song What We Do Is receives airplay on mainstream radio stations and is distributed through major record stores in the UK. He performs at Earl's Court in front of a crowd of 17,000 and appears live at the Kiss Awards, which is broadcast worldwide.

He continues to perform regularly in his local area and surrounding areas, and he is working on an album.

Themes

He uses music to express his family life, current events and wider ideas about the future. He also speaks publicly in favour of education and encourages reading and learning.