Jah Screechy

Jah Screechy is a UK reggae, dub, dancehall and dubtronica DJ and vocalist associated with the Coxsone sound system scene in London. He begins DJing on Black Lion sound in Kingsbury, north west London, alongside Bikey Dread, and later becomes part of Coxsone Sound after spending time at dances, sound clashes and early sessions around the crew. His work is rooted in Jamaican sound system culture and in the UK dancehall environment that develops around it.

Sound system work

He grows up with an ambition to DJ, having come from Jamaica as a child, and he learns his craft by attending dances, helping to carry sound boxes and listening to sets from Sir Coxsone Sound, Fat Man, King Tubby’s and Jah Shaka. As his role develops, he tours across England and sometimes on the continent with Coxsone, working on the mic with other DJs and selectors including Bikey Dread, General Dan, Duffus Ire, Levi Roots, Tenor Fly, Fat Head and Daddy IP. He also works alongside sound figures such as Blacker Dread, Gappy Dread, Festus Tipper Tone and Lloyd Coxsone.

Recording and style

Jah Screechy records with Coxsone-related artists and producers as his style shifts towards a more dancehall-led approach. He works with Dennis Brown, Frankie Paul, Wiley Williams, Delroy Wilson, Sugar Minott, Junior Reid, General Trees, Josey Wales, Half Pint, Barrington Levy and Super Cat. He describes his role as keeping the crowd moving, and his on-deck style becomes identified with a harder dancehall sound rather than traditional DJ patter alone.

His first dub plate for Coxsone Sound is Adam an Eve, recorded with Wiley Williams. He also records Shadow Move, featuring Livi Roots, and Hop Scotch on the Blacker Dread / S.C.O.M. label. Another key track, Walk & Skank, grows out of a suggestion from Blacker Dread and is mixed by Peter Chemist. The tune becomes closely associated with Jah Screechy and is described as an important dancehall record, with later remix and cover versions. A notable version is SL2’s Ragga Tip. He is also described as using the name Jah Screechy Bantan.

Legacy

Jah Screechy’s work is linked to the spread of UK dancehall style through Coxsone Sound, and Walk & Skank remains in circulation in dancehall and on radio. His career is presented through the context of the wider sound system crew, with regular mention of the box boys and mic men who shape the dances around him.