Barrington Levy

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Barrington Levy (born 30 April 1964, in Clarendon, Jamaica) is a reggae and dancehall recording artist.

[edit] Career

Levy soon formed a band with his cousin, Everton Dacres, called the Mighty Multitude; the pair released "My Black Girl" in 1977. Levy established his solo career the next year with "A Long Time Since We Don't Have No Love"; though the single was a failure, the fourteen year old was a popular performer at Jamaican dancehalls. Soon, Levy met Junjo Lawes and Hyman Wright, both record producers, and recorded several singles with the Roots Radics, including "Al Yah We Deh", "Looking My Love", "Englishman", "Wedding Ring Aside" and "Collie Weed", all of which became hits and established Levy's career.

Levy's next few singles were similarly successful, including "Shine Eye Girl", "Wicked Intention", "Jumpy Girl", "Skylarking" (by Horace Andy), "Disco Music", "Reggae Music", "Never Tear My Love Apart", "Jah", "You Made Me So Happy" and "When You're Young and in Love". Levy then recorded several duets with Toyan, Jah Thomas and Trinity, and memorably appeared at Reggae Sunsplash in 1980 and 1981. Though LPs were not terribly important in Jamaica at the time, Levy released three albums before 1980: Bounty Hunter, Shine Eye Gal (United Kingdom) and Englishman, a critically acclaimed record.

By 1980's Robin Hood, Levy was one of the biggest Jamaican stars, and saw his international fame growing as well, especially in England. Taking a break from albums, Levy then released a series of hit singles, including "Mary Long Tongue", "In the Dark", "Too Poor", "I Have a Problem", "Even Tide Fire a Disaster", "I'm Not in Love", "You Have It", "Love of Jah", "Under Mi Sensi", "Tomorrow Is Another Day", "Robberman", Black Rose", "My Woman" and "Money Move".

Levy returned to LPs with Lifestyle and Money Move, followed by a British hit album called Here I Come; Levy received the Best Vocalist prize at the British Reggae Awards.

The late 1980s saw Levy, now in his twenties, slow down his output, though he continued to perform and record until 1988. In 1993, Levy tried to break in the United States with Barrington, but Levy and his label, MCA Records, did not have a good relationship and he soon left. In the 1990s, Levy continued to release periodic hits in Jamaica, and more rarely in the UK. In 1998, he released Living Dangerously, which included a dynamic collaboration with one of Jamaica's most prolific deejays, Bounty Killer. The release was one of Levy's most successful singles since the start of the 90's, and allowed him the opportunity to be identified by members of the younger generation of dancehall patrons.

Levy also appeared on two singles by rapper Shyne (notably Shyne's debut single, "Bad Boyz"), and most recently, with the Prince Paul and Dan the Automator project, Handsome Boy Modeling School.

He was also featured on a track by the Rascalz titled "Top Of The World", also featuring K-os.