King Yellow Man "The Original King of the Dancehall"

by DRW
(Jamaica)

Yellow Man the real king of the Dancehall!

Yellowman born Winston Foster on January 15, 1957 in Kingston, Jamaica is said to be the original King of Dancehall and Dancehall Music. He is also called King Yellowman.

He grew up in a Catholic home called Alpha Boys School in Kingston, Jamaica. Even though he was Deejaying from a tender age he did not gained attention until in the late 1970s when he won the very popular "Tastee Talent Contest".

Most Jamaican dancehall artists started out performing on local sound systems and Yellowman was no different. Although he was very popular in Jamaica, it was not until 1981 when he signed to CBS Records Label an American company that his career took off.

His first album release was in 1982 entitled Mister Yellowman followed by Zungguzungguguzungguzeng in 1983 earning instant success. His sexually explicit lyrics in popular songs such as "Them a Mad Over Me" boasted of his sexual prowess, and this earned him a lot of criticism.

Dancehall artiste such as Shabba Ranks has blamed the Slackness in the dancehall music on King Yellow.

He has had a substantial influence on the world of hip hop. He is widely credited for leading the way for the succession of reggae artists that were embraced by the growing hip-hop community in America during the 1980s.

By the mid-1990s however, Yellowman started to released socially-conscious material, this help to him rising to international fame along with singers such as Buju Banton. Yellowman became the island's most popular deejay despite being albino. During the early 1980s, Yellowman had over 40 singles and produced up to five albums per year.

In 1986, the original King of The Dancehall struggled with cancer of the jaw and was told that he had as little as 3 weeks to only 6 months to live, but surgery saved his life. After surgery he took a break but came back with "Blue Berry" in 1994.

He continues to perform internationally with his Sagittarius Band, and has toured through places such as Nigeria where he is massively popular, Spain, Peru, Sweden, Italy, Germany, England, France, Kenya and the United States.


Yellow man has so far released More than fifty (50) studio album..

Below is a list of some of his Albums
1. Mister Yellowman (1982) Greensleeves Records
2. King Mellow Yellow Meets Yellowman (1982) Jam Rock (with King mellow yellow)
3. Superstar Yellowman Has Arrived With Toyan (1982) Joe Gibbs (with Toyan and Johnny Ringo)
4. Duppy Or Gunman (1982) Volcano
5. Jack Sprat (1982) GG's
6. Just Cool (1982) Jah Guidance
7. Live At Reggae Sunsplash (1982) Sunsplash
8. Them A Mad Over Me (1982) J&L
9. Bad Boy Skanking (1982) Greensleeves (with Fathead)
10.For Your Eyes Only (1982) Arrival (with Fathead)
11.Live At Aces (1982) VP (with Fathead)
12.One Yellowman (1982) Hitbound (with Fathead)
13.Supermix (1982) Volcano (with Fathead)
14.The Yellow, The Purple & The Nancy (1982) Greensleeves (with Purpleman and Sister Nancy)
15.Zungguzungguguzungguzeng (1983) Greensleeves/Blue Moon/Arrival
16.Live At Kilamanjaro (1983) Hawkeye
17.Live In London (1983) Thunder Bolt
18.Live At Ranny Williams Entertainment Center (1983) Roots Rockers (with Lord Sassafrass & Peter Metro)
19.Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt (1984) Greensleeves
20.King Yellowman (1984) Columbia
21.One In a Million (1984) Joe Gibbs
22.Operation Radication (1984) Top 1000
23.Showdown Vol 5 (1984) Hitbound (with Fathead and Purpleman)
24.Two Giants Clash (1984) Greensleeves (with Josey Wales)
25.Galong Galong Galong (1985) Greensleeves/Blue Moon
26.Walking Jewellery Store (1985) Power House
27.Girls Them Pet (1986) Taxi
28.Going To The Chapel (1986) Shanachie/Greensleeves
29.Yellow Like Cheese (1987)
30.Yellowman Rides Again (1988)

In 2011 he recorded "King A Talk" on Locust Riddim a song wish is said to be directed at Vybz Kartel who said he is the Dancehall Hero. In the song he said that he was away for a while and they are mashing up the music.

Take a Listen below



Most lovers of this Musician, Songwriter, Deejay consider his music to be Ragga, dancehall and Reggae.

Return to dancehall artists and Dancehall Music page from Yellow man page