Linton Kwesi Johnson |
Linton Kwesi Johnson is revered as dub's first poet. A journalist and poetby trade, Johnson lived in rural Jamaica with his grandmother until he was11, when his family moved to London. In England, he experienced racism atthe hands of both teachers and fellow students, and discovered that Britainsuffered from the same class inequities that plagued his native country.Johnson joined the English Black Panthers in his teens, where he learnedabout black history and socialism, and found an outlet for his rage inpoetry. He began publishing in race-focused journals, often writing inJamaican patois. It was only a matter of time before roots artistsdiscovered his work and helped him set it to music. Hailed for his rhythmic,intelligent lyrics and streetwise sensibility, Johnson is now a centralfigure in reggae despite his erratic recording history.Find Linton Kwesi Johnson cds and Linton Kwesi Johnson records on Island Records. |
