Iconic toaster and reggae legend, U-Roy, passes away

The undisputed king 👑 of toasting and certified reggae icon has left us.

Foundation reggae artiste, U-Roy, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 78. Born Ewart Beckford, his music career spanned nearly six decades, with hits such as Wake the Town, Natty Rebel and many more while also featuring alongside reggae legends such as John Holt, among others.

In 1978, U-Roy founded his own sound system, Stur Gav, which was one of the pioneering sound systems in Jamaican music. Legendary acts such as Sugar Minott, Brigadier Jerry, Josey Wales and countless others were among the myriad of deejays and singers who helped put Stur Gav on the map.

U-Roy was most renowned for popularizing toasting, a style of deejaying which influenced both the early beginnings of dancehall music as well as the development of hip-hop music, with his talents spotted by hip-hop originator, DJ Kool Herc.

His style influenced the likes of Charlie Chaplin and two-time Grammy-winning deejay, Shabba Ranks, who crowned U-Roy as the king of dancehall/reggae during a ceremony in late 2019 to honour his trailblazing for Jamaican music.

Wake the town and tell the people in the next life legend. S.I.P Daddy U-Roy 🙏😇