You could almost fill Noah's Ark with all the dancehall artists named after an animal: there is Elephant Man, Mad Cobra, Zebra... and Tiger. Probably not the best known of them all, so the compilation Most Wanted comes at just the right time to remind us of this Jamaican dancehall veteran.
After playing security guard at dances in his youth, Tiger learned his trade on the Black Star Sound System in Kingston. He enjoyed his hour of glory in the 1980s, notably with the hit No Wanga Gut on the African Beat riddim (sadly absent from this compilation) and with the album Me Name Tiger in 1987. He also worked with King Jammy's and above all with Steely & Clevie, with whom he released the albums "Bam Bam" and "Ram Dancehall", whose title tracks, classics of the genre, are included here.
Rather like an actor playing a different role in every song, Tiger knows how to take on different voices, and has a wide palette of gimmicks and distinctive growls. Tiger is just as versatile in his flow: raggamuffin, semi-spoken or even downright hip-hop, as on the song Tempo. Above all, he shows a biting, offbeat humour, as in the track When. The riddims are pure classics of the digital music of that era (Kuff, Taxi, Who she love...). One last positive note for a real gem on this album: the track Hic Up, recorded with Gregory Isaacs, where Tiger acts as MC over a medley of different Gregory classics on the Tune In riddim.
In 1993, Tiger signed with Columbia Records... But the same year he suffered a serious motorcycle accident that left him nearly dead. Despite a long rehabilitation, he never regained his full abilities and has not roared in the dancehall since.
