It is well known that Yellowman turned his disadvantageous looks into his best weapon. An orphan born albino, Yellowman's company was not exactly sought after by his schoolmates at the Alpha Boys School, in a country where this genetic condition is hard to accept. But despite his white skin and hair (the deformation of his mouth being due to a jaw cancer), young Winston Foster quickly became King Yellowman.
His secret: a sense of humour and self-mockery that is now very rare among artists. On the Roots Radics' stripped-back riddims, Yellowman delivers hilarious rhymes. It must be said that he most often exploits a particularly fertile terrain: sex. It is his favourite subject, and he wreaks havoc with it. His landmark is of course Zungguzungguguzungguzeng, released in 1983, an almost unpronounceable track that nevertheless put his name on everyone's lips.His success was such that he became the first deejay to sign to a US major (Columbia Records), long before Shabba Ranks, Mad Cobra and their ilk set foot in Uncle Sam's home. In a few years, Yellowman the pariah became an adored icon.
Via its vintage label 17 North Parade, VP Records releases a compilation meant to be definitive: two CDs, forty tracks, and a DVD of his live performance at Reggae Sunsplash in 1988 (his return to the stage of the famous festival that had made his name in 1982). Half of the tracks compiled here are produced by Henry "Junjo" Lawes, of the Volcano label, his favourite producer, with whom he would have his greatest successes. The tracklist thus dips freely into his first album, "Mister Yellowman", which made the introductions in 1982.
The compilation's forty tracks also allow an overview of his work with producers other than Junjo Lawes: King Jammy, Joe Gibbs, Sly & Robbie and Lloyd Campbell (who produces Mad over me and Operation eradication). It also highlights Fathead, his sparring partner who appears on many combinations, as well as Sister Nancy, with whom he sang the popular King & Queen and The Girl is Mine. Well thought out, the compilation draws a common thread between certain tracks and certain themes, such as Mr. Chin and Mr. Wong, allowing a comparison of Morning ride and Night Flightor
