Yellowman helped to push dancehall to unbelievable heights and popularity as he came with a style all his own. His lyrics were not just ‘slack’, in other words, they were sexually ‘raw’, casually violent, sexist, and even homophobic.
In his heyday Yellowman was a crowd favourite. In the 80’s he was like a ‘hit’ machine, and could do no wrong when it comes to the music and the stage. He was dubbed “King Yellow”, as he was certainly on top of the charts in the 80s leading into the 90s.
William Foster, aka, Yellowman, grew up in a Boys’ home, and who knew that he would become one of reggae and dancehall biggest stars. Producer Henry “Junjo” Lawes and singer Nadine Sutherland were significant in the early days in his career, and Lawes produced a number of his albums. King Yellow’s popularity soared and he released album after album. His popularity in Jamaica was boosted by his connection to inner city communities who related to his lyrics.
Famous for his 1983 album called ‘Zungguzungguguzungguzeng’, which was just one of his major hits, the government of Jamaica presented Yellowman with an Order of Distinction.
Yellowman’s creativity was un-matched, as he proved this with a number of re-writes that include “Yellowman Getting Married” (a rewrite of the My Fair Lady number “I’m Getting Married in the Morning”), “Mr. Chin,” “Who Can Make the Dance Ram” (a rewrite of “The Candy Man”), even the names of some of his recordings still create a stir, eg the 1984 album for Shanachie Records called, “Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt,”
In 1982, Yellowman was diagnosed with skin cancer and had to do several surgeries. The cancer was spread to his jaw but despite all of that, King Yellowman continued to make hits in reggae and dancehall with artist such as Charlie Chaplin, Sister Nancy, Mad Professor and many more. In 2019, before the pandemic, he released his latest album called “No More War”, a collaboration with his daughter K’reema.
Albums Include:
1982 Mister Yellowman / Duppy Or Gunman
1982 King Mellow Yellow Meets Yellowman
1982 Them A Mad Over Me
1982 Bad Boy Skanking
1982 Yellow Man, Fat Head And The One Peter Metro
1983 Zungguzungguguzungguzeng
1984 King Yellowman
1985 Yellow Man Meets Charlie Chaplin
1986 Going To The Chapel
1987 Blueberry Hill