NinjamanText by Harry Hawks |
The ‘Original Front Tooth Gold Tooth Gun Pon Tooth Don Gorgon’… one of the most startlingly original and seriously contumacious dancehall deejays.
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| Date Added: Feb 14, 2014, Date Updated: Aug 2, 2017 Copyright (C) 2024 Dub Store Sound Inc. |
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Born Desmond John Ballentine, Ballintine or Ballantine 20th January 1966 in Annotto Bay on Jamaica's North Coast young Desmond moved to Kingston at the age of twelve where he began deejaying on the Black Culture sound system. After forging a formidable reputation on the mic. he became Double Ugly, later shortened to Uglyman, and moved on to Killamanjaro in 1984 where his mic. mentors were Super Cat and Early B. He became Ninjaman out of admiration for the feudal Japanese ninjas...dedicated, disciplined assassins. In direct contrast the samurai observed strict codes of conduct regarding honour but the ninjas practised stealth and secretive slaughter. Jamaica's Ninjaman lived up to his name by summarily seeing off the opposition on record and on stage.
Ninjaman's debut single, 'Protection' in combination with vocalist Courtney Melody, was a self production released on Harry J's Killamanjaro subsidiary in 1987 and was followed by 'Send Me The Pillow' another combination with Courtney Melody produced by Harry J. This pair of releases set the pattern for his first big hit 'Cover Me', in combination with veteran vocalist Tinga Stewart, the following year on the Pickout label. Successful solo sides followed which showcased his counterpoint style of seemingly working against the rhythm (as opposed to sitting on it) and between 1989 and 1992 Ninjaman rode the crest of the dancehall wave.
Nothing is hotter than a hot deejay and he went clear on countless records for Kingston's hottest producers including 'Hortical Don' for Steely & Clevie, 'Get Out A Here' for Phillip 'Fatis' Burrell's Xterminator label, 'My Weapon' and 'Excuse Me' for Mr.Doo and he also enjoyed a run of classic sides for Bobby Dixon's Digital B label including 'Permit To Bury', 'Things A Gwan', 'Number One' and the near perfect 'Fulfilment'. But "almost any record from 1990 to 1992 bearing Ninjaman's name is worth hearing" and, the 'Bounty Hunter' album, produced by Bobby Digital in 1991, contained no less than six Jamaican hit singles.
Ninjaman, together with Cutty Ranks, was the only serious contender for Shabba Ranks' crown and, while on record and off the record arguments between reggae music's top names were nothing new, Ninjaman took the burial tradition a whole heap deeper than six foot six. Dancehall deejays, including Flourgon and the aforementioned Shabba, came in for his inspired, idiosyncratic invective. Shabba and Ninjaman memorably clashed live on stage at Jamaica's annual Sting and Sunsplash concerts and 'Ting A Ling A Ling School Pickney Sing Ting' was Ninjaman's no holds barred answer to Shabba's massive 'Ting A Ling' hit. Not only was Ninjaman one of the foremost dancehall deejays he was also first in a number of fields including voicing one of the only 'jungle' style records released in Jamaica 'Donnett' on the Steely & Clevie label (although the style never caught on in Kingston) and his picture adorned both sides of the USA long playing picture disc on the Act 3 label 'De Man Good'... good going for a deejay previously known as 'Double Ugly'!
Ninjaman returned to the Christianity of his upbringing in 1997 and espoused his faith, as Brother Desmond, both live on the mic. and on records such as the self explanatory 'Born Again' released on Richie Stephens' Pot Of Gold label. In 1999 he played 'Deportee' in Chris Blackwell's film 'Third World Cop' which starred Paul Campbell. Never one to settle for the obvious, a true original, no-one has ever managed to emulate Ninjaman's unique stuttering, at times conversational but always controversial, style and stance and he remains one of Jamaica's most popular and in demand artists. |
| Feb 14, 2014 (Aug 2, 2017 Update) Text by Harry Hawks
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