Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon
| Shabba Ranks | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon |
| Born |
17 January 1966 St. Ann, Jamaica |
| Origin | Kingston, Jamaica |
| Genres | Reggae, dancehall, reggae fusion, ragga |
| Occupation(s) | Deejay |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | Epic (1991–96) |
| Associated acts | KRS-One, Maxi Priest, ASAP Ferg |
Shabba Ranks (born Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon; 17 January 1966) is a Jamaican dancehall musician.
Ranks was born in Sturgetown, St. Ann, Jamaica. He gained his fame mainly by toasting (or rapping) rather than singing, like some of his dancehall contemporaries in Jamaica. He was a protégé of deejay Josey Wales. His international career started in the late 1980s, along with a number of fellow Jamaicans including reggae singers Cocoa Tea and Crystal. Ranks also worked with Chuck Berry and American rappers KRS-One and Chubb Rock.
He secured a recording contract with Epic Records in 1991.
The stylistic origins of the genre reggaeton may be traced back to the 1990 song "Dem bow", from Ranks' album Just Reality. Produced by Bobby "Digital" Dixon, the Dem Bow riddim became so popular in Puerto Rican freestyle sessions that early Puerto Rican reggaeton was simply known as "Dembow". The Dem Bow riddim is an integral and inseparable part of reggaeton, so much so that it has become its defining characteristic.
His biggest hit single outside of Jamaica was the reggae fusion smash "Mr. Loverman". Other tracks include "Respect", "Pirates Anthem", "Trailer Load A Girls", "Wicked inna Bed", "Caan Dun", and "Ting A Ling".
In 1993, Ranks scored another hit in the Addams Family Values soundtrack to which he contributed a rap/reggae version of the Sly and the Family Stone hit "Family Affair". His third album for Epic, A Mi Shabba, was released in 1995, however it fared less well. He was eventually dropped by the label in 1996. However, he won two Grammy Awards for previous work, and Epic went on to release a 'Greatest Hits' album, entitled Shabba Ranks and Friends in 1999.
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