T.O.K.

T.O.K.
T.O.K. at Chiemsee Reggae Summer 2013
Background information
Origin	Kingston, Jamaica
Genres	Reggae, dancehall, reggae fusion
Years active	1996–2015
Labels	VP, X.C.A.R.R records/JVC
Website	tokjamaica.com
Past members	Xavier "Flexx" Davidson Craig "Craigy T" Thompson Alistaire "Alex" McCalla Roshaun "Bay-C" Clarke

T.O.K. were a dancehall group from Kingston, Jamaica. The group consisted of Alistaire "Alex" McCalla, Roshaun "Bay-C" Clarke, Craig "Craigy T" Thompson, and Xavier "Flexx" Davidson. They started their band in 1996.

Described by the New York Times as "the world's greatest dancehall-reggae boy band", T.O.K. has been Jamaica's leading dancehall group for over a decade. They were best known for such hits as "Footprints", "Gal You Ah Lead", "Chi Chi Man", "Eagles Cry", "Guardian Angel", "Money 2 Burn", "She's Hot", "Hey Ladies", "The Voice" and "I Believe".

The group's origins can be traced back to the early 1990s while the members were still attending school. Alistaire McCalla and Xavier Davidson were friends, and McCalla recruited Craig Thompson and Roshaun Clarke who were fellow members of the choir at Campion College in Kingston and T.O.K. was born.

The group got their initial break in 1993, after a stint playing at high school parties and hotels, they finished second at the annual Tastee Talent Competition. Their performance was noticed by the local record producer Stephen Craig of Nuff Records. After voicing some tracks for Craig's label, they were signed to a recording contract to Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare's Taxi label in 1996, and released their first single, "Hit Them High", which had little impact. Later that year, they signed onto Richard "Shams" Browne's High Profile label and released two more singles, "Send Them Come" and "Hardcore Lover" with Lady Saw. The latter tune was popular, climbing the Jamaican dancehall charts, and earned them a contract with VP Records. In 2012, the group became independent of their contract with VP Records. They are now working under their own label, X.C.A.R.R. Records.

Since emerging on the scene in the early 1990s, they have released numerous hit songs and albums. In 1999, they recorded "Eagles Cry" (a version of Prince's "When Doves Cry") on the Jamaican imprint Xtra Large, which became an international success. "Eagles Cry" was followed closely by "Chi Chi Man", based on the "Sashi" riddim created by Tony "CD" Kelly. The group entered the US market in 2001 with their debut album, My Crew, My Dawgs, which made the Top 10 in the Billboard Top Reggae Album Chart and achieved platinum status in Japan. That year, T.O.K. appeared on MTV's first Advance Warning. The group had a further success with the single "Gal You A Lead". The video was selected for MTV2's New Faces of MTV2, and was among Blender's "Top Songs of 2004". Produced by Bobby Konders, the single reached No. 85 in the US Billboard Hot 100.