Toppa Top 10: Ten MCs You Never Knew Were Jamaican

Words by Jesse Serwer—

A week ago, we highlighted nine visibly Jamaican rappers, from Biggie to Chubb Rock, with the help of our doops Kardinal Offishall. Continuing along with that theme, this week we’re highlighting 10 MCs of full or partial Jamaican extraction you might not have even known had roots in yaad. Read on for some surprises—we’re pretty sure you’ll know most of these names.

Canibus

Hard to imagine these days, but 15 years ago right this moment Canibus was doing nothing but “eat eat eat eat[ing] MCs,” to borrow some words from Mike Tyson. The once-acclaimed freestyle MC and LL Cool J foe’s fall was swift, and nowadays his name only seems to come up in the context of some gaffe, or other. Rarely does anyone note his Jamaican birth.

Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell

While Luke’s credentials as a rapper—record label owner turned hypeman would be a better way to describe his role in 2 Live Crew, and even on his own solo records—are disputable, his Jamaican heritage isn’t. The Godfather of booty bass was born to a yardie father, Stanley. In fact, he’s fully West Indian—his mother, Yvonne, hailed from the Bahamas.

Grand Puba

We included Grand Puba among our “honorebel mentions” in our Kardinal Offishall-curated Toppa Top Nine Jamaican MCs list on the strength of the yardie flavor he brought to tunes like Brand Nubian’s “Who Can Get Down Like This Man” but upon revisiting his classic Reel to Reel LP from ’92, we can confirm that the mayor of “Now Rule” (and major influence on Biggie Smalls) is indeed a yardie himself, or at least his mama is.

Pepa (Salt N Pepa)

Back in the day, we used to think Salt and Spinderella were the fine ones in hip-hop’s greatest girl group but Sandra “Pepa” Denton has aged more like fine wine. Must be the sweet Jamaica in her: though she grew up in Jamaica, Queens, “Pep” was born in Kingston.

Bushwick Bill

Bushwick Bill (or “Dr. Wolfgang Von Bushwickin The Barbarian Mother-Funky Stay High Dollar Billster,” if you prefer) repped Houston as one-third of the classic Geto Boys lineup, and before that he lived in the Brooklyn neighborhood that gave him his nickname, but Kingston weh him born. Check the Jamaica flags, Bob Marley tee and general yardie swag he’s rocking in the autobiographical (and somewhat disturbing) video for “Ever So Clear,” from his ’92 solo debut, Little Big Man.

Gunplay

Like Uncle Luke, the loose cannon of Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group is a half Jamaican (mother’s yardie, father’s Puerto Rican) Miami native with a foul mouth and a wild side.

Tyga

The YMCMB-affiliated LA rapper behind recent radio/club hits “Rack City” and “I’m Faded” is half Jamaican and half Vietnamese. Here he is talking about his roots, and here he is singing along to Kartel’s “Benz Punanny.”

Christopher “Kid” Reid

The man behind the world’s most famed flat-top—and innovator of hip-hop’s greatest multi-person dance step —also hails from Jamaica, Queens (where Kid N Play came up right alongside Salt ‘N Pepa, under the umbrella of Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor) but his pops hailed from Jamaica, West Indies.

Taco (Odd Future)

Can’t say we know much about the Odd Future rapper’s background but we hear that he and his sister, OFWGKTA producer/engineer Syd tha Kid, are cousins to Cherine Anderson. And, unless there’s something we don’t know about Cherine, then that would makes them at least half Jamaican.

A-Plus (of the Hieroglyphics)

A member of Oakland’s Hieroglyphics camp and its flagship act Souls of Mischief, A-Plus (not to be confused with A+) grew up in Denver, Colorado, of all places, but he’s fully Jamaican.