Words by Desmond Alphonso, Photos by Martei Korley—
Super Cat is the Don Dada.
As a young artist in the ’80s dancehall era, he brought unprecedented lyrical depth and infinite swagger to the sound taking over Jamaica. In the ’90s, he brought undiluted badman lyrics to the mainstream, influencing hip-hop and even pop music. But then, he was gone. Though the Wild Apache has re-emerged occasionally for shows, he’d been an elusive spectre more than an actual presence for just about decade.
Dancehall’s most elusive—and, some might say, greatest—emerged from the shadows last month, headlining a performance at Club Amazura in Queens, NYC, ahead of his triumphant return to Jamaica for Sting, and LargeUp was in the mix. Editorial director Jesse Serwer caught up with the Don Dada at New York’s Milford Plaza, profiling him for RollingStone.com, while creative director Martei Korley captured some iconic portraits, showing the Don of All Dons in a light in which you’ve never before seen him. We caught back up with Cat at Amazura, capturing candid shots of the artist backstage with Junior Demus and friends, before documenting his first NYC performance in over a half-decade.
Click here for the gallery of photos, and highlights from LargeUp’s “i-terview” with the Don of all Dons, Super Cat.