Biography
Born Dale McClaren in Christiani, Manchester, Jamaica, West Indies, Selassie completed his studies at Knox College before relocating to Kingston to pursue music. Early employment came through Admiral Ken, after which he became part of Sugar Minott’s Youth Promotion collective. There he cut “Give Me Good Loving,” a track later included on Ghetto Youth Dem Rising. His emotive delivery, shaped by close friend Garnett Silk, soon attracted the attention of producers Bunny Lee and Winston “Niney” Holness. Though he earned respect as a roots vocalist, Selassie remained largely absent from local charts until he teamed with Louie Culture on a version of the Viceroys’ “Ya Ho.” Entering the new millennium, he aligned himself with Cocoa Tea’s Roaring Lion organization, serving both as a performer and the label’s in-house engineer. Onstage he rejoined Louie Culture, together with Silver Cat and Ken Serious, to deliver “L.O.V.E.” His standing rose further after appearing on the 2001 Rebel Salute tour, prompting Tony Rebel to recruit him for the medley “Not All About The Money,” which also featured Bob Andy, Pam Hall, and Luciano. That autumn the United Nations chose the song as the official theme for the International Year of the Volunteers. In December the United Nations General Assembly convened two plenary sessions to examine volunteerism, its reggae soundtrack, and its contribution to economic and social progress, with Secretary General Kofi Annan in attendance. Selassie’s participation in the recording earned him lasting recognition within reggae’s historical record.
Albums
Singles
