Delly Ranks

Delroy Foster entered the world in Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies, and completed his schooling at Excelsior High School in the capital. The vibrant local dancehall environment captivated him during those student years, prompting him to abandon his studies in favor of seizing the microphone. His vocal approach remains throaty and hardcore, echoing the manner of Terror Fabulous and Jigsy King. Early performances took place on sound systems under the name Delly Ranks, after which he laid down numerous dub plate specials for producers that included Patrick Roberts, Junior Reid and Hugh ‘Redman’ James. An international breakthrough arrived in 1995 via the favored single “Sound Killing,” cut for Winston ‘Wee Pow’ Powell of the Stone Love crew. Further visibility followed in 1998 when a string of successful tracks—“Disrespect,” “Good Gal,” “Scandal Bag,” “Wha Me Hear,” “We Nah Run,” “Bwoyfreind” and “Pose”—appeared for the US-based Jamdown crew. By the close of the decade Foster had shed the Ranks suffix and performed simply as Delly, issuing the hits “Head Of The House,” “Gal Know More Than You,” “Some Girls,” “What A Gal” along with the striking duet “Headache” alongside Elephant Man. The year 2000 brought the firmly established releases “Hey You” and “We Nice,” both shaped by the Shocking Vibes crew; the follow-up “Baby, Baby” served to introduce newcomers Emerge and Cement Kid. Jeremy Harding’s “Them Vex Now” and manager Flabba Malcolm’s equally well-received “Work Round Dem” added further momentum, while Foster and Lexxus received early recognition—later deemed premature—for delivering the first summer anthem of the new millennium with the risqué “Nyam Me Out.”