Half Pint

During the opening years of the 1980s, dancehall singjay Half Pint committed to tape numerous foundational tracks that quickly attained classic status within the style. His reach beyond Jamaica stayed somewhat constrained by a tendency to revisit straightforward musical motifs, yet the strongest examples of his output often proved outstanding. Prince Jammy (later King Jammy) produced Half Pint’s earliest significant material, and the pair jointly forged a brighter, looser, and more tuneful dancehall sound that eased the shift into the fully digital ragga period. Although most of his themes centered on romance, Half Pint occasionally delivered socially aware verses that temporarily set him apart from prevailing dancehall singers and DJs alike; his singing style blended aspects of both approaches while leaning more heavily toward song.

Lindon Roberts, who has appeared on releases under the alternate spellings Lyndon, Linford, Linton, and London, entered the world on November 11, 1961. He spent his childhood in the Rose Lane district of West Kingston and acquired his performing name because of his diminutive stature. After participating in his school choir, he completed his studies in 1976 and began pursuing a professional career in music. Several years of apprenticeship followed as he performed with assorted sound systems; in 1983 he finally entered the studio under Prince Jammy, then a King Tubby protégé who was building his own reputation. That same year brought the release of Half Pint’s debut single, “Sally,” while its successor, “Winsome,” registered as his initial hit. Additional successes, mostly cut for Jammy, arrived during the next two years: “Money Man Skank,” “One in a Million,” “One Big Family,” “Pouchie Lou,” the conscious-leaning “Mr. Landlord,” and the enduring dancehall standard “Level the Vibes.” Jamaica saw the 1984 mini-album Money Man Skank, and later the same year an LP titled One in a Million appeared exclusively in the U.K.

Half Pint joined Sly & Robbie for their international Taxi Gang tour in 1985 and subsequently recorded several singles for the duo, including the hit “Night Life Lady,” “Hold On,” and “World Inflation.” Later that year he switched to producer George Phang, yielding his signature track, “Greetings.” A trailblazer for the emerging ragga sound built on all-digital productions, the song achieved massive popularity and remains a dancehall landmark. Half Pint followed it with another standout, “Cost of Living,” and released the album Greetings; overlapping material surfaced on the international collection Victory, named after his next Jamaican chart-topper. Awareness of his music gradually extended past reggae circles, leading the Rolling Stones to record a version of his early hit “Winsome” on their 1986 album Dirty Work, retitled “Too Rude.”

As dancehall preferences moved toward explicit and aggressive content by the close of the 1980s, Half Pint’s upbeat and genial approach began to feel dated. He maintained a steady recording schedule, yet his commercial standing fell sharply. Public attention returned in 1992 with the major hit “Substitute Lover,” which joined the ranks of his strongest singles. Much of the remainder of the decade, however, was spent away from the studio, during which time multiple compilations appeared, among them VP’s self-titled 1997 anthology that gathered many of his best-known recordings. Another rock act paid tribute when Sublime issued a 1996 rendition of “Loving.” Half Pint resumed activity with the 1998 album Legal We Legal and followed it two years later with Closer to You.