Johnny P.

Born John Morgan on 20 June 1965 in Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies, Johnny P. first rose to attention as the top selector for Winston Riley’s Techniques sound system. Riley’s setup exposed him to dancehall audiences and led directly to his earliest recordings, among them the track “She Young And She Green,” cut alongside Thriller U. That same partnership later yielded the duet “Stick By Me” under King Jammy’s supervision. In 1987 Johnny P. became the initial deejay to work with Steely and Clevie once the pair launched their independent production career; the resulting cautionary single “No Free Ride” established his star status. By 1988 the vogue for singer-DJ combinations remained strong, and Johnny P. featured on nearly half the hits of that type. His most notable pairing from the era was “Come Love Me” with Cocoa Tea. Although best known for these collaborations, he also scored solo successes with “Mind You Get A Lick,” “Yu Breath A Badda Me,” “Every Posse Follow Me,” “Expensive And Dear,” “Wet Liner,” “I Love The Father,” “Face Out, Dollars Out,” “Man Idiot,” “One Ton Of Fluff,” and “Natty Dread Checking.” Further joint efforts included “Old Fire Stick” and “Send Me The Pillow” with Scotty, “Everyone Makes Love” alongside Michael Palmer, and “Wey You Get Inna” with Gregory Isaacs. After saturating the marketplace his steady output slowed in the early nineties, yet he returned in 1993 with the ragga anthem “A Gal Grudge You.” Subsequent releases arrived intermittently; in 1995 Junior Reid guided the sessions that produced “Babylon’s Burning.” Additional nineties tracks encompassed “Trust In God,” the multi-artist favorite “Matey Anthem,” the anti-gun commentary “Almshouse,” and the dancehall favorite “Wave Your Rag.”