Biography
Born in 1970 in Port Maria, St. Mary, Jamaica, West Indies, Hammond belongs to a musical lineage that encompasses his father Winston Hammond along with Beres Hammond and cousin Yogie. During his early years he cultivated a strong passion for music that he carried forward once his family relocated to Canada. There he launched his recording path alongside his father and Jackie Mittoo by cutting reggae renditions of well-known standards. His own 1993 composition “Just The Other Night,” issued on Yogie’s Fi Wi Music imprint, became a hit that climbed into Toronto’s Top 10. That momentum prompted further sessions in Jamaica alongside the Cell Block crew, resulting in the pointed single “Watching Your Programme,” which equalled the chart success of its predecessor and opened doors to Toronto stage appearances backing Merciless, Spragga Benz and Determine. In 1996 Hammond rejoined Yogie in the studio to contribute material for a Fi Wi Music anthology. Beyond his own releases he has supplied songs to fellow artists, among them his brother Junior Hammond and Singing Melody. March 2001 brought Hammond his second JUNO Award in Canada, this time for his self-titled album following an earlier win in 1996, and he continues to occupy a solid place in the industry through his songwriting work.
Singles
