Lukie D

Born in 1972 as Michael Kennedy in Cockburn Pen, Kingston, Jamaica, the singer who performs as Lukie D launched his professional path by appearing on several neighborhood sound systems and quickly established himself as a reliable dancehall vocalist. Early admirations for Frankie Paul, Tenor Saw, and ragga DJ Supercat shaped his style. The resulting local following secured studio time that yielded his signature track “Centre Of Attraction” plus duet successes alongside Lieutenant Stitchie on “Don’t Deny Me” and with Beenie Man and Black Pearl on “Bag It Up.” After affiliating with the Firehouse Crew—already recognized for advancing the careers of Luciano and Sizzla—he issued his first album, also titled Centre Of Attraction, which contained further pairings with Mikey Spice and DJ Determine. Additional singles from the same period included “I Won’t Let You Go,” “Lonely Nights,” “Let Me Love You Now,” “Heavy Load,” and “You’ve Got It Going.” Regular travel between Jamaica and the United States exposed him to wider stylistic currents, expanding the range of his material. In 1997 he issued a twenty-track collection that unexpectedly incorporated covers of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me” and Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” Although the unconventional choices attracted listeners in the United States, they distanced segments of the orthodox dancehall audience. Concurrently he became a member of the vocal quartet L.U.S.T., whose appearances at MIDEM in 1998 and at the third Culturama festival in New York earned favorable notices. He departed the group in 1999; Ricardo Durante, previously known for supplying backing vocals to Shaggy and Patra, took his place.