Mikey General

Born Michael Taylor on 9 October 1963 in London, England, the singer divided his early years between the British capital and Jamaica. Drawn to the island’s veteran vocalists such as Dennis Brown and Barrington Levy, he launched his own career as a performer. His initial range followed the high-tenor dancehall approach associated with Pinchers, Sanchez and Pliers. During the mid-1980s he began cutting tracks in the UK alongside Studio One producer Jackie Mittoo; the resulting sides appeared on his own MGR label via Omega, followed by further releases that included “Kuff N Dem,” “A Sound Gonna Die Tonight” and the allegorical “Cowboy Life.” Pairings with Richie Davis yielded the successful “Back To Life” and “Suzy Wong,” while a collaboration with Skipper Ranking produced the anti-cocaine anthem “Don’t Nose It Up.” He took the lead role in the television drama We The Raggamuffin and supplied its theme song. Returning to Jamaica in 1992, Taylor encountered Luciano at a session; the meeting placed him within the Firehouse Crew alongside DJ Sizzla and saxophonist Dean Fraser. In 1997 the group shared headline status with Buju Banton and Bunny Wailer at the Essential Roots Day festival, coinciding with a revival in Taylor’s recording activity. Philip “Fatis” Burrell oversaw the Firehouse debut Stronger Rastaman, and the joint effort with Sizzla, “Babylon A Listen/Unseen Blessings,” emerged as a dancehall anthem.