Ranking Joe

Born Joseph Jackson in Kingston on June 1, 1959, Ranking Joe entered the recording arena as the reggae and dub wave gained worldwide momentum in the mid-1970s. Producer Coxsone Dodd mentored the young DJ after securing him a position with the El Paso Hi-Fi soundsystem. Under Dodd’s supervision, Joe’s first single, issued in 1975 under the name Little Joe, was the track “Gun Court.”

He soon collaborated with additional reggae producers such as Bunny Lee, Watty Burnett, and Derrick Howard. These partnerships led to the creation of a fresh soundsystem featuring U-Roy and prompted the adoption of his Ranking Joe moniker. During this period he cultivated his signature approach: a rapid-fire vocal technique built on intricate tongue twisters.

By the late 1970s he had begun supplying hit material for fellow artists, among them Sonia Pottinger’s “Shine Eye Gal,” while also releasing his own collections: Weakheart Fade Away, Dub It in a Dance, Saturday Night Jamdown Syle, and Round the World.

In the early 1980s Joe aligned with the celebrated Ray Symbolic Hi-Fi soundsystem alongside Jah Screw. The outfit’s reach extended well beyond Jamaica, culminating in a sold-out 1980 British tour. When the soundsystem dissolved the following year, Joe and DJ Screw formed a production partnership that included some of the final sessions at King Tubby’s renowned Dangerous Dub studio.

After moving to New York City’s Bronx district, Joe continued producing for numerous reggae acts, including Frankie Paul, Black Uhuru, Dennis Brown, Glen Washington, Glen Brown, The Meditations, King Tubby, Shinehead, and Papa San. In the late 1990s and early 2000s he revived his solo output with the albums Fast Forward to Africa, Ghetto People, and 3 the Roots Way. Traces of his style appear in later artists such as Beenie Man, Pan Head, and Papa San.