Ranking Toyan

Ranking Toyan, frequently credited simply as Toyan, worked alongside several leading Jamaican dub producers during the early 1980s, including Henry "Junjo" Lawes, Scientist, and Jah Thomas, typically laying down tracks at Channel One supported by the Roots Radics. Although his breakthrough arrived in the early 1980s, Toyan had launched his professional journey in the mid-1970s by performing alongside Kingston's premier sound systems. He gained recognition in 1978 through the single "Disco Pants," followed in 1979 by "Nah Kill Nuh Man," both issued on 7" format via Roots Tradition. Assisted by Ernest Hookim and Scientist, Toyan transitioned to long-playing albums in 1981 with a self-titled release. Later in that year, he delivered what many consider his definitive work, How the West Was Won, boasting an impressive lineup of credits: issued through Greensleeves, composed and overseen by Henry "Junjo" Lawes, featuring the Roots Radics on instruments, tracked at Channel One, and finalized by Scientist at King Tubby's studio. In 1982, Toyan reunited with Lawes and Scientist to produce the album Spar With Me. He stayed highly active throughout 1983, issuing multiple projects: Ghetto Man Skank and Murder, both crafted with Jah Thomas, the latter also spotlighting Tipper Lee and Johnny Slaughter; Every Posse Want Me and DJ Clash, both involving Lawes, with Delroy Wright contributing to the former and Nocodemus to the latter; along with Nice Time, created alongside Tony Robinson and the Roots Radics. Subsequent to this prolific period, Toyan's output diminished sharply until his career concluded with his murder in 1991.