Ras Shiloh

Born Thomas Williams in Stuyvesant, New York, the R&B and soul singer Betty Wright’s cousin launched his recording path in 1984 while still a youngster, voicing as Big Belly Youth for the Golden Touch sound system across New York venues; Nitty Gritty supplied the youthful handle in direct reference to Williams’s build. Ras Shaka and Knotty B cut his first release, “You Say You Love Jah,” voiced over Bob Marley’s “Natural Mystic” rhythm. When roots and culture regained prominence, Ras Shaka urged the artist to adopt the new name Ras Shiloh, under which he issued early cultural numbers such as “Time” and “Jah Calling.”

Having secured a following in New York, Ras Shiloh moved to Jamaica in the middle of the decade and entered studios with leading producers Donovan Germain for “Child Of A Slave” and Tony Rebel for “Are You Satisfied.” He joined Buju Banton on the duet “Give I Strength,” which appeared on Banton’s album Inna Heights. Returning to New York in November 1997, he issued the well-received Ras Shiloh & Idrens Chants, whose highlights included “Virtuous Woman,” “Cocaine Cowboys,” and the pairing with Shelene Thomas on “Caught Up In The Circle.” He then traveled the East Coast alongside Rebel and the Flames crew before heading to Europe as support for Yammie Bolo.

Amid the touring demands, Ras Shiloh prepared his sophomore set with Knotty B and Noel Alphonso, son of saxophonist Roland Alphonso. Promotion for Babylon You Doom took him to New York’s Culturama festival and the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, after which he played dates in Florida and along the West Coast. Additional successes followed with “Brass Gates,” “Child Of A Slave,” and “Are You Satisfied.” In 1999 he appeared in forty-eight major cities spanning the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean and made a guest appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. His third album, Listen Well, incorporated contributions from Rebel, Morgan Heritage, and Philip “Fatis” Burrell.