Simpleton

Born Christopher Harrison around 1975 in Kingston, Jamaica, the future performer grew up in the Papine section of Lower St. Andrews on the city’s periphery. Early on he absorbed the styles of area talents such as Brigadier Jerry, Sister Nancy, Chaka Demus, Major Mackerel, Roundhead, Colin Roach and Anthony Malvo. At dances he began by muttering into the microphone while nervously staring at the floor, yet rather than falter he fashioned the awkward habit into a deliberate DJ persona. Contrary to occasional claims, his refusal to look directly at the crowd had nothing to do with a cleft palate; he had already performed facing audiences while working the sound systems under the name Dracula. When Ninjaman scored a 1990 success with “Heartical Don,” Harrison rewrote the lyrics under his Dracula guise and retitled the track “Simpleton.” Buoyed by the crowd’s reaction and by Capleton’s rising profile, he made Simpleton his permanent stage name. The new identity brought an initial session with Colin Fat that yielded the bogle-flavored “Coca Cola Bottle Shape,” an immediate favorite on dancefloors and reggae charts globally. As frequently happens in Jamaica, that breakthrough attracted numerous producers—among them Junior Reid, Steely And Clevie, Bobby Digital, Stone Love and Black Scorpio—who invited him to voice their rhythms. International attention returned in 1993 with the risqué “Sperm Rod,” cut for Chris Goldfinga, alongside the well-received “Action Speaks Louder Than Words,” “Stay Pon Guard” and “Need A Little Magic In Your Life.” A reunion with neighborhood acquaintance Anthony Malvo produced Simpleton’s largest success to that point, “Quarter To Twelve,” which became the best-selling independent reggae single of 1995. An enthusiast of western films, he drew explicit connections between Kingston’s street conflicts and the narratives of those movies. The track’s popularity prompted answer records from several DJs, Ninjaman included, prompting Simpleton’s retort “Nah Watch Nah Clock.” That release also became a major hit and opened the door to further singles: “Sick Under Rastaman Treatment” for Bulby York, “Pants Buckle” and “Sweat A Bust” for Must Bust, “Spot It” for Stingray, “The Gal Dem” for Robert Livingstone, “Miss Hottie Hottie” for Jack Scorpio, and the duet “Rock On” with Spanner Banner.