T.O.K.

Despite their typically rugged image, few would guess that the reggae dancehall group T.O.K. drew initial inspiration from the smooth harmonies of Boyz II Men. Alistaire McCalla, Roshaun Clarke, and Craig Thompson all sang in the choir at Kingston's Campion College, while their friend Xavier Davidson attended Calabar High School. The four formed T.O.K.—originally short for Touch of Klass—in the early 1990s, just as the Motown quartet was dominating the charts with its vocal arrangements. They began with R&B covers, yet Jamaican influences soon reshaped their direction. As Davidson noted, "We're Jamaican. That has to come out in the music, and that's what happened, gradually." After training under Jamaican vocal coach Georgia Guerra and performing at countless high school parties, the quartet advanced to shows at luxury hotels along Jamaica's North Coast, where they occasionally enlivened sets with Bob Marley songs or Ini Kamoze's "Hot Stepper." In 1993 they finished second in the annual Tastee Talent Contest. Although they did not win, the exposure led to sessions with Nuff Records, none of which produced charting material. By 1996 they had moved to Sly & Robbie's Taxi label, issuing the single "Hit Them High" without commercial impact. They next linked with Main Street and met engineer Richard Browne, who was preparing to start his own imprint. Choosing to record for the young producer's new High Profile label, their first release made little impression, but the follow-up, "Hardcore Lover" featuring dancehall queen Lady Saw, reached number four. Though High Profile proved short-lived, Browne remained their manager and regular producer. A run of singles such as "Whoa" and "Ill Nana" kept landing on the charts. Their style had by then shifted far from its origins, favoring hardcore dancehall shaped equally by Jamaican traditions and the U.S. hip-hop broadcast on MTV, even as they retained occasional vocal harmonies. The change resonated in 1998 when "Eagles Cry," referencing Prince's "When Doves Cry," delivered their first number one. T.O.K. released My Crew, My Dawgs on their own X.C.A.R.R. label in 2001, collecting many of their prior hits. Their 2005 album Unknown Language featured the hit ballad “Footprints” and a guest spot from Miami rapper Pitbull. Our World followed in 2009.