Mikey Dread at the Controls

The late, great Mikey Dread, aka Michael Campbell, holding court at a London club in the early 1980s. The video oozes vibe, but it doesn't do a whole lot to show off Mikey's skills. Check out some of his albums for a better taste of his nasal toasting style and his crisp production skills. Start with World War III and African Anthem.

He started out as a radio DJ and is widely credited with helping to popularize reggae music (still largely the music of the ghetto) among a wider audience.

The story of his days at the Jamaican Broadcast Company, from Wikipedia:

Campbell wasn't impressed that the JBC's playlists mainly consisted of bland, foreign pop music at a time when some of the most potent reggae was being recorded in Jamaica. He convinced his JBC bosses to give him his own radio program called Dread At The Controls, where he played nothing but reggae. Before long, Campbell (now using the DJ name Mikey Dread) had the most popular program on the JBC. Well-known for its fun and adventurous sonic style, Dread At The Controls became a hit all over Jamaica. Inevitably, JBC's conservative management and Campbell clashed, and he quit in protest.

He went on to work with King Tubby on a string of amazing dub albums, produce The Clash, and host a six-part video documentary for the BBC called "Deep Roots Music" that's essential viewing for students of roots culture.

Much respect to Mr. Campbell -- "It make me feel so good!"