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uk reggae

Smiley Culture

Smiley Culture (real name David Emmanuel) was a British reggae singer and DJ. Although his period of fame and success was brief, he did produce two of the most critically acclaimed reggae singles of the 1980s. Emmanuel, born and raised in South London, is the son of a Jamaican father and South American mother. He was educated at Tulse Hill School. Prior to his recording career he worked as a DJ with the Saxon Studio International reggae soundsystem, where he met and worked with a number of other reggae artists, including Maxi Priest, Papa Levi and Tippa Irie.

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Tippa Irie

Anthony Henry - a.k.a. "Tippa Irie" - emerged from England's Saxon Sound International - the star-studded travelling sound system that has been at the forefront of the U.K. reggae dancehall scene for the past 25 years and helped launch the careers of artists such as Maxi Priest, Papa Levi and Smiley Culture. Tippa Irie was part of the new generation of British MC's who developed the 'Fast Talking' style chat which today can be heard in modern day rappers like Busta Rhymes.

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