Pioneering Jamaican artist U-Roy has died

nme.com:

The Gleaner reports.U-Roy, who was born Ewart Beckford in Jones Town, Jamaica in 1942 and was also known as Daddy U-Roy or The Originator, was renowned as a pioneer of the toasting MC style in reggae and dancehall, and was a key figure in the popular development of Jamaican music in the 1970s.After being spotted toasting while DJing at a sound system party in 1970, U-Roy recorded the singles ‘Wake The Town’, ‘Rule The Nation’ and ‘Wear You To The Ball’ – all of which enjoyed great commercial success in Jamaica and popularised the toasting form.Among U-Roy’s most-loved albums were 1975’s ‘Dread In A Babylon’, ‘Natty Rebel’ (1976), ‘Rasta Ambassador’ (1977) and ‘Jah Son of Africa’ (1978).He launched his own sound system, Stur Gav, in 1978,.