News: King Yellowman From rags to records

HE WAS deserted by his parents, scorned at stage shows, chased away by pro-ducers, banned from the airwaves and developed skin cancer. A doctor even told him he would live only three years more.

That was in 1983.

Not many could overcome all these odds to become one of dancehall's greatest icons, but King Yellowman did. With an unmistakable deejaying style, he fused his pain and longings with his talent, which seemed a perfect recipe to produce hits.

"I remember they used to discriminate against me in the dancehall, because on a show we used to pass mic to mic and whenever me pass the mic, dem either take it and put dem rag over the mic or them kerchief. I guess you couldah call it scorn," Yellowman said.

EFFECT ON OTHER ALBINOS

His presence had an effect on other albinos.

"Is only when me come out that people like me started to show up, because them used to hide away from shame. But before the Tastee competition me used to go round to different producers to voice, but them used to run me away because them never believe innah me, or because of my skin colour them feel seh man like me cyaan do nothing," he said.

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