GHETTO PRIEST

Ghetto Priest aka Squidz: Singer/Songwriter/Recording artist/Live performer is one of the most flamboyant, creative performers to have emerged from the London music scene in the past few years. Like the community from which he hails, Ghetto Priest is a man at ease with multiple musical visions. Walk through the streets of London and you begin to grasp the flow and the rhythm that has produced his unique sound. It’s a community of exchange; African/Caribbean and Irish, Asian and English, each mixing and informing the other, lending beats and grooves, keeping things fresh and new. Ghetto Priest born and raised in the east end of London to Afro-Caribbean parents has been on the reggae/Dub/experimental music scene now for over 2 decades. He has been a mainstay of the On U Sound camp where he was backing vocalist, and percussionist for the band African Headcharge. His vocal talents came to the ear of David Harrow aka Technova aka James Hardway (techno/Drum & Bass/Jazz/break beat producer). There collaboration gave birth to a commercial remake of the dance hall reggae classic ‘wha do dem’, under the name “Sativa” in early 2000, which had a small success in the mainstream arena, with video appearances on the music channel “The BOX”. In 2003/2004 David Harrow under his alias ‘James Hardway’ released two Jazz/D&B: albums “Straight from fridge” & “Big Casino” Featuring the vocal talents of Ghetto Priest. Around the same time GP was called upon for his vocal services by D&B outfit “UnderWolves”, who were signed to the “Universal/Island” at the time. An album titled “Under your sky” was released with video. GP can be heard/seen performing a track titled ‘So blue it’s black’. In 2004 Ghetto Priest released his critically acclaimed debut album with producer Adrian Sherwood (On U Sound), titled “Vulture Culture”, three tracks from this album: ‘Rise Up’, ‘masters of deception’, and ‘Visionary’ are used for sound tracks for the film: “Johnny Was’ starring Vinny Jones. Also during this time Ghetto priest & Adrian Sherwood were called upon by renown Scottish artist Graham Fagen to do a remake of the famous 17th century poet Robert Burns song ‘Slaves Lament’, to be used for the “Clean Hands, Pure hearts” art exhibition he was putting on at the Tramway in Glasgow. The result a heart rendering rendition by Ghetto Priest, given the sign of approval by the Scottish press. In the same year (2004) Ghetto Priest was called upon by dub/punk/rock outfit Asian Dub Foundation, for services rendered on a world wide known track titled ‘Fortress Europe’, for there album ‘Enemy of the enemy”; video included. Around the same year Asian Dub Foundation asked Ghetto Priest to be there front man to which he obliged. He toured with ADF globally for four years captivating audiences with his vocal and mystical stage presence. During the time of the invasion of Iraq, Asian Dub Foundation released an album titled “TANK”, of which GP’S vocal & writing services is an integral part. During the making of the ADF “TANK” album, at the renown Ridge Farm recording studio, GP met up with composer Ben Watkins (Juno Reactor), who asked if GP was into doing a track with him. The outcome was a few tracks! Firstly ‘City of the sinful’,’ Inca Steppa’, ‘Tokyo’, and ‘Mind of the free’ which can all be found on the Juno Reactor album “Gods & Monsters”. Ghetto Priest the eclectic/enigmatic, can also be found in the reggae/dub/roots arena on labels Such as: “One big sound” (UK), “Hammer Bass” (France), “Conscious Sounds” (UK), “Dubateers” (UK), and “Reggae on top” (UK).