T. O. K Best of Dancehall & Culture hits 90s – 2000s mix by Djeasy
T.O.K.’s story has been defined by persistence and evolution: From high school choirmates to R&B cover band; from harmonic soul quartet to hardcore dancehall pioneers; from a group on a hiatus to one staging its reunion, thirty years after its inception.
Following the release of their recent single, “NPLH (Home),” there’s more on the horizon for the group that The New York Times once described as “the world’s greatest reggae-dancehall boyband.”
T.O.K. – an acronym for “Touch of Klass” – began in Kingston, Jamaica in the early 1990s. For years, the members Alistaire “Alex” McCalla, Roshaun “Bay-C” Clarke, Craig “Craigy T” Thompson, and Xavier “Flexx” Davidson cut their teeth at live performances around the island – at high school parties, hotel shows, and in 1992’s nationally-televised Tastee Talent Content – before they recorded their debut single.
By that point, they had opened themselves up to more influences than just the American R&B that they had been known for: most consequentially, the island’s homegrown sounds. “We’re Jamaican. That has to come out in the music, and that’s what happened, gradually
During the mid-to-late-90s, T.O.K. bounced around local record labels cutting singles, but making no major impact. That changed when they began working with Richard “Shams” Browne, the engineer at the Main Street label, who convinced them to join him in his venture, High Profile. On their second release together, “Hardcore Lover,” featuring Lady Saw, the collaboration bore fruit, breaking the group to new fans across the dancehall scene. During this period, T.O.K. continued to refine its musical style. They could still harmonize, and occasionally would on tracks, but the influence of hardcore dancehall on their sound was unmistakable. Their music boasted infectious melodies, hard-hitting lyrics, and a clear balance of each of the members’ unique strengths. They also now seamlessly switched between singing and deejaying (rapping) while cycling through topics of relationships, partying, social issues, and personal experiences.
In 2001, they released My Crew, My Dogs, their debut album, through VP Records, their record label for over a decade. Songs like “Money 2 Burn” and “Shake Your Bam Bam” pushed the group to broader audiences, though it was 2005’s Unknown Language that turned them into international sensations. Boasting the tracks “Gal You Ah Lead” and “Footprints,” which peaked at #85 and #93 on the Hot 100, respectively, the album marked a turning point for the group
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