The Pop Corporation

Max Romeo has passed away, but leaves a huge legacy. One of the most celebrated vocalist to hail from Jamaica, he was used his words to spear the island’s class divide and uneven wealth, as well as being behind a legendary banned BBC record and one of the most iconic samples in dance music.

He gave us ‘War Ina Babylon’, which is one of the finest commentaries on Jamaican society, as well as the fantastic ‘Chase The Devil’, which was sampled famously by The Prodigy.

He kicked off his music career young, being a salesman for the Caltone label, before making his first recordings fronting the Emotions, which scored a local hit with ‘I’ll Buy You A Rainbow’.

International fame (or infamy) would arrive with the legendary ‘Wet Dream’, which scored a Top 10 hit in the UK, despite the ban from the BBC for risqué lyrics.

“Every night me go to sleep, me have wet dreams – lay down gal, let me push it up, push it up, lay down.“

His ‘Chi Chi Bud’ sent out a message to likeminded left-wingers, which would end up being used by Michael Manley of the People’s National, helping them come to power in the Seventies. After Manley failed to enact the changes needed in the Caribbean, he responded with the superbly critical ‘No Joshua No’.

He would end up working with Lee Scratch Perry, giving the world ‘War Ina Bablyon’, which was released on Chris Blackwell’s Island Records, making him a label mate of Bob Marley, and more. Through this, Romeo would end up featuring on the Stones’ ‘Emotional Rescue’.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Max,” the official statement read. “We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and tributes, and kindly ask for privacy at this time. Legends never die.”