World of Jamaican Music

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An illustrated map of the creators of Jamaican music and how they are connected.

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Gyptian

Artist. Dancehall

Active
2004-present
Sunrise
October 25, 1983

Gyptian, born Windel Beneto Edwards on October 25, 1983, is a singer from St. Andrew whose work sits between lovers rock and dancehall. Spin calls his voice an "inimitable instrument" with a "falsetto-tinged, mildly pinched" tone, and Reggaeville hears "oft-aching tones" and "considerable vocal versatility."

He sang in church from the age of seven. His family took him to Mr. Wong, a producer in Portmore, and it was there and with the guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith that he learned to record. He won the Star Search competition in 2004, which earned him a place at Sting that December, and broke through in 2005 with "Serious Times" and "Is There a Place." The name came from his habit of tying a shirt around his head.

My Name Is Gyptian appeared on VP in 2006, followed by I Can Feel Your Pain (2008), Hold You (2010), and Sex, Love & Reggae (2013). "Hold Yuh," produced by Ricky Blaze, was the record that traveled: it reached number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 in Britain, was certified gold in the United States in 2013, and was remixed with a verse from Nicki Minaj.

Last updated November 5, 2026

Connections

Notes

  1. Wikipedia gives his birth name and date and says he grew up in the King Weston district of rural St. Andrew, though it gives Kingston as his birthplace. "Gyptian," Wikipedia, accessed October 1, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyptian.
  2. Review of Gyptian, Spin, accessed November 5, 2026, https://www.spin.com/?p=36959. Review of Gyptian, Sex, Love & Reggae, Reggaeville, October 25, 2013, https://www.reggaeville.com/artist-details/gyptian/releases/mode/review/release/gyptian-sex-love-reggae/.
  3. Wikipedia quotes him on being left at Mr. Wong's Portmore studio by his family: "One day, they dropped me off at his studio and left me and it all began there." It says he sang in church from seven and honed his sound under Mr. Wong and Chinna Smith. "Gyptian."
  4. Wikipedia says the 2004 Star Search was held at Kens Wild Flower Lounge in Portmore and won him a spot at Sting 2004. "Gyptian."
  5. Wikipedia dates both hits to 2005 and places "Is There a Place" on the Seasons riddim. "Gyptian."
  6. Wikipedia says he also twisted his chin hair "like an Egyptian pharaoh." "Gyptian."
  7. Wikipedia dates My Name Is Gyptian to September 12, 2006, on VP, and says Hold You reached number 2 and Sex, Love & Reggae number 1 on Billboard's reggae albums chart. "Gyptian."
  8. Wikipedia says the single peaked at number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Gyptian." In Britain, where it was issued as "Hold You," it entered the chart on November 20, 2010, and peaked at number 16. "Gyptian," Official Charts, accessed October 1, 2026, https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/6583/gyptian/.
  9. Wikipedia credits Ricky Blaze as producer and says the RIAA certified the single gold in June 2013. "Hold You (Gyptian song)," Wikipedia, accessed October 1, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hold_You_(Gyptian_song).
  10. Wikipedia says the official remix features Nicki Minaj. "Hold You (Gyptian song)."

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