Jah Thomas
Producer. Dancehall, reggae, dub
- Active
- 1976-present
- Sunrise
- 1955, Kingston
- Also known as
- Nkrumah Thomas, Nkrumah Manley Thomas, Midnight Rock, Nura
Jah Thomas (Nkrumah Thomas) was a gruff-voiced deejay, "a versatile and nimble word-smith" in Tim Perlich's phrase, who became one of the best of the early dancehall producers, on a label named after his first hit.
"Midnight Rock," for Alvin "GG" Ranglin, topped the Jamaican chart in 1976; the session was supervised by Errol "Flabba" Holt, later the Roots Radics' bassist, who would play a part in Thomas's own success. He versioned the popular riddims at Channel One and for Joe Gibbs, and his first album, Stop Yu Loafin', was produced at Channel One by Joseph "Jo Jo" Hoo Kim in 1978.
In 1979 he began producing himself with Holt's band, just as it took the name Roots Radics. His Midnight Rock label soon had its first big hit with his own "Cricket Lovely Cricket," one of the most popular of the many versions of the "My Conversation" riddim, and "Dance Pon Me Corner" rode the "Never Let Go" riddim. He proved as good at producing others as himself: Tristan Palma's "Entertainment" (1981), over a reworking of Vin Gordon's "Heavenless," was the biggest hit of that singer's career, and Anthony Johnson, Johnny Osbourne, Barry Brown, Sugar Minott, Little John and the deejay Early B all had records on Midnight Rock and Nura over hard Radics riddims; even U-Roy recorded for him. Scientist and King Tubby mixed dub albums of his riddims, and his voice introduces the tracks on the first Scientist albums for Henry "Junjo" Lawes.
Last updated November 5, 2026
Connections
- King Tubby (engineer)
- Joe Gibbs (producer)
- U-Roy (artist)
- Sugar Minott (artist)
- Scientist (engineer)
- Johnny Osbourne (artist)
- Alvin Ranglin (producer)
- Barry Brown (artist)
- Little John (artist)
- Michael Palmer (artist)
- Ranking Toyan (artist)
- Henry "Junjo" Lawes (collaborator)
- The Roots Radics (session work)
- Flabba Holt (collaborator)
- Channel One (studio)
Notes
- Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton, The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd ed. (London: Rough Guides, 2004), 242, 285. Tim Perlich, "Microphone Technique of Jah Thomas," Perlich Post, accessed November 5, 2026, https://theperlichpost.blogspot.com/2024/07/microphone-technique-of-jah-thomas.html.
- Barrow and Dalton, Rough Guide to Reggae, 285.
- Barrow and Dalton, Rough Guide to Reggae, 158, 162, 285.
- Barrow and Dalton, Rough Guide to Reggae, 261-62, 285-86.
- Barrow and Dalton, Rough Guide to Reggae, 242, 253, 284, 286-88.
- Barrow and Dalton, Rough Guide to Reggae, 240, 242-43.
