Paul Elliott
Artist. Roots, dancehall
- Active
- 1990s
Paul Elliott is a Rasta singer of the 1990s whom the Rough Guide counts "among the most distinctive of the new wave," one of the artists who impressed the roots cognoscenti with their 45s before they had real hits.
He first came to attention on King Jammy's sound system, which gave him more of a dancehall orientation, and went on to fairly regular releases on Jammy's label, mostly over traditionally rootsy rhythms, such as Black Uhuru's "King Selassie" for "Religion," but also over hardcore tracks like Ward 21's "Bada Bada" for "Nutten Nah Gwan." Whatever the rhythm, he used it as a platform for his Rastafarian beliefs; "Dem a Worry & Fret," for Star Trail, was his strongest side away from Jammy.
His debut album, Save Me Oh Jah, on the British Redbridge label, introduced his committed approach; its standout, "Look Over Me Oh Jah," rides an update of the Abyssinians' "Declaration of Rights," while other rhythms came from Jazzwad and the Firehouse Crew.
Last updated October 21, 2026
Connections
- The Firehouse Crew (backing group)
- King Jammy (producer)
Notes
- Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton, The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd ed. (London: Rough Guides, 2004), 355, 369-70.
- Barrow and Dalton, Rough Guide to Reggae, 369-70.
- Barrow and Dalton, Rough Guide to Reggae, 370.
