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half pint
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Half Pint
Dancehall singjay Half Pint recorded some of the genre's early classics during
the first half of the '80s. His appeal outside Jamaica was somewhat limited by
his willingness to repeat simple musical ideas, but the best of his work was frequently
brilliant. He was the first major artist produced by Prince Jammy (later King
Jammy), and together they helped establish a lighter, more relaxed, more melodic
approach to dancehall that made for an easy transition into the digital ragga
era. While Half Pint's subject matter was mostly romantic, he also offered the
occasional conscious lyrics, which for a time made him an exception in the dancehall
world among both singers and DJs (his vocal delivery contained elements of both
styles, but was weighted more toward the former).Half Pint was born Lindon Roberts
(though he's also been credited on albums as Lyndon, Linford, Linton, and London)
on November 11, 1961. He grew up in the Rose Lane area of West Kingston, and earned
his future stage name early on for his small size. He first sang in his school
choir, and after finishing school in 1976, he set about trying to break into the
music industry. He paid his dues by touring with various sound systems for several
years, and in 1983, he finally landed a shot in the recording studio with Prince
Jammy, then a protégé of King Tubby who was just starting to establish
his own career. Half Pint's debut single, "Sally," was released that
year, and its follow-up, "Winsome," became his first hit. More hits
— chiefly for Jammy — followed over the next two years: "Money
Man Skank," "One in a Million," "One Big Family," "Pouchie
Lou," the socially conscious "Mr. Landlord," and the all-time dancehall
classic "Level the Vibes." His first mini-album, Money Man Skank, appeared
in Jamaica in 1984, and was followed by the U.K.-only LP One in a Million later
that year.In 1985, Half Pint accompanied Sly & Robbie on their international
Taxi Gang tour, and subsequently cut several singles for them: the hit "Night
Life Lady," "Hold On," and "World Inflation." Later that
year, he moved on to work with producer George Phang, which resulted in his signature
song, "Greetings." A pacesetter for the new ragga style (i.e., all-digital
productions), "Greetings" was an enormous hit and stills ranks as a
dancehall classic. Half Pint followed it with another classic in "Cost of
Living," and issued an album called Greetings; some of the same territory
was covered by the international release Victory, which was titled after his subsequent
Jamaican chart-topper. Word of Half Pint's music started to spread beyond reggae
fans; in 1986, the Rolling Stones covered his early hit "Winsome" on
their Dirty Work album, under the new title "Too Rude."With dancehall
tastes shifting toward slack and violent material by the late '80s, Half Pint
found his bright, amiable style slipping behind the times. He continued to record
steadily, but his commercial success declined at a rapid pace. He was able to
recapture the public's attention in 1992 thanks to the smash hit "Substitute
Lover," which took its place among his finest singles. However, he spent
much of the rest of the '90s away from the recording studio, during which time
several compilations were released (including VP's eponymous set from 1997, which
covered many of his best-known songs). Meanwhile, another rock band covered one
of his songs — this time Sublime, with their 1996 version of "Loving."
Half Pint finally returned to action with 1998's full-length Legal We Legal, and
followed it two years later with Closer to You.
- Steve Huey
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