Ron Nelson (DJ) facts for kids

Ron Nelson (born in 1962) is a famous Toronto-based DJ, radio host, and music promoter. He is well-known for helping to make hip hop music, and later dancehall and reggae music, popular in Canada. Ron Nelson also helped many early Canadian hip hop artists like Maestro Fresh Wes, Michie Mee, and the Dream Warriors get started.

Early Life and Moving to Canada

Ron Nelson was born in Pembroke Hall, Jamaica. He moved to Canada in 1972 when he was ten years old. He grew up in Scarborough, a part of Toronto. When he was in high school at Victoria Park Collegiate Institute, he even set up a pretend radio station that played music in the cafeteria!

The "Godfather of Toronto Hip Hop"

Ron Nelson is often called the "godfather of Toronto hip hop." In 1983, he created Canada's very first hip hop radio show called Fantastic Voyage. This show was on CKLN-FM every Saturday afternoon until 1991. It became super popular with young people in Toronto. For many, it was their first time hearing hip hop music. It was one of the only places in Canada that played hip hop on the radio during the 1980s.

Bringing Hip Hop Concerts to Canada

After his radio show became a hit, Ron Nelson started organizing concerts. His first event was for a group called Kings of Rap. He then began bringing big American hip hop artists to Canada. In 1987, he organized the first major rap concert in Canada. Famous groups like Run DMC, Public Enemy, and EPMD performed at Varsity Arena in Toronto.

Building a Music Studio

With the money from his successful concerts, Ron Nelson built one of Canada's first hip hop recording studios. He called it "Apache." It was in the basement of his home in Scarborough. The studio was shared with another company called Beat Factory. The Dream Warriors recorded their first album, And Now the Legacy Begins, at this studio. Ron Nelson is even listed as a producer on that album.

Promoting Big Concerts

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Ron Nelson was the most famous hip hop concert promoter in Toronto. He often held his events at the Concert Hall at Toronto's Masonic Temple. He put on concerts with many artists, including Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Roxanne Shanté, Salt-N-Pepa, Eric B. & Rakim, Ice Cube, and Queen Latifah. He also gave local Canadian artists a chance to perform at events like "Monster Jams" and "rap battles" between Toronto and New York performers.

Moving to Reggae and Dancehall

By 1991, hip hop music started to become more about making money. Ron Nelson felt that it was changing too much, so he stopped his Fantastic Voyage radio show. He then started focusing on dancehall and reggae music. He worked as a DJ around the city and promoted new shows.

Launching ReggaeMania

In 1993, Ron Nelson returned to CKLN radio to start a new show called ReggaeMania. This show was on Friday nights and continued until the radio station closed in 2011. Later, ReggaeMania was brought back on CHIN-FM. It aired on Saturday nights from 2012 to 2014.

ReggaeMania Online

Today, Ron Nelson owns and runs Reggaemania.com. This website is a big online place for reggae music. It has a 24-hour internet radio station called ReggaeMania Radio. You can also find podcasts, music downloads, news, and concert listings there. There is even a ReggaeMania app for your phone.

Education and Teaching

Ron Nelson studied at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now called Toronto Metropolitan University) from 1983 to 1985. He earned a degree in Radio and Television Arts. From 2005 to 2017, he taught a course called "Contemporary Black Urban Music" at York University.

Recent Music

In 2023, Ron Nelson released his first rap album. He called it 40 Years Too Late.