Shinehead facts for kids

Edmund Carl Aiken (born on April 10, 1962, in Kent, England), known as Shinehead, is a British Jamaican musician. He is a talented reggae singer, a "toaster" (which means he talks or chants over music), and a rapper.

Shinehead's Music Journey

Shinehead started his music career in the 1980s. He performed with different reggae dancehall groups in New York City. One famous group he worked with was Tony Screw's Downbeat the Ruler.

Early Recordings and Collaborations

His first recording came out in 1986. It was a song called "Who the Cap Fits (Let Them Wear It)." This song was on his album Rough & Rugged. In his early days, the famous musician Jeff Buckley played guitar in Shinehead's band. Jeff also helped with background singing. Shinehead also appeared on Sly and Robbie's album, Rhythm Killers, in 1987.

In 1988, Shinehead signed a record deal with Elektra Records. He stayed with this record label until 1995.

Famous Songs and Style

Shinehead is best known for his song "Jamaican in New York" (1993). This song is his own version of Sting's "Englishman in New York". "Jamaican in New York" became very popular. It reached number 30 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1993. This hit song was part of his album Sidewalk University.

Shinehead is also known for mixing hip-hop with reggae music. This style is now called reggae fusion. An example of this mix is his 1992 song "Try My Love." You can hear Shinehead's amazing singing on albums like Unity (1988) and The Real Rock (1990).

Vocal Techniques

Shinehead uses a fast "deejay chat" style in songs like "Cigarette Breath" and "Do It with Ease." He also sings with a melodic "singjay" approach in songs like "Strive." For a more hip-hop sound, listen to tracks like "Chain Gang." The music video for "Chain Gang" was the first video shown on the TV show Yo! MTV Raps in 1988.

Current Activities

Shinehead is still making music and performing today. In 2015, he was part of the yearly Jamrock cruise. He also performed at the CES event in Las Vegas that same year. He has also found success with his own sound system, called Kingston 12.

Shinehead's Albums and Singles

Albums

• Rough & Rugged (1986)
• Unity (1988)
• The Real Rock (1990)
• Sidewalk University (1992)
• Troddin (1994)
• Praises (1999)

Charted Singles