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| Prince Far I | |
|---|---|
| Name | Prince Far I |
| Birth name | Michael James Williams |
| Birth date | 1945 |
| Birth place | Kingston, Jamaica |
| Death date | 19 March 1983 |
| Death place | Kingston, Jamaica |
| Genres | Reggae, Dub, Roots reggae |
| Years active | 1970s–1983 |
| Labels | Trojan Records, Virgin Records, Front Line, Shanachie Records |
| Associated acts | Lee "Scratch" Perry, Joe Gibbs, King Tubby, Sly and Robbie, Roots Radics |
Prince Far I was a Jamaican deejay and record producer known for a deep, chanting vocal delivery and a commanding spoken-word style. Active primarily in the 1970s and early 1980s, he recorded for prominent Jamaican studios and collaborated with leading figures in reggae and dub, influencing generations of deejays, sound system operators, and Rastafari-aligned artists. His work bridged roots reggae tradition and experimental studio techniques used by producers like Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, and Joe Gibbs.
Michael James Williams was born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised during a period shaped by the legacies of Marcus Garvey, Alexander Bustamante, and post-independence politics following Jamaica's independence in 1962. He adopted the stage name reflecting a regal persona, situating himself within a culture resonant with Rastafari ideology and pan-African thought influenced by figures such as Haile Selassie I and movements like Black Power movement. Early exposure to sound system culture connected him to operators and selectors from Trench Town to Downtown Kingston, where he encountered contemporaries including Toots and the Maytals, The Wailers, and Dillinger. Williams worked in Kingston before fully committing to music, moving through circles that included Studio One musicians and session players associated with producers like Clement "Coxsone" Dodd and Bunny Lee.
Prince Far I emerged in the 1970s recording singles and albums combining spoken-word chanting with reggae rhythms produced by figures such as Joe Gibbs, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and Jah Woosh. He released material on labels like Trojan Records, Front Line, and worked with engineers linked to King Tubby and Errol Brown. Albums such as Silent Reader and Psalms for I featured musicians from The Aggrovators, Soul Syndicate, and Roots Radics, who backed sessions at studios including Dynamic Sounds and Channel One Studios. His collaborations often brought him into the orbit of session musicians like Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Aston "Family Man" Barrett, and Earl "Chinna" Smith. Prince Far I's records circulated on vinyl through distributors such as Island Records and influenced playlists at sound system clashes and venues frequented by fans of Roots reggae and dub.
He produced and worked with a range of artists and producers: sessions with Lee "Scratch" Perry led to releases connected to The Black Ark milieu; work with Joe Gibbs involved engineers tied to Errol Thompson and Scientist; and recordings with King Tubby connected him to dub innovators like Augustus Pablo and Mikey "Mao" Chung. Prince Far I also produced material for other vocalists and engaged musicians from groups such as The Upsetters, The Rastafari All Stars, and The Heptones. He recorded with UK-based musicians and labels, interfacing with scenes around British reggae, Notting Hill Carnival, and labels including Virgin Records' Front Line imprint, which connected him to acts like Black Uhuru and Culture. Collaborators and session players in his orbit included Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Horace Andy, Dennis Brown, Big Youth, and producers involved in cross-Atlantic reggae distribution.
Prince Far I's lyrics drew on Rastafari theology, scriptural references to the Bible, critiques of social injustice in Kingston and broader Caribbean society, and pan-African consciousness linked to Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie I. His vocal approach—deep, resonant, and chanted—aligned with traditions exemplified by deejays such as U-Roy, Big Youth, and I-Roy, but remained distinctive for its sermon-like cadence and frequent recitation of psalms and warnings. Themes included resistance to oppression, upliftment, and spiritual exhortation, often set against riddims created by musicians who had worked with Coxsone Dodd, Bunny Lee, and Lee "Scratch" Perry. His style lent itself to dub treatments by engineers like King Tubby and Scientist, whose mixing rendered his spoken-word delivery into hypnotic overlays used in dub versions.
Prince Far I's influence spans reggae deejays, dancehall artists, and post-punk and experimental musicians in the UK and Europe, intersecting with scenes connected to John Lydon, Pere Ubu, and labels like On-U Sound. His work inspired toasters such as Buju Banton, Capleton, and Jah Shaka, and influenced producers exploring dub-inflected genres including dubstep and electronic music producers tied to Bristol scenes and labels. Reissues and anthologies on labels like Trojan Records and Shanachie Records have kept his catalog available alongside archives of The Upsetters, The Skatalites, and The Heptones. His presence is noted in documentaries and histories of reggae that also profile figures such as Lee "Scratch" Perry, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Burning Spear.
Prince Far I lived in various parts of Kingston, Jamaica and maintained connections with musicians and sound system operators across Jamaica and the United Kingdom. On 19 March 1983 he was killed in Kingston, Jamaica during a violent incident that also affected several musicians and associates; his death occurred amid a period of political and criminal tumult that impacted many artists from Trench Town and other Kingston neighborhoods. His passing prompted tributes from contemporaries in the reggae community and ongoing interest from historians and archivists documenting the era.
Category:1945 births Category:1983 deaths Category:Jamaican reggae musicians Category:Roots reggae musicians