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| Toasting (DJing) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Toasting (DJing) |
| Alt | MC toasting over a sound system |
| Caption | MC performing over a sound system |
| Cultural origin | Kingston, Jamaica, 1950s in music |
| Instruments | Turntablism, Microphone, Sound system (DJ) |
Toasting (DJing) Toasting in DJing is a vocal performance practice where an MC delivers rhythmic, often improvised spoken or sung lines over instrumental tracks provided by a Sound system (DJ), Dub music, or Reggae recordings. Emerging in Kingston, Jamaica during the 1950s in music and popularized through links with Studio One, Coxsone Dodd, and Duke Reid, toasting became a formative element in global urban music cultures, influencing acts and movements from Prince Buster to Public Enemy and shaping scenes in London, New York City, and Toronto.
Toasting refers to the practice of an MC speaking, chanting, or performing rhythmic patter over existing music tracks, often accentuating rhythm breaks, vocal stabs, and instrumental solos. The technique developed alongside the Jamaican Sound system (DJ) tradition, with pioneers such as King Tubby, Prince Buster, U-Roy, Sir Coxsone Dodd, and Duke Reid using custom-built rigs at street dances and dances. Early toasting sessions took place in venues linked to Trench Town, Hope Road, and the rise of studios like Studio One and Treasure Isle, where selectors such as Lee "Scratch" Perry and Sir Coxsone paired with toasters to promote releases by labels like Trojan Records, Island Records, and Studio One artists.
Toasting techniques range from melodic chants to chanted rhythmic speech and include fast patter, call-and-response, and vocal effects. Styles evolved through practitioners such as U-Roy, Big Youth, I-Roy, Hugh Mundell, Yellowman, and Screechie Dan, who used ekstablished patterns later adopted by international performers like Dennis Brown and Bob Marley collaborators. Variations incorporate echo and delay effects popularized by King Tubby and Lee "Scratch" Perry and later turntablism techniques from DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa. Substyles intersect with Dancehall, Dubstep, Hip hop, Grime (music), and Ska revival branches, aided by vocal approaches from artists tied to Studio One and Tuff Gong legacies.
Within sound system culture, toasting functions as promotion, crowd control, and artistic expression; toast performances elevated the profile of selectors, engineers, and labels. Events hosted by crews such as Stone Love, Mighty Crown, Black Uhuru affiliates, and historical operators like Tom the Great Sebastian relied on toasters to hype dances in neighborhoods like Trench Town and during events connected to festivals such as Notting Hill Carnival and Reggae Sunsplash. The practice intersects with roles exemplified by figures including King Tubby, Scientist (musician), Errol Brown (engineer), and contemporary sound system operators in Brixton, Birmingham, Harlem, and Brooklyn.
Toasting's rhythmic vocal delivery contributed directly to the development of Hip hop in Bronx block parties, where DJs like DJ Kool Herc adapted Jamaican chat techniques; it also informed Drum and Bass, Jungle, Dubstep in South London, and Grime (music) in East London. Artists and producers from Public Enemy to The Clash, The Specials, The Beat (English band), Madness (band), and The Slits absorbed toasting aesthetics. Labels and movements such as Def Jam Recordings, Factory Records, 2 Tone (record label), and Mo' Wax incorporated toasting-derived flows, while festivals like Glastonbury Festival, SXSW, and Montreux Jazz Festival showcased artists drawing on that lineage.
Prominent early toasters include U-Roy, I-Roy, Big Youth, U-Roy, King Stitt, Count Matchuki, and Lord Tanamo, while later practitioners encompass Yellowman, Shabba Ranks, Buju Banton, Vybz Kartel, Sizzla, and Bounty Killer. International figures influenced by toasting include KRS-One, Slick Rick, Beastie Boys, Sly and Robbie collaborators, and DJs allied with crews such as Zulu Nation. Producers and engineers associated with notable toasts include Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, Scientist (musician), and label heads like Chris Blackwell and Robin Hood (sound system operator), each linked to landmark recordings and releases.
Toasting relies on equipment including microphones like Shure SM58, mixing consoles used by engineers at Studio One and Tuff Gong, turntables adopted by pioneers like DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash, and effects units such as echo chambers and spring reverb popularized by King Tubby and Lee "Scratch" Perry. Sound system construction traditions involve custom amplifiers, speaker boxes, and cabinets used by crews like Stone Love and Mighty Crown, and modern setups integrate digital samplers from Akai Professional and software from companies like Ableton and Native Instruments—tools used in Reggae and Electronic dance music production.
Toasting and sound system culture have provoked legal and social controversies involving noise ordinances, venue licensing disputes, and policing in communities such as Kingston, London, and New York City. High-profile tensions have occurred around events like Notting Hill Carnival and in neighborhoods affected by policing policies associated with entities like Metropolitan Police Service and New York Police Department. Copyright disputes have engaged labels including Trojan Records and Island Records, while debates about lyrical content have attracted scrutiny from institutions like Parliament of the United Kingdom and United States Congress in contexts where music intersects with public policy and broadcasting regulation.