统治牙买加70年代早期到中期主要的四重唱DJ之一。
by Jo-Ann Greene
Along with U-Roy, Dennis Alcapone, and Big Youth, I-Roy was one of a quartet of DJs that reigned supreme over the Jamaican music scene during the early to mid-70s. Of the four, I-Roy was the most eloquent, and his toasts were littered with references to pop culture, from movies to historical figures. He was also one of the most prolific, cutting scores upon scores of singles, and dozens of albums. Although the DJs sun began to set at the end of the decade, I-Roy continued to record sporadically up to the 90s, by then, though, his life had taken a tragic turn.

The DJ was born on June 28, 1949, in St. Thomas, Jamaica. The young Roy Reid had no early dreams of becoming a sound system hero, and after graduating from Dinthill Technical College, he embarked on a civil service career, working as an accountant for the government. However, as the islands music scene blossomed during the 60s, other possibilities began to present themselves. Sound systems were flourishing and in 1968, Reid launched his own, Soul Bunny. Initially, the young man took advantage of the weekly early closing (a practice inherited from the British, who closed their businesses one afternoon a week). Thus, Reid set up his system on Wednesday afternoons down by the Victoria Pier. He made an immediate impact, and was soon offered a spot at Sons Junior system in Spanish Town. It was there he met producer Harry Mudie, who took the young Reid into the studio, christened him I-Roy (taking advantage of the success of U-Roy), and recorded four songs. Two paired him with Dennis Walks, The Drifter and Heart Dont Leap; the third with Ebony Sisters, Let Me Tell You Boy; while the fourth, Musical Pleasure, became his solo debut. These songs were all hits, and I-Roy swiftly became in demand at the sound systems. He DJed for virtually all the outfits operating around Spanish Town, Stereo and Ruddys Supreme included, and then spent some time with V-Rocket.