One of the most popular DJs of the 90s, the jovial, gruff-voiced Chaka Demus has notched up a string of hits in Jamaica, working on his own and with others, but it was his pairing with the dulcet-toned Pliers that brought the toaster a series of international chart-breakers.

The DJ was born John Taylor, in West Kingston, Jamaica, in 1965. Like virtually all of the islands talkative talents, he began his career as a teenager in the sound system scene, working for the Jammys and Supreme systems. Initially he toasted under the name Nicodemus Jr., his tribute to the great 80s DJ Nicodemus. But by the time the DJ began recording in the mid-80s, he had taken the more original moniker Chaka Demus. Demus cut his first singles for Jammys, debuting with Increase Your Knowledge in 1985. None of his early efforts were major hits, but all boded well for the future. His potential was quickly recognized by his bigger brethren, including Yellowman, who joined him for the laudatory Everybody Loves Chaka, Scotty, Bring It to Me, and Admiral Bailey, with whom he cut One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer. Demus moved to the Penthouse label in 1987 to cut the Chaka on the Move single, then returned briefly to Jammys the next year. There, he was paired with another up-and-coming toaster, Shabba Ranks, for the Rough & Rugged album. That same year, he also recorded his solo debut, the slightly boastful Everybody Loves the Chaka, for the Scorpio label. His follow-up album, The Original Chaka, appeared in 1989 on Witty.