Biography

b. Carlton Hylton, 1974, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. Hylton began his career while in his teens when he performed on various sound systems. He first came to prominence in 1993 when he recorded with producer Clifton ‘Specialist’ Dillon. Dillon enrolled Hylton, who performed as Ghost, to sing in combination with another newcomer, the raspy DJ Culture. The singjay style of Ghost combined with Culture’s ragga rapping was widely considered as being testament to the evolution of the digital reggae sound. A notable track from these sessions was the braggadocio ‘Gal Pickney’, featured on the ragga showcase Strictly Dancehall. His solo career was established and he released a series of hits. Notable dancehall anthems included ‘Arms Of Love’, ‘Program For Your Body’, ‘Mix Up Situation’, ‘It’s All Coming Back’, ‘Roses Are Red’, ‘Say It Loud’ and the duet with Tony Curtis, ‘Whine’. Hylton continued to maintain a high profile in the dancehall and in 1996 his career was further enhanced when he joined the Monster Shack Crew alongside the DJs Roundhead and General B. Although part of a crew Hylton continued to record sporadic solo hits including the favoured, ‘Body Guard’. The song proved a dancehall smash and was later re-recorded in combination with the Monster Shack Crew. Initially the crew released ‘Monster World’ followed by ‘Wanna Mek Noise’ a classic hit riding the prevalent ‘Medina’ rhythm. The increasing popularity of the crew in Jamaica and subsequently the world resulted in Hylton receiving international acclaim following the release of Monster Party, produced by Colin ‘Fatta’ Waters. The release included the re-recording of his hit, ‘Body Guard’ alongside notable tracks including ‘Flava’, ‘Dem Time Deh’ and ‘Weed Is Life’. The crew continued to record in combination and individually which led to Hylton’s chart success with the haunting ‘What Have You Done’. The song demonstrated his unique style and signalled his emergence as a serious contender for the singjay crown. His new-found affluence resulted in a move to St. Andrew where he was falsely accused of being in possession of firearms. The case was thrown out of court and the action resulted in favourable publicity for the performer.