Cutty Ranks

Born Philip Thomas in 1965 in Clarendon parish, Jamaica, Cutty Ranks emerged through Jamaican sound systems, where he began performing at a very young age before appearing with Gemini, Rebel Tone, Metro Media, Killamanjaro, Sturmars and Arrows. That hands‑on training shaped a deejay style rooted in Jamaican dancehall, marked by dry phrasing, a deep, abrasive voice and a delivery that maintains links to reggae toast and sound‑system culture. Cutty Ranks recorded his first single, “Gun Man Lyrics,” in 1986 for Winston Riley and, around the turn of the 1990s, moved into Donovan Germain’s orbit and the Penthouse label, while also releasing on the London label Fashion Records. His discography includes The Stopper and Lethal Weapon (1991), From Mi Heart (1992), Six Million Ways to Die (1996), Back with a Vengeance (2001) and Full Blast (2012). Over the years he has moved between dancehall, reggae and hip‑hop forays without abandoning the direct aesthetic of 1990s clash tunes and riddims; his career also features collaborations with Cocoa Tea, Marcia Griffiths, Dennis Brown, Beres Hammond, The 1975 and Run the Jewels.