Congo Natty

Born Michael West in Islington, north London, Congo Natty has built a career since the late 1980s that is closely tied to the emergence of hip house and then jungle in the UK. Initially active as Rebel MC, both within Double Trouble and as a solo artist, he released Rebel Music in 1990, Black Meaning Good in 1991 and Word, Sound and Power in 1992 — three records where rap, breakbeat rhythms, roots reggae, dub and dancehall progressively converged. Drawing on a Jamaican heritage from his father, Michael West later steered his work towards a more spiritual jungle sound, influenced by sound system culture and toasting, under several aliases including Conquering Lion, Blackstar and Tribe of Issachar. Tracks such as Code Red, Champion DJ and Junglist punctuate this period, with collaborations connected to the reggae and jungle scenes, notably Tenor Fly, Barrington Levy, Top Cat and Super Cat. After converting to Rastafari in 1994, Congo Natty further emphasized the spiritual and political dimensions of his music. He returned to the album format with Tribute to Haile Selassie I (1995), Born Again (2005), Jungle Revolution (2013) and Ancestorz [Rootz of Jungle] (2022), maintaining a continuity that links the London rave scene to Jamaican reggae traditions.