LORD SASSAFRASS --------------------------------------

Jamaican recording artist Lord Sassafrass (Michael Johnson) is best known as
a dancehall Reggae DJ with the Black Scorpio Sound System. On Black Scorpio
Sound, Lord Sassafrass introduced the world to General Trees, and the entire
Horseman Crew. Sassafrass record the album “Horseman Connection” 1982 on
Striker Lee's Starlight label and the top selling album “Pocomania Jump” 1985
on Black Scorpio Records, controlling the number one slot on the charts with
“Poco Jump.” He recorded other great songs like “Jamaica Way,” “Murder She
Wrote” (with General Trees), and the enormous hit “Step Up In Life” (with
Barrington Levy).

Much of Sassafrass’ musical history is seen in the live dance. Similar to the
career of Brigadier Jerry, Sassafrass was entertaining in an era of live djs,
where recorded music was secondary to the live dance. In 1985 he went to
New York where he performed on heavy weight soundsystems like Thirld World
or GT Hi Power, just to name a few.

As Sassafrass enters his fourth decade in reggae, he has earned the respect of his
peers and even his enemies. For example, a long-standing competitor with Black
Scorpio Sound is the great Killamanjaro Sound. In a 2011 interview, when asked
about Black Scorpio Sound, Papa Jaro was first to mention Lord Sassafrass:
“Sassafrass was actually the teacher for General Trees. He was very exciting and
he could make some lyrics that could make you laugh and have fun!” His work today
carries out the tradition he started almost forty years ago – a sound that is
completely unique and his own.

JTR 7-09 / 10

[JTR7-10] Heidi Riddim: "Talking Yardie"