Cham

• Genre: Dancehall
• Hometown: Marverly

About

Born in Kingston in 1977, Dameon Dean Beckett grew up observing deejays and tagging after sound systems. He knew he wanted to rap by the age of seven, but he didn't get down to business until he finished school and teamed up with producer Dave Kelly in 1993. His first single, 1994's "One Bag a Hotness," kicked off the release of a steady stream of tracks featuring production support from Kelly and the Mad People Gang, including "Many Many," "Man & Man" and "Boom Tune." After gaining a steady following, he collected the singles on his 2000 debut album Wow: The Story, named for his signature verbal tic "wow-wow." The 2003 single "Vitamin S" built on that release's success, and, despite a string of banned tracks in Jamaica, Cham was poised to win over the crossover rap/R&B audience with 2006's Ghetto Story.

- Sarah Bardeen