I have to give a shout out to this man, Mark Hull aka YT, and I promise that you will be seeing a whole lot more from him. On hearing some of the tunes on this album you would be forgiven for thinking that YT was as Jamaican as Jamaican can be, but truth be told, he hails from Ipswich, Great Britain and yes……he is whiter than white.
His debut album of 2006, Straight Outta Britain, offers the world a glimpse at the reggae scene in the UK. His tunes offer something for everyone, be that reggae, dancehall, roots or pop, and his lyrics are not only sublime but also in keeping with the positive message that reggae portrays. He is a versatile artist and looks to me like someone who can upset the stereotype of ‘If it’s not Jamaican, it’s not Reggae’; the Slim Shady of the reggae world if you will.
It has been a while since we heard anything new from YT and, given that this album was said to have been three years in the making, I think we are about due something new.
His voice distinctly patois, his background far from the Caribbean and his lyrics so fresh and poignant. Check out the voice here on a song titled ‘Wicked Act’, a serious dedication to the victims of the London bombings of 2005.
For anyone in Europe ‘Whitey’ can be found at the following venues on his upcoming tour.