Although Reggae songs are thought to be generally evergreen, only a few stand the test of time in the long run. If that were to be a standing rule, then Blackky’s 1991 debut album, About Tyme, turned out to be right on time. It produced countless hits like Blackky’s Skank, Rosie, Bang Belly and the controversial Sugar Stick.

The work served as a launch-pad for the then 24-year-old artiste who bagged a deal with Polygram Records, shortly after winning the Lekki Sunsplash Talent Hunt Contest. Although the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission banned the tracks Yanshman, Sugar Stick and Bang Belly, the artiste, who started out as a DJ in 1986, was already a star. In the same year, he received a lot of awards, which signified the level of acceptability for his unique brand of music amongst all Nigerians of different age groups.

In the late ‘80s, Nigerians were entertained with roots reggae music from the likes of The Mandators, Majek Fashek, Ras Kimono and Oritz Wiliki among others. That was the fad until 1990 when a 24 year-old graduate of Sociology from University of Lagos, Blackky, swept the Nigerian music scene with his reggae hit track, Rosie. Overnight, he became the toast of the town. However, after six albums, he disappeared from the music scene, now in his 40s and after 21 years as a performing artiste, Blackky made a come back in 2012.

Did you know Blackky had an international record deal in the early 90's?