Prince Lincoln Thompson, known as Sax (10 July 1949
''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'', 2 February 1999. Retrieved 16 February 2019 in Jonestown, Kingston, Jamaica – 14 January 1999 in London, England), was a Jamaican singer, musician and songwriter with the

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

band the Royal Rasses, and a member of the

Rastafari movement Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control of ...

. He was noted for his high falsetto singing voice, very different from his spoken voice.

Career

He began his recording career as a harmony singer along with

Cedric Myton Cedric Constantine Myton (born 1947) is a Jamaican Rastafari reggae musician who was a founding member of the roots reggae band The Congos. Career Myton was born in Old Harbour, Jamaica. He began his singing career with the group The Bell S ...

The Congos The Congos are a reggae vocal group from Jamaica which formed as the duo "Ashanti" Roy Johnson (tenor) (b. Roydel Johnson, 1947, Hanover, Jamaica) and Cedric Myton (falsetto) (b. 1947, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica), later becoming a trio w ...

in 1967, in a band called The Tartans, who then split up in 1969. In 1971 he was taken on by Coxsone Dodd, and recorded three songs with him at Studio One called "Daughters of Zion", "True Experience" and "Live Up to Your Name". In 1974, he recorded the ''Humanity'' album with Cedric Myton, Clinton Hall and Keith Peterkin, and set up the God Sent label. He had two hit singles with "Kingston 11" and "Love the Way It Should Be". In 2010, the song, "Humanity (Love the Way It Should Be)" was covered by the American singer

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Eve ...

backed by the Philadelphia band, The Roots, and was featured on Legend's album, ''Wake Up!''.Campbell, Howard (2012)
Prince Lincoln and the Royal Rasses: Unsung
, '' Jamaica Observer'', 24 August 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012 Prince Lincoln received a record deal in 1978, he was signed up by Mo Claridge, who at the time ran Ballistics Records, a London offshoot of

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stud ...

, and who noticed his "eery falsetto".
A single "Unconventional People" was released as a 12-inch single in March 1979 with the ''Humanity'' album following in May. In mid 1979, the Royal Rasses recorded a second Prince Lincoln album, ''Experience'', this time without Cedric Myton. This album contained more than just the traditional drum and bass sound of most reggae. The band renamed themselves the Rasses to avoid confusion with fellow reggae band The Royals (group), The Royals to record a further album called '' Natural Wild'' in 1980. This time the music was recorded in London. Prince Lincoln's decision to invite English rock musician Joe Jackson was controversial, and the album was a commercial flop. Thompson returned to Jamaica and re-set up the successful God Sent label, with the help of German company Juicy Peeple to produce his fourth album, '' Ride with the Rasses'' in 1982. This music was recorded at Tuff Gong and Channel One studios. Around this time he and his family moved to

Tottenham Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Wal ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England, where he opened an

Ital Ital, also spelled I-tal (), is food often celebrated by those in the Rastafari movement. It is compulsory in the Bobo Ashanti and Nyabinghi mansions, though not in the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The word derives from the English word "vital", w ...

shop called The Rasses Fish Mart and Grocery Store. In September 1983, he recorded ''

Rootsman Blues ''Rootsman Blues'' is a reggae album by Lincoln Thompson in London, England and released in September 1983. Track listing #Unite the world #Hail Shanti #Whopping good vibration #Rootsman Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form whi ...

'' in Addis Ababa studio in London. It was released by Target Records with only three musicians per track, giving the music the intimate quality of chamber music. He released a final album, ''21st Century'' in 1997 after someone from the United States heard the music in Prince Lincoln's shop, and agreed to become a sponsor. This final album was also recorded in London. Thompson died in January 1999, in London, at the age of 49.

Discography

Singles

*"Daughters of Zion" (1971) *"True Experience" (1971) *"Live Up to Your Name" (1971)

Albums

*'' Humanity'' 1979 *''

Experience Experience refers to conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity that is produced by these conscious processes. Understood as a conscious event in the widest sense, experience involv ...

'' 1979 (The lyrics from "Walk in Jah light" and "Thanksgiving" have been used to explain the doctrine of physical immortality at

). *''

Harder na Rass ''Harder na Rass'' is a dub reggae album by Lincoln Thompson released in 1979. It is the dub for his ''Experience Experience refers to conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity ...

'' 1979 *'' Natural Wild'' 1980 *'' Ride with the Rasses'' 1982 *''

'' 1983 also titled ''Unite The World'' *''

21st Century The 21st (twenty-first) century is the current century in the ''Anno Domini'' era or Common Era, under the Gregorian calendar. It began on 1 January 2001 ( MMI) and will end on 31 December 2100 ( MMC). Marking the beginning of the 21st centur ...

'' 1997

References

External links

BiographyInterview with Cedric Myton about Prince Lincoln
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Lincoln 1949 births 1999 deaths Jamaican reggae musicians Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Performers of Rastafarian music Jamaican Rastafarians Roots Reggae Library