Admiral Tibet (sometimes Tibett), also known as "Mr. Reality" (born Kenneth Allen, Freehill,

Saint Mary, Jamaica Saint Mary () is a Parish (administrative division), parish located in the northeast section of Jamaica. With a population of 114,227 it is one of Jamaica's smallest parishes, located in the county of Middlesex. Its chief town and Capital (poli ...

, 1960)Steve Barrow & Peter Dalton (2004) ''The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn.'',

Rough Guides Rough Guides is a travel company that offers tailor-made trips planned and arranged by local travel experts based in destinations around the world. Originally established as a guidebook publisher in 1982, Rough Guides expanded into customized t ...

, Admiral Tibet
ReggaeMovement is a

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...

singer known for his "cultural" lyrics.

Biography

Tibet was one of the few artists from the early days of digital reggae to focus on "conscious" themes in his lyrics. A member of the

Twelve Tribes of Israel The Twelve Tribes of Israel ( , ) are described in the Hebrew Bible as being the descendants of Jacob, a Patriarchs (Bible), Hebrew patriarch who was a son of Isaac and thereby a grandson of Abraham. Jacob, later known as Israel (name), Israel, ...

since his youth.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', , p. 7 He has been described as "the most consistently conscious singer of his age".Krista Henry (2008)
GLORY DAYS - Admiral Tibet enjoys musical 'Serious Time'
", ''

Jamaica Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the Western Hemisphere. Original ...

'', 27 April 2008 Allen described how he got his nickname: "I was going primary school and my cousin, both of us were sitting together looking into an atlas, and saw the name 'Tibet'. My cousin took it as a mockery and seh 'Tibet! Tibet!' and it stuck." He began performing in Jamaican clubs and with

sound systems Sound system may refer to: Technology media * Sound reinforcement system, a system for amplifying audio for an audience * High fidelity, a sound system intended for accurate reproduction of music in the home * Public address system, an institution ...

during his teens, including his local ''Torpedo'' system. He made his first recordings when he was in his 20s; a reluctance to move to

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

played a part in this. He eventually made the move in 1982. In 1985, Tibet made his first recording for producer Sherman Clacher, entitled "Babylon War", Shortly after this he began recording for

Winston Riley Winston Riley (14 May 1943 – 19 January 2012) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter and record producer. The ''Jamaica Gleaner'' notes he was one of the most successful reggae producers.

where he recorded the song "Leave People Business", Redman,

King Jammy Lloyd Woodrowe James (born 26 October 1947),Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter: "Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, better known as Prince Jammy or King Jammy, is a Jamaican dub mixer, sound system owner and record producer. He began hi ...

, where he had recorded songs like "Chase Them Jah" in 1986 and other songs like his Biggest hit song "Serious Time" In 1987, and Bobby Digital. His debut album ''Come into the Light'' was produced by King Jammy and released in 1987. He recorded several more albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He appeared at the ''

Reggae Sunsplash Reggae Sunsplash was a reggae music festival held annually in Jamaica from 1978 to 1996, with additional events in 1998 and 2006. The festival expanded to include international tours in 1985 and was revived as a virtual event in 2020 by Tryone ...

'' festival in 1989. He was less prolific in the 1990s but returned with more albums in the 2000s, and is still performing in the late 2000s.Basil Walters (2008)
Black Scorpio takes the Final Showdown
", ''

Jamaica Observer The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...

'', 15 April 2008 His hit "Serious Time" was later issued in remixed form with contributions from two-time

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

winner

Shabba Ranks Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon OD (born 17 January 1966), better known by his stage name Shabba Ranks, is a Jamaican dancehall musician. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was one of the most popular Jamaican musicians in the world. Throu ...

and

Ninjaman Desmond John Ballentine (born 24 January 1966), better known as Ninjaman, and sometimes as Don Gorgon is a Jamaican dancehall deejay, known for his controversial, pro-gun lyrics, his stuttering and melodramatic style. In 2017, he received a life ...

, signalling a reconciliation between the two deejays who had been bitter rivals for some time. His voice has been described: "at its best has a convincing, vulnerable quality entirely suited to sufferers' laments."

Discography

*''Come into the Light'' (1987) Live & Love *''The Time is Going to Come'' (1988) Puppy *''War in Babylon'' (1988) RAS *''Two Good to be True'' (1990) Blue Mountain (with Thriller U) *''Reality Time'' (1991) Digital B/ VP *''Separate Class'' (1991) Digital B/VP *''Excitement'' (1995) Musidisc *''Weeping & Mourning'' (1997) Melodie *''Time Is Going to Come'' (1999) Rhino *''Try To Reach The Top'' (2000) Brick Wall *''Things That You Do'' (2000) TP *''Fire Fire Burning'' (2002)

Heartbeat Heartbeat, heart beat or heartbeats may refer to: Science and technology * Heartbeat (biology), one cardiac cycle of the heart * Heartbeat (computing), a periodic signal to indicate normal operation or to synchronize parts of a system ** Heartbea ...

(with Michael Rose) *''Determination'' (2003-01-03) Humal *''Time Alone Will Tell'' (2003) Artists Only *''Running from Reality'' (2006) Super Power *''Gone nowhere''(2015) EarlyDays Records, France

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tibet, Admiral 1960 births Jamaican reggae musicians Ragga musicians People from Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica Living people Rhino Entertainment artists