On occasion, the power of the individual is so startling that hear a simple recounting of what occurred over one’s life is to only hear in disbelief. Yabby You, nee Vivian Jackson, was born into a family too large to be easily supported on the meager wages of his parents. At the age of roughly twelve, the future singer and producer left home to fend for himself. Unfortunately, JA being what it was and is still, by the age of 17 malnutrition had ostensibly crippled Yabby You to the point that, in the future, he would need the aid of crutches to make it on stage.

Somehow undaunted, Yabby You went on to form a vocal group called the Prophets that included a few other folks that would go on to make a name for themselves with solo careers. But as Yabby You and company began recording a clutch of singles during the early ‘70s, the singer amassed a strong enough back catalog to have his work collected on the 1975 album Conquering Lion. The title track of that record, while perhaps not instantly recognizable, is most likely familiar to folks with some knowledge of either Tommy McCook’s catalog or that of King Tubby – both versioned the melody.

This first full length, though, possessed as much religiosity as any other from the period. And while it seems difficult for too many JA singers to come off as preachy, this wasn’t even a concern of Yabby You. So focused upon the righteousness that he purported in song after song, it wasn’t so much of a musical sermon, but an extolling of his belief system - the succession of “Covetous Man,” “Anti-Christ” and “Carnal Mind” are ample proof of that. And considering his past, it might be figured that at points, faith was all that his man had.

Following up such a strong effort should have been an almost insurmountable task. For Yabby You, though, it must have been nothing more than a pleasure. Accordingly, the singer cranked out another spate of tracks, released as singles, and compiled on Deliver Me From My Enemies. Much in the same way that the previous album focused on the pratfalls of humanity, this latter disc did much the same sporting tracks like “Blood A Run Down In Kings Street.” Taking a look at the rewards, though, were offerings like “Zion’s Gate,” which also currently functions as the name for a Seattle record store, specializing in reggae music stuffs.

Retiring for a time during the ‘80s and only resurfacing a decade later, Yabby You remains a force in the JA music scene. He may not have ever attained the fame of comparable roots singers – Burning Spear and the like – but Yabby You is easily as respected amongst those in the know. That doesn’t mean he’s the greatest singer of all time, just that his catalog is so seamless in its presentation of ideas and ideals that there’s no way in which to deny the singer his deference.