Tapper Zukie’s ‘Black Man’ album originally came out in 1978 as a
Jamaican only release on Tapper’s ‘Stars’ imprint. Long deleted it
has become a classic in Mr Zukie’s vast cannon of musical biscuits
and is well overdue this worldwide release for the first time.

Tapper Zukie (b.1956, David Sinclair, Kingston, Jamaica.) was raised in
the rough and tough West Kingston area of Jamaica, between the districts
of Trench Town and Greenwich Farm. Living pretty much on the streets
from an early age, the youths including the young Tapper had no choice
but to fall into the hands of the Political Parties that controlled the various
ghetto areas of the town. Music seemed like the only way out of a life of
crime and gang culture. A path that Tapper Zukie found and by the mid
1970’s was establishing himself as a named star on the DJ Roots circuit.
Back home in Jamaica he was also getting a name for his production work
for other lacal singers such as Prince Allah and the group Knowledge. To
release these productions and his own material in Jamaica Tapper stated
up his own label called ‘Stars’. ­It’s this label that saw the initial release of
this album ‘Black Man’. A great collection of Tapper tunes such as his
biblical cut ‘My God is Real’, ‘Revolution’ and the title track of this collection
‘Black Man’ and some work-overs of some of his fellow Jamaican artists like
‘Poor Man Problem’ a work over of Johnny Clarke’s, ‘Blood Dunza’ and also
Mr Clarke’s ‘Leggo Violence’. ‘Yaga Yaga’ re-working Horace Andy’s and
Tapper’s big hit ‘Natty Dread ah We She Want’. ‘Gather Them’ a rewoking
of ‘Knowledge’s tune of the same name with help from the bands Jah Wisdom
and Delroy Folding. A great collection of tunes and re-workings that we hope
will find a wider audience with this release.