Major Lazer’s Jillionaire Offers Up a Brief History of Reggae DJ David Rodigan
Trinidad-raised Major Lazer member Jillionaire shares a special connection to David Rodigan, the English radio DJ often credited for bringing reggae and dancehall to
mainstream listening in the U.K.
Jillioniare shares just how Rodigan gained respect for reggae and dancehall on a trip to Jamaica — and earned the genre’s respect in return — on the latest episode of Billboard‘s “A Brief History Of.”
“David Rodigan is one of the first mainstream DJs in the U.K. to support reggae and dancehall. He’s been one of the founding fathers of reggae and dancehall soundsystems,” explains Jillionaire. “In a way, he discovered so many ska artists and budding reggae artists at the time, and he was able to bring that music and bring that culture back to the U.K.”
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In the video, Jillionaire goes on to detail his own background in reggae, a genre he grew to admire as a teenager. “We would listen to the soundsystem cassettes that came to us from Jamaica, from New York,” he adds. “David Rodigan was the guy who represented the entire U.K.”
Watch the full video, and learn more about Rodigan’s influence on the spread of reggae, above.
Trinidad-raised Major Lazer member Jillionaire shares a special connection to David Rodigan, the English radio DJ often credited for bringing reggae and dancehall to
mainstream listening in the U.K.
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