Music Bio: King D and the Black Knights. (kdatbks)

King D and the Black Knights, led by the enigmatic King D, captivate global audiences with infectious tunes and powerful messages. Blending rock, soul, and hip-hop, they create a unique sound. Their unparalleled musical talent and unwavering commitment to environmental activism set them apart. Advocating for sustainable living through lyrics and actions, they address climate change, deforestation, and pollution, inspiring listeners to make a positive impact. With resonant anthems, they leave an indelible mark on the music industry and the fight for a greener planet.


Links: kdatbks

Buy Music at:  https://kingdtheblackknights.bandcamp.com/album/revolution-of-the-sprites

KD Goodies: https://freethepeople-ftp.teemill.com/collection/new

Email: kdatbks@gmail.com
ilikeit000@hotmail.com


New Single:

https://kingdblackknights.bandcamp.com/track/liverty-fin

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/kingdandtheblackknights/liverty-fin

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6KnODYqdgbtowDuVxXn2SY?si=KGaOihWmSSmDpG9QnK35pQ


Album:

https://open.spotify.com/album/3eG4UuDikgdEwpGKW0yUPK?si=W644qUKsTGmmcfOaeQJO2g

Producer:
* Sly Dunbar (legendary drummer) Sly Dunbar has won two Grammy Awards and has been nominated 13 times. He won in 1985 for Best Reggae Recording for the Black Uhuru album "Anthem" and in 1999 for Best Reggae Album for the Sly & Robbie album "Friends". He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota. In addition, he was honored with the Gold Musgrave Medal in recognition of his contribution to music. 

* Robbie Shakespeare (legendary bassist) Robbie Shakespeare, has won two Grammy Awards  known for his work as part of the influential duo Sly and Robbie, was nominated for 13 Grammy Awards throughout his career and won two. He won his first Grammy in 1984 for Best Reggae Recording for "Anthem" and his second in 1998 for Best Reggae Album for "Friends". Additionally, Rolling Stone magazine placed him at number 17 on its list of the 50 greatest bassists of all time. 

* Steven "Lenky" Marsden Grammy winner-winning albums and singles, including Sean Paul's Dutty Rock, where he wrote and produced for the album. He also received an ASCAP Vanguard Award for co-writing "Let Me Love You" by DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber. "Lenky" also received awards for Top EDM Song and Hot 100 Winning Song. Among his many accolades, he boasts the major achievement of three songs making Billboards Top 20 with the ultimate prize of Sean Paul’s “Get Busy” holding the coveted #1 position for three weeks! A Billboard nomination in the category of “the hot one hundred producers of the year” along with noted producers R. Kelly, The Neptunes and Timberland. He is the winner of the ASCAP/PRS award in 2003 for Song and Songwriter of the Year. To date, he is still the only producer to have had several top 20 songs on a single riddim.

* Mr. Lex (Lexxus) Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album. (dancehall artist) Mr. Lexx, a Jamaican dancehall deejay and actor, has received numerous accolades throughout his career. He's notably known for his collaborations and has been recognized for his contributions to dancehall music. He was also nominated for an MTV Video Music Award in 2009. 


Promoter and Road Manager:
* Justin Hinds: Justin Hinds (May 7, 1942 - March 16, 2005) is best known as a Jamaican ska vocalist, with his backing singers the Dominoes. He is best known for his work with Duke Reid's Treasure Isle Records, where his most notable song, "Carry Go Bring Come" recorded in late 1963, went to number one in Jamaica. He recorded seventy singles between 1964 and 1966, and was the most popular artist on the record label. Hinds died of lung cancer in March, 2005, at the age of 62

Producer, Promoter and Road Manager:
* Mighty Diamonds: The reggae vocalist trio formed 1969 in Kingston, Jamaica by lead vocalist Donald "Tabby" Shaw, and Fitzroy "Bunny" Simpson and Lloyd "Judge" Ferguson. They had major success 1976 with the hit Right Time. The trio continued to produce hits in later years, e.g. the classic Pass The Kouchie (1982). That song was covered by the English group Musical Youth, known as the international hit Pass The Dutchie. Similar groups are The Heptones, The Gladiators. “Pass The Dutchie” is a Grammy-nominated international hit single based on The Mighty Diamonds song “Pass The Koutchie” combined with elements of “Gimme The Music” by reggae artist U Brown and “Rule The Nation” by Jamaican vocalist U-Roy. The infectious enthusiasm of the group's performance captured the public's imagination, and duly propelled the record to Number 1 in the UK singles chart. It went on to sell over four million copies, and was nominated for a Grammy Award. A US Top 10 placing also followed. The video made them one of the first black artists to be played on MTV.

* Dennis Walks: Dennis Vassell, better known as Dennis Walks, is a Jamaican reggae singer, best known for his work with Harry Mudie in the late 1960s and 1970s. His stage name was given to him by Roy Shirley.

Before the festivals, the cult following, and the legendary status, there was Cruzial—Bonjo’s first live backing band and the real architects behind African Head Charge’s early stage sound.
Cruzial weren’t just holding it down—they were building something from the ground up. They were the first to take Off The Beaten Track (1986)—an experimental, sample-heavy studio album made on Akai samplers—and breathe live fire into it. What was abstract and atmospheric in the studio became hard-hitting and hypnotic on stage.
At the centre was a rock-solid rhythm section: Trevor Boucard on drums and Devon White on bass, locking the groove with militant precision. Over that, Patrick and Clyton Harriott layered keyboards and guitar—tight, melodic, no gimmicks. Everything else just fell into place. It was raw, it was real, and it gave Bonjo the space to chant, vibe, and let loose.
That live sound hit different. It didn’t just support Bonjo—it pushed him forward. Cruzial’s energy on stage kicked the door open for African Head Charge to smash through the live circuit, climbing all the way to headlining Glastonbury.
They never got the big awards—no Grammys, no red carpets—but in the reggae and dub underground, African Head Charge is royalty. Influential, experimental, untouchable. And behind that legacy? Cruzial—the unsung heroes who made it live.

Cruzial – The Foundation of a Movement
Before the spotlight, before the cult following, there was Cruzial a raw, hard-grooving band formed in school halls, not industry boardrooms. Founding members Trevor Boucard (drums), Devon White (bass), Patrick and Clyton Harriott (keys & guitar), and sound engineer Dennie Vidal (RIP – 4 November 2015) came up together, sharpening their craft in school, Triangle music workshop, community shows, and tough live sets where only the real survived.
In 1986, they became the first live band to back Bonjo and African Head Charge, transforming the sample-based studio album Off The Beaten Track into a living, breathing sound system on stage.
While Akai samplers shaped the record, Cruzial gave it muscle and soul—solid drum and bass grooves, locked-in melodies, and a live energy that made the whole thing explode.
This wasn’t just a backing band—it was a brotherhood, and the launchpad for African Head Charge’ rise through the live scene, all the way to Glastonbury. Members of Cruzial would go on to back other key artists (TBC), but their role in pushing dub and experimental reggae forward can’t be overstated.
They never chased fame. No Grammys, no glitz. Just deep sound, deep roots, and the memory of those, like Dennie, who helped build it from the ground up.

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