TOK
| TOK | |
|---|---|
 TOK on the Chiemsee Reggae Summer (2013) |
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| General information | |
| Genre (s) | Dancehall |
| founding | 1996 |
| resolution | 2015 |
| Last occupation | |
| Bay C. aka Roshaun Clarke | |
Deejay, Singjay |
Alex aka Alistaire McCalla |
Deejay, Singjay |
Craigy T. aka Craig Patrick Anthony Thompson |
Deejay, Singjay |
Flexx aka Xavier Davidson |
TOK ( Touch Of Klass , also Thugs Of Kingston or Taking Over Kingston ) was a dancehall formation from Jamaica . It consisted of the deejays and singers Roshaun Clarke ( Bay C ), Alistaire McCalla ( Alex ), Craig Patrick Anthony Thompson ( Craigy T ) and Xavier Davidson ( Flexx ).
Band history
Starting as a singing group inspired by American contemporary R&B stars like Boyz II Men in high school in November 1992, TOK soon developed its own harder dancehall style. This change was also reflected in the lyrics of their first number hit Eagles Cry (a cover version of the Prince classic When Doves Cry ) from 1998.
Their international breakthrough came with the single Chi Chi Man , released in 2000 , which caused controversy with homosexuals due to its lyrical undertone . Although the group itself did not support this kind of media, and in interviews ( Riddim issue # 46-06 / 09) it was clearly distanced, the group deleted the song from the live program years before the Reggae Compassionate Act was signed in August 09. At the end of August 2008, TOK's CD My Crew, My Dawgs was indexed in Germany because it was harmful to young people. The BMFSFJ had already applied for indexing in 2004 , but this was initially rejected because, on the one hand, only 400 copies of the work had been sold in Germany in 2004 and, on the other hand, “the company involved in the proceedings committed itself to no longer or only without distributing the anti-homosexual songs ”, as it was said in a response from the federal government to a small question in the Bundestag . In Japan the album received a gold award.
In the meantime, the spokesman for human rights policy for the Greens Volker Beck (Member of the Bundestag) has recognized that the group has been removed from the list of the Stop Murder Music Campaign. Beck quote from an interview on July 21, 2010: "Other artists have said goodbye to their earlier songs more credibly. TOK, for example, rethought after the brother of a band member was killed by violence to my knowledge to this day ".
Due to their varied and energetic live performance, the group has fans in the Caribbean, North and South America, Japan, Africa and also Europe where they tour regularly and not only inspire reggae / dancehall fans. Highlights in Germany were certainly shows at the Summerjam , Chiemsee Festival or as support at Seeed in Berlin's Wuhlheide.
Their second album "Unknown language" 2005 deals with the Jamaican language "Patois" on the cover and offers fans the opportunity to immerse themselves in the Creole language, which is difficult for many to understand. As a promo gimmick there was also a small dancehall dictionary to get to grips with this “unknown language” better. The first pre-release single "Gal ua lead" was a party number and their first hit single in the US Billboard Hot 100 charts and the video was selected for MTV2's "New Faces of MTV2" format and also as "Top Songs 2004" by Blender. The song was produced by radio legend Bobby Konders, who with his sound system “Massive B” and the label of the same name provides the music selection in the reggae channel of the computer game “ Grand Theft Auto ”. The album was overshadowed by personal setbacks within the group. The younger brother of singer "Alex" was killed by a stray in 2003. The group processed it musically and reproduced the events in "footprints" and thus landed their biggest hit so far. (US Billboard R&B & Hip Hop # 22). This anti-violence hymn was also the first song on a one drop riddim by producer Don Corleon, who also celebrated his international breakthrough. This "Drop Leaf" riddim was the top production in 2004 u. a. with Gentleman, Tanya Stephens, Maxie Priest and many more. The album "Unknown language" is their biggest success to date and was awarded platinum in Japan.
Her third album “Our World” (2009), in which the four singers present themselves with the four elements and characterize the most diverse facets of the group, was accompanied by strong personal events. Bay C's cousin died and the two singers Alex and Flexx lost their two fathers a year earlier. The events made the group, who had been singing together since school days, weld even closer and produce their next hit. "Guardian Angel" is a ballad-like root number that is supposed to give consolation in terms of content and to give hope where there is apparently no more. This song became a mega hit in Japan and was No1 on the Japanese Ring Tone Charts in March 09 and No1 on the Reggae Charts in Jamaica, Miami and New York.
The album also features party songs like “Couple up”, “Fire Fire” and the hip-hop influenced “Me and my dawgs” . In total, the group has recorded over 600 songs to date and is represented on millions of records.
The group has recently set up a foundation in Jamaica called the Guardian Angel Foundation, which aims to educate people about the dangers of high blood pressure and to give them help and tips. The project was initiated by singer Craigy T, who himself had to struggle with the consequences of the long-term untreated disease and its consequences and ultimately won this life-threatening fight. The group also supports children in Jamaica. Most of the members of the group are now fathers and have benefits shows for the children's hospital in Kingston "Bustamante Children's Hospital" (Shaggy & Friends Jan 2010) in December 2010 at the "Zen's Annual Charity Concert - Mahima - Music for life" for given by the Hope Institute and Jamaican Cancer Society.
In 2012 they separated from their previous label VP Records , as they felt artistically restricted by the contract.
After Xavier "Flexx" Davidson decided to embark on a solo career in October 2015, the group announced their breakup.
Discography
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Chart positions Explanation of the data |
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Albums
- 2001: My Crew My Dawgs
- 2005: Unknown Language
- 2009: Our World
Mix tapes
- Federation & Cipah Sound presents: TOK - We're Back
- Unknown Language-The Mix CD by DJ Buddha
- Big Mama Sound presents: TOK - Everybody Clap
- Bay-C From TOK & DJ Lil 'M presents: The Bombrush Family
Individual evidence
- ↑ ARD Weltspiegel: Hunting for Gays ( Memento from May 29, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) (Broadcasting company and broadcast date: SWR, Sunday, May 6, 2007) ( Video )
- ↑ TOK's Reggae Compassionate Act (PDF; 555 kB)
- ↑ LSVD welcomes indexing of hate music from Jamaica ( memento of the original from December 21, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ German Bundestag, printed matter 16/9953 (PDF; 131 kB) of July 8, 2008, page 5
- ↑ Interview with Member of the Bundestag Volker Beck (Greens) ( Memento of the original from July 25, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ TOK breaks from record label - No longer signed to VP Records ( Memento of the original from January 28, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Jamaica Star, August 8, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
- ^ TOK calls it quits , Jamaica Observer from October 19, 2015
- ↑ Chart sources: UK US
Web links
- Interview 04/2011 on Reggaeinberlin.de
- Interview TOK am Chiemsee part 1
- Interview TOK am Chiemsee part 2