Big Up The Wild Apache Every Time
On this day in 1963 a dancehall legend was born in the Kingston neighborhood of Cockburn Pen. The child of a Black mother and an Indian father, William Anthony Maragh was given the nickname Wild Apache by his lyrical mentor Early B the Doctor. He is best known to reggae and hip hop fans the world over as Super Cat. Stylistically, Cat’s DJ style was strongly influenced by the late great Daddy U Roy, a dancehall pioneer who also hailed from Cockburn Pen. Cat honed his skills on sound systems like Killamanjaro, mentoring future champions like Ninjaman. In the early 90s he relocated to New York City where he established his own Wild Apache label. While chilling at the Bronx nightclub Act III, Cat met rap superstar Heavy D and they would eventually collaborate on classics like “Big and Ready” and “Dem No Worry We.” Super Cat would continue to dominate the reggae/hip-hop crossover zone with early ’90s joints like the “Ghetto Red Hot” remix and the “Dolly My Baby” remix that shed an early light on a young up-and-coming Jamerican MC known as Biggie Smalls. The last time we reasoned with Sean Paul he made sure to give major props to Cat, who was a major influence on his own lyrical flow. (Little-known fact: Rob Kenner owes his whole 17-year VIBE career to Super Cat since his first article for the magazine was a feature-length profile of Super Cat, it’s only right that we Today we pay maximum respect to a ghetto youth and lyrical genius who blazed a trail for Jamaican music worldwide. Check out some of our classic interviews with Mr. Cat over the years. Respect in all aspect. Video After The Jump…
Photograph by Beth Lesser
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