General Trees

Country: Jamaica

General Trees (born 13 December 1960 in Drews Land, Kingston, Jamaica) is widely regarded as one of the most skilled Jamaican speed rappers of his era, pioneering the "fast style" of deejay delivery in the dancehall scene, a style that originated in the UK through London-born Phillip Papa Levi. He began working as a shoemaker in his father’s shop before gaining recognition as a sound system performer on Maurice Johnson’s Black Scorpio system, following in the footsteps of his brother. His stage name, “General Trees,” was given by Barry G, who remarked that he sounded “like a General with three voices in one.” Early in his career, he performed as “the younger horseman,” wearing jockey attire in homage to Black Scorpio’s nickname, the “Horseman” sound system. Trees rose to prominence with hits produced by Johnson’s Black Scorpio label, including “Heel and Toe,” “Monkey and Ape,” “Ghost Rider,” and “Crucifixion.” His most memorable song, “Mini Bus,” lamented the decline of the jolly bus and was awarded Song of the Year in 1986 by the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation, elevating his profile nationally. He continued to record for various producers, releasing notable tracks like “Gone a Negril” (No. 2 in 1986), “Calling All Higglers,” and combination hits such as “Coke Pipe” with Fancy Black and “Nightmare” with Little John. He also contributed to the clash album Battle of the Generals, which featured versions of “Lambada” and “Think Twice.” Though General Trees’ popularity declined in the 1990s, he continued recording, including “Eye Nah See,” “Great Jamaican Jockeys,” and “Goodie Goodie.” In 1999, he recorded “Lik Him But Nuh Kill Him” for Linval Edwards before largely stepping back from music. He reunited with Johnson in 2005 to release tracks like “Run di Place Again,” “Mother of the Land,” and “She Says She Loves Me,” followed…

Trees rose to prominence with hits produced by Johnson’s Black Scorpio label, including “Heel and Toe,” “Monkey and Ape,” “Ghost Rider,” and “Crucifixion.” His most memorable song, “Mini Bus,” lamented the decline of the jolly bus and was awarded Song of the Year in 1986 by the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation, elevating his profile nationally. He continued to record for various producers, releasing notable tracks like “Gone a Negril” (No. 2 in 1986), “Calling All Higglers,” and combination hits such as “Coke Pipe” with Fancy Black and “Nightmare” with Little John. He also contributed to the clash album Battle of the Generals, which featured versions of “Lambada” and “Think Twice.”

Though General Trees’ popularity declined in the 1990s, he continued recording, including “Eye Nah See,” “Great Jamaican Jockeys,” and “Goodie Goodie.” In 1999, he recorded “Lik Him But Nuh Kill Him” for Linval Edwards before largely stepping back from music. He reunited with Johnson in 2005 to release tracks like “Run di Place Again,” “Mother of the Land,” and “She Says She Loves Me,” followed by a European tour with Black Scorpio and later work with the Stur-Gav sound system. In late 2019, Trees suffered multiple strokes, resulting in vocal-cord paresis, which has hindered his ability to perform.