Black Uhuru is a Jamaican reggae band probably best known for their hits "S… Read Full Bio ↴Black Uhuru is a Jamaican reggae band probably best known for their hits "Shine Eye Gal", "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "Sinsemilla," "Solidarity," and "What Is Life?". They were the first group to win a Grammy in the reggae category when it was introduced in 1985. They originally formed as 'Black Sounds Uhuru' (the Kiswahili word for freedom).

The first line-up of the group was Garth Dennis, Don Carlos, and Derrick "Duckie" Simpson. The group has undergone several lineup changes: Carlos left, replaced by Michael Rose; then Dennis left to play with The Wailing Souls, and was replaced by Errol Nelson. During this early period, the band's most famous recording is the album entitled Love Crisis, later rereleased as Black Sounds Of Freedom. In 1979 the group was joined by Sandra "Puma" Jones, a social worker from North Carolina, USA. Under this lineup, (Rose, Simpson and Jones), with Sly & Robbie as producers (and also permanently employed on drum and bass), they released the band's most popular albums: Sinsemilla, Red, Chill Out, and the Grammy-winning Anthem¹, as well as others. During this period, Black Uhuru became one of the most popular reggae groups in the world, regularly touring with the likes of The Police and The Rolling Stones. Live 1984 (a concert at the Rockpalast in Germany, but was actually recorded on October 18, 1981) captures the band at the height of its powers.

After Rose went solo in 1985, Junior Reid joined for a few records and also left; Puma Jones left in 1987 (and died of cancer three years later, in 1990). In 1990, Simpson reunited with Dennis and Carlos in the original line-up of the group. They recorded several albums and toured extensively. By the end of the 90's, Dennis and Carlos left the band and fought a legal battle against Simpson over the name Black Uhuru. Simpson won the lawsuit and formed yet another incarnation of Black Uhuru with Andrew Bees as lead singer. Only one album, Dynasty, was released before Bees left the group.

In February 2004, it was announced in the Jamaican press that Simpson and Michael Rose had re-united under the name "Black Uhuru feat. Michael Rose". Together with a female backing singer named Kay Starr, they released a single, "Dollars" and performed at several concerts including "Western Consciousness 2004" on April 28 in Jamaica, of which a live video was released shortly thereafter. A new album has been reported to be in progress.

== Discography ==

'Group: Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, Michael Rose, Errol "Tarzan" Nelson'

*1977 - 'Love Crisis'
*1981 - 'Black Sounds of Freedom' ("Love Crisis" reedition)

'Group: Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, Michael Rose, Sandra "Puma" Jones'

*1979 - 'Showcase'
*1980 - 'Black Uhuru'
*1980 - 'Sinsemilia'
*1981 - 'Red'
*1982 - 'Chill Out'
*1983 - 'Guess Who's Coming To Dinner' ("Black Uhuru" reedition)
*1983 - 'Anthem'

'Group: Derrick Simpson, Delroy "Junior" Reid, Sandra "Puma" Jones'

*1986 - 'Brutal'
*1987 - 'Positive' (Puma Jones replaced Olafunke)

'Group: Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, Garth Dennis, Don Carlos'

*1990 - 'Now'
*1991 - 'Iron Storm'
*1993 - 'Mystical truth'
*1994 - 'Strongg'

'Group: Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, Jenifah Nyah, Andrew Bees'

*1998 - 'Unification'
*2001 - 'Dynasty'

'Live / Dub albums:'

*1982 - 'Uhuru in Dub'
*1982 - 'Tear It Up - Live' (album and video)
*1983 - 'The Dub Factor'
*1986 - 'Brutal Dub'
*1987 - 'The Positive Dub'
*1988 - 'Live'
*1988 - 'Live In New York City'
*1990 - 'Now Dub'
*1990 - 'Love Dub' ("Uhuru In Dub" reedition)
*1992 - 'Iron Storm Dub'
*1993 - 'Mystical Truth Dub'
*1994 - 'Strongg Dubb'
*2000 - 'Live 1984'
*2001 - 'In Dub'
*2001 – 'Dubbin'It Live' (summer 2001, at Paléo Festival)

Rockstone
Black Uhuru Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Throwing rockstone upon a
dumper truck
Throwing rockstone upon a
dumper truck
Men standing over I and I and
we are not wild
Forcing jack hammers
through the concrete wall

That's the only way a dread
can make a bread
Satta dread satta you time soon
come

Throwing rockstone upon a
dumper truck
Throwing rockstone upon a
dumper truck

I and I fore parents did
have all the riches
Now it's taken away
And dem work iniquity and a
burn bad lamp pon dem want to
neda
Dem a burn bad lamp and
work iniquity wo oh
Everytime I work on this
truck mi tear off mi shirt
I trod it ital but duckie
stich his own up
We fling rockstone upon a
dumper truck
Throwing rockstone upon a
dumper truck
Throwing rockstone upon a
dumper truck
Packing up rockstone upon a
dumper truck

The Queen would like to know
I and I know that for sure
Cause we down yea
We are the slave
We are the slave
Digging digglng
Down a sandy gully

We do the holly gully
Enjoying plenty of collie

Overall Meaning

Black Uhuru's song 'Rockstone' is a reggae classic that speaks to the struggles of the working class in Jamaica. The lyrics describe the grueling work of throwing rockstones onto a dumper truck, day in and day out. Men are standing over them, making sure they don't stop or slack off, even though they are not wild. The only way for a dread to make a bread is by doing this kind of hard labor. The phrase "Satta dread satta you time soon come" refers to the Rastafarian belief in the return of Haile Selassie and the coming of a new day. This line speaks to the hope for a better future, even in the midst of difficult circumstances.

The song goes on to comment on the injustices that have led to the current situation. The fore parents of the workers used to have all the riches, but those have been taken away. The people in power are working iniquity and burning bad lamps, while the workers are struggling to make a living. The line "We are the slave" makes clear the power dynamic at play. The workers are seen as trapped in a system that treats them unfairly. Despite all this, the workers find joy in their work and in the camaraderie of their fellow laborers. The song ends with a reference to smoking marijuana, a common theme in reggae music.

Overall, 'Rockstone' is a powerful commentary on the struggles of the working class in Jamaica. The lyrics describe the harsh realities of labor, while also expressing hope for a better future. The song is a classic example of reggae's ability to comment on social issues in a way that is both poetic and political.

Line by Line Meaning

Throwing rockstone upon a dumper truck
We are throwing rocks at the dump truck to protest against the unfairness and injustice of our situation.

Men standing over I and I and we are not wild
Even though we are being oppressed and controlled by others, we are not wild or violent in our resistance.

Forcing jack hammers through the concrete wall
The only way for us to survive and make a living is to work hard and tirelessly, even if it means breaking through barriers and obstacles.

That's the only way a dread can make a bread
As a Rastafarian, there are limited opportunities for us to make money, so we must work hard and creatively in order to provide for ourselves.

Satta dread satta you time soon come
We are confident that our time will come, and justice will be served, even if it is not in our present moment.

I and I fore parents did have all the riches, now it's taken away
Our ancestors used to have wealth and status, but now it has been stripped away from us due to colonization and oppression.

And dem work iniquity and a burn bad lamp pon dem want to neda, dem a burn bad lamp and work iniquity wo oh
The people in power are corrupt and malicious, and we can see through their false façade and deceitful actions.

Everytime I work on this truck mi tear off mi shirt, I trod it ital but duckie stich his own up
We work hard and put in a lot of effort into our labor, but we do it in our own way and style, without conforming to the norms and standards set by others.

We fling rockstone upon a dumper truck
We continue to protest and resist against the injustices done to us, even if our methods are unconventional.

Packing up rockstone upon a dumper truck
We are gathering and preparing more rocks to throw at the dump truck, as a way of further expressing our grievances.

The Queen would like to know I and I know that for sure, Cause we down yea, We are the slave, We are the slave
Even though we are being oppressed, we still have pride in our heritage and culture, and we know that the powers at be are aware of our struggles, despite their efforts to silence us.

Digging digglng, Down a sandy gully, We do the holly gully, Enjoying plenty of collie
Despite our hardships, we find joy and comfort in our simple pleasures and traditions, such as dancing and smoking ganja.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DERRICK SIMPSON, MICHAEL (GB 1) ROSE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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