His stagename stemmed from his large ears, which led to the nickname Dumbo in his youth. "Ele" started out his musical career as a member of the Scare Dem Crew, later continuing as a solo artist. He was later characterized for several trademarks, such as his yellow-orange hair, his unique low-key voice, or his stage performance, which included excessive jumping and running, or even climbing on stage props and monitors. His acoustic trademark is marked by a light lisp.
The first international recognition came when Elephant Man and Puma settled a contract for using his single "All Out" for their Olympics commercial campaign in 2004.
Elephant Man has been widely criticised for his lyrics calling for violence against gay people. In 2003 British LBGT group OutRage! called for the arrest and prosecution of several dancehall stars including Elephant Man, Bounty Killer and Beenie Man for violation of hate crimes statutes [1]
Elephant Man also had a song called "Willie Bounce" that appeared on several Mixtapes in early 2006. It borrowed the first few bars from I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.
Recently, the Jamaican star has been signed to New York-based label Bad Boy Entertainment.
Jamaica
Elephant Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yu na see us walk, me say if yu nu hear we man bumbaclat talk
Jamaica anywe unu de, shot up yu nine ca we a represent, YU KNO
[Chorus 1]
Jamaicans lif up yu nine,
two gal inna di club and dem a hug up and a wine
Jamaicans lif up yu nine,
Jamaicans lif up yu nine,
see a boy who a teef yu weed and yu wan gun him long time
Jamaicans lif up yu nine,
di youth dem hungry inna di streetss o a food we hafi find,
YU KNO
[Verse 1]
Sarg, dem a look fa we, theplace a run red now
Has a man dead, dem say yea ya dem both fi med now
Ice up di flag wit di green, gold, and red now
Drop a Jamaica call a freak get a egg now
Lata, me where me at, gal inna mi bed now
Unda mi kiki, me kno she hafi dead now
Cock it up, put a pillow unda she head now
Hear dem gal ya heart beg now
[Chorus 2]
Jamaicans lif up yu nine,
di government start step up on crime
Jamaicans lif up yu nine,
how dem fi wan come tek what's rightfully mine
Jamaicans lif up yu nine,
everybody a go rich but not di same time
Jamaicans lif up yu nine,
so mi tell yu if uu see black people you will find, YU KNO
[Verse 2]
Mi go uo di yard to dem who nah bout who dem sisting
And di eldest one dem move become a victim
Lock down di clubs, fight 'gainst de sound system
Seeh how dem make me rise up de black sinting
Drive by, no money inna mail quintin,
big black car wit all de glass dem tinted
Hustle 45 inna de buildin, ninja kick right up de big sintin
[Chorus 3]
Jamaicans lif up yu nine, and rhythm mek de gal dem a wine
Jamaicans lif up yu nine, tell de selector fi turn up de base line
Jamaicans lif up yu nine,
watch de gal dem pon de floor a wine dem waste line
Jamaicans lif up yu nine, Jackie she a wine like she nah feel no spine YU KNO
Tek de dance slow girl don't be scared to zip it up, zip it up
Hear wa yu tell dem say big it up, big it up
Here a little facy hol a lik up
Dat mek me get mad, mi wan fi go beat it up, beat it up
Try it and a tell me say fi live it up
Jackie say Elephant get mad and bust it up, bust it up
Bad man a come ye so fi cuse it up, cuse it up
And de rebel hol it and cut it up
[Chorus 1]
[Verse 1-leads out]
The song "Jamaica" by Elephant Man is a celebration of his home country and a call to action for Jamaicans to unite and stand up for themselves. The repeated phrase "J-A-M Jamaica I-see-A Jamaica" is a play on words, with "I-see-A" sounding like the letters "I-C-R-E-A," spelling out "I see our Jamaica." Elephant Man is urging his fellow Jamaicans to come together in the face of adversity, whether it be crime, poverty, or government corruption.
The first verse describes the violent state of Jamaica, with people getting killed and the streets running red with blood. Elephant Man proudly proclaims his Jamaican heritage by displaying the colors of Jamaica - green, gold, and red - and referencing the country's national flag. He talks about his sexual prowess with women, but also references the dangers of the streets and the need to protect oneself. The chorus urges Jamaicans to lift up their metaphorical "nines," or guns, both to fight crime and to assert their rights and values as Jamaicans.
Line by Line Meaning
J-A-M Jamaica I-see-A Jamaica, J-A-M Jamaica I-see-A Jamaica
The singer is proud of his country and repeats the name of the country in a chant-like manner.
Yu na see us walk, me say if yu nu hear we man bumbaclat talk
The singer wants people to take notice of him and his people's culture, even if they may not understand the language or way of talking.
Jamaica anywe unu de, shot up yu nine ca we a represent, YU KNO
Wherever Jamaicans are, they should be proud and show that they represent their country, and the singer encourages them to be alert and aware of their surroundings.
Jamaicans lif up yu nine, two gal inna di club and dem a hug up and a wine
The singer wants Jamaicans to be proud and raise their guns to show unity in the club where two women are dancing and hugging each other.
I wish two man mi go hear say dem catch dey a crime
The singer wishes that he hears of two men being caught for committing a crime, implying a desire for justice in his country.
see a boy who a teef yu weed and yu wan gun him long time
If someone steals your marijuana, you may want to retaliate by using your guns.
di youth dem hungry inna di streetss o a food we hafi find, YU KNO
The youth who are struggling in the streets need food and it's something to be mindful of.
Sarg, dem a look fa we, theplace a run red now
The police or authority figures are after them, and the situation has become violent or bloody.
Has a man dead, dem say yea ya dem both fi med now
Someone has died, and authorities are investigating it, implying an unjust system of authority.
Ice up di flag wit di green, gold, and red now
Raise the flag, representing Jamaica's national colors, in a sign of solidarity and possibly defiance.
Drop a Jamaica call a freak get a egg now
Get a souvenir or gift for someone when you're in Jamaica.
Lata, me where me at, gal inna mi bed now
The singer is now in bed with a woman, implying he's moving on from the previous topic.
Unda mi kiki, me kno she hafi dead now
Underneath his covers, he knows that his partner is satisfied or exhausted, implying a sexual encounter just ended.
Cock it up, put a pillow unda she head now
Raise her buttocks while supporting her head with a pillow, alluding to sexual activity.
Hear dem gal ya heart beg now
The singer hears women's hearts yearning for something, possibly him or sexual pleasure.
di government start step up on crime
The government has started taking measures to address the issue of crime, possibly unsuccessfully.
how dem fi wan come tek what's rightfully mine
The singer questions how the government can take what belongs to him or the people, likely addressing corruption or oppression.
everybody a go rich but not di same time
Everyone can become rich, but not all at the same time, implying the conflict or inequity in society.
watch de gal dem pon de floor a wine dem waste line
The singer wants people to observe women dancing provocatively, possibly sexually, at clubs.
Jackie she a wine like she nah feel no spine
Jackie is dancing sexually as if she is not experiencing any discomfort or shame, implying promiscuity.
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: O'NEIL BRYAN, PAUL YEBUAH, VICTOR EDMUND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind