Dennis Alcapone

Shortly after the great U-Roy began to have success with his innovative DJ Toasting style in the late 1960s, Dennis Alcapone jumped up out of nowhere to challenge his reign. His humorous lyrical style rode on top of the current Reggae hits, renewing a track for further success. All the friendly banter and improvised lyrics of hip-hop freestyle battle can be found in Alcapone's music, with a Dub-like track providing the rhythmic foundation. Under his criminally influenced name, Alcapone created a tough image with talk of guns and violence between his more light-hearted novelty songs. Many artists -- including Dillinger and I-Roy -- were influenced by Alcapone's style, as were scores of Dancehall DJ's in the '80s and '90s. In essence, Alcapone was the world's first Gangsta Rapper.