Dancehall

Dancehall Icon Ninjaman Gets Birthday Tributes From Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Spice & More

Tributes poured in for dancehall icon Ninjaman who celebrated his birthday yesterday.

January 24 marked yet another year around the sun for Desmond John Ballentine, known to most as the legendary dancehall deejay Ninjaman. The deejay has managed to secure a wonderful spot in Jamaica’s musical history as a wonderful inspiration to other greats such as Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, and even new guns such as Zinthos. No wonder the deejay has garnered such an immaculate showing on social media for his birthday, all while currently serving a hefty life sentence behind bars for murder.

The self-proclaimed Original Front Tooth Gold Tooth Don Gorgon began his musical journey as a member of the prominent Killamanjaro sound system similar to other high-profile Jamaican entertainers such as Super Cat and Early B. He would blossom into his role as a lyrical entertainer by the late 80s, working with many of the island’s top producers to craft some of the era’s grittiest lyrics.

His freestyle clashing form also made him one of the must-see acts to grace the stage at Jamaica’s yearly stage show, Sting. Ninja and Jr. Demus clashed the duo of Flourgon and Red Dragon in the 1988 bout, he would take on Shabba Ranks in the 1990 fixture, and Super Cat in 1991. Those three battles have solidified Ninja’s legacy.

The deejay’s Instagram account has been resharing a number of celebratory posts to its IG Story since the start of the 24th. You can check out a few of these below.

As a way to sweeten the deal, there are rumors of a brand new single to be released by the legendary deejay sometime this year. Urban Islandz could not confirm the authenticity of the new single, but we will keep you update.