Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry, on March 20, 1936, in Kendal, Jamaica) Perry's musical career began in the late 1950s as a record seller for Clement Coxsone Dodd's sound system. As his sometimes turbulent relationship with Dodd developed, he found himself performing a variety of important tasks at Dodd's Studio One hit factory, going on to record nearly 30 songs for the label. He soon found a new home at Joe Gibbs's Wirl records. Working with Joe Gibbs, Perry continued his recording career, but once again. Perry broke ranks with Gibbs and formed his own label, Upsetter, in 1968. His first single "People Funny Boy", which was an insult directed at Gibbs, sold very well. It is notable for its innovative use of a sample (a crying baby) as well as a fast, chugging beat that would soon become identifiable as "reggae" (the new sound did not really have a name at this time). From 1968 until 1972 he worked with his studio band The Upsetters. During the 1970s, Perry released numerous recordings on a variety of record labels that he controlled, and many of his songs were popular in both Jamaica and the UK.

He soon became known for his innovative production techniques as well as his eccentric character. In the early 1970s, Perry was one of the producers whose mixing board experiments resulted in the creation of dub. In 1973, Perry built a studio in his back yard, The Black Ark, to have more control over his productions and continued to produce notable musicians such as Bob Marley & the Wailers, Junior Byles, The Heptones, and Max Romeo. With his own studio at his disposal, Perry's productions became more lavish, as the energetic producer was able to spend as much time as he wanted on the music he produced. It is important to note that virtually everything Perry recorded in The Black Ark was done using rather basic recording equipment; through sonic sleight-of-hand, Perry made it sound completely unique. Perry remained behind the mixing desk for many years, producing songs and albums that stand out as a high point in reggae history.

Roger Steffens Reggae Archives & Listen Clothing bring to you "Rude Boy" This Design is to recognize the years that The Rude Boy Perry run thigs in the Reggae World.

Listen pay tribute to one of reggae's most talented and complex founding fathers with this RUDE BOY design. The image of Scratch at the waist printed in red is from the Roger Steffens Reggae Archives, and is a rare photo the Listen crew found in the vault, an image of dub master Lee "Scratch" Perry. Photo was taken at the Black Ark Studios in 1983 by Carly Simon. "We Run Thigs" printed in green. Lower back print features a clipping from a newspaper with the headline, "Root strong in funky Kingston. LISTEN

Price:$31.00