Capleton

Capleton

3 songs 1 albums

Born Clifton Bailey in Jamaica’s garden parish of St. Mary; his persuasive argument skills as a teen earned him comparisons to his community’s most esteemed lawyer, Capleton, and the moniker has remained in place ever since.

Capleton moved to Kingston at the age of 18 to pursue his musical career. In 1986 he secured a gig with the African Star sound, which regularly traveled between Jamaica and Toronto. Word of his energetic breakout debut Canadian performance quickly spread to Jamaica. The following year he recorded the sexually suggestive “Bumbo-Red” which became a popular hit in Jamaica’s dancehalls.

Capleton embraced the Rastafarian faith shortly after his debut and began releasing material reflecting the ideology of his newly found faith. His insightful lyrics and his personal mission to spread the teachings of Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie earned him one of his many aliases “The Prophet”. The lyrics “music is a mission not a competition” from “It Hurts my Heart” became not only one of his most memorable lines but Capleton’s mantra as he led by example inspiring other artists to become more purpose driven in their musical careers.