Biography:

• born in 1952 in Chapeltown (Jamaica)
• came to London in 1963
• went to Tulse Hill Secondary School and studied Sociology
• joined the Black Panthers while he was still at school
• he worked in a library
• "Race Today" published his poems
• 1980 he became a journalist
• he founded an own record company in 1981
• he had his own radioshow in 1982
• he became a reporter on Channel 4 from 1985 to 1988
• he got many awards and is the world’s first Dub poet
• he plays with  the Dub Band led by Dennis Bovell
• most of his lyrics have a social theme and are political in nature
• his vocal style is unique
• he has published several books of his poetry
• his favorite political system is socialist democracy; the state should be in the position to protect those who can’t protect themselves and it has to ensure that the basic human rights are respected

Linton Kwesi Johnson’s release of Dread Beat An‘ Blood was the first time that his poetry was accompanied by the powerful beats of reggae. This form of musically underlayed poetry became known as Dub Poetry. Johnson articulates the experiences of the black population in Britain. He was inspired by discovering black literature. Although LKJ has achieved a lot, he still thinks that Inglan is a Bitch. He mentioned the fact that a black person is five times more likely to be stopped and searched than a white person and that black nurses "have gotten a raw deal" for years (that means, they’ve got less money than white nurses). He is still of the opinion that there is no racial equality in England.
 

Go to Interview and listen to his voice