YouTube’s head of music Lyor Cohen was a guest on Drink Champs with DJ Effn and Nore released on Thursday (October 19, 2023) and he brought along Jamaican born Dr. Garth Graham, Director of Global Head and Public Health Partnerships at YouTube. The two discussed the initiatives YouTube is undertaking to make black and brown communities healthier all over the world.
“I am a cardiologist, but I have worked a long time on issues around health and health care and at YouTube we are really trying to build out the platform on how to get healthy messages to people,” Dr. Garth said, adding “Lyor is my guy.”
Lyor then chimed in to clarify how the two connected professionally and musically. “We are colleagues, we work at the biggest platform in the world, we are global and Dr. Garth leads all the health initiatives that YouTube does. And So YouTube is not just about cat videos and music but what the leadership is attempting to do is use the power of the platform,” he said.
Cohen, who was the founder of Island Def Jam, then dropped some music facts about his taste in Jamaican music, “and we like Alton Ellis, you know who Alton Ellis is, he was before Bob Marley and Bob Marley fell in love with Alton Ellis. Let’s hear it for Alton Ellis,” to applause in the background.
While the 64 year old founder of 300 Entertainemnt didn’t expound on who Alton Ellis was or which songs he was known for, Ellis is a pioneer in Jamaican music with over 22 studio albums and 16 compilations.
He dominated the rocksteady era and is known as the “Godfather of Rocksteady.” In 2006, he received the honor of being inducted into the International Reggae and World Music Awards Hall of Fame.
Ellis along with Eddy Parkins recorded “Muriel” “My Heaven,” “Lullabye Angel,” “I Know It All,” “I’m Never Gonna Cry,” and “Yours” for the legendary Clement Coxsone Dodd at Studio One.
The duo also recorded “Let Me Dream” for Vincent Chin’s Randy’s label, and continued until Parkins won a major talent contest and relocated to the United States.
In the 1960s Ellis began producing songs about the rude boys, although his records consistently opposed this subculture and some of his more signature songs from the era include “Girl I’ve Got a Date” and “Cry Tough.”
Ellis frequently returned to England, collaborating with London-based producers. After spending some years in Canada, he permanently based himself in the UK. Ellis continued to record and perform, including in the early 1980s with emerging producers like Henry “Junjo” Lawes, Sugar Minott, and King Jammy. He also opened the All-Tone record shop in South London and began a record label with the same name.
Ellis remained active in the reggae scene until his health declined. His later works included performances all over Europe with a French backing band called ASPO (About Some Precioux Oldies). “Live with Aspo: Workin’ on a Groovy Thing,” recorded in Bordeaux, France, stands as the only live album ever released by Alton Ellis in 2001. In 2004, the Jamaican government recognized his achievements by awarding him the Order of Distinction.
In December 2007, Ellis received treatment for Hodgkin’s disease in a London hospital but returned to live performances after chemotherapy. Sadly, he succumbed to cancer on October 10, 2008, at Hammersmith Hospital in London.
Alton Ellis had a significant impact on the music world. The “Mad Mad” riddim, originally released by Alton Ellis and the Sound Dimension band in 1968, has been reused and sampled by numerous hip-hop, dancehall, and reggae producers and artists. The distinctive horn line from this track has been reinterpreted and evolved into the “Diseases” reggae riddim, which became widely recognized. This riddim has been featured in songs by Yellowman, Shaggy, Spragga Benz and sampled by several popular hip-hop artists, thus solidifying Alton Ellis’s influence in the realms of dancehall, reggae, and hip-hop.
Earlier this week City of Hope organization hosted its annual Spirit of Life gala in Los Angeles, where they honored Lyor Cohen. The event featured performances from various hip-hop artists who has played a significant role in the music industry. They also used the opportunity to address the Israel-Palestine conflict and called for peace.
A lineup of hip-hop icons, including Slick Rick, Kurtis Blow, Warren G, and more, performed in tribute to Cohen. The event raised $4.3 million to support health equity in cancer care, with contributions from Coachella and Diddy. The night concluded with LL Cool J and DJ Jazzy Jeff taking the stage to perform some of their iconic tracks, celebrating the journey and honoring Lyor Cohen’s influence in the music industry.
