Kiprich

Able to bounce between boisterous dancehall toasting and smooth crooning, vocalist Kiprich first came to reggae fans' attention as Elephant Man's sideman. Originally known as Crazy Kid, Jamaican native Marlon Plunkett changed his moniker to Kiprich before releasing his first successful solo single, "Leggo Di Bwoy," in 1999. A series of popular dancehall singles followed -- including "Imagine This," "Ediat," "Bad Man," and "Jook Gal" with Elephant Man and rap superstar Lil Jon -- but it was in early 2005 that he released the track that would make him famous worldwide. A smooth, summery ballad released by the Big Yard label, "Telephone Ting" benefited from an infectious chorus and Kiprich's whimsical lyrics about cell phone flirtation gone wrong. The track soon took the Jamaican number one spot before spreading worldwide. The high-profile label VP signed Kiprich and released his first full album, Outta Road, in late 2005. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi