Glamma Kid

b. Iyael Constable, 14 March 1978, Hackney, London, England. Constable began his quest for stardom in his formative years by imitating Michael Jackson’s dance steps and emulating his singing style. He attended acting classes at the Anna Shears Drama School where he secured a role on the television series Corners. In addition to pursuing his quest to be an all-round entertainer, he joined the Air Training Corps and in two years climbed to the rank of corporal. In 1989, he entered a talent competition and was pipped at the winning post by a DJ; this influenced his subsequent change of direction. In the next competition, he switched from dancing to performing as a DJ and came away with first prize. His success led to the formation of his own Glamma Guard sound system, playing in local blues and house parties in and around London. The system disbanded in 1994 with the members branching out in different musical directions. In the autumn of 1994, Constable, performing as Glamma Kid, met up with Mafia And Fluxy who both managed his career and produced his debut, ‘Fashion Magazine’. The song led to a number of sessions and Glamma Kid became regarded as the UK’s answer to Bounty Killer. He provided the DJ lyrics to a number of hits including ‘Moschino’, ‘Girls Terminus’, ‘Nation Of Girls’ and the anti-cocaine anthem, ‘Outertain’. He was also notable for comments regarding the unhealthy obsession of some musicians with the gangster image, leading to the release of ‘Eastwood Clint’, where he warned against guns: ‘Bwoy you could a bad like a Eastwood Clint - but you tink bad man gun fire flint’. He was also in demand for recording in a combination style, notably alongside Sylvia Tella, Peter Hunningale, Nerious Joseph and Robbie Valentine. In January 1997, he joined forces with Mafia And Fluxy, Hunningale and Joseph as part of the reggae supergroup Passion, for ‘Share Your Love’, which crossed over into the lower end of the UK pop chart. Glamma Kid was offered and accepted the role of supporting act to his Jamaican counterpart Bounty Killer on his 1997 UK tour, and continued working on his debut album for WEA Records. He enjoyed huge crossover success in 1999 with two UK Top 10 hits; ‘Taboo’, a collaboration with R&B singer Shola Ama, and ‘Why’.