Elephant Man & Friends

The boisterous DJ Elephant Man (aka Energy God) was born O’Neil Bryan in 1974. His overly large ears as a child earned him the nickname “Dumbo Elephant” from his classmates in the Seaview Gardens area of Kingston, Jamaica. Shabba Ranks and Bounty Killer were Seaview residents at the time, and with King Jammy’s studio not so far away, Elephant Man had an early exposure to dancehall culture. While singing at the gates of Ranks and Jammy’s studios, Bounty Killer heard him and suggested forming a group with other Seaview teens. The group was originally called the Seaview Family, but after Bounty Killer had a massive hit with “Big Guns Scare Dem,” the name changed to Scare Dem Crew. Scare Dem Crew only released one album but played multiple festivals around Jamaica, giving Elephant Man a chance to refine his on-stage persona. Dancehall night at 1998’s Reggae Sumfest was a highlight, with Elephant Man climbing up a television camera crane and delivering his energetic rhymes high above the audience.