Editing Rebel MC (section)

==Biography==
In the late 1980s, West formed the [[musical group|group]] [[Double Trouble (dance music producers)|Double Trouble]] with Michael Menson, Karl Brown (more commonly known as the [[UK garage]] [[DJ]] Karl 'Tuff Enuff' Brown) and Leigh Guest.<ref name="LarkinDM"/> This would lead to two [[hip house]] records reaching the [[UK Singles Chart|UK]] [[Top 40]] in 1989 - "Just Keep Rockin'" followed by "[[Street Tuff]]".<ref name="LarkinDM"/> The latter reached number 3 in the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/street-tuff/|title=street tuff {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company|publisher=Official Charts Company}}</ref><ref name="guard">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jul/04/congo-natty-jungle-revolution-rebel-mc|title=Congo Natty and the jungle revolution|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=4 July 2013|author=Ben Beaumont-Thomas}}</ref> These would appear shortly after on his debut album ''[[Rebel Music (Rebel MC album)|Rebel Music]]''.

In 1991, West released his second album, ''Black Meaning Good'', which combined his former hip house and [[pop-rap]] influences with radical political, spiritual consciousness and a stronger [[roots reggae]], dubwise and [[breakbeat]] edge.<ref name="LarkinDM"/> The album featured notable reggae and [[dancehall]] artists such as [[Barrington Levy]], [[Tenor Fly]] and [[Dennis Brown]].<ref name="LarkinDM"/> Singles released from the album included "The Wickedest Sound", "Comin' On Strong", and "Tribal Base" - to which their [[breakbeat hardcore]] and [[reggae fusion]] would give rise to an early precursor to the [[jungle music|jungle]] sound.<ref>{{cite web |author=Matt Jost |date=October 16, 2012 |title=Rebel MC: Black Meaning Good |url=https://www.rapreviews.com/2012/10/rebel-mc-black-meaning-good/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://perma.cc/6ABG-VKBM |archive-date=October 24, 2024 |work=Rap Reviews}}</ref>

His third album ''Word, Sound and Power'' (released in 1992) represented further exploration of increasingly politicised awareness, breakbeat hardcore, [[house music|house]], conscious spiritual [[roots reggae]], dubwise, and [[hip hop music|hip hop]], with two singles "Rich Ah Getting Richer" and "I Can't Get No Sleep" released from it.<ref name="LarkinDM"/> "Rich Ah Getting Richer" was built on melodies and samples from [[Twinkle Brothers]] "[[Jah]]ovia", [[Junior Byles]] and [[King Tubby]]'s'"Fade Away" as well as [[Junior Delgado]]'s "Tichion." The track "Jahovia" samples the keyboard hook from the sound system  favourite, "Kunta Kinte". Kunta Kinte, the film character from [[Alex Haley]]'s book "Roots" inspired a [[reggae]] [[riddim]] of the same name, which started off life as a track called ''Beware Of Your Enemies'' released from [[Jamaica]]'s [[Channel One Studios|Channel One]]. A [[Dub music|dub]] version, put out in 1976 by Channel One [[house band]] [[The Revolutionaries]] became a [[Sound system (Jamaican)|sound system]] anthem for many years on [[dubplate]], and inspired a UK version produced by [[Mad Professor]] in 1981. The track inspired Rebel MC and other [[jungle (music)|jungle]] covers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Muth |first=Anderson |date=August 5, 2018 |title=Riddimology 101: Essential Cuts of the "Kunta Kinte" Riddim |url=https://www.dub-stuy.com/riddimology-001-kunta-kinte/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://perma.cc/U6XP-XUF8 |archive-date=October 24, 2024 |work=Dub-Stuy Brooklyn}}</ref>

On ''Word, Sound and Power'' Rebel MC also built tracks around samples and melodies from [[Yabby You]], [[Lincoln Thompson]] and the Royal Rasses ("Humanity") and [[Burning Spear]]'s "Creation Rebel." 

The track "African" samples [[Lloyd Coxsone]]’s ''King of the Dub Rock part two'', and [[Johnny Clarke]]’s vocals from [[Bunny Lee]] productions. 

The album track “Revolution” is largely based on [[Dennis Brown]]’s track of the same name. 

Whilst West was enjoying further commercial success with "Tribal Base" featuring [[Barrington Levy]] and [[Tenor Fly]], he was also experimenting with [[white label record|white label]] releases on his X Project label.<ref name="LarkinDM">{{cite book |title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music]] |date=1998 |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |isbn=0-7535-0252-6 |editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]] |edition=1st |page=280}}</ref> The first of these would be "Walking in the Air" (which contains samples from ''[[The Snowman]]'' track), followed by a further five releases which by this time were [[jungle music|jungle]].<ref name="basschron">{{cite web |date=January 9, 2017 |title=History Sessions: Congo Natty Special (1992-1998) |url=https://abasschronicle.co.uk/history-sessions-congo-natty-special/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://perma.cc/JT4U-9DBU |archive-date=October 24, 2024 |work=A Bass Chronicle}}</ref>

West is often noted for having popularised the term "jungle". In the book ''[[Energy Flash]]'' by [[Simon Reynolds]], MC Navigator of [[Kool FM]] is quoted as saying: "Rebel got this chant - 'all the junglists' - from a yard-tape" (referring to the [[Sound system (Jamaican)|sound system]] tapes from [[Kingston, Jamaica]]). "When Rebel sampled that, the people cottoned on, and soon they started to call the music 'jungle'".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |title=Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture |date=2008 |publisher=[[Picador (imprint)|Picador]] |isbn=9780330454209 |location=London |publication-date=2008 |page=245 |oclc=175283973}}</ref>

In 1994, West converted to [[Rastafari]].<ref name="quietus">{{cite web|url=https://thequietus.com/articles/12795-congo-natty-interview|title=I've Got Souls To Save: An Interview With Congo Natty|author=Joe Clay|date=11 July 2013|work=TheQuietus}}</ref> As Conquering Lion, he would release a classic jungle track "Code Red", with vocals from [[Super Cat]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Jones |first=Charlie |date=September 18, 2012 |title=The 10 Best Jungle Tracks, According to Uncle Dugs |url=https://dmy.co/10-best/the-10-best-jungle-tracks-according-to-uncle-dugs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://perma.cc/X8GU-GJ8D |archive-date=October 24, 2024 |work=DMY Mag}}</ref> This was picked up for major release by [[Mango Records]], a [[subsidiary]] of [[Island Records]], which was followed by "Champion DJ" (featuring Top Cat) and "Junglist" (featuring Peter Bouncer), both released on his Congo Natty label that would be prolific in the mid-1990s to early 2000s.<ref name="basschron"/>

In 2013, West returned with the album ''[[Jungle Revolution]]'', featuring [[Jah Shaka]]'s son, Young Warrior, [[General Levy]], Top Cat, [[Tippa Irie]], [[Tenor Fly]], and Nãnci Correia.<ref name="quietus"/>