Eek-A-Mouse

By: Tobin Bennison

Article Category: Local Amp

It isn’t only Eek-A-Mouse’s imposing, 6′6″ frame that makes him one of Jamaica’s most individual talents. Since he began recording in 1980, Eek has created a style all his own and has gone on to become something of an international phenomenon quite distinct from the rest of the reggae world.

Born Ripton Joseph Hylton in Kingston, Jamaica, Eek got his unusual name from a racehorse that frequently lost him money. When the horse finally won a race, he had, of course, refused to back it. “My Father’s Land” and “Creation,” his first two releases, came out under his real name in the mid-’70s. Not only were they made while he was still in college, they were produced by his math teacher, Mr. Dehaney. In 1980, he started recording with Joe Gibbs after working briefly with the Papa Roots, Black Ark, Gemini, Jah Life, Black Scorpio and Virgo sound systems. “Wah Do Dem” was the 1980 single that made his name in Jamaica, even though it was considered too controversial for radio airplay.

In 1981, The Mouse (as he refers to himself) achieved significant hits with “Once A Virgin,” “Modelling Queen” and “Virgin Girl,” and soon all Jamaica was raving about the rodent. That same year, he was the toast of Reggae Sunsplash, his bubbling lunacy providing a cathartic release to a festival otherwise in mourning for Bob Marley. “Biddy biddy beng” roiled out across the crowd, and the audience shouted it back as one, instantly cementing the syllables as the catchprase of the new decade. A string of smash singles throughout the ’80s saw him signed to the august Island label. He even grabbed a role in the film “New Jack City,” playing Fat Smitty. “I do seven or eight minutes in the movie, but they cut me down to one minute and I was pissed. I lost my Oscar!” Mouse laments. He later passed on a part in Steven Seagal’s “Marked For Death,” after reading the script. “It had some bad vibe about Jamaicans. It have Rastaman doing all kinda voodoo and drugs.”

Mouse continues to tour tirelessly today, performing an amazing 200 to 250 shows a year. This December 14 sees him perform at Cocoa Beach’s Chili Pepper Club.
Eek-A-Mouse performs with MC Longenecker, The Crazy Carls, and Dub 321 at the Chili Pepper Club (142 N. Atlantic Ave.; Cocoa Beach). Tickets are $13.50 in advance; $17 day of show. For ticket information, call 783-8885 after 4 p.m. Visit Eek-A-Mouse online at: www.eeksperience.com