Duke Reid: Kingston's Original Kingpin

Before Duke Reid was a king of Jamaican music, he was a decorated cop. Before Treasure Isle was one of the greatest labels in reggae history, it was a small liquor store on Bond Street in Kingston. And before the world ever heard of U-Roy or Phyllis Dillon, Duke was already shaping the streets with a sound system so heavy it moved people physically and spiritually. He didn’t just play records—he ruled dances with a crown on his head, a revolver on his hip, and a shotgun slung across his back.

Born Arthur Reid in 1915 in Portland, Jamaica, he spent a decade in the police force before stepping out to help his wife, Lucille, run the Treasure Isle Grocery and Liquor Store. But in 1953, he took a sharp turn into sound system culture—launching what became known as Reid’s Sound System. He called himself The Trojan, possibly after the British trucks used to haul his gear, and within a few years, his sound dominated Kingston. He crushed rivals like Tom the Great Sebastian and went head-to-head with Coxsone Dodd in legendary clashes. His radio show, Treasure Isle Time, made him a household name. His signature tune? Tab Smith’s jazz cut “My Mother’s Eyes”—that tells you where his head was at.

Reid didn’t come to the game casually. He built his empire like a general, setting up a studio above the liquor store once the business moved to 33 Bond Street. That space became Treasure Isle Studio, the home base for countless hits. He wasn’t the type to hang back and let others run sessions either—he was in the room, working the arrangements, pushing for longer tracks, tighter harmonies, and that deep swing he loved. While others stuck to the two-minute format, Duke’s records stretched past four and often layered in jazz and R&B flourishes that made his catalog unmistakable.

He produced timeless sides for Alton Ellis, The Techniques, Justin Hinds and the Dominoes, The Paragons, Phyllis Dillon, The Melodians, and dozens more. He was a perfectionist and carried that energy everywhere—even firing off shots in the studio when a take hit just right. And when he brought U-Roy into the fold in 1970 to toast over his old rocksteady riddims, he sparked a whole new movement—one that laid the foundation for dancehall, hip-hop, and sound system culture as we know it.

But Duke wasn’t trying to ride trends. As reggae shifted into Rasta roots and militant messages, he stayed focused on what he loved—romantic ballads, sweet harmonies, and tight arrangements. He refused to record Rasta lyrics in his studio. That move eventually slowed him down as the culture around him shifted, but he never compromised. In a sense, he wasn’t just a producer—he was an enforcer of a certain standard, a particular mood.

By the early ’70s, his health began to fade. Cancer took hold. He sold Treasure Isle to Sonia Pottinger, who carried on the legacy in her way. Duke Reid died in 1975—but not before shaping ska, defining rocksteady, and launching the art of toasting. His name still rings out every time a sound system roars to life.

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PLAYLIST

1. Duke Reid, Justin Hinds & The Dominoes – Botheration

2. The Melodians, Tommy McCook, The Supersonics – Everybody Bawling

3. Hopeton Lewis, the Tommy McCook Quintet – Boom-Sha-Ka-Lacka

4. Dave Barker, Tommy McCook, The Supersonics – Lock Jaw

5. The Techniques, Tommy McCook, The Supersonics – Travelling Man

6. The Techniques – I'm in the Mood for Love

7. Duke Reid, Justin Hinds & The Dominoes – Carry Go Bring Come

8. Duke Reid, The Melodians – Passion Love

9. John Holt, Leroy Sibbles – Let's Build Our Dreams

10. The Ethiopians, Tommy McCook, The Soul Syndicate – Pirate

11. Rosalyn Sweat, The Paragons – Blackbird Singing

12. Justin Hinds – Sinners

13. Justin Hinds & The Dominoes – Mighty Redeemer

14. Teacherman, Tommy McCook, The Supersonics – The Lesson

15. The Three Tops, Tommy McCook, The Supersonics – Do It Right

16. U-Roy, the Tommy McCook Quintet – Rule the Nation

17. The Paragons – The Tide Is High

18. Alton Ellis, Tommy McCook, The Supersonics – Breaking Up (Is Hard to Do)

19. Sir Lord Comic, Tommy McCook, The Supersonics – What a Situation (aka Black Man's Time)

20. Stranger Cole, Duke Reid's Band – Rough and Tough

21. Don Drummond, The Skatalites – Garden of Love

22. Ken Parker, Tommy McCook, The Supersonics – I Can't Hide

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