Born and raised in the notorious Trenchtown and Arnett Gardens area of Kingston, Jamaica, Christopher Campbell, now known as Norris Man had Bob Marley as a hometown hero to inspire his immersion into the musical arena. As a young boy Norris Man (named because of his enthusiasm for karate king Chuck Norris) would sit under a tree to write his own songs of redemption. Feeling music within him, Norris could not ignore his gift of singing and performing. In the Kingston dancehalls of his youth, older sound boys would hoist ten year-old Norris on top a Guiness box and hand him the mic to stir up the dance. Such experiences lit the musical fire for this ghetto youth. From there his musical journey began.
As he matured, Norris Man gained the respect of sound-systems throughout the city with his unique toasting and singing style. By age 22, he began recording songs in some of Kingstons most reputable recording studios such as Black Scorpio, Leggo, and Celestial Sounds Studio. By the mid-nineties, Norris found himself fully committed to his faith as a Rastafarian, wherein he experienced a shift in his consciousness to a higher spiritual and musical level. He created lyrical content that became more potent, more socially uplifting, and more meaningful. With this devotion, he recorded “Love and Affection” at Buju Bantons Cellblock studio. From there, Norris Man went on to Celestial Sounds Studio to record “Congo Shanty” and “Ever-living Soul” at which time he met some of his most prolific producers to date: Iley Dread of Kings of Kings, Richard “Bello” Bell of Star Trail Records and Colin McGregor of Jah Scout Records. During this period, Norris Man, with the assistance of Cordel “Skatta” Burrells golden touch on the mixing board, recorded his groundbreaking songs: “Persistence”, “Hold Onto Your Faith”, and “Bad Road” all on the “Persistence” album. At Sting 98 (Jamaicas biggest dancehall show) Norris Man performed “Persistence”, his biggest hit in the dancehall market so far. Likewise, the songs “Hold Onto Your Faith” and “Bad Road” are revered as reggae anthems. |
