Reggae-dancehall artiste Terry Ganzie, the Original Outlaw Leader is back

Back Pon Di Throne

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 22, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- One of the marquee dancehall artistes of the 1990s, Terry Ganzie is once again immersed in music, returning to his roots after a self-imposed hiatus from a music business to concentrate on raising his family, and to exorcise his personal grouses with the complicated politics of the music business.

"There were people tryung to keep me out, so I just sit and wait on my time to go road again. I have been consistently recording music but there was no hardcore promoting. But I am ready to step out on them again," an animated Terry Ganzie said.

He is promoting his latest single, We Rise, a song which blendis reggae, dancehall, and Afrobeats elements to deliver a message of hope, resilience, and perseverance that he hopes will resonate with audiences worldwide.
Produced by Temps Music LLC, the song has already to rave reviews online.

"We Rise is more than just a song — it is an anthem for Black people in Africa and across the world, calling for unity, empowerment, and the strength to overcome struggles," Terry Ganzie said.

"This song was recorded from October last year, long before the rise of Ibrahim Traoré and Burkina Faso in Africa and the new movement of independence that is rejecting foreign interference all across Africa," he said.

Traore has served as the interim president of Burkina Faso since 2022. There has been a number of political movements across the African content which aim to build better nations evident in the broader revolutionary trend across West Africa, particularly in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, characterized by rejecting neocolonialism and foreign interference.

Terry Ganzie is known for songs that project a fiery Rastafarian message. However, his earlier songs, such as Welcome The Outlaw, Ragga Ragga and Whosoever Will, were dance-crashers in the 1990s.

"We always ah sing about Africa, with songs like Ragga Ragga this is just a natural extension of my beliefs, we ah African kings by birth so we sing about the motherland and where we forward from," he said.


He insists that his current songs are just as potent, despite the lack of consistent airplay.

"I have recorded so many hit songs, and none of dem never hit the Jamaican charts. What that tell you? People know of the great works, but people like to talk and spread propoganda. But if something is not important, people wouldn't talk about it so mek dem talk," he said, emphatically.

He said he never named himself 'The Outlaw', that nom de guerre was bestowed him by his dancehall fans.

"Certain artiste don't get no title, Capleton was called 'The Prophet' based on his song, Louie Culture got the name 'Gangalee', and so it is the same with me, I got mine based on the Outlaw song," the man who hails from the Askenish district in Hanover, said.

THE OUTLAW

The Outlaw image earned him a rude bwoy reputation which was further enhanced when he recorded 'Bounty Hunting', a "diss" track aimed at fellow dancehall artiste Bounty Killer which caused a rumoured onstage confrontation at Third World sound dancehall clash in 1997 in Miami, Florida.

"Bounty is a form of sheriff that get reward to hurt outlaw, that was basically what that was all about," he said, laughing.

The two have since buried the hatchet and have mutual respect for each other.

"Killer give me respect as a country yute, rooted and grounded, me rate Buju Banton, me and him used to par and take bus and taxi together so mi have love for the greats in the music. Me and Bounty Killer ah come too far, me and him never go at it like him and Beenie. Music is not a competition, is just a one song mi do, mi no carry no hatred for no man, the motive for all that was a power struggle. I was the first man to stand up mentally against Bounty Killer but mi and him no have nothing. Killer even big me up inna interview and me do the same," Terry Ganzie said.

In 1997, Bounty Killer was in the ascendancy as an emerging force in dancehall, and Terry Ganzie walked onstage to perform alongside Bounty Killer at the Third World sound event. Rumours swirled afterwards of a physical altercation.

"Bounty never boxed me, where is the video? How dem hide the video, that event happen inna Miami in front of 40,000 people, where is the video?" Terry Ganzie said.

He has outstanding albums like such as his first album, Team Up, produced by Bobby Digital, Outlaw Nuff Reward, produced by John John, in 1993, Heavy Like Lead which was released by Profile Records, an affiliate of Atlantic Records.

Born Vandorne Johnson in Hanover, Jamaica, Terry Ganzie emerged in the late 1980s and 1990s as one of the most respected voices in reggae and dancehall.

Influenced early on by greats such as Barry Brown and Super Cat, Ganzie became known for his socially conscious lyrics and uncompromising “reality” style.
He worked the small circuit in his native parish before recording his first song, More Vibes, 30 years ago for producer Ed Robinson’s Top Rank label.

His breakthrough song was Welcome The Outlaw, a hard-hitting, grimy gem of a song produced by Lloyd “John John” James. A flood of hits such as Ragga Ragga (Bobby Digital), Whosoever Will, Showdown (Penthouse Records) and Prepare fi War (Shocking Vibes) established him as a dancehall music icon in that golden era of dancehall, one who was admired for addressing real-life struggles through music.

Now partnering with Temps Music LLC and Afroworld Music Live, Terry Ganzie continues to inspire both longtime fans and new listeners.

Other songs to look out for include Motherless Child, Call Me featuring Seven Freedom and a girls song dubbed 'Free Me Up'.

"Jamaica accept me but is like a power struggle a king is without honour in his own country, but I get a different kind of respect from Trinidad, that love and respect is more joyous and overwhelming, mi still hold my own in Jamaica," Terry Ganzie said.

Sunny Famubode
Temps Music
Temptsmusiq@gmail.com
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We Rise! Terry Ganzie

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