About Chaka Demus
Born 1963. Chaka Demus is a Jamaican disc jockey and singer.
John Nigel Taylor (born 16 April 1963), better known as Chaka Demus, is a Jamaican reggae musician and deejay, best known as part of the duo Chaka Demus & Pliers.
Biography Early years Born in West Kingston, Taylor was a regular attendee at Kingston dances and was given a chance by Prince Jammy to DJ on his sound system. Upon releasing his debut single, the Jammy-produced "Increase Your Knowledge" in 1985, he was virtually unknown. None of his early records saw chart success, though they later met with increased success. Other musicians quickly recognised him as having great potential, most notably Yellowman who joined him for such songs as "Everybody Loves The Chaka", "Scotty", and "Bring It To Me" and Admiral Bailey, who collaborated with him on "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer", giving him his first hit. Chaka Demus net worth amounts up to 75 million dollars.
In 2007, Chaka Demus & Pliers reunited to record a track called "Need Your Lovin" which was released on vinyl, on Explorer Records. On 18 November 2007, Chaka Demus & Pliers performed "Murder She Wrote" alongside Alicia Keys at the 2007 American Music Awards. Their subsequent album, So Proud, was released in Europe and the Middle East in October 2008. A solo album called DJ Spirit was released in 2008.
Chaka Demus now runs his own record label, Bright Star, on which he has released records by his son, known by his stage name of Marvellous.
In August 2013, he released the album Second Coming on the Fire and Ice label that he co-owns with Winston Solomon.
Solo discography The Original Chaka (1986), Witty Everybody Loves the Chaka (1988), Black Scorpio Reggae Dance Hall Sensation (1989), Rohit International No. 1 (1991), Penthouse Gal Wine (1992), VP Bad Bad Chaka (1994), Mélodie Distribution Second Coming (2013), Fire and Ice
Other collaborations and split releases Rough & Rugged (1988), Jammy's/Super Power - split with Shabba Ranks
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Important facts
People in Chaka Demus's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Chaka Demus's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Chaka Demus?
Jamaican musician
When was Chaka Demus born?
Chaka Demus was born on 16 April 1963 in Kingston.
What is Chaka Demus's occupation?
Chaka Demus is a disc jockey and singer.
What nationality is Chaka Demus?
Chaka Demus is Jamaican.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Chaka Demus. https://biography.guide/chaka-demus/
MLA: "Chaka Demus." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/chaka-demus/.
Chicago: "Chaka Demus." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/chaka-demus/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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