Ranking Trevor

Maxwell Grant (20 January 1960 – 7 August 2012), better known as Ranking Trevor and sometimes as Ranking Superstar, was a Jamaican reggae deejay.

Biography Grant began deejaying as a teenager in the 1970s, and began his recording career at the age of fifteen. Regarded as a follower of U-Roy, Grant recorded at Channel One as Ranking Trevor in the mid-1970s, his first release being "Natty a Roots Man", and deejayed on the Socialist Roots sound system who were strongly aligned with the Jamaican People's National Party, instrumental in organising local communities and attempting to promote peace at a time when Jamaica was racked by political violence. He had success in 1977 with singles such as "Cave Man Skank" and "Three Piece Chicken and Chips" (a response to Trinity's "Three Piece Suit"), which were popular among British reggae fans, and these were followed by further hits on the British reggae charts in 1978 with "Pure & Clean" and "Rub a Dub Style" ( a toasting version of Cornell Campbell's "Queen of the Minstrel"), and he signed a record deal with Virgin Records' reggae label, Front Line, who released his debut album, In Fine Style. On the album, backed by The Revolutionaries, Ranking Trevor reworked Dennis Walks' "Drifter", Augustus Pablo and Jacob Miller's "Baby I Love You So", the Joe Frazier rhythm and The Abyssinians' Satta Massagana.

He died on 7 August 2012 from injuries sustained from a collision while riding his motorcycle in Kingston.

Discography Albums In Fine Style (1978), Front Line Three Piece Chicken and Chips (1978), Cha Cha Repatriation Time (1980), Lord Koos - credited as Ranking Superstar Presenting Ranking Trevor (1981), Black Roots

Compilations Roots of all Roots (198?), Micron - Ranking Trevor and Friends