DJ Collage

Lawrence Chatman,[1] better known as DJ Collage or Mista Chatman,[2] is a reggae vocalist and electronic music producer. Raised in Chicago, he moved to the Bay Area in the early 1990s, and now calls Seattle home. His style of music is referred to as reggae fusion.

DJ Collage
Birth nameLawrence Chatman
Also known asMista Chatman
GenresReggae fusion, Dancehall, Bhangra
Occupation(s)Vocalist
Years active1991–present

Biography

Trained in the old school tradition of "ram dance" DJ chatting made popular by artists such as Yellowman, Nicodemus, and Super Cat, Collage began his musical career performing weekly guest spots with live Jamaican reggae bands at the famed Wild Hare nightclub on Chicago's north side. After relocating to California he had the opportunity to perform and tour with established reggae artists such as U-Roy, Ras Michael, Barrington Levy, Messenjah, Raskidus, The Heptones, and Nicodemus. His vocals appeared two top ten hits in the year 1994, one with the reggae soundsystem/band The Positive Sound Massive titled "Unity" and another with local ambient/breakbeat group Dubtribe titled "Mother Earth".

In the year 2000, Collage self-released the CD Uptown/Downtown. This five track EP featured Collage spitting dancehall lyrics over hip-hop and raggamuffin beats. The EP received radio airplay in the US and Europe and the track "New Type Sound" was licensed by BSI Records and appeared on the Docking Sequence compilation.

In 2002 Collage was a guest vocalist of Vienna's downtempo crew Sofa Surfers. His vocals appear on three tracks on their Encounters CD, and he was invited to go on a month-long European tour with the band to support the release. (It was released in the US in 2004 as See the Light via ESL records.) Collage went on to work with other Viennese groups such as Stereotyp, I-Wolf, Megablast, Kung Fu Divas & Blockwerk. During this time Collage was also a frequent guest of the Viennese ragga/jungle night- "Wicked" run by the Wickedsquad. This led to him being a featured vocalist in their first vinyl release "Domo-Kun-Bogle" which is accompanied by a video which portrays Collage in animated form.

In 2003 Collage relocated to Seattle. But before he left the bay area, he linked up with Meat Beat Manifesto to record vocals for their ...In Dub CD & DVD release.

In Seattle Collage has worked and recorded with locals like IQU & Truckasauras.

Due to confusions with his performance name because of the "DJ" prefix, Collage officially changed his recording artist name to Mista Chatman in May 2010. His guest appearance on Delhi 2 Dublin's third album, Planet Electric, marked the debut of the name change.

Selected discography

As vocalist:

  • Dubtribe Sound System, Mother Earth (12"), Mother Earth (Sunshine..., Organico, 1993
  • Archive Volume One 1991-1993 (2xCD), Mother Earth (Ragga Ea..., Imperial Dub Recordings, 1999
  • Sofa Surfers, Formula (12"), Babylon Thymes, Klein Records, 2002
  • Encounters (CD), Babylon Tymes, Twisted..., Klein Records, 2002
  • My Sound (CD), All Di Gal Com, G-Stone Recordings, 2002
  • Wicked Vinyl 01 (12"), Domo-Kun-Bogle, Not On Label, 2002
  • Babylon Is Ours - The USA In Dub (12"), Where You Gonna Run, Select Cuts, 2003
  • Feel Alive (12"), Hard Tobacco, Stereo Deluxe, 2003
  • Showgirlz (12"), El Ninjo (Luv Lite Mas..., Stereo Deluxe, 2003
  • Soul Strata (CD), Inna Meditation, Klein Records, 2003
  • Meat Beat Manifesto, ...In Dub (CD), Echo In Space Dub, Fro..., Run Recordings, 2004
  • Can I Get A Witness (12"), Babylon Times, Passin'..., Eighteenth Street Lounge Music, 2004
  • Covert Movements (CD), Once Inna Life, Counte..., Supa Crucial Recordings, 2004
  • IQU, Dirty Boy (12"), Dirty Boy (DJ Collage'..., Sonic Boom Recordings, 2004
  • Meat Beat Manifesto, Echo In Space Dub / Retrograde Pt. 2, Dub We R 1 (12"), Tino Corp., 2004
  • Meet The Babylonians (CD), Inter/Outernational, Klein Records, 2004
  • I-Wolf, Munchies (12"), Munchies (I-Wolf Remix), Cosmic Sounds, 2004
  • Phase Three (CD), Nu Styling, Klein Records, 2004
  • Phase Two (12"), Nu Styling, Born, Klein Records, 2004
  • See The Light (CD), Babylon Tymes, Twisted..., Eighteenth Street Lounge Music, 2004
  • Shockout (CD), Rude Boy Talk, Shockout, 2004
  • Ghislain Porier, Breakupdown (CD), Mic Diplomat, Chocolate Industries, 2005
  • Chocolate Swim (MP3), Mic Diplomat, [adult swim], Chocolate Industries, 2006
  • Fiplay ft Dj Collage & Aladin, Wickedsquad Dubplates Cd 1, Basstart Records,

Tracks Appear On:

  • It's a Berlin Thing Vol. 3 (2xCD), Tyme Bomb, Dangerous Drums, 2004
  • DJ Collage Presents the Parlor (CD), Masse-One, 2006

References
  1. Lasar, Matthew (2000) Pacifica Radio: The Rise of an Alternative Network, Temple University Press, ISBN 978-1-56639-777-3, p. xvii
  2. Simonini, Ross (2008) "Collie Buddz fires up the sellout dancehall crowd", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 14, 2008, retrieved 2011-03-05
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