{{Short description|Jamaican musical artist (born 1967)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}} {{Use British English|date=January 2015}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | name = Papa San | image = 28935a.jpg | caption = Papa San in 1988 | image_size = | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Tyrone Thompson | alias = Papa San | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|7|1|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]], Jamaica | death_date = | origin = [[Spanish Town]], Jamaica | instrument = | genre = [[Reggae]], [[dancehall]], [[gospel reggae]] | occupation = | years_active = 1978–present | label = | associated_acts = | website = {{URL|http://www.myspace.com/papasanminister}} | current_members = | past_members = }}
'''Tyrone Thompson''', (born 1 July 1967)<ref name="GE">{{cite journal|title=Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia|journal=The Gospel Music Encyclopedia|first=Bill|last=Carpenter|year=2005|pages=322–23}}</ref><ref name="christianmusic.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.christianmusic.com:80/review28.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629045512/http://www.christianmusic.com/review28.htm|url-status=dead|title=Papa San Review - ChristianMusic.com|archive-date=29 June 2007|website=Christianmusic.com|access-date=8 October 2025}}</ref><ref name="yardflex.com">{{cite web |author= |url=http://www.yardflex.com/archives/cat_yard_gospel.html |title=Jamaican Entertainment community for Christian, dancehall, reggae |website=YardFlex.com |date= |access-date=2011-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427061913/http://www.yardflex.com/archives/cat_yard_gospel.html |archive-date=27 April 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> better known as '''Papa San''', is a Jamaican [[reggae]], [[dancehall]] and [[gospel music|gospel]] singer.
== Biography == Born in 1967 in [[Kingston, Jamaica]],<ref name="GE"/> he was raised by his [[Rastafari movement|Rastafarian]] grandmother and began performing with [[Sound system (Jamaican)|sound systems]] (including Stereophonic the Bionic, Black Scorpio and Creation) in the late 1970s.<ref name="Moskowitz">Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dabcehall'', Greenwood Press, {{ISBN|978-0-313-33158-9}}, pp. 230-1</ref> He won the Tastee Talent contest in 1981.<ref name="Moskowitz" /> He went on to become one of the major dancehall artists of the late 1980s and 1990s, with hits such as "Animal Party", "I Will Survive", "Style and Fashion", "Legal Rights" and "Round Table Talk" feat. Lady G & Maddy Maddy Cry.<ref name="Kenner">Kenner, Rob (2000) "[https://books.google.com/books?id=1ScEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22papa+san%22+dancehall&pg=PA163 Boom Shots]", ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'', August 2000, p. 163. Retrieved 2 November 2013</ref><ref name="Williams">Williams, Leighton (2002) "[http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20021208/ent/ent1.html Dancehall Elders Want Respect] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104063109/http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20021208/ent/ent1.html |date=4 November 2013 }}", ''[[Jamaica Gleaner]]'', 8 December 2002. Retrieved 2 November 2013</ref>
His brother and fellow deejay [[Dirtsman]] were murdered in 1993.<ref name="LarkinReggae">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Reggae]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1994|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-734-7|pages=195/6}}</ref> In the three years that followed, his sister was killed in a motorcycle accident, his cousin was killed by police, and he himself had legal problems after being arrested on weapons charges.<ref name="Kenner" /> He turned to [[Christianity]] in 1997.<ref name="Westbury Music Ltd - Articles">{{Cite web|url=http://194.154.164.100/~westbury@westburymusicltd.co.uk/4artisttrackdb/showarticle.php?id=86|title=Westbury Music Ltd - Articles|website=194.154.164.100|access-date=8 October 2025}}</ref> This is also reflected in his style, as he started off as a true dancehall [[Deejay (Jamaican)|deejay]], later adopting traits of gospel and Christian music.<ref name="christianmusic.com"/><ref name="yardflex.com"/><ref name="Obs1">"[http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Papa-San-drops-One-Blood-today_15369573 Papa San drops One Blood today]", ''[[Jamaica Observer]]'', 2 November 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2013</ref><ref name="Rommen">Rommen, Timothy (2007) ''“Mek Some Noise”: Gospel Music and the Ethics of Style in Trinidad'', University of California Press, {{ISBN|9780520250680}}, p. 96</ref>
Papa San sponsored a concert known as Papa San and Friends, to raise funds for orphanages in rural Jamaica. Since becoming a Christian, he has continued to produce his roots reggae sound, but with the message of Christ to the beat instead of his previously popular secular music.
He has six children and lives in [[Weston, Florida]], with five of them and his wife, Debbie Thompson. In 2011, Papa San and his wife, having been ordained ministers of the Gospel, were launched into pastoral ministry and started Our Fathers Kingdom International Ministries.
In 2013, Papa San featured on ''Church Clothes, Vol. 2'' by Christian hip hop artist [[Lecrae]], with [[Andy Mineo]], on the song "The Fever". Papa San's album ''One Blood'' topped the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' Reggae Albums Chart in February 2014.<ref>Jackson, Kevin (2014) "[http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/San-s--Blood--tops-gospel-chart-_15914901 Papa San's Blood tops gospel chart]", ''[[Jamaica Observer]]'', 2 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014</ref>
In 2021, he was awarded by [[Antigua Barbuda Global Music & Media Awards|ABGMA]] with the Soca and Urban/R&B/Pop Award.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 |url=https://www.soarisemusic.com/2020-668926.html |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Global Awards, Radio, Tv, Magazine, Promotion |language=en}}</ref>
==Discography== * 1986: ''Party Animal'' (Scar Face Music) * 1986: ''Papa San Meets Anthony Redrose'' (Weed Beat) * 1989: ''Style & Fashion'' (Pow Wow) * 1989: ''System'' (Pow Wow) * 1990: ''Reggae Dance Hall'' (Rohit) * 1991: ''Fire Inna Dancehall'' (King Dragon) * 1991: ''Strange'' (Pow Wow) * 1992: ''Pray for Them'' (Sonic Sounds) * 1992: ''Rough Cut'' (Pow Wow) * 1993: ''In Action'' (Pow Wow) * 1993: ''Pray Fi Dem'' (RAS) * 1995: ''No Place Like Home'' (VP) * 1996: ''Gi Mi Di Loving'' (Melodie) * 1999: ''Victory'' (Interscope) * 2003: ''God & I'' (Gospo Centric) * 2005: ''Real and Personal'' (Gospocentric) * 2008: ''Higher Heights'' (Beloved Records) * Unkn: ''Three the Hard Way'' (World Enterprise) * 2012: ''My Story'' (Beloved) * 2014: ''One Blood'' * 2016: ''Journey'' (Syntax Creative) * 2022: ''Life Lessons'' (The Orchard Enterprises)
===Charted singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+List of charted singles, showing year released, chart positions and album name ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:1em;"| Year ! scope="col" | Peak chart position ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| {{Ill|Jamaica Music Society|it|lt={{abbr|JAM<br>Air.|Jamaica Airplay}}}}<br><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jammsonline.com |title=JAMMS – BMAT Charts – Top 10 |accessdate=23 May 2026 |lang=en |publisher={{Ill|Jamaica Music Society|it}} |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260523000408/https://www.jammsonline.com/ |archive-date=23 May 2026 |url-status=deviated}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | "God & I" | 2003 | 1 | ''God & I'' |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p29965|pure_url=yes}} Papa San] at [[AllMusic]]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Papa San}} [[Category:Converts to Christianity]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1967 births]] [[Category:Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica]] [[Category:Jamaican male singers]] [[Category:Jamaican gospel singers]] [[Category:Jamaican reggae musicians]] [[Category:Jamaican dancehall musicians]] [[Category:People from Spanish Town]] [[Category:Musicians from Saint Catherine Parish]] [[Category:Former Rastafarians]] [[Category:VP Records artists]]