ON THE DAY OF JANUARY 17, 1966, SHABBA RANKS WAS BORN IN STURGE TOWN ST. ANN THE SAME BIRTH PLACE OF BOB MARLEY AND MARCUS GARVEY). HE IS NOT THE MAN YOU THINK HE IS. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEEN SHABBA THE ROUGH,RAGGAMUFFIN, X-RATED, MR. LOVER MAN PERFORMER AND REXTON RAWLSTON FERNANDO GORDON (AKA SHABBA RANKS) THE PERSON, IS ENOURMOUS. AS AN INDIVIDUAL, SHABBA RANKS IS RELAXED; HE EXUDES CHARM, WIT GENUINE CONCER AND EVEN A LITTLE SHYNESS. SHABBA WAS ONCE KNOWN AS "CO-PILOT" ONE OF THE MOST CREATIVE DJS IN WESTERN KINGSTON AT THE TIME. IT WAS IN 1976 THAT YOUNG SHABBA RANKS WALKED INTO THE RECORDING STUDIO. HE RECORDED, "WHAT A HEAT", WHICH IN FACT LAUNCHED HIS CARRER AS A DJ. HE ALSO RECORDED THE ORIGINAL, "FRESH", FOR JAMMYS IN 1987, WHICH BECAME VERY POPULAR WITH RED DRAGON'S VERSION. SHABBA'S OTHER RECORDINGS INCLUDED, "COME FROM JAMAICA", (JAMMYS) AND, "LIVE BLANKET", RECORDED ON THE DIGITAL B LABEL IN 1987. SHABBA HAS SET THE TREND FOR MANY YOUNG ARTISTS OVER THE YEARS, AND IS STILL VERY INFLUENCIAL OVER MANY ARTISTS TODAY. SHABBA RANKS WILL ALWAYS MAKE HIS PRESENCE KNOWN AS HE CAN STILL BRING THE FIRE ON STAGE SHOWS.