Michael Smith (musician)

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For other people by this name, see Michael Smith.

Michael Smith (1954–Aug 17, 1983), usually referred to as Mikey Smith, was a Jamaican dub poet. Along with Linton Kwesi Johnson, and Mutabaruka, he is one of the most well-known dub poets. In 1978, Michael Smith represented Jamaica at the 11th World Festival of Youth and Students in Cuba. His album Mi Cyaan Believe It is available on Island Records and it includes his best known poem of the same name. Smith recorded a session for John Peel which was broadcast by the BBC on 4th May 1982. ^[1]

Linton Kwesi Johnson, during a presentation on Smith’s life and work at the second Caribbean Conference on Culture at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus, had the following to say about him:“The late Jamaican poet, Michael Smith, was to my mind one of the most interesting and original poetic voices to emerge from the English-speaking Caribbean during the last quarter of the 20th century". ^[2]

His murder early in his career was believed to have been politically motivated. He was 27 years old (sic: his dates would suggest thay he was 29, check that!) and was murdered the day after attending a political rally. While at the rally, Smith confronted the speaker (the Minister of Education, from the ruling JLP party) and began criticizing the speaker's ideas. The next day, Aug. 17, 1983 on his way home, as he walked by the locale where the political rally had taken place, Smith was confronted by 4 men who began stoning him. Smith tried to flee and made it to a nearby road where he was caught by the 4 men who continued to stone him. Smith died that day of head injuries inflicted by the stoning.