Ninja Man – Warning You Now: Don Gorgon at his best

Few deejays have left their mark on Jamaican dancehall quite like Ninja Man. He built his reputation on fierce lyrics, a confrontational attitude, and a vocal delivery that was impossible to mistake for anyone else’s. His dramatic pauses, stuttering style, and sharp verbal attacks made him one of dancehall’s most feared and entertaining performers. And when the self-proclaimed ‘Original Gun Tooth, Front Tooth, Gun Pon Tooth, Don Gorgon’ grabbed the microphone, you knew something serious was coming.

Born Desmond Ballentine in Annotto Bay, he moved to Kingston at eleven and started deejaying with Black Culture Sound System as Double Ugly. A spell with Killamanjaro followed in 1980, putting him alongside seasoned performers Super Cat and Early B. After recording as Uglyman, he eventually settled on the name that would make him famous. His self-produced 1987 combination with singer Courtney Melody, Protection, proved a turning point, opening the door to sessions with some of Jamaica’s leading producers.

King Jammy, Bobby Digital, Redman, Philip “Fatis” Burrell, and Steely & Clevie, all worked with the unpredictable deejay. Ninja Man reportedly preferred creating his lyrics right there in the studio, rather than arriving with carefully written verses. Listening to his recordings, you can hear why that approach suited him. His performances often sound like he’s challenging someone standing directly in front of him.

That brings us to the album Warning You Now, originally released in 1990 and now available digitally through VP Records. Produced by King Jammy, this 9-track set captures Don Gorgon doing what he does best: throwing verbal punches over heavyweight digital dancehall riddims.

Border Clash is the obvious highlight. Built on Jammy’s much-versioned Punnany riddim, it’s a prime example of Ninja Man’s ability to turn confrontation into dancehall entertainment. The tune hasn’t lost its bite and remains a proven crowd-pleaser. Come A The Church takes on Jammy’s digital version of the Vanity aka I’m Just A Guy riddim, giving Ninja Man another familiar foundation for his theatrical delivery. Then there’s Nice Up The Lawn, with the Far East riddim providing a contrasting, instantly recognisable backdrop.

Of course, Ninja Man’s relentless gun talk and confrontational style won’t appeal to everyone. But reducing his music to threats alone misses the point. His timing, vocal tricks, humour, and instinct for riding a riddim made him stand apart from the rest.

Warning You Now isn’t a collection of polished, easy-going reggae tunes. It’s raw digital dancehall from an era when deejays battled for supremacy and personality mattered as much as lyrical skill. King Jammy supplies the riddims, Ninja Man brings the fire, and together they deliver a solid reminder of why Don Gorgon became such a dominant figure in the dancehall.