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April 02, 2008
T.O.K. keeps strong bond
There have been many attempts at a sustained Reggae/Dancehall unit (group) throughout the years, but T.O.K. is today the only one in Jamaica that is still together without ever having been reunited.
Founded in the early 1990s, hailing from Kingston, Jamaica the group comprises four members: Alistaire "Alex" McCalla, Roshaun "Bay C" Clarke, and Craig "Craigy T" Thompson, who were choir members at Campion College, and a younger friend, Xavier "Flexx" Davidson, who attended Calabar High School.
Originally they were called "Touch of Klass", but T.O.K. became the acronym for several titles, including "Taking Over Kingston" and "TOO Klaat." The group was inspired by the success of Boyz II Men.
They toured the local high school circuit in Kingston and worked their way up to appearances at the famed North Coast hotel and lounge circuit. They would differentiate themselves from the other groups by performing covers of Bob Marley songs or "Hot Stepper", by Ini Kamoze, which was a popular song at that time.
In 1996, they were signed to Sly & Robbie's Taxi label, but were not getting much attention. Their breakthrough came later on in 1996 with the single "Hardcore Lover," recorded with Lady Saw. They scored again with hits like "Whoa" and "Ill Na Na."
Still, the number one position eluded them until 1998 when "Eagles Cry" reached the top slot in Jamaica. Their biggest song to date is the controversial "ChiChi Man" in 2000, which dominated the Dancehall for an extended period.
The group broke into the U.S. market with a 2001 debut album, "My Crew, My Dawgs," which peaked at number six on Billboard's Top Reggae Albums chart.
In 2005 T.O.K. had another hit with the song "Footprints," that is about one of the group member's younger brother getting killed by a stray bullet. In 2006 they were featured with Admiral T, a famous Caribbean singer of reggae-dancehall, on his album "Toucher L'Horizon."
Though currently on a hiatus, the group maintains an undeniable presence on the local and international front as Reggae ambassadors.