Shabba Ranks (born Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon on 17 January 1966, in Sturgetown, St Ann's, Jamaica) is known as one of the most popular dancehall artists ever. Ranks gained his fame mainly by practicing dee jaying rather than singing tunes similarly to his contemporaries. Starting out on the King Jammys Superpower sound system in Jamaica, Shabba quickly emerged on the Jamaican and international stages in the late 1980's with a number of fellow artists.