George Nooks

George Nooks, born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1960, is a reggae, lovers rock and gospel singer who also made his name as deejay Prince Mohammed during the 1970s. Raised by his grandmother in King Weston, rural St Andrew, he grew up with the church playing an important part in his early life.

His first experience of singing came through the church choir, followed by school concerts and talent competitions. Away from church, he listened to Jamaican and American artists including Ken Boothe, Bob Marley, U-Roy and Al Green. Dennis Brown became a particularly important influence, both musically and later as a friend and fellow recording artist.

Early Recordings

In 1974, Nooks recorded his first song, Judgement Day, for guitarist and producer Earl 'Chinna' Smith. He had met Smith while spending time in Duhaney Park, where rehearsals brought him into contact with Dennis Brown. Brown encouraged the young singer, who later recorded We Must Make It for him.

His connection with producer Joe Gibbs began after an appearance at the Tropics Club in New Kingston. Performing both singing and deejaying, he impressed Gibbs and was invited to record at his studio, where engineer Errol Thompson was also working.

Prince Mohammed and Tribal War

During his time with the Joe Gibbs recording camp, Nooks began releasing deejay recordings under the name Prince Mohammed, separating that side of his career from his singing as George Nooks.

One of his earliest successes was Forty Leg Dread, recorded over the riddim of Culture's Zion Gate. The song responded to a story circulating in Jamaica about insects allegedly being found in a man's dreadlocks, challenging the negative portrayal of Rastafarians at the time.

His deejay work also included recordings connected to Dennis Brown's How Could I Leave and Money in My Pocket, while his singing career was developing alongside them.

In 1978, he recorded Tribal War for Joe Gibbs and Errol Thompson. Originally recorded by Little Roy, the song addressed the political violence and divisions affecting Jamaica during the period. It became one of Nooks' defining recordings, bringing him success as a singer while Prince Mohammed was also gaining recognition.

He continued recording under both names, releasing projects such as African Roots and Inna Him Head before his singing album Today arrived in 1981.

Another international success followed through his contribution as Prince Mohammed to J.C. Lodge's Someone Loves You Honey, with his deejay recording One Time Daughter. The release reached audiences across Europe and the Caribbean.

Independent Recordings

After spending periods in Canada, the United States and the UK, Nooks returned to developing his recording career in Jamaica.

In 1990, he worked with producer Mr Doo on One of a Kind, beginning another productive period. Having experienced difficulties with royalties and record producers, he also established his own Total Records label, giving him greater involvement in producing and releasing his music.

During the 1990s, recordings including I Don't Care, Real Man and Love in Time continued his work in reggae and lovers rock. His self-titled album followed in 1997, alongside further projects with established Jamaican producers and musicians.

Gospel and Dennis Brown

Although Nooks had continued singing secular material, the influence of his grandmother and his upbringing in church remained important.

Before her death in 2001, his grandmother Estella Marshall encouraged him to record gospel music. He made that commitment, and God Is Standing By, his interpretation of Al Green's I'll Be Standing By, became a major Jamaican hit around the beginning of the 2000s.

Further spiritual recordings included Bridge Over Troubled Water, How Great Thou Art and God Is Always There for Me. Albums such as Standing By, Don't Give Up and Giving Thanks reflected his growing emphasis on gospel music.

His connection with Dennis Brown also remained an important part of his recording history. In 2005, he released George Nooks Sings Dennis Brown, revisiting songs associated with the singer who had encouraged him during his early years in the industry.

Later Recordings

In 2016, Ride Out Your Storm reached number four on Billboard's Reggae Albums chart and number 22 on its Gospel Albums chart. The album continued his work with spiritual recordings and interpretations of established gospel songs.

He returned to lovers rock with For You in 2018, before releasing another gospel collection, Through It All, in October 2021.

His 2024 album, Message In De Music, released through Tad's Record, contained 15 tracks and brought together lovers rock, roots reggae and dancehall influences. Among its recordings were Serious Times and Leave Her Alone, featuring veteran deejay Josey Wales.

Nooks' music has also featured regularly in reggae radio programming, including recordings such as Zion Gate and That Sweet Love in Pauzeradio's Classic Reggae 1999 to 2002 edition of the Unique Reggae Mix Show.

Recent Music

In February 2026, Nooks performed at a tribute to Dennis Brown at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston. During the performance, he revisited Forty Leg Dread from his Prince Mohammed catalogue before moving into God Is Standing By, bringing together two distinct periods of his career.

Later that year, he released Mama, a deeply personal song dedicated to his mother, who died in 2025. The recording reflected on the loss of a parent and the memories left behind. In August, he followed with Jamaican Woman, released through Reel Intelligence Music.

More than five decades after his first recording, George Nooks continues working across reggae, lovers rock and gospel. From his early sessions with Chinna Smith and Dennis Brown to his recent releases, his career has remained connected to the different musical traditions that shaped him growing up in Jamaica.