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Notch
Biography
One-half of ragga/hip-hop duo Born Jamericans, Notch (born Norman Howell in Hartford, CT) played a key part ushering in dancehall to American urban radio in the '90s with singles like "Boom Shak-a-Tak" and "Send My Love." Known then as Mr. Notch, he served as the sultry, smooth-singing counterpart to Edley Shine's rugged, toasting rhymes. After the group disbanded in 1998, Notch began tapping into his Latin roots and re-emerged in the 2000s as a hot reggaeton newcomer. Singing in English, Spanish, and Jamaican patois (sometimes all at once, which he coined "Spatoinglish"), he adds meringue, cumbia, and bachata in addition to urban-pop and hip-hop to his interchanging medley of reggaeton and dancehall. This cross-pollinating musical palate is informed by his racial background, a combination of black American, Puerto Rican, Jamaican, and Cuban heritage. He largely ignored his Latin roots when teamed up with Edley Shine, partly because of his Jamaican/Afro-Cuban father, who was a reggae bassist. A great influence on Notch, his father introduced him to those infectious dance riddims that eventually drew him toward Shine.

Born Jamericans ascended the reggae and dance charts mainly due to their incorporation of more Americanized productions of hip-hop and pop-R&B.
Selected Discography
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