Congo Natty
Name & Pronunciation: Mikail Tafari (aka Michael West; formerly Rebel MC) - pronounced “KON-go NAH-tee”
Years Active & Status: Late 1980s to Present (active)
Origin & Heritage: London, England; rooted in UK Black British culture with deep influence from Jamaican reggae, Rastafari, sound system culture
Hook: A pivotal bridge between reggae/dub and jungle/drum & bass, Congo Natty channels spiritual, roots-inflected energy into bass music and has long pushed the idea that jungle is a continuation of reggae’s resistance tradition.
Motto/Tagline: “Jungle is a re-boot of roots reggae for a new century”
BIOGRAPHY
Born in Tottenham and raised amid London’s sound system culture, Mikail Tafari (also known by his birth name Michael West) grew up steeped in reggae, dub, and Rastafarian philosophy. He credits his earliest musical education to sound system crews in London, playing records and observing how the culture of bass, toasting, and audience connection operated. He recounts having his first paid DJ slot when still young, feeling “puffed up with the praise.”
In the late 1980s, he first came to prominence under the moniker Rebel MC, working with the group Double Trouble and scoring hits with tracks like “Street Tuff.” Over time, he shifted his creative focus from hip hop toward a hybrid of reggae, ragga, and breakbeat-driven music. He adopted aliases like Conquering Lion, Blackstar, and eventually Congo Natty to reflect deeper spiritual and roots alignments.
Throughout the 1990s, Congo Natty became an early architect of jungle, blending breakbeats, reggae basslines, rapid percussion and conscious lyrics. He launched his own labels (such as Tribal Bass and X Project), releasing tracks that pushed the frontier between reggae and emerging bass music. His approach remained steeped in Rastafari, resistance, and African diaspora consciousness.
In the 2000s and 2010s he revitalized his output under the Congo Natty name, releasing the landmark album Jungle Revolution in 2013, a record that reasserted jungle’s militant heart and spiritual core. He continues to tour, produce, mentor new artists, and speak about the lineage between reggae, dub, and modern bass music movements.
REGGAEEDM ANALYSIS
Reggae Roots
Rhythm: His tracks often retain the skank feel of reggae, sidestepping a rigid four-to-the-bar structure in favor of syncopated interplay between bass, offbeat emphasis, and breakbeats. He weaves breakbeat rolls around reggae pulse to preserve a sense of groove and swing.
Bass: Congo Natty employs deep, warm sub-bass lines that evoke classic dub, often letting the bass carry the emotional weight while drum breaks and percussion dance above. The basslines are melodic, heavy, and spiritual, not just rhythmic filler.
Vocals/Message: He uses toasting, vocal chants, call-and-response and conscious lyricism. His voice often carries spiritual, political, and social messages rooted in Rastafari and Afrocentrism, speaking of liberation, unity, roots, struggle, and redemption.
Electronic/EDM Techniques
Breakbeat manipulation: He slices and arranges classic amen, funk, ragga breaks in inventive patterns, layering them to oscillate between chaos and groove.
Dub processing & delay effects: He applies echo, reverb, tape delays, modulation, and signal routing to vocals, percussion, and bass, creating space and dimension in his mixscape.
Hybrid layering & genre fusion: He fuses jungle’s speed and percussion with reggae/dub textures, vocal samples, roots instrumentation (horns, melodica, guitars), and layered synth textures to assemble hybrid soundscapes that transcend pure EDM or pure reggae.
Essential Works & What to Listen For
“Street Tuff / Just Keep Rockin” (as Rebel MC) (late 1980s) – early chart success that bridges pop, reggae and breakbeat energy.
“Jungle Revolution” (album, 2013) – a manifesto of reggae-infused jungle, blending spiritual roots with high-energy bass and breaks.
“UK Allstars” (various years) – showcases his collaborative reach, uniting voices across the scene under junglist banners.
“Jah Warriors” – a track with militant spirit, combining roots vocals with relentless drum programming.
“Ancestorz” (LP) – an ambitious later project he describes as his life’s work, connecting many voices in the diaspora.
Influence on ReggaeEDM
Innovations: He pioneered the conscious jungle substream—keeping dubwise philosophy alive in dancefloor music. He showed that jungle could be more than club noise—that it could carry spiritual and cultural depth. His fusion of reggae, dub, devotional voice, and fast percussion opened pathways for later bass music fusions.
Impact: Many modern producers in reggae-bass, dubstep, and jungle cite him as a spiritual and technical reference. He helped re-anchor bass music to its roots, inspiring artists to explore heritage, message, and depth rather than pure sonic experimentation.
RECOMMENDED ALBUMS
Jungle Revolution (2013)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/63abHodiTGhX6vKF8oF79X
Key tracks: "UK Allstars," "Jah Warriors," "Revolution"
Notes: The centerpiece album of his Congo Natty identity, setting jungle as a conscious global movement.Jungle Revolution in Dub (2015)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/63abHodiTGhX6vKF8oF79X?si=EP3YkyVySjGVhyftbCmzBQ
Key tracks: "UK Allstars Dub," "Revolution Dub," "Get Ready Dub"
Notes: Dub reinterpretations that bring out the roots textures and echo-heavy soundscapes.This Is Jungle (2014)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7pLhXTs8TacjaFIdh9XJct
Key tracks: "Jungle Is I and I," "London Dungeons," "Forward Ever"
Notes: A project that embodies Congo Natty’s vision of jungle culture.Ancestorz (Rootz of Jungle) (2022)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4TwaNJ0hsa6P6Gbx8tgp2A
Notes: A celebration of jungle’s heritage and ongoing spiritual power.Congo Natty Presents: Nu Jungle, Vol. 1 (2022)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5b3pjdKRvzM9ti6ZbU1Wx1
Key tracks: "Future Jungle," "New Day," "Roots & Culture"
Notes: A showcase of new talent under his guidance, proving jungle’s message continues through the next generation.
