By: ShaCamree Gowdy 

Jamaican record producer and singer Lee “Scratch” Perry died Sunday at the age of 85. 

Perry died at the Noel Holmes Hospital in western Jamaica, per Jamaica Observer’s Brian Bonitto. His cause of death has yet to be released to the public. 

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Perry, who is widely credited with revolutionizing reggae and dub and contributing widely to dance, rock and hip-hop, said in a 1984 interview with NME that he didn’t learn anything in school. He credits nature for “everything I have learned” and his time spent playing dominoes for stimulating his own mind and learning to read the mind of others. 

“You could never put your finger on Lee Perry–he’s the Salvador Dali of music,” musician Keith Richards previously told Rolling Stone. “He’s a mystery. The world is his instrument. You just have to listen. More than a producer, he knows how to inspire the artist’s soul. Like Phil Spector, he has a gift of not only hearing sounds that come from nowhere else, but also translating those sounds to the musicians. Scratch is a shaman.” 

Perry formed his Upsetters record label in 1968, with its house band being dubbed “The Upsetters.” Together, they produced records for the Congos and Bob Marley & The Wailers, and influenced the acts of Clash and the Beastie Boys. 

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Tributes for Perry and his contributions to reggae have been pouring in across social media, including condolences from Beastie Boys and Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holmes. 

My deep condolences to the family, friends, and fans of legendary record producer and singer, Rainford Hugh Perry OD, affectionately known as "Lee Scratch" Perry. pic.twitter.com/Eec2MEd6yC

— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) August 29, 2021

“Undoubtedly, Lee Scratch Perry will always be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music fraternity. May his soul Rest In Peace,” Holness concluded in a series of tweets.