Ripton Joseph Hylton, better known as Eek-A-Mouse, is one of the earliest Reggae artists to be described as singjay. He began his music career when he was in college, releasing two roots reggae singles under his own name.

His 1988 album Eek-A-Nomics saw him begin to establish himself with an international audience, and he was signed by Island Records in 1989.

He also has a performance in the 1991 gangster movie New Jack City playing a drug-dealing Rastafarian named Fat Smitty.