Meaning
In Jamaica, the performer who chats or toasts rhythmically over a riddim — closer to what the rest of the world calls a rapper or an MC. This reverses the usual global meaning, and it is a point that catches out newcomers: the person who selects and plays the records is the 'selector', not the deejay, while the deejay is the voice on the mic. Rooted in the sound-system tradition of toasting, the Jamaican deejay is the chatter, boaster, and rhyming commentator whose art, born over the riddim, is a direct ancestor of hip-hop.
Examples
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Di deejay chat pon di riddim all night.
The deejay toasted over the beat all night.
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Him a one a di baddest deejay inna dancehall.
He is one of the best deejays in dancehall.
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Di selecta play, di deejay chat.
The selector plays the music, the deejay chats.
Spells out the Jamaican division of roles.
Origin
From English 'DJ' (disc jockey), but Jamaican usage shifted it to mean the vocal toaster rather than the record spinner — a lineage that runs directly into hip-hop's MCs.
How it’s used
A frequent point of confusion for outsiders: in Jamaica the 'selector' plays the tunes and the 'deejay' performs on the mic.