Capleton - File

This is the second instalment in our five-part interview series with the Fireman, Capleton, which ends on Saturday - the same day he performs at Club Impulse, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston. Romain Virgo and Munga Honourable will also perform. Yesterday, Capleton spoke about his early days on African Star sound system, and when Ninja Man took a huge slice of his song - but also introduced him to Exterminator's Fattis. The story continues.

Capleton: Even de song whe bus me an make the worl' know me, 'BB Red', him try go roun' it one a de time an say suppen else, suppen close. (Capleton confers with someone, who confirms the lyric's proximity). We go outta de studio and me hear and I say no, dis no soun' good, mi no waan hear de nex' line. We go een, dem time deh Prentice used to be de engineer, an mi tell Prentice play it make dem hear it. An', him go some, boom, an play it forward an mi say dat too close y'nuh. But hear weh him do fi my career now. Him still put a nex' notch to my ting, cause anyweh Faattis deh me ago fin' Fattis, cause me nah go allo im fi take dis ya one. So mi hunt Fattis, when mi fin' Fattis, him call in Firehouse band and we stay so inna di studio, cause yu know dem time de artiste deejay or sing an de musician play roun' your voice. We go bout 1:30 a.m. an by 4:30, 5, everything done an' song voice. Even inna dem time deh Exterminator was not a label dat put out certain kind a lyrics, if it classify as profanity or lewd. So dere was some yute in New York dat do distribution for him, so de yute dem tell him fi sen di song, cause di yute dem a hear mi pon cassette. As mi sey, mi get a chance fi deejay pon Black Star an Metromedia, name it, Jaro. When him sen' it de yute dem master it an dem release it an de tune shot.

The STAR: An' dat was di first recording and first hit.

Capleton: An' yu know, that was not my first recording either. The same song I did on dub plate, I do it for Luddy Vibes. Dem time Major Mackerel jus' bus. But it never release. Because mos' people think 'BB Red' was my first recording, but my first recording was 'Cobbla Gal' on the 'Don Ban' riddim for Luddy Vibes. Me deh a Tavern, Major Mackerel deh a Kintyre, we have da link deh same way. So a desso de energy start. (He laughs).

The STAR: So that was '89. So come into de '90s now, yu hit a serious stretch of hits. Wha come afta dat?

Capleton: Well, we have "number one upon de look good chart", "woman me lotion me no lotion man", "dem no like mi an mi no like dem", y'know, it goes on and on and on, Prophet, Almshouse.

The STAR: So we come to the transformation now.

Capleton: That was the Trinity. That was when I really see myself, go Bobo Hill, get fe know Emmanuel an' di whole energy 'bout Rastafari. That was 1993/1994. (He deejays the start of the song - if you dis Marcus/then you must bite the dust/and equal rights and justice is what he taught us/and if you dis Selassie I, boy you gonna die/Emperor Selassie I a guide I an I/dis Emmanuel, gone dung a hell/very knee shall bow and every tongue shall tell".

We go on to talk about his early Rastafari years and the positive response to his music).

The STAR: So after Trinity, which song yu did come wid?

Capleton: "Why do the heathen rage", "orthodox light up the chalice" and "lef from Jamaica go foreign pon tour". Tour, well that was a great remix. It was the biggest remix ever because Tour is the song that make I get the deal with Def Jam. Russell Simmonds, him was the man who was the original owner for the sample. A little company by the name of Signet, is them put I out. The remix was done by Lil John with a company name Dynamic Duos, so this is the song. Then I got hooked up with Def Jam, even though Def Jam is a 100 per cent hip-hop label, combin-ation with Method Man. It happen, even though them woulden' know how fe market a reggae act or dancehall. But it break me in a new market, because Tour become a household name in America, every Yankee know it, is the biggest remix that came out of Jamaica. It hit the Billboard - not Reggae Billboard, the original Billboard. And we make BET and MTV come inna de ghetto, Tavern, Papine. That was a great joy fi me.

Tomorrow: The albums