getting to know Capleton from di stawt to now

[evanovitch]

Today we start at (where else?) the beginning, when he did his informal apprenticeship in (where else?) St Mary.


The STAR: The first time I hear 'bout you was '89, '90, with the 'Red' tune, but you was deejaying long before dat. (Capleton says "yeah!&quot. So how yu start out? Was it sound system straight?


Capleton: Definitely, it was sound system. It started out from jukebox, man.



The STAR: Juke box!?


Capleton: Yeah, jukebox whey yu punch. A desso it start from.



The STAR: So yu used to go an' punch yu riddim an talk pon yu riddim?


Capleton: Yeah. An me used to have fren' whe play bass wid dem mout', yeah man, an family, an keep de vibes goin. Me jus' a seh music was our ting, a natural inborn ting. Even if we neva waan do music, we haffi do music because it inna we from day one. Inna de country, still get a chance more time when certain soun' come tru, because yu know as a deejay, man vindicate fi yu an seh 'yow, artiste, gi im a run.' We always do well, whichever soun' pass tru an we circle, because we ting different.



The STAR: Which community dat?


Capleton: St Mary, between Islington, between Jacks River, between Rocabessa, Portmore, Highgate, de whole place. Me modda side a family come from St Ann an' me faada side from St Mary. me have a aunty too whe live inna de city, a so me en' up inna de city.



The STAR: Yu deejay pon de soun' but yu come town fe do music specially?


Capleton: Me come town come work man! Yeah man, different from music. Me work inna store, me work a Free Zone, me work a Caymanas Park, yu see wha a mean? Fe real! Even use to sell hardcover book. Me have a bredren use to print dem. An even when me bus dem bredren deh, me buy dem a printin' machine, cause we no feget whe we a come from. A so de ting set. We inna de city now an me deh a Papine. yu have soun' like Maestro, yu have Muzzo, Little Matic, an den Black Star come from inna de area too. Travellers too. African Star was in Canada, an then he came to Jamaica. The firs' night him ago play, one a me family come link me an sey a new jus soun' come een an dem need some artsite, cause every soun waan to have a top artiste. Crazy man a sing de night an' a deejay, cause a so it go. De boss hear me an' him love de work, we keep de link an start move roun' wid de soun' still. En' up a do de top deejay pon de soun' a link wid all Shabba.



The STAR: From dem time deh.


Capleton: Yeah. A so come Ninja Man get fe get de style whe name 'Long Fe Release', cause a me write da song deh. De whole melody. Ninja do maybe six or seven song outta de melody, de style, but im still even open my eye to de business, in terms of me realise me can do all five, six song inna one meody an dem it. Cause me come an do (his voice transforms into the on-stage Capleton in an instant) "woman me lotion me no lotion man". "dem no like me an me no like dem" "numba one upon de good look chart". "god me love an me no love Satan". See whe me a sey? Cause when im come an sey (the voice transforms again, but more along the Ninja's lines, naturally) "long fe release" Den im sey "gal gimme piece". Den im sey "pedal an' weel" Den im sey "unda yu love". An me sey wha? A my style dat y'nuh, my energy. Him still motivate me towards de ting.



The STAR: So him start record before you?


Capleton: Yeah, see me. So him stay so boom an im ave a dance roun' a im yard a Mall Road. A desso me get de link wid Fattis. Im link me up wid Capleton de night. Sey Capleton, im bad y'nuh. A im write 'Long Fe Release'.



The STAR: A so yu get fe record.


Capleton: A so me get fe link Fattis now. But me did aev a nex' song. Me ave a song now whe me tink a go tek de place. An me deejay de song de night. An wen me tek a stock me ear Ninja wid suppen close it, so dat even gimme more courage fe out deh, cause me sey (voice rises with excitement and laughter) 'no cyaa lose da one ya!'. So me go so boom an start punch Fatts, circle Fattis, an Fattis go so boom an rope een Firehouse ban. Firehouse ban come een an we deh deh inna de studio de night an wed deh deh a beat de riddim, beat de riddim me a deejay dem a play roun' me voice. Me deh deh a play dem ting an' dem gwaan an dem a buil buil buil till it come to perfection an me voice same time inna de mornin', bout 4.



STAR: Which song was that?


Capleton: De same 'Red' song.



STAR: So it was a live recordin'?


Capleton: Yeah. But Fattis was a man dem time deh, im not even love put out certain kinda song. At de en a de day a not even im put it out, even though it come out pon Exterminator. Him use to have some yute a New York, whe deal wid some distributin' ting fe im. An de yute dem tell im sey sen it come mek we deal wid it, cause it bad. An im sen it off an de yute dem mix it an put it out.


<span style="font-weight: bold">Tomorrow: Capleton hears his own recording for the first time - when he is walking in downtown Kingston with his mother - and he heads towards a 'Tour'.</span>

[evanovitch]

Re: getting to know Capleton from di stawt to now

Capleton goes from 'Red' to Rastafari

Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer




Yesterday we had gone through Capleton's early years in St Mary and reached his first recording, BmbRed, done with the Firehouse Band for producer Phillip 'Fattis' Burrell. Today, he 'hears himself' for the first time.


STAR: So de first time yu hear it was soun system? It woulden be radio.


Capleton: Me waan tell yu sey a me an me ol' lady a trod de day too y'nuh, de firs' time me hear da song deh a pass bout tree different record store downtown y'nuh. Cause me used to deh Techniques, roun' Riley dem, cause me voice bout four ting pon Riley label from dem time deh, so a long time we deh pon de street. A walk from downtown all bout de place, Waterhouse, studio to studio. Cause at one point me sey cho, leggo de work ting now cause every work whe me go an open me mout people sey yow, a was' yu a was' time yasso. So a dem ting deh strengthen me too, fe go out deh. An me a sey Ninja is a great strengt' towards my career.


STAR: No matter wha.


Capleton: No matter wha, even dough im did tek me style an' whatever, but im still open me eye to de business. Ninja wi tell yu, sey me is a man whe wi deh ina de dance an every man go deejay, cause me is not like a up front man or a man whe push tings. Me is a man wi stay so boom an brace an gwaan watch every man. Till every man done work till all inna de mornin' now wen de people dem a go whey, a dem time deh me get de mic. So all dem people whe leave an go outside deh turn forward, cause dem a wonder what is goin' on. Yu overs (Understand)? So we prove weself to de ting man, fe real. Is a inborn ting. Dis is not all about hype an' fame an popularity an publicity. Greater elements surroun' de ting more valuable dan dat. Humility govern de ting.


STAR: You were walking wid yu modda de firs' time yu hear.


Capleton: Yeah.


STAR: How yu feel wen yu hear it?


Capleton: Great.


STAR: Yu did know is you right away?

Capleton: From me hear it me know a me. Call all me ol' lady attention too y'nuh.


STAR: Cause she neva know sey a you.


Capleton: No, she neva know sey a me. She a sey it soun' good, but she no like de bad word (laughter all around). Cause she know me is a yute whe ave culture song, but she no know sey dem time deh yu haffi a sey certain ting fe really, y'nuh, fe get a break an den yu can show de worl' sey a did me did ave, y'nuh. Cause yu know sey more time a gun ting a gwaan an girl ting a gwaan, yu know wha a mean? So yu haffi prove yusself, yu know wha a mean.


STAR: So if it was up to you yu woulda do de culture fe break firs?


Capleton: Fe real, cause a me dat from long time. Dem time deh we inna de Bible from Genesis to Revelation, until de transition to de levels of Rastafari, although we not even reach desso yet, cause it tek me to Def Jam.


STAR: How de name come about dough, Capleton?


Capleton: Oh, Capleton. Capleton come tru a attorney-at-law.


STAR: From St Mary?


Capleton: Yeah, from St Mary.


STAR: So yu have de name Capleton from yu come from St Mary come a town?


Capleton: Yeah man, from me start me ave it. Because me get it mongst me breadren dem y'nuh, cause dem a sey yow. How de name come up is like dem ave a conversation, I wasn't on the scene. So I approach de scene, come hear de argument, get involve, start talk now like me did de deh wen de argument started. So a man se yow yu can talk so man, yu a mus lawyer Capleton. Dem call me lawyer, dem call me Capleton, lawyer Capleton, de whole hundred.


STAR: So, come true now.


Here the interview takes a diversion into a interview (a long interview) on the phone to Ghana. Since his one-week visit to The Gambia the buzz for Africa is on. Then he looks through part of a recording of his Gambia trip and the crowds that came out as he travelled from the airport. When we resume, it is much later and, after a reminder, we are off again into the earlier days, hitting the early 1990s.


STAR: So yu tink wen yu go rastafari dat is when Rastafari reintroduce into dancehall?


Capleton: Mos' definitely. Rastafari was always. I woulden sey re-entry into dancehall, because Rastafari always been there, de whole a de ancient. But like a likkle more strength to de ting. Like me come, whe dem seyÉ Dem sey me come wake up suppen anadda dem time deh. Me a try memba de exac' word dem did use.


STAR: We go true de era wid de gun wid Ninja side an de girls wid Shabba side. An yu come wid Tour. Dat was de firs' Rasta tune from you?


Capleton: No, dat wasn't, cause memba sey me did come wid like de 'Trinity' (he breaks into deejay voice again) &quot;woah if yu dis Marcus, yu mus bite de dus', equal rights an' justice is what he taught us&quot;. Dat was before Tour. An den Tour come now an den Light Up De Chalice an den Why Do De Heathen Rage, Wicked a Go Fall. Yu done know, we always love de works of Rastafari. I an I did born Rasta, because we coulden turn Rasta. Every black man an woman a Rasta, cause Rasta is de head a civilisation. Haile Selassie is de head a civilisation. An de word Ras mean head too yu know what ah mean. So whether yu have locks or not, as black man an black woman yu done know. Ras. Cause we deh a de head a de ting. A desso it start from.


STAR: Yu have any special moment when yu decide a it dis?


Capleton: Well, special moment. We see nuff mystic happen. Yu ave one particular one where we draw fe dictionaries an encyclopaedia an Bible, trying to figure out 'Selah'. An de dictionary an encyclopaedia sey 'Selah' is a word of unknown meanin'. (He goes through a number of possible meanings).

One a sey perhaps, one a sey probably. An me a sey now, if yu don' know de meanin of de word, why contemplate it? Den yu a try to stray my heavens (mind), because de dictionary suppose to tell me de meanin' of de word an de encyclopaedia suppose to tell me de meaning of de word, so why it a tell me de word is dis an de word is dat? Firs' yu sey is a word of unknown meanin' dat mean yu shoulden even a speculate. An wen me examine de whole ting me sey de closes' ting to Selassi is Selah, so me figure dem a try hide suppen right desso. Me have a likkle baby in dem time deh sey Selassie I. Police faint wid im gun, me see de soldier freeze like im no know wha a gwaan. Me see so much natural mystic happen an we did know sey de powers of Rastafari did ago lead I to da dimension ya, cause I an I did done born as a godly yute from dem time deh, love de Almighty but no really know a im.

[Bizzy]

Re: getting to know Capleton from di stawt to now

Lawks mi hafi go print dis off an read it

[evanovitch]

Rasta goes to Def Jam

Rasta goes to Def Jam


Yesterday, we paused in Capleton's story at the point where he embraced Rastafari in the early 1990s and, with songs such as Tour, Prophecy and Light Up De Chalice, brought a hard-hitting edge to the Rastafarian presence in dancehall. The remix of Tour help land him a two-album deal with American label Def Jam, run by Russell Simmons, the albums Prophecy and I-Testament coming out of that, before it ended on the brink of the turn of the century.


Capleton: Cause memba we a sey we grow up inna church y'know, learn bout Jesus (The STAR puts in 'sing inna choir an all dem ting deh'), yu see me, so we link up an' start hol' a vibes. Me an nuff a de yute dem, nuff a de yute dem from David House.


STAR: So David House start from dem time deh.


Capleton: Yeah, gada de strength. An den we fin' Bobo Hill, meet Emmanuel an everyting. Dem time deh people a sey Emmanuel no deh bout an one bag a ting. Force we fe go a Bobo Hill an see Emmanuel an we see da love. Yu see da love deh whe me see a Gambia, when me go a Bobo Hill de firs' time a da love me see. A da love deh me feel. Anyweh me see love me haffi embrace love, cause love is de ultimate force. Yeah man. A so we tek on to Bobo an' embrace it.


STAR: So how yu hook up wid Def Jam now? Cause Def Jam come afta dah period deh, because Heathen an' Prophecy was on de Def Jam album.


Capleton: There was dis record company name Signet. A likkle small record company (STAR asks 'from Jamaica?' and Capleton says 'no, New York'). An den yu ave a bredda name Nolan, a likkle yute inna de business name Nolan, link up wid General dem time deh. We call im GT. An' Likkle Wayne too y'nuh. Dem time dem did name Dynamic Duos an a dem did do de remix. So dem do a remix wid a ol' school ting. Russell Simmons was de one who did own de sample (he goes into singing mode) &quot;hold up, wait a minute&quot;. (Laughing) De Slick Rick.


STAR: So which song remix on it?


Capleton: Dat was Tour! But Tour is de bigges' remix ever came out of Jamaica. Go anyweh a foreign an ask any a de bigges' radio station dem y'nuh. Dis a history me a tell yu bout y'nuh. No matter whey yu see come afta, Tour a de bigges' remix eva come out a Jamaica y'know. De bigges! No mek no man fool yu an tell yu nutten! Mos' played ting pon every radio. So we no new ting to Billboard boss! Nor BET nor MTV! We been there.


STAR: So Tour open de door.


Capleton: A crazy record company start run we down. Name dem, Virgin, Universal, crazy record company start run me down now cause Slick Rick ting out fe kick off ya now an dis Tour remix an everyone waan know who is dis Capleton! Hear me no man! Tune kick off an' me sey arright, hear wha dem haffi offa, yu see me. Me a chat to some people. Is like Russell go so now boom an mek a link, Def Jam mek a link. Memba sey a im own de sample, no man cyaa play wid it. An de offa did good, so we work wid de ting. Dem en' up a get two album outta me, I-Testament an Prophecy.


STAR: An yu en up do de videos too.


Capleton: Yeah. Fe Why Do De Heathen Rage.


STAR: So wid de remix, yu did go an voice it or dem jus' remix it?


Capleton: Dem remix it, me neva go an voice on it.


STAR: So yu use to perform wid de hip-hop beat anytime?


Capleton: Yeah, sometime de ban' wi chip it een. It all depens' pon which part we deh too. An we go so boom an work wid dem an it appen. But as me a sey, Def Jam was like a hundred per cent hip-hop company. Dem neva really know how fe market Capleton. As me a sey, give respec' to wha dem do, break me in a different market, international same way.


STAR: But during that time yu started to tour heavier. I remember at one point you were the most touring artiste in reggae/dancehall.


Capleton: Mmm hmm. A true man.


STAR: It did hectic dem time deh?


Capleton: Definitely hectic.


STAR: Yu did feel it?


Capleton: Yeah. Dat's why me a sey more time a not even wha yu eat an drink. More time, like me a tell de people from Ghana while ago, a no everyone can jump so, mek we have so much energy. Is a inborn ting, even doh we eat natural an ting. More time not even me meself no know sey.


STAR: So yu used to perform same way dem time deh? Whole heap a energy same way?


Capleton: (Emphatically) Mmm hmmm, mmm hmmm, mmm hmmm. An yu know me tour wid nuff icon: Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Marcia Griffiths, Sugar Minott, tour de worl', Beres Hammond, everybody. (Last year there was also the 'Made in Jamaica' European tour with Bunny Wailer and Third World). Yeah man. Cocoa Tea. All over.


STAR: So de Def Jam ting was two album. Afta dat wha happen?


Capleton: Afta dat a VP. VP come inna de ting afta dat. True we ave VP as a more grassroots ting, we haffi gi VP. So me did ave a tree album ting wid dem, wid options fe a extra one. So a dat we a work pon right now ('Extra one' manager Claudette Kemp adds).


Tomorrow: Moooooore Fire!!!!

[evanovitch]

Mooooore fia!

Mooooore fia!

Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer



STAR: <span style="font-weight: bold">So how de fia man come een at dat time? 'Cause de fia man was right afta Def Jam. </span>

Capleton: <span style="font-weight: bold">Yeah, but de fia did deh deh a bun all, de time, y'nuh. 'Cause memba, Light Up De Chalice an all a dem ting deh a fia y'nuh. De fia did always a bun. A jus, y'nuh (STAR interjects 'yu directly start sey fia'). Yeah, me start sey fia. </span>

STAR: Why at dat particular time an why de fire?


Capleton: Well, it is de message, it is a vision, an' if yu check back all de ancient one, Spear, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, all a dem man deh, a fia dem bun.

An jus' we a strengthen de works or de pattern whe de ancient dem set, yu know wha' ah mean. I'm jus' like a reminder, yu know wha' a mean? It need to be ignited at de time, 'cause dem did feel Rastafari outta de ting an it did get a way. Yu memba?


STAR: So people did tek on to de fia as yu start?


Capleton: No! Yu know people nah go tek on to fia as it start! Wen de fia jus' start, y'nuh it was a likkle controversy y'nuh. People start sey dem man deh bun up dis, an' dem man deh bun up dat, how yu fi bun money an yu spen' money, how yu fe bun house an live inna house, how yu bun cyar an yu drive cyar?

But dem neva overstan' in terms of de bunning! Dem neva realise we did really a bun the love of it, how people worship materialistic tings an' put it ova humanity. So we would a see people more valuable dan de material, 'cause de house can bun dung an' yu buil' a new one. De cyar can write off an' yu can buy a new cyar. Yu understan' whe me a sey. But life a nuh suppen whey yu can go order roun' de counta.


STAR: So at de time wen it was de controversy, yu did feel at any time like de career woulda go dung?


Capleton: No.


STAR: Yu neva 'ave no doubt?


Capleton: No, we don' deal wid doubt an' 'if' an' 'but' an' 'maybe'. An' wen yu know what you doin', an' we don' sey believe because belief is still a form a doubt, dem sey belief kill an belief cure, but wen yu know de works, wen yu get de vision an de inspiration from Jah, yu nah go really 'ave no fear.

So me know dis call for an explanation. We haffi go explain an' let de people know what we are saying, what we mean when we sey burn, or what we mean when we sey fire. An' it is not on a destructive level. De fia is all about motivating yusself in terms of uplifting yourself, in terms of fighting against injustice an inequality, manipulation, deat' widdout dignity, an' de whole works.

An' also mek dem know dat de fia come tru word an' it come tru soun'. De fia come tru me being myself. Me nat stoopin' to de imitation in Babylon. Me not accepting de strippin of de royalty an' sey yes, it is all good. But de fire gives me more courage an give me more urge, y'nuh, urge me more to be me an defen' me. An don' hol' on to illusion an' mythology an fantasy, but de real natural ting whe we suppose to hol' on to. 'Cause nature speak reality. Nature no tell lie. So whatever nature sey, a dat me a work wid.


STAR: So yu explain.


Capleton: We explain. We gi dem it pon a biological terms, in terms of Shedrak an Mishak, in terms of Isaiah, in terms of Moses saw Jah inna de burnin' bush. De whole works, we gi dem it. Biologically, yu know where a woman cannot conceive unless certain amount a fia buil up in har temple.

Even de breath whey yu breathe, if yu no have certain amount a fia inna yu, yu cannot breathe that breath. Den we gi dem it geographically, in terms of de Earth itself haffi emerge from de equator or de creator. An de core, de crus' de mantle, a de reign a fia a govern dat. (Chuckles) Yu know wha a mean? Yu ovas wha me a sey?

An den we gi dem pon a natural aspect, in terms a de sun is de hottes' element, an if de sun no shine no rain no fall no plant no grow, we no ave no energy fe humanity. So people start get inna demself now. Stop being ridiculous an start overstan now, wha we really a sey now. So every man get de chance fe come bun crazy fia (STAR says 'afta dat). Yeah. An me give tanks fe dat. So is like, is a gateway like.


STAR: Yu did feel a sense a triumph when dem start get it? When yu start see de crowd (Capleton says 'yeah!'). Yu did feel like dem finally get it? (Capleton says 'yeah man!).


Capleton: Yeah man! Fe real! Dem ovas man. De explanation. Cause me a sey if a man don' know im jus' don' know. So wen me tell de people dem now an dem overstan' an de people dem check it an de people dem no stupid eida.


STAR: Yu did expec' people fe actually start carry literal fia an cardboard come a stage show come burn when yu perform an ting?


Capleton: No! No. Me know a man wi carry im lighta.

STAR: But some man did start carry some big cardboard.


Capleton: Mek me tell yu wha' 'appen wid de cardboard now. Mek me show yu 'ow de cardboard ting come een now. De people bring de cardboard ting fe sleep, 'cause yu know yu 'ave some artiste whe borin'. So, derefore, people lie dung an a sleep now.

So wen you come on inna de mornin' now or whatever time you come on at a certain owa, like 3, 4 o'clock, 5 o'clock, dung inna de morning desso, all a dem people whe a sleep, dem wake up an see everybody wid dem torch an dem lighter, dem get jealous! Den go light dem cardboard! (Capleton is laughing as he speaks). Den wi all heap it up an mek one big bonfire. Me deh a Israel, me mean Israel, dis is in Israel, an inna de back a de venue, inna de miggle, dem 'ave a bonfire!


STAR: Israel? So is not a Jamaica ting den.


Capleton: No. Is all ova de worl'. Dem kinda gains' it certain way, y'nuh, but people represent.


STAR: There was a time when dere was a Bible ting, a burnin' ting a gwaan roun' dat. Dat did affec' yu? Any at all?


Capleton: In terms of affec' me, it coulden affec' me. People will say all kin' of negative tings. Fe me, critics play a great part inna de ting, whedda good or bad. It still motivate me to write great songs.


Tomorrow: We wrap up with some odds and ends which bring us forward to the now, among them, Capleton and his throne at Sting, his highly individual and striking sense of fashion and One Third going 'pon top a tings'.

Yesterday, we looked at Capleton's Def Jam years, which ended with the I-Testament album, released in late 1997. (Interestingly, his then short locks were shown on the previous Def Jam album, Prophecy, but from I-Testament onwards, they have been covered). Afterwards, he moved to VP Records and released three albums, including the Grammy-nominated Reign of Fire, and is currently working on a fourth. Between Def Jam and VP Records, though came a fiery manifestation. Did someone say, moooore fia?





So we would a see people more valuable dan de material, 'cause de house can bun dung an' yu buil' a new one. De cyar can write off an' yu can buy a new cyar. Yu understan' whe me a sey? But life a nuh suppen whey yu can go order roun' de counta.

[evanovitch]

Capleton well on 'Top a Tings'

Capleton well on 'Top a Tings'


Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer


Capleton on his throne - file

Today we wrap up our interview series with the Fire Man, Capleton. So there is something we really, really wanted to ask him that got lost somewhere in the near hour-long Ghana interview, watching the tape from his visit to The Gambia and taping additional footage for it. We really, really wanted to ask him about the lyrics to Or Wha' but ... another time.


STAR: De Sting dat you come out on de (The STAR pauses and Capleton says 'de throne), de throne, dat was a ting (Capleton says 'yeah man'). De throne did mek specially for that occasion.


Capleton: Yeah man. Definitely.


STAR: So what yu think of that intro?


Capleton: It was great. Then nobody never appear on a stage in that manner before.


STAR: You see that as a plus.


Capleton: Fi real. An y'nuh (he chuckles), yow, it was exciting, trust me. It was very exciting. Is like shot fire at the back gate. An then nex' gate again shot fire. Even the next gate again before I go on-stage shot fire.

STAR: So hol' on. So how far di throne was coming from? From the gate way outta de front? Me did tink it was backstage.


Capleton: No man! From outside a de big gate!


STAR: Yu mean fe go inna Jam Worl?


Capleton: From yu have a big gate an yu come backstage an yu have a nex gate an den yu have a nex' gate again. De whole a dem gate deh a gunshot fire wen me a go tru dem man. Shot fire! An trus me, de yute dem still hol' de throne firm. Cause me no know if de man dem woulda fia shot an feel like de man dem woulda drop it (laughs) or wateva. We see it as gun salute. Wen de shot fia we a sey ow yu mean, salute de King. (Laughs).



STAR: So yu did feel at any time like dem woulda drop it?


Capleton: No. Fi real. Yu see me done cue dem arready an mek dem know sey salute de King, so no man not even feel no way. A crazy man a try lif de ting. Me see man all beat man pon dem han wid baton. Cause man a try come een too y'nuh, so man a try hitch a han pon de ting. Man all a beat off de man dem han wid baton, de man dem not even a pay dat no mind. (Laughs again).


STAR: So where de throne is now?

Capleton: De throne? De throne still deh bout man. Still ave de throne. A me tek Sting da year deh y'nuh. It was Capleton Sting.


STAR: From ever since me see you perform, yu present yourself with your clothes ever distinct. (Capleton says 'yeah'). Is a fashion style dat you come up wid?


Capleton: Well is jus' a natural military energy. Cause we a revolutionary warriors an we a Kings of de Earth same way too, so we haffi dress inna da order deh, due to how we attire. Me have me designer still, both shoes man an man who mek de suit.


STAR: So how de pants an de shoes match (The STAR had been wondering all through the interview how Capleton had found a shoe to match the olive green pants with black whirls that he was wearing) is a man mek de shoes?


Capleton: Yeah. Me get a shoes mek fe every suit. So me have me own shoes man, me have me chef, me have me own designer whe mek me suit dem.


STAR: So de shoes man, everybody, a Jamaican?


Capleton: Yeah man. Dada a de shoes man an' Balla de man whe mek de outfit.


STAR: So yu don' wear jeans an dem ting deh?


Capleton: No. If yu see me inna jeans it would be a custom made one.


(We go through Capleton's tour experiences and he says it is no bed of roses, as well as how he performs when he is on the road, often hitting one and a half to two hours.)


STAR: Wen yu see One Third performing Top a Tings, it mek yu feel happy?


Capleton: Me a tell yu suppen. Even before dem perform Top a Tings me predic' sey a dem ago win. Yeah. See Miss Kemp deh (manager Claudette Kemp confirms). Before I hear dem sing Top a Tings, me gi dem it. I don' remember which song they were doing, but de firs' me eva glimpse dem pon de ting me gi dem it. Till me go hear de man dem sing me ting me sey no, dem really gone wid it now, top a de ting. Dem have it arready.


STAR: Yu feel it bring top a tings to a different audience?


Capleton: Yeah man, fe real. (Ms Kemp speaks about Capleton and One Third being on a show together and in the rehearsal period the band being told to not let One Third take 'Top a Things' out of their set, as Capleton has a lot more hits that he can do.) Yeah. Me tell dem straight me no haffi do Top a Tings. De amount a song whe me haffi do. Gwaan do yu ting. Can imagine? How much man yu tink ago do suppen like dat? So some woulda wonder why Capleton inna de ting so long an how him so consistent. A due to how we lef space fe de yute dem. More time some man want it all. We no haffi voice pon every riddim. Cause more time name sell ova de ting. No matter how de tune bad name do it y'nuh. More time when some yute a get a break pon some riddim yu haffi low dem too an' mek dem gwaan hol' a energy an a vibe.


STAR: Don' crowd up de ting.


Capleton: No, don' crowd up de ting. Everyone need a chance. A so Earth go. 'All fe self' ting nah go work. A dat some man deh pon.


STAR: There was some surprise wen yu did come out wid song like &quot;she want it hard, she want it hard&quot;. Why yu did go dat particular route at dat time?


Capleton: At dat time. Well, is like a jus dat de riddim a sey y'nuh. More time we follow de riddim y'nuh. More time we write offa de riddim y'nuh. Write offa de name a de riddim, yu know wha a mean? An write offa de melody a de riddim. More time we buil' different melodies offa different sounds outta de riddim, whether de kinck or the phrase or ... Yeah, cause de riddim a sey suppen too y'nuh.


STAR: So yu tink de girl dem did appreciate da song deh?


Capleton: Well mos' definitely y'nuh. If yu do anyting fe de girl dem de girl dem ago always love it y'nuh. (He indicates 'Baby Don' Cry No More' and 'Hunting to Find' among his other girl songs.) De whole place me lock up.


STAR: An yu widen yu fan base some more an ...


Capleton: Yu see it. Cause we haffi mek dem know we response fe de girl dem too, cause a so it go. A so me did start out, from day one y'nuh. More time me have suppen fe de rude bway dem, an me have suppen fe de girl dem. Yu done know, roots an culture a de dominant part a de ting. Nutten nah go roun' dat. A de foundation dat. Dat will always be dere. But likkle party ting, people feel a likkle energy an a likkle vibes. An afta dem done party dem tek some message. (Laughs).


(We talk about the songwriting process, the hook-up with Munga Honourable)


STAR: Las' ting now. I hear you talking about maybe retirement, maybe not (he was asked about that in the Ghana phone interview which took place during our talk), if ever the time comes (Capleton says 'yeah, cause we no know a wen still). If a 40 year or a nex year, wen all a de tour an de CD dem mek an everyting, how yu want to be remembered in Jamaica music history?


Capleton: (There is a long pause). Fire. (He chuckles). Fire!


STAR: Straight fire.


Capleton: Mmm hmm. (He gets quiet) But the question is like. I aint going nowhere. Cause when yu sey how yu want to be remembered is like yu gone y'nuh, like Bob Marley an' dem man deh.


STAR: No no no no. Me a sey every man have a legacy dat im buil towards. Arright, me shoulda put it de odda way. (Capleton gives an emphatic 'mmm hmmm'.) What yu looking towards buildin fe you? How yu waan buil' yourself in de public min'? What personality yu waan leave wid de public when yu go out an perform?


Capleton: (Without hesitation). A fire. We ago have studio, label, contribute back, but everyting a fire. Straight.


We laugh.

[jah_yout]

Re: Capleton well on 'Top a Tings'

give thanx evan...


this was a great interview!