INTERVIEW
At what point did you know this was something you wanted to do as a career ?
When I performed at an event my elder brother was playing , he had a sound system – going back many , many years ( laughs ). I was about 12 years old and I touched the mic and literally all the girls were all over me , making a big fuss and from then , I was like , this is me all over ! I ’ m a Gemini and I like all the attention , I like all the hype . That was it . I was sold .
You ’ ve been in this industry for a long time , what are some of the biggest changes you ’ ve seen in the business ? Good and Bad . The first thing that comes to mind is , when the smoking ban came into play in clubs over here ( UK ) that killed a lot of the scene off , to an extent . Another big change is that three quarters of the clubs in London and everywhere else for that matter , have closed down , that ' s also killing the scene . We need it to come back ! The internet has definitely changed things , both good and bad . The best change is that the UK is getting its chance to shine and that is super positive . I ’ m proud of that .
You own your own label Bushbash Records . What is distinctive about a Bushbash records track ? When an artist comes to you what do you deliver that sets you apart ? In a word , it ’ s just the vibe . We always try to maintain a vibe . Whether the music is up or down beat we try to uplift it in our own way . Give it a positivity , even with negative lyrics we still manage to put a positive spin on it .
How many artists you ’ ve worked with are able to match live what they have done in the booth ? Not many . One thing with artists in the UK , as much as our sound has caught up , we haven ’ t caught up to Jamaica and America in the live performance side of things . I don ’ t know if the weather being so gloomy plays a part in it , but when people get on stage they just haven ’ t got that electric energy . It ’ s not a vocal skill issue , its more about a presence and coming with a show . It ’ s the entertainment factor . There are a few who do bring it but the vast majority don ’ t . I don ’ t know if it ' s shyness or even laziness but that needs to change . You can produce a great vibe at home or in the studio but the fans need to see that too .
So , can you make a great track in home studio or is a pro service needed ? You can create a track at home and it will touch the underground but if you wanna go international with it , you are gonna need some professionalism . Get it mastered , pay for it to be mixed and give it a world standard .
Are there any artists who you ’ re keen to work with but haven ’ t had the chance yet ? Beyonce , Rihanna and Alicia Keys . I ' ve also got my eye on Steph London , from the UK . I ’ m on the prowl for female artists to link up and get something popping .
If you could make a track with an artist who has passed away who would it be and why ? Michael Jackson , for the pure fact he is a real legend . He would bring the whole package and I ’ ve always loved his music , get a little garage verse on there …
Perhaps a remix in the works ? Yeah , if his people would allow it then yeah , why not .
When things aren ’ t going too well , how do you keep your mind on the work , without losing focus ? My secret is ... I ’ ve got a positive attitude . You ’ ve got to keep a positive mental attitude . My mum always told me attitude is everything and she was right , my family too ! They are my support network . No matter what happens , they always keep me uplifted . They keep me grounded and if things aren ’ t going right they kind of give me that push and enthusiasm to get back up and go again .
What advice would you give anyone who wants to become an MC or artist ? It sounds really funny but , leave it alone . ( laughs ) I always get asked this question and I always say the same thing . The advice my Gran gave me when I was talking about doing this music thing was , “ Please do anything
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