INTERVIEW : CHICO
Interview by : Benoit Georges
Pictures by : Benoit Collin
le 02/26/2007
Several years ago, French dancehall fans had to travel abroad to see Chico on stage. Reggaefrance’s team met him for the first time on the German Splash Festival in 2004, where he was performing for the fourth time, in front of a joyful audience. Despite his local hits, this young dancehall singer with catchy melodies was rather considered as an underground artist: French connoisseurs were waiting in despair to see him in France. Tables turned however: two years after this first meeting and being in the business in Jamaica for more than ten year, Chico is writing a new page in his career and his voice is now heard in France. He scored with Hey sexy wow a combination with French dancehall deejay Lord Kossity, first single on the “Booming system” album. Lord Kossity and Universal label were not mistaken as they asked him again for “Danger zone”, the lattest Kossity album issued at the end of 2006: exposed like never in France, Chico is finally coming out of the dark.
So we found interesting to put back our first interview of 2004 along with the recent projects he has been involved in. Phoned in Jamaica several weeks ago, Chico tells us more about his new situation. It go so now !
Reggaefrance / Could you introduce yourself and explain us the meaning of your nickname Chico ?
Chico / I’m Patrick Walker aka Chico, I’m originally from Jamaica. Chico is because I was called like that by some friends in the ghetto. I don’t know maybe they think I look like some Hispanic or Chiney. I represent the ladies of course, mixing up with the ladies and bigging up the thugs. That’s basically Chico.
Let’s talk about your debuts in the early 90’s. Your first song was Always in my heart, a cover from Tevin Campbell. Could you give us details about this experience and your influences?
Personally, I was raised in the church; I always do a little bit of singing. During high school days I used to sing and knock the desk. After leaving high school, I head up to the studio just to find out what music it was like, cause I liked the whole idea about entertainment and stuffs. Finally, I met with a guy by the name of Carli. He was across from King Jammy’s and was doing a host of lovers’ rock riddims. I was one of the fortunate ones to be on the Batch. That was when I came up with the idea of singing over Tevin Campbell’s song. It started from there but I was basically in school at that time.
You were school friend with Goofy. What was his role in your career?
Well, Goofy has been a strong influence in my career from the early nineties. Goofy was the real person behind my career, who wanted me to sing because I didn’t think I really can go there and sing for people. Basically, we went to high school together, I wasn’t in his class but he was there and he was the first person to give me that push to go ahead and do music.
Your first hit song, Make noise was in 1997 for Penthouse. Did you meet Dave Kelly this way?
Well, I used to go around Dave Kelly back in the days, when I was in high school. When I really come by signing with Dave Kelly, I was brought to him in the presence of Goofy. But I was actually around the studio with Degree. The idea of me with Mad House was a song, this song brought up the whole idea. Goofy changed from the girls to the badman, which is Badman nah stoop. Dave liked the song. We voiced the song together and from there Dave decided to take my career to a next level. He proposed me to sign with Mad House so I took the offer. That was in 1998.
Are you still part of Mad House today?
No, because I signed a two-year contract in 1998. It no longer exists. But me and Dave still cool, me and Baby Cham cool. Dave is doing his thing to get out to the international market and he’s personally working on Baby Cham’s career.
When we met Alozade in Paris, he told us that you and Vegas have given his name to him. From when do you know him, is he a good friend?
The story is like this: me, Alozade, Kiprich, Hawkeye, Goofy, Red Rat, Crissy D, we were close friends before the game. I get the break first before Alozade and Kiprich, not Hawkeye, but then everybody come after.
And about Degree especially?
Degree is a mentor for me. I look up to Degree. Degree was the person that I took singjay from. Because I came in the music singing, soul singing, which is not for Jamaicans. Most the singer from the late nineties was like singing before we start singjaying. My pattern was found from Degree: I patternized Degree’s deejay voice. So Degree is an elder for me and I look up to Degree 100 %.
I heard that one of your dreams is to do collaboration with Michael Jackson. Why?
Michael Jackson is weird! But he’s very talented and I think the world is lacking the Michael Jackson’s kind. But my dream to do a song with Michael Jackson is because I grow up in that area when Michael Jackson was on the top of his game. There are a lot of people out there who I really like to do a combination with like Ludacris, Snoop Dog, Missy Elliot just to name a few…
Could you relate us how you meet Lord Kossity?
I was supposed to do a tour with Kossity for Romano from G-Force Sound. Kossity was unavailable because he had engagements so I did this tour alone. Early last year, I was told that Kossity wanted to be on tracks with some Jamaican artists. They send the track to me and that was it, I build the track, Universal liked it and they selected it as the first single on Kossity album. But I was the original singer for it.
Did that single and the next one make you focusing more on the French scene?
Not necessarily but Universal and Kossity decided that whenever they do promotion they will have Chico with them. That’s good and I was back and forth because of that.
What this experience means to you?
It’s good experience because music is an international market and I learn a lot. That was really good, being on TV, doing the big shows…
I saw you on TV singing in the street with Kossity for the Telethon, that’s big for you!
Yeah, that was in Montpellier. That’s good because I knew that was a good media for exposing my career in France. I was grateful.
So what is your status now in France? Are you signed to Universal, to Mek it happen?
I’m not signed to them but Kossity’s girlfriend is looking for deals for the album in France and Japan so they still trending on who really wants to go ahead and do that first.
As you’re not signed officially, you’re not afraid of being considered in France as Kossity’s Jamaican sidekick despite your career?
Word, I don’t want to do that. Cause you know I have lots of songs. I know that people might think that maybe I want an exit, like Kossity’s done a track with Chico and Chico is nobody… I intend to go further this year and doing some things about my own to show France that Chico has a lot of songs, a real catalogue of songs.
Since one of your main focuses is France, there is also the risk of losing sight with the Jamaican scene which is very competitive?
Well, this is what I do now: I’m getting back on track with Jamaica. I lose focus because I was so much on the road with Kossity. They even want to come back and do a track with me and Nicky B. But I’m very issued on that because I’ve worked to be here. The music is very competitive in Jamaica and if you stay away from business like that, people forgot you. It’s not really hard to get back on track but it’s gonna be a fight.
Are you voicing new tunes right now?
I have some new tracks and I’m supposed to build some new tracks from now till April because I come to Europe on tour with Kiprich and I make compilations of songs to go on tour. I go work at Big Yard and at Main Street but I work basically anywhere the work is. Right now, I’m working on more presence in Jamaica. I have to do some more work which is promotion, promoting myself and the songs I do. In the process of doing this promotion is necessary so I have to go and perform.
In 2006, you did the song My life for Arif Cooper, a strong reality lyric. It sounds like Dave Kelly style. Who’s written that lyrics?
That song was written by Baby Cham. I had songs like that before but it didn’t come on the forefront in the business.
You had badman tunes but not like that, relating your own experience…
No, definitely not. I wrote song like that but in Jamaica I don’t think they really see me like that back in the days. But now I think the business and the expectations about me have changed. I did another song named Garrison on the Clapz riddim for a young producer. It’s about the ghetto but not as personal as my life.
What are you thinking about all the mess there is around the Alliance and artists dissing others artists in Jamaica?
Personally, I don’t even go there. Because, for I know myself, dancehall music is always like that. Not reggae music, dancehall. It’s always somebody dissing somebody… I don’t think it’s another area of Beenie Man vs Bounty Killer. It’s crazy but it’s okay cause for the music no publicity is bad publicity. I guess by now things are okay, because these guys are looking for to go further in their career. I don’t think it’s a big deal.
The first time we met you, you’ve said that your first album was overdue. Now, it’s over-overdue.
Yes, it’s over too overdue! But I don’t want to do an album and the album is not known. So I wait for a deal, for proposition from a company. I’d like to do an album for France but I want exclusive rights maybe to take it to the next level.
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