INTERVIEW : SHAGGY
Interview by : Sébastien Jobart
Pictures by : Karl Joseph
on Monday, October 24th 2005 - 14 717 views
With his latest album just out, Shaggy was in France to support it on a big promotional tour. No stage shows but several TV sets: after singing with the Star Academy students, he went on to the "Méthode Cauet". One of the biggest record sellers (and also a Gulf War veteran), he turns out to be completely at ease with success and money.
Reggaefrance / We saw you on Star Academy, a very well-known show here... Is that the reason you're in France?
Shaggy / I'm in France to promote my latest album, "Clothes Drop". Shaggy is not an artist you hear about in the tabloids. You hear about Shaggy when he releases a new album. I have a new album, and I'm here to promote it, to let the world know, to let my fans know, those who have been there since the last album or those who have followed me for 15 years. To let all those people know that I have a new album. You know how passionate I'm about it. That's why I'm doing all these interviews.
What do you think of this kind of show?
It's good entertainment.
Not only that, it's also a new business...
It's a business for them, and for me it's entertainment. Credible, genuine artists aren't built overnight. You don't become an artist on the opinion of the public, of people who call in and vote. But it can be a catapult, so to speak, towards recognition. There may be a few genuine artists who have been struggling for a long time and want their talent to be seen. They see it as a springboard. After that, their job is to prove themselves. Anyone can have their fifteen minutes of fame. But who can make a career out of it? This race is a long-distance race, for those with endurance.
And how was it?
Like I told you, it's entertainment, it's part of the promotion. Those kids gave their best. I don't think they were particularly good. I say that because Wasn't me or another one of my songs must be hard for them to sing, because they're French. The accent is an important point, and the type of melodies is a little difficult here and there. They did their best. Most of them are still young. Later on, they'll make their own music, they'll create their own language. My stuff wasn't made for them. To be honest, what I heard while they were singing was very far from the original. But they gave their interpretation.
If these shows had existed back then, would you have taken part?
No, that wasn't the role I wanted. Some people make music for the celebrity it gives you. They see it as a career. Music was a hobby for me. It's a hobby that got out of my control. It wasn't premeditated. I never dreamed of becoming an artist.
So what did you dream of?
When I was little, I dreamed of becoming a fireman! Music wasn't what I dreamed about. As I grew up, I started by liking music, then loving music, then making music as a hobby, and then I started recording records, making hits. And then one day people start coming up to you in the street... And you didn't do anything for it.
At 18 you followed your mother to New York and after two hits, Big up and Mampie, you joined the army...
No, actually I recorded those songs while I was in the army. I would go to New York at the weekend, driving up from North Carolina, and then go back to the barracks. In fact, Oh Carolina was also recorded while I was in the army. But it came out after I had left.
Did you enlist in the army?
I enlisted. I was in New York at the time, doing reggae. And it wasn't very lucrative. And I had to pay my bills... I got fired from all the other jobs I had, because I got up too late, or because I was fed up... I did stupid jobs, I even worked at Baskin Robbins (editor's note: an ice cream parlour) for a day. So I enlisted in the army, I could earn a living... and I couldn't get fired!
And then the Gulf War broke out.
Yes, I did the Gulf War. I was in the artillery, on the front line.
After Oh Carolina, the cover of the Folkes Brothers, there's "Boombastic", which wins a Grammy.
It was with Boombastic that I realised it was huge. It's the first reggae song to go straight in at number 1 in the British charts. And the first time a reggae artist had two tracks in the top 5 at the same time, on several continents. Boombastic and Summertime.
How did you react to this success?
I've never had a problem with success, I haven't changed, and I won't change. I didn't sit down saying: "my God, the pressure is on me".
But after "Midnight Lover", which didn't repeat that success, Virgin dropped you to sign Beenie Man...
No, I wouldn't say that. I think Virgin wasn't very fair in this affair. Me and Maxi Priest, we were hit-breakers. They made a lot of money. They treat reggae like most people do: it's the flavour of the moment. They told themselves that no reggae artist could have a career. For them, the only one who had done it was Bob Marley, and he had been dead for a while.
It's like chewing gum. You chew it and then you spit it out when you want a new taste. With "Midnight Lover", we didn't get a number 1. They heard about the new flavour of the moment, Beenie Man, and they signed him. I proved them wrong. That a reggae artist could have a career, and a great one.
You probably know that Sean Paul has been breaking records lately.
Yes, everybody has good deals and great sales. It's the first time record companies are giving budgets to reggae artists. It's business, and with "Hot Shot" they realised that reggae artists could sell records.
What can we expect on your label, Big Yard?
People like Kiprich... whose new album I just released (editor's note: Outta road), but also Brian & Tony Gold.
Do you think about devoting yourself to producing young artists later on?
No, not at all. I want to go to a beach and blow all the money I've earned.
|
|
© 1999-2026
RSS
