Interview Sean Paul

He made his name in 1996 with his famous tune on the playground riddim, "Infiltrate". Since then he has worked with many labels such as Penthouse, 2 Hard and Studio 2000, and not long ago he launched his own label, "Bassline". Now he is releasing his first album, "Stage One", which neatly sums up his rise over the years.
A phone conversation with dancehall's new "Supercat"...

RF / Can you introduce yourself to people who don't know you yet?

Sean Paul Sean Päul / My name is Sean Paul and I'm from St Antonio, which is in Uptown Kingston (north Kingston).
I decided to get into music around the 1990s.
In 1994 I started writing a lot of songs, but it wasn't until 1996 that I recorded my first tune, "Baby Girl", for Jeremy Harding, and it was followed by "Infiltrate", which really launched me into the dancehall world. I've recorded for different labels and producers: Penthouse Steely & Cleevie, Anthony Kelly...

Which artists influenced you?

Sean Paul Supercat was a big influence on me. But any deejay who had good lyrics or came with a new style influenced me. Especially artists like Major Worries, Tiger, Buju Banton or Spragga Benz. For me Spragga Benz is one of the best deejays, because he always gives me a vibe when I listen to him.

Can you tell me about the Dutty Cup Crew?

Sean Paul It's made up of Chicken, Keep Kurupp, Mossa Kid, Looga Man. We've been friends for a long time, and later on we decided to form the Dutty Cup Crew, which has 5 members. Each of us is trying to climb the dancehall ladder.

Why don't you put out singles as the Dutty Cup Crew more often, the way the Scare Dem Crew does?

Sean Paul Well, I did a combination with Chicken last summer, before things started getting big for him. There's also a tune of mine with Lugga Man and another one with Keep Kurrup. And we've made a "crew tune" (meaning all the members of the crew are on it) that's coming out on my new label, Bass Line.

In some of your lyrics you talk about God and you sometimes mention Jah. Do you believe in God?

Sean Paul I believe He's the one who created me. I wouldn't say I'm a Rastafarian. To me Jah is like any other God, like Budah. God has no name.

What do you think of conscious artists?

Sean Paul Well, I started out as a conscious artist myself. Believe it or not, my first 7-inches were about hard life in the ghetto. All those artists like Buju Banton, Capleton, Sizzla, Anthony B, I love them. Because when lyrics have meaning, when they stir something in me, I love them, because to me music really educates people. God gave me a talent, so I have to give it back by educating the people and making them think.

You did a song with Mr Vegas on the Street Sweeper riddim, "Hot Gal Today", which is set up as a face-off... Was it some kind of clash?

Sean Paul Vegas is a friend, we went into the studio together and started working on this idea: a battle over who gets the girl.

What's your message? And why did you decide to be a conscious artist? (an artist with conscious lyrics)

Sean Paul The first song I made was a "gimmick" (a little rhyming wordplay; he sings the song). And since then I've been singing more cultural songs, gimmicks and gun songs like Bounty Killer. I'd say that today I'm 95% conscious lyrics, and the rest of the lyrics are for the girls.

What's your next album called?

Sean Paul My album is called Stage One. It's coming out in a month.

Will it be a compilation of your best tunes, or will there be unreleased material too?

Sean Paul A lot of the songs on this album are songs I've already recorded. But there are lots of songs you don't know yet, and they'll also be coming out later on my label.

Do you have other plans for the future?

Sean Paul I'm working on an album with the Dutty Cup Crew that should be out in a year, and also a video of me and Vegas that will be on the next album.