Interview Time: Sean Paul

Sean Paul

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Kemi Brown caught up with Mr. Sean Paul, in central London for a cozy chat over coffee. We discussed his new album and what has been the pinnacle point of his career, and touched upon what is really happening in this world today.

Q: Question
S: Sean Paul

Q: Your video 'We burning' was filmed in a very interesting location (the desert) not the usual 'booty shaking' videos that were used to seeing other artist doing. What was the choice behind this?

S: Well basically the song is called 'we be burning' and it's not concerning what anybody wants to say and I tried to have an abstract approach to it. I don't want to come back to the same thing, and the album (Trinity) is not the same thing, it has a certain energy, but it’s different, so the video to me should have also been different. I didn't want it where it has the Jamaican 'dance hall' scenery; it's a dance hall track already, so I wanted it to be something visually different. I was asked 'where do you want to go? Anywhere in the world, you can go to, the ice caps, Tanzania,' but I thought, 'we be burning' so that's it, I already did 'Get Busy' in Canada, and so right now, I decided to switch things up, and as an artist you shouldn't do the same thing every time, as you become more of a computer then a creative person.

Q: Who has influenced and shaped your unique uptown sound and style?

S: Well, basically, people like 'Super Cat' and people like 'Shabba Ranks’ and the great 'Bob Marley' and allot of different hip-hop artists, people like LL Cool J and Boogy down production, 'Slick Rick' I have a wide variety of artists that I do respect. Being an artist like myself, you get inspired by artwork and for that reason; I don't have a favourite colour, or favourite movie or favourite song. Different things inspire me.

Q: You are a very well established artist and you have been in the music game for almost a decade now, what has been the pinnacle point in your career?

S: I can say that the pinnacle point, when MTV and BET (black entertainment channel) have been to me, it was just a different side of things, I didn't think my music would get that much recognition or sell that much, not that I was doubtful of myself, it was just that in 1996 and 1997, I would look at other artists that was representing, and on television with their music and it was just all pop music, and I thought 'dance hall' music can be on the TV, and go all over the place, from that time I really did think it made a difference, when I got the chance to be on those big TV stations.

Q: You have worked with many different artists, who have been the best so far? And is there anyone else you would like to work with, if so, who and why?

S: I have worked with many different artists, and I give thanks for everything, which I have been able to do with them, as I learnt from them, I learnt what there discipline for the work was. Other people I would love to work with is Alicia Keys. Recently I worked with Ashanti; I did a lickle demo, which is not on the album. There are allot of different people in the game that I would like to work with also, and do some rap music too. I recently worked with 'Santana' (diplomats) and we did a song, featuring 'Joss Stone' and it will come out on his new album. I love different types of music, but this album is just featuring, strictly 'dancehall' and what is happening in Jamaica right now, and bringing the attention to it.

Q: So, are you now going to concentrate on yourself, and take a break from collaborating with lots of other artists?

S: No actually, I have done allot of songs on this album, about 18 or 19 or so, it does feature a couple of artists but, they are mainly people that are in 'Reggae' music and ‘dancehall’, and they haven't been about for more then five years, it's a new synergy and a new energy, Wayne Marshall is very talented song writer and entertainer and Tammy Chin, who just got signed to universal records, a very beautiful diva who has her own style, and a very sexy, lickle young girl who basically turned up Jamaican music over the last few years, and 'Dutty Cup Crew', which is my crew, there the kids that inspire me 'kid kurupt' and 'Nina Sky' who I worked with and 'Daddy Yankee' those collaborations are with people who haven't been in the game for more then five years. I did this because, I got help from 'Beyonce' and 'Busta Rhymes' and gained fans from the R'N'B and hip-hop world, and I wanted to give shine to the people who still inspire me today and these are these new kids, who bring new energy and synergy and that is why I call it the 'the trinity'.

Q: So having been in the music scene for almost a decade now and 'trinity' only being your third album that you have released? What is the reason behind this?

S: Well in the ‘dancehall’ world, you make a song, like every two weeks, you put out songs allot and so even on my I-pod I have about 100 or odd songs including songs that are from my first and second album which is about 50 songs and this third album now, is about 19 or more, so there's other songs that I have, and the reason being is that you put out songs to work into that way that is how the system works, I have done many songs since 'Dutty Rock' I can name them; 'dip it low' 'bounce it right there' 'close to me' and 'exquisite girl' there's allot on the album. I do this to keep my whole vibe alive, I put albums together, with certain concepts, on 'Stage One' (first album) I was introducing myself to the world, with 'Dutty Rock' (second album) I felt like a rock star, right now, it's a new energy a new synergy that is why I call it the 'Trinity'.

Q: Some of your songs could be described as main stream and commercial reggae to appeal to the masses? Will your recent album, cover some deeper social issues?

S: Yes, this album is quite different, there's three moods to the album, the first one is party tracks, what you know me for, like 'get busy' and 'give me the light' so 'we be burning' sounds like a break away, also look out for songs like 'Senitane' 'give it up to me' 'temperature' 'head in the zone' theses songs are like party tracks, the other issues I deal with on the album, is, I’m telling the critics and people that ask doubtful questions, they do it to poke or curse annoyance into people sometimes, and they do ask, ‘do you feel pressured to do this and that’, but I mainly feel the need to write music, if I have 30 people or 30 million, the bottom line is I do it to makes me happy, in the song called 'the trinity' I am explaining where I am right now, my main aim is to maintain, my main aim is to stay sane, I’m saying that I never did like fame, in another part of the song, I’m saying is like I am being boastful, and I'm still putting this energy back into the songs that I am doing, and make people say 'that's hot'.

The first thing that I noticed as a kid, when I heard 'Shabba Ranks' or a 'Slick Rick' song, was that the rhythm is banging, and I want to make sure that the rhythm is banging, and then your like, what them say and how them say, what the melody they say it in, and the style and the flow in which they give it in and I make sure that those elements are there and still doing it for the song, it's all about the music, and that's why we keep doing it, there's another song called 'change the game', where I talk about what I give to the critics, I'm still giving stage shows all over the globe, and no matter who chat 'bout, Sean Paul, and the dutty and the real fuck, and if you are a pop star and all, your popular, but it is dancehall music that I am doing, it's dancehall music from the streets of Jamaica, and so I'm helping to the 'change the game' and that is what the song is called, I'm helping to make dance hall music more popular and recognized throughout the globe.

This year alone, I went to Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Brazil, Columbia, Venezuela, and Mexico. I have been touring these countries, and I'm so popular and I'm hungry. So I have played the game, so FUCK OFF to all the critics, leave me alone, I'm done, you know what I’m saying? I just want to get on with my life now, and that is what I am saying in that song and those types of things.

The third issue on the album is where I get a lickle more deeper, when sadly enough it had to be about friends of mine, February this year, I lost a couple of friends and family. In general speaking, the whole of Jamaica has dealt with allot of violence, and it's terrible and kids are dyeing everywhere and so the song is called 'never gonna be the same' and that is what I'm saying, you know 'it's never gonna be the same, keep burning up the flame' those who passed before us, we have to remember them, as they helped to make us who we are, I truly believe that, and the song is like a prayer, and I’m saying 'I know I will see you again' people take life for granted sometimes, and we have our friends and you take them for granted until there gone, and that deeply effected me, ‘Daddigon’ god rest his soul, ‘Boggle’-father of Jamaican dance and also my aunt has passed away, I mention a few people in his this song, famous footballers, who have died recently in Jamaica, and we have to keep burning up the flame and keep there memory alive.

I wrote another song that is kind of sad, it's called 'I'll take you there' it is a party track, and it has some party verses, the chorus is talking about; 'girl I'll take you there, I'll take you to a place where you can be free as you want to be, and if you are tired of the killing and blood spilling, and you wanna be chilling' you just want to go and have a good time.

There is war every where today, it has been evident from millions of years that people don't get along with each other, especially now, there is war in my lickle country, and around the Middle East, allot of places, so my music, is kind of a release. 9/11 happened, and I couldn't understand why 'gimmie the light' was such a big song? I thought people would want more of a reality song, but what I am saying is that they are already sad, people want some kind of an escape, ok, it's not solving there problems, but if music makes them socialize with people, and it helps bringing people together. The album works in that respect, I’m GIVING YOU BACK WHAT YOU WANT, the party track, I’m answering my critics; FUCK OFF MAN, but also dealing with issues that are so real to me, and my country and so for that reason, the album is different from my other albums, it's deeper.

Q: So what do you think of association with 'dancehall' and crime? The recent death of the godfather of reggae dancing "Boggle".

S: I think that people say that dancehall attracts crime, but they don't realise that it's really about the whole economic state of the third world, we are the third world (Jamaica) we are not listened to in the Country Summit, we don't have a voice there, and so our people are led to almost basically fend for themselves, just like what happened in America in the poorest state right there, it shows what the world is about, it's not just dancehall music. Dancehall music is like hip-hop music, it's street, it's telling you what's happening in the streets, it's not really idolizing crime to make people go and do it, it's just crying out to people and saying 'look what's happening right here-PEOPLE DEAD, 'bounty killer' is making you know that basically, it aint so pretty, and so to me, that is real music and you need to have that, I think parents should embrace there kids music, and I think people who grew up listening to hip-hop, and I know parents and older people who are young at heart and who have there eyes and ears to the street, because they listen to hip-hop and that is a way to get to close to the younger generation especially.

Q: What are you listening to at the moment?

S: All kind of tings, I picked up Reanna's album, I picked up Gwen Stefani, Tia Marie, and I listen to the 'Games' album, but mainly my ting-'The Trinity' I kind of listen to other people's stuff and compare it, and think, 'that is a good idea, I wish I had thought of that' but then, they hear my music, and they think, yeah I wish I had thought of that. It's all about comparing and getting inspiration and different things.

Q: I'd like to know what some of your favorite things in life are:

S: Good vibes, I definitely do enjoy a good big phat spliff (I don' know if you can put that down) I like time to relax and know that life is good, I do miss that vibe, time to relax, and I wish it for it more. My music is hectic; I do it for the reason of that is how I express myself, and the best way. Other then that, I am a calm person, and enjoy learning about different cultures and having company in that respect.