Interview with Chezidek, November 10th, 2017 in Marseille, France – Part 2/6: Early career
In the 90’s, you used to record as Chilla Rinch… Could you tell us more about your early career?
Them days me just a practice. Young youth a practice. Cause you know the music thing through you have it alright, and many type of different songs. Cause we do a lot of song writing. So, because of that we are practicing, and learning too, ghetto arts together.
You know. We try, and venture many areas. Deejay some songs. Sing some. Do something. Them used to call me Chilla Rinch from school days. You know them call me Chilla or Rinch, and I was recording some songs out with that name. Also, I did some songs. But them days deh you know, I just a practice. It’s not nothing to look back and say “Oh that was…” No,… Growth. Stages, you know. But it is a part of our history so we can’t deny it.
Do you remember your first experience in a studio?
You done know. A longtime me a go studio because from me a youth we always want buss or be an artist. Because the people always love the way how we write music, so we always want buss. Yeah man, me go a studio on many times. I got early occasions. Try, and fail, and try again, til… [Laughs] Me still inna business. Longtime. In early 90’s maybe was the first time me go a studio. Early 90’s.
You used to record for Philipp “Fattis” Burrel when Sizzla, and Turbulence were also recording for X-terminator
Yes, for a few years I was with them, you know. Lutan came after.
How was it like to work for X-terminator? Did you work with other artists and/or together?
Oh, we never really worked together. I was just there doing a hundred of songs every day. And then, they hardly put out any. They put out my first album. So, I am very grateful. X-terminator, it was a really great experience for me. Yeah man, it was a great joy, and my first tour in Europe was with X-terminator Records, Philipp “Fattis” Burrel.
It wasn’t like working together with artists. It was just doing your own thing, in your time. They gave you your time to do your thing, and you do your thing. There was no unity amongst no artist there at that time. None at all.
Did you become friend with any artist?
Me and Turbulence still a bredren man, me and Lutan a bredren, me and Jah Cure a bredren. Me write a lot of songs for Jah Cure too. So me and Jah Cure keep bredren. Me have nuff bredren weh a artists man. White Mice and dem youth them. Whole heap a youth them a me bredren. A nuff elder too. Father Cocoa Tea used to be my producer at a point in my life. Beres Hammond really encourage me a lot. Daddy U Roy, and those man. Me and a lot of artists a friend. Norris Man and Jah Mason dem a me bredren dem deh. Many artists are my friend man. Perfect Giddimani, we come from the same community.
But some artists I know we are not like friends but like the respect is there. The love is there but is not like we’re close friends. Cause you know, I’m from the countryside. I don’t mix and mingle, and link up too much to get caught up in their life styles, and their way of living. So, I prefer to maintain my original style. I don’t to get too much into the mainstream, and into the link up, and the friend thing, and the bag a artist thing. Sometimes you tend to lean their way, and try to be like them or they try to persuade you to be like them. And sometimes, it cause a lot of disrespect, and competition.
And you know, cause sometimes Jamaican artists they are very competitive, and like to create animosities to highlight themselves, and push themselves up, and push their fellow artists down. So, I prefer sometimes to just stay inna the hill deh and plant some food, and plant some weed. And you know, whole a joy amongst the youths them, and irie people. Good people. I like to be around good people, you know irie ones. I choose the places that I go, and the people that I go around.
You know some Rasta artist them get really big, them abuse the thing, and them ego get out the better of them. And they didn’t a good job as to pave a way. The Rasta artists owe it before a certain generation of Rasta artists, like Garnett Silk, like Bob Marley. They did a very good job to pave the way for us. They made it easier for use to come, and sing.
But when we came, some of us, not me. Then I no point no finger, you a go do the puzzle. Some of us were not irie. And some of us didn’t deal with the music right. Some of them were cursing, and swearing, and condemning, and discriminating. And some of them too self righteous, and some of them gwaan like them a the most high, and them a the king of all kings. And some of them a fight! All pon stage! Them thing them make Rasta thing look like joke, so. You know, people say these guys, no!
And you know, the people have to really feel you! Feel you! Like I sing in Patois, broken English with African tongue, and sometimes a little English. And most of my fans are French people. They don’t speak the language I sing. But they feel the energy. So that is the thing. They feel I & I.
The Rasta artists weh a come now, if they have no big promotion back of them, like them new generation, they have a big promotion. The natural singer them a come in hard! Cause some a them man them working hard, and them nah buss it. Even in Jamaica, it’s more the Dancehall hype! Young vibe, and party. Bashment, now is more a Dancehall vibe. You know, there’s more party music. People no want get too deep inna too much listening, and something that make them think. People don’t want to think too much sometimes. They want music for their feet.
Even me now, sometimes I try to make the music so simple that you don’t have to think. Maybe another time you can understand the message, but just keep you moving. Cause it’s music, we don’t want to be like we come to indoctrinate, and we come to preach. No, they just wanna hold a good vibes. Dancehall, this is some music. And play some music. You see happy people, smiling, and you know, loving the music.
Also read:
- 1/6: Early life
- 3/6: Achievements and future projects
- 4/6: Apart from Reggae music
- 5/6: Politics in Jamaica
- 6/6: Rub-a-Dub Kamp
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