MY KINGSTON – MAD COBRA
Catch us up to speed with the latest.
Right now, I am on and off tour. I was just in the United States doing a lot of recordings. I just did some remixes; one was for Popcaan’s My Life. I am doing a lot of work preparing for my European tour. For the rest of the year, I am booked for about 36 shows between Europe and the United States so I have to keep fit for them.
Speaking of fitness, Miss Kitty introduced you — ahead of your performance at Reggae Sumfest last month — as a daily workout disciple. What’s your exercise regime?
Jogging and swimming every day, and eating healthy. I don’t lift weights. I have never smoked so my lungs are there. I try my best to keep fit and have no worries. Sometimes stress destroys people so I try not to worry about anything, eat right, and maintain healthy living.
As a former pig farmer and current horse owner and breeder, explain the animal instincts.
I love animals. I grew up in the countryside in St Mary, where I saw my grandparents raising pigs, cows and goats and planting crops like callaloo and banana. I believe in life and I love animals, and sometimes it doesn’t have to be something I am gaining money from. I used to have a pig farm, but I gave it up because of larceny. I walked away because I didn’t want any problems. As of now, I am planning around racehorsing. I own horses but also want to get into breeding and have some thoroughbreds down here.
Is there a dream venue or an audience anywhere in particular that you’d like to perform for?
I have travelled almost everywhere from Europe to Asia and the reception is always great; they love Jamaicans. But what artistes must remember is that you have to pass first in Jamaica and have acceptance from an audience here. There is nowhere I would pick over Jamaica to perform, though.
If you were to be reincarnated, who or what would you want to return as?
Myself.
Real success means…
Dreaming about something and making your visions a reality. I believe in prayer, too, and try to get along with everybody.
Say you’ve been invited to the White House. What would you want to discuss with Trump?
I would not ask him anything about politics and let it become a problem. I would ask him when he would invite dancehall to the White House — not any songbird and vocalising — but real dancehall.
Lyric inspiration comes…
From the streets. I deejay about life and about things that affect people. When you can talk about what affects the life of the masses, you can connect. I can go international because I ‘ve been there, but my inspiration comes from everyday life.
As a dancehall veteran, how do you find the music now compared to then?
Then and now hasn’t seen much change. What’s changed much is the technology. What artistes of my era in the 1980s and 1990s said is still the same messages, it’s just said differently. I would ask some of my senior artistes to stop burn out the younger youths; teach them; if they want to take it positively or negatively, it’s up to them. Dancehall then and now is almost the same. The message is a repeat, and a circle but it’s how you say it — the younger artistes say things now and get away with it. Things we wouldn’t say, they are getting away with it.