Mykal Rose, has been in the music business for fifty years. He recorded his first single at 15 and worked with producers like Newton Simmons, Niney the Observer and Lee “Scratch” Perry.
“When I started out with music I used to do talent shows and hang out with Dennis Brown at a place named Big Yard downtown (Kingston), at Orange Street and North Street Corner,” Rose reflects.
The Born Free singer’s journey with Black Uhuru began in 1977, but before he joined the group as the lead singer and songwriter, he said, “I did a talent show and Niney the Observer saw me in concert at the Bohemia Club” and he said he went to record three songs with the Sound Syndicated band.
Among those songs recorded were “Guess Who is Coming To Dinner,” a song that was remixed by Dean Fraser and Shane Brown and released in 2018 by RIAA Gold selling singer Tarrus Riley featuring Rose on the sample.
When Rose joined the group, they released five albums including “Showcase,” in 1979, “Red,” in 1981 and “Anthem,”(1983) which won Reggae’s first Grammy for “Best Reggae Recording” in 1985. “Anthem,” is listed as the 27th most commercially successful Grammy winning reggae album. It was the group’s fifth studio album, but Rose said he never made it to the ceremony and he learned that he won when a friend bought him the daily newspaper.
Black Uhuru went on to be nominated eight more times for the Best Reggae Album at the Grammys, but all without Mykal because soon after the Grammy win, Rose left Black Uhuru in 1985 and briefly signed with RCA in 1991 before returning to Jamaica to work with riddim twins Sly and Robbie.
Between 1995-2004, he joined Heartbeat Records and released nine albums and unlike many of his peers at the time, he says he has nothing bad to say about record labels because if there was ever a problem his lawyers would sort it out.
This year he submitted his latest album “I Give You Love” in the “Best Reggae Album” category for Grammy consideration. He talks with World Music Views in this exclusive interview about his storied career and how he managed to stay clear of bad record deals.
What was it like signing to Island Records?
It was so great, in them days deh we a try and we don’t even know if we gonna get sign cause we a seh Rastafari from early, making music about how the youths a get free up and youth a get killed. We never even know we did agh get Grammy. Its one morning me deh Waterhouse a draw a Chalice and me her a youth some with the paper and seh ‘a unuh win the Grammy”.
So you were not there to collect the award?
No dem did lef me. Duckie did go collect it.
Max Romeo just filed a lawsuit saying Universal Music Group owes him 47 years of Royalties, you were around with Max Romeo, are you owed any Royalty?
It nuh make sense me come seh people owe me, there is a way to deal with things. There are people to do the books and nuttn nuh wrong, If Max Romeo seh Island owe him, him go collect the food and a so it go.
Were artists treated fairly in that time?
If you contract nuh right and you sign for what you nuh fi sign for, and you inna problem me don’t even know. You haffi just know wah deh before you.
How did the group split up?
We never have nuttn verbal, we start feel different and people start act a way. I was the smallest tone in the group and me just kinda low it. Me never have a contract with Duckie to say me haffi do this or that. So me just seh me nah run down nuh vanity so me leave it.
In your solo career you dropped 30 album from 1990 to 2023.
Music will never die and the people will always love music. There is nothing to me like music.
What advice do you have for the new artists?
Them a do them thing. The thing change up now inuh. I remember one time it was like Ska, so now you haffi make music way fit the youths Dem on YouTube and a download it a move fast.
You have been signed to three labels, do you advise artists to sign to labels or go independent?
What cause all a that (independence) is them stop sign Jamaican artists so we the people haffi find a way how to work out the thing if big labels nah sign the Jamaican artist them. Call it ‘sweet yuhself”
Your Remix Of ‘Guess Who ‘with Tarrus Riley is still playing in the club but the original was made in the 70s, how do you feel about that?
The song them was me record them always seh them come too early so by the time them come out it just ready. Shout out to Shane Brown and Dean Fraser who remixed it.
Will there ever be a Black Uhuru reunion?
One gwan already with Beres hammond, we did supposed to do an album together and everything. Mi nuh know, if the Grammy thing come up we can seh yeah Black Uhuru lets do it again. Music a life and this is what it’s about and lotta people want the Black Uluru thing.
Your latest Grammy submission, tell me about it and what if you win?
It’s called ‘I Give You Love”, it have collaborations with Bugle, Jahmeil, and Bounty Killer. With the Grammy thing you cyah build up your feelings cause you just haffi hope seh somebody listen to your album and if it pleases them they vote for you.
Do you think the Grammys are good for reggae music?
Yes it good cause the other day I see the white bwoy them win and me see everybody come outta them shell and start talk. So it good for the reggae music man.
Whats on your playlist?
Me listen to Nina Simone, everything wah a happen. This is why I am so consistent. everything on the Billboard. Dancehall, Popcaan, everything. Sly always tell me seh you haffi have your eyes pon the Billboard chart.
Do you own your masters?
No, I record for other people, I own my publishing but me nuh own the masters.
Did you ever meet Bob Marley?
We shared stage but I never talked to him. The first concert Black Uhuru did do, ‘The Year Of The International Child’ we performed that night.
Give me your top five singers of all time?
Dennis Brown a my singer, Ken Boothe, Althon Ellis, Melodions, BB Seaton, Bob Marley.
