Shinehead, the British-born Jamaican DJ who pioneered the fusion of reggae and hip hop in New York, now resides in Long Beach, California, a stark contrast to the settings mentioned in his breakout hit “Jamaican In New York.”
Still witty with his lyrics, he sings, “Once upon a time, not long ago, back in the year 1980,” in a freestyle to WMV, marking the beginning of his artistic journey. “Before dancehall, it was the hip hop circuit I was seeking out,” he says.
He first arrived in America in 1972, left, and then returned in 1975, during the heyday of vinyl records and the emergence of hip hop with two turntables and a mic in the Bronx. He quickly immersed himself in the New York Sound System culture, which was being imported from Jamaica, and became affiliated with Downbeat Sound.
Working on the sound system was an invaluable education for Shinehead in the early 1980s. He traveled across the East and West coasts and even the Midwest as the resident lyricist for various sound systems.
“I went looking for Downbeat, and it was pretty much on from then. I started in the early 80s, and then African Love carried me to Elektra Records,” he said.
Cassettes, invented in 1962 by Dutch engineer Lou Ottens for the Philips Company, became popular in the US by the 1980s, especially for sharing Jamaican music recorded on sound systems. Shinehead believes this era was crucial for the development of Jamaican music in America due to its compact and accessible nature.
Brigadier Jerry, Pinchers, KC Jockey, Sister Carol, Louie Rankin, Nicodemus, Half Pint and Jr Reid are some of the names who were built with the cassette. “The cassette made everybody famous,” Shinehead said. “There is a whole term of endearment we used to say ’cause ain’t nothing like a ‘cassette from yard.'”
The cassette allowed direct recording of the sound system and persons back home could record their own 90 minute versions and send to family and friends abroad. Portable cassette tape players also made personal reaching and voting music more convenient for sound system fans.
“What made it so sweet is you haffi wait on it. When it reach, the quality may not be so good, but you glad,” Shinehead recalled.
Shinehead speaks on his first recording “Billie Jean,” saying it was natural after meeting his uncle Winston, who was the sound system operator in Jamaica with a collection of American music on Vinyls records, including the Jackson 5’s.
“The first album I picked up had five gentlemen in brown tuxedos and shirts. It was The Temptations. The second album I picked up featured five young black guys who looked like me, posing confidently. As a child, it felt like they were saying, ‘Come join us,'” he says.
His talent developed after an encounter with his two cousins on a farm in the Jamaican countryside. One of them hit him, causing him to scream a high note in song.
“We were down in the bushes in the banana walk when I got a hit, and I took a deep breath and sang a high note. Clive and Banjo rolled with laughter, and on that day, I got my first boo and my first cheer in the banana walk. That’s why I sing the Michael Jackson song,” he recalled.
Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, and James Brown are among his inspirations, but it was the stress of New York that drew the interest of Elektra Records after he released the rap record “Who The Cap Fit.”
“It was ‘Who the Cap Fit’ that Red Alert on 97.7 Kiss would play during his hip hop segments. The buzz started in the street,” he says.
“Jamaican In New York,” a cover of Sting’s “Englishman In New York,” is Shinehead’s biggest song. It peaked at No. 3 on the UK Official Singles Chart in 1993. It was the lead single from the album Sidewalk University, which reached No. 94 on the R&B/Hip Hop Albums Chart.
“Claude brought the idea to me and the producer, but they didn’t know I’d been listening to Sting for a long time. ‘Englishman in New York’ was in medium to high rotation. I love jazz and jazz rock; that’s a big part of who I am,” Shinehead recalls.
For anyone wishing to follow his path and do song covers, he advises, “Don’t take too much. Do it with class and do it with taste.”
As much as he took from other artists who came before him, Shinehead is aware of his influence on rap and Jamaican music in the 80s and 90s. He doesn’t crown himself but says his peers have acknowledged his pioneering spirit.
“When I asked Born Jamericans how they got into the music game, they said, ‘By listening to you, man.’ I asked KRS-One how he got into the game, and he said he came looking for the Downbeat and African Love cassette with Shinehead on it. So I ain’t claiming first place; it was declared,” he says.
“Chain Gang,” a song from his 1988 album Unity, was the first music video to be shown on YO! MTV Raps. “That was a historical moment for me and a lovely video,” he says. “About two years’ worth of mortgages in the most affluent neighborhoods,” he adds, referring to the cost of making the video, which chronicled the life of a working man in New York City who takes the subway train.
Despite the significant sums spent on Shinehead’s music videos, he says he was treated well by record labels, thanks to individuals like Raul Roach, Barry Roberts, Elaine Valentine, Bob Krasnow, Claude Evans, and Tyrone Wallace. The main challenge was merging reggae and rap, a new concept at the time, which made it difficult for the labels to market his unique talent. “Obviously, there are those after me with the same talent, and after the kinks worked out, folks have learned how to sell a person with so many attributes,” Shinehead remarked.
By the mid-90s, Shinehead was dropped by Elektra Records after completing five albums, and he wasn’t even informed.
“I got dropped in 1995, and when I got dropped, I didn’t even know. The contract was up, sales probably weren’t so good, so from ’95 till now, I guess they have recouped,” he reflected.
As music becomes an asset class and Wall Street rushes to buy valuable song catalogs, Shinehead insists he wouldn’t sell the portion of his catalog that he owns. “Never,” he says. “100% what is mine is mine, and what is theirs is theirs. The check comes in quarterly. I have to create new tunes and not copy anyone’s work.”
After being dropped from Elektra, Shinehead released “Praises” in 1999 under VP Records. The album didn’t chart, and he took a break from the music industry to focus on family matters.
“I cooled off for a number of years, went to sleep, and woke back up. We lived real life, got married, parked Shinehead, and then it was over. Then guess who is back, and I am catching up now,” he said.
