Reasoning with Sean Paul

SP: In the music industry in Jamaica in terms of the ladies, I've really liked J.C. Lodge since I was a kid. Other than that, I haven't worked with many artists in terms of combinations because I did that one song with Vegas and the scuffle came out of it. It was just a lot of hectic vibes, so I kind of choose who I want to work with.

Back in the local production in Jamaica, I've had chances to do songs with Beenie Man before and I didn't really want to do it, because back at that time, I didn't want to be labeled as someone who was following—either Beenie Man or Bounty Killer. Those were the two biggest cats while I was growing in the business for a long time. So I just kind of eased off and didn't do any songs with any of them. I did two with Vegas at that time.

I just did the combination with Cecile the other day. I did a song with Chico, which is called "Ganja Breed." It hasn't been heard too much before. It's on my album. Chico is a talented dancehall singer that a lot of people don't play enough. He's doing original songs and people should respect that because big singers in the industry often don't sing their own material. To have a kid who is doing his own thing and is sounding great, that's a blessing and you have to big that up.

I did a song with Sasha. A couple of years ago she did a song [sings], "I would like to get to know you baby, like to . . . " 'pon the dancehall "Deport Them" rhythm, Bookshelf. So she came back and did a song called "I'm Still in Love," with me [produced by Steely and Cleevie], and this tune is basically #1 in Jamaica right now. Also, "Gimme the Light" just went to #1 too, by the way. So the vibe is good with the combinations with Jamaican artists.

I also did a combination with Tony Touch, who did the "Piece Maker" in New York—he's a Puerto Rican deejay and a rapper and he breakdances on the stage and all that. He's bigging up a Spanish vibe in the song. I also did a song with Rahzel from The Roots—he's a human beat box so he did a lot of sound effects in there. I've worked with the Neptunes. I have a Jamaican kid on that track, his name is Fahrenheit—basically I've known him for years—I used to go to school with him and he's part of my road management team. He did the hook for me on the song that I did with the Neptunes. The Neptunes put me onto different things too.

Big up Beenie Man because I met the Neptunes when Beenie Man put me on his track with Lady Saw. Then the Neptunes put me on the Clipse's remix which is featured on their album, you see me? Right now I'm doing another remix for them. I did a collaboration with Mya this summer on her album [a track called "Things Come and Go"]. I'm just finishing up something with Blu Cantrell for her album soon and I'm supposed to do a De La Soul track soon. They gave me a rhythm.

I'm going back to New York tomorrow to do a hook for Jay-Z.

LG: Jay-Z?

SP: Yeah! Big vibe. It's just a hook. A lot of the collaborations I'm doing involve a second verse and a hook. The people do their song and then I put a small hook and a verse to it.

I would like to work with anyone in the business who wants to give respect back to the Jamaican vibe.

I well-wanted to work with No Doubt. No Doubt was a big, big thing for me—I missed it. I was upset. I didn't get to meet them while they were in Jamaica at all and I've been a fan of theirs since [their track] "Don't Speak." I did a version of their song called "Gun Speech." It was a conscious song. It didn't really go to many places but I had to give respect to that melody. It was more like a dub than anything.

I like to work with all those things but my album is basically going to be dedicated straight to dancehall music. I've seen it clear that that's what I'm supposed to do. My first album had straight dancehall tracks on it, and my second album now is straight dancehall with two tracks that are more hip-hop sounding: one is the Neptunes track, and the other is a recording that I did with a kid named Mark Ronson. Atlantic heard the remix that we did for "I'm Still in Love" (the one with me and Sasha) that Mark had turned from an authentic reggae track to a hip-hop track. [The Ronson track is called "International Affair" featuring Costa Rican singer Debbie Nova.]

LG: I'm sure people say that you've crossed over, just like they did with Shaggy, and with Maxi Priest. How do you stay true to your roots?

SP: I want my album to define what dancehall is. I don't want people to say, "Oh, but he's pop," "Oh, but he's this," "Oh, but he's that." So I'm doing mainly dancehall tracks. I work with producers who have proven [reggae] hits over the past fifteen, twenty years, such as Steely and Cleevie, Sly and Robbie, King Jammy's, and Tony Kelly. The only track on the album that hasn't been recorded in Jamaica is the [Ronson] one that Electra/Atlantic got a hold of, which was recorded in New York.

In my albums, I try to define what dancehall is. I don't want people to be confused. I'll do step-outs with Mya, and Jay-Z, and whoever, and I'll be on their R&B rhythms and that's great—I would love to do rock too—but my albums need to define what that music is about. I don't claim to be a big R&B singer. I know what I can do; I know what my assets are and that's what I'm hitting at.

LG: I don't want to keep you much longer, but the album comes out when?

SP: November 12, 2002. It's been pushed back to November 12, because of the Atlantic thing. They're getting everything in their mainstream line ready to come out.

They're also working with "Like Glue," my next single produced by Tony Kelly, which should be the next video. It's on the playlist on Hot 97 in New York right now. Some of these tunes have been added naturally because the selectors pick it up and start playing it. The people in the studio are listening to the mix show deejay and asking, "How come you're playing this kid so much?" and they respond, "because he's hot. He's playing in the discos." So it's authentic.

LG: I have to tell you that the biggest dancehall act we can draw here in Oakland is Buju [Banton]. Anything harder than that will not draw a crowd. TOK hasn't come, Lexxus hasn't come, so to be here with a sold-out crowd is pretty amazing.

SP: I feel big about that, for real! It's just a good feeling from a lot of people right now. It just proves that dancehall just needs the exposure—more videos, more support that way.

This interview would not have been possible or as pleasant without the support from Sean, Joshua, Steve, Jedi, and Monica. Nuff respect!

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Laura Gardner is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of www.jahworks.org and is known for her in-depth interviews with top international reggae artists. Her work has published in the BEAT Magazine, Reggae Review Magazine, the KALX Radio Program Guide, as well as other reggae-based websites. She can be reached at editor@jahworks.org.