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Tanya Stephens
is a revolutionary. Not in your typical Che Guevara, Malcolm X —fight-tooth-and-nail-until-something-changes
way, but in a strong, directed, unobtrusive, laugh-as-you-go way. Almost
like that necessary rudder in the back of the boat that steers and directs
the vessel forward, in the right direction.
 Stephens
grew up in a poor, large family in the Jamaican countryside and after
high school, she took some time off ‘in typical bum fashion’ as she puts
it, and started on the mic with a local sound system. From there, her
career slowly progressed, where in the summer of 2003 she hit it big with
her track, “It’s A Pity” on the German-produced Doctor’s
Darling rhythm. The song was a tale of forbidden love—an updated Romeo
and Juliet story, “It’s a pity you already have a wife and me done have
a man inna mi life. Rudebwoy , it’s a pity.”
With
her latest release on VP Records, “Gangsta
Blues,” she now has the people’s attention. And what does she do with
that attention? She tells tales of empowered women. She intelligently
crafts lyrics to fit her idea of the world—the world through Tanya Stephens’
eyes. She burns down inequality. She laughs at the judgments that people
ascribe to others. In her strong, yet vulnerable and humerous way, she
captures her audience’s attention.
With
her years of experience in the music industry, Stephens still fights for
creativity and originality. She and her partner, Andrew Henton, have started
up Tarantula Records, the “small but deadly” label. They hope to bring
new artists to the forefront to stop the recycling old musical ideas,
“We just want to make something new, different, and make a difference,”
Stephens says.
On
May 31, 2004 Lion Entertainment and Club Dread brought Tanya Stephens
to perform at StudioZ in San Francisco. Despite less than star treatment
by Lion Entertainment and Stephens’ and Henton’s vow never to work with
this promoter again, her performance was a treat to the nearly packed
house. She performed “It’s A Pity,” “Can’t Breathe,” “Boom Wuk,” “ Tek
Him Back,” and other songs from her newly released album.
The
following day, what was scheduled to be a 30-minute interview at their
hotel unfolded into several hours of conversation until we took them to
the airport to catch their flight home. We covered a wide range of topics
including music, the industry, sexism, poverty, motherhood, education,
and making a difference. At very minimum, interviewers hope for an artist’s
cooperation in answering our questions. But the two of us were warmly
greeted with Tanya's and her partner’s openness, candor, and graciousness
coupled with the most delightful sun kissed, turquoise skied weather the
typically foggy city can offer. What transpired was a relaxed, candid,
laughter-filled, and inspiring chat with the dynamic dancehall and reggae
duo of Tarantula Records.
Here’s
just a likkle taste of our delicious day with Tanya Stephens and Andrew
Henton.
 Tanya’s
foray into the music industry
I think I was sixteen plus.
I was just out of high school. Really, I was supposed to be headed to
college. I kind of wanted a break because in Jamaica we go off to school
so young. I don’t know about here but I’d been going to school since I
was two years old. And for us, it’s not like kindergarten or preschool
or nursery school where they play games. We go straight into learning
our ABC’s. It’s all academics so I just felt tired. I wanted a break and
I really wanted to experiment with life and experience things. So I took
some time off and hung out with a couple of guys on the side of the road
and stuff, you know, just typical bum fashion. And it was fun. Most of
them were deejays so I started grabbing the mic too.
My first show with my name on
a poster performing by myself was very nerve racking. I think my tongue
stuck to the roof of my mouth and I couldn’t get it off. When I finally
did, it came off with like a plucking sound like [makes plucking noise
with her tongue then laughs]. Afterwards, I laughed, though. I mean laughter
is the best remedy for anything.
Laughter in lyrics and lyrics
in life
I think that most practices
that humans have are laughable. You know, we do so many stupid things
without realizing they’re stupid, especially to each other. You know,
women have this notion that if her man leaves her for another women then
she’s mad at the other woman. She’s never mad at her man. I’m like, ‘If
he means that much to you, then you can have him back. He’s no longer
a novelty, you know.’
The experiences [in my music]
are not all mine but all of my lyrics are me because it’s either my experience
or my take on somebody else’s experiences. So, it’s all stuff I can back
up. It’s stuff that I would stand by and be able to defend even if everybody
disagreed with it, because it’s what I actually think.
Growing up a country gal in
Saint Mary’s Parish, Jamaica
I’m the sixth of seven children.
I have three brothers and three sisters so I’m from a pretty large family.
I was basically the typical Jamaican growing up in the country. I didn’t
have anything special or different about me than anybody else.
It’s poverty, but you don’t
know it’s poverty until you grow up. When you’re exposed to adults when
you get a little older, adults can be cruel. They’ll let you know that
you’re poor, but prior to that I had no idea and I had no problems with
it.
I think poverty had a lot more,
um, ‘success’ socially than being comfortable by social standards--my
youth was very rich with experience because by not having everything put
on a plate in front of me, it forced me to become a more aggressive person.
I learned to appreciate everything I have now and I think I wouldn’t have
it any other way because I don’t just take things for granted. I have
a daughter now and it gives me a better perspective on how to deal with
her. I can’t afford to take anything for granted.
Kids these days got it easy…
unless you live in Jamaica
It’s great being in a big family
because then you become a fighter. You have to fight for everything. There’s
never enough of everything, especially when you’re poor. I think that’s
good.
I wished my daughter got the
opportunity to grow up lacking a lot of stuff, too. I try to provide the
things she needs the best I can, but I still hold back the things she
wants from her, you know, just for her to be able to appreciate something
rather than it just comes easy. She still has to work for it and if she
doesn’t do well in school, she has everything taken. It seems cruel when
she starts to cry but when her grades come back up, you realize it’s worth
it.
It’s crazy. I see parents begging
their kids to behave and it’s like, man, you need to move to Jamaica.
That would never happen at home: begging your kids to behave! When I was
growing up my mother only needed to give me a look. I’d be sitting so
quiet because I knew what was coming next. You know, it worked.
I think in a lot of other countries
it’s considered abuse. I don’t think it’s abusive because I don’t feel
like an abused person. I think everything should be taken in proper perspective.
In order for kids to grow up in some semblance of order, they need to
have something imposed on them in terms of discipline. I don’t have a
problem with that at all. My daughter knows that we’re not American so
she can’t call no social security [social services]. In Jamaica, you call
them, you move in with them!
Raising her daughter Kelly
or vice versa
She’s nine. She’ll be ten in
September. She thinks she’s so grown. She gives me fashion advice. She
teaches me to behave in public and stuff. She’s good.
When she was younger, we went
to a football [soccer] match together and it was Jamaica playing Mexico
in the National Stadium. Jamaica scored a goal and I jumped and I was
screaming, ‘Yeah!’ She was just pinching me on my side and was muttering
through her teeth saying, “Mummy, please just sit down and shut up. Sit
down and shut up. Oh God, you’re embarrassing me!” And that was so amusing
to me. Look at this little pipsqueak, you know? But she’s cool.
She acts like an old lady. Trust
me. She acts like her grandmother. She spends a lot of time with my mother,
which I think has a lot to do with it. Her mannerisms are older.
I don’t really have any preset
notions on what she should be. Anything she decides to become, I’m gonna
love her just the same. I don’t really think it’s my life to live. I’m
trying to equip her with everything she needs to get through life in whatever
level she wants to get through it but she knows she doesn’t have to be
anything particular to earn my approval. I love her just the same. I’m
blessed to have her so I don’t try to dictate stuff.
Not your typical girl
When I was growing up, I was
(like) a boy. I liked the boys. I used to think they had too much privileges.
They could do everything and I couldn’t see any reason why shouldn’t be
able to do it, too. So, I was running with them. I used to hate them.
They didn’t have to worry about their hair. They didn’t have to look any
particular way. I think my hatred for their privileges made me like hanging
with them more. I wanted to experience what they did.
Yes, I want [male] privileges.
I enjoy being a girl but I want to be equal to a man.
Everybody’s good at their own
sex life
Many of the sexual topics that
we explore in dancehall are really non-issues. We really don’t need to
be putting them on wax. Whatever two consenting adults do in their own
privacy is nobody’s business. There really doesn’t need to be a song about
it. I really think so [laughs].
I just think it’s ridiculous.
I don’t need to validate my existence in a club by putting my hand in
the air and making a forward about who don’t like battyman or who don’t
nyam pum pum. I don’t think it’s anyone’s business. I think whatever a
guy or a girl wants to do is their own damn business. I don’t think any
of us are perfect enough or even close to it to hand down these judgments
and say who should do what.
I know that for being taken
seriously as an artist, if this is all you talk about, you’ll have an
uphill climb trying to be taken seriously. Yeah, because there’s only
so much you can say about that and no more. If that’s your biggest selling
point, then you have nothing to sell because nobody needs your instructions
on how to conduct their sex life. Everybody’s really good at their own
sex life. No rules about that.
I wouldn’t be following the
trends by people who I think are substandard anyway.
Yardie-style aerobics
Oh God, I don’t even try to
keep up with it. For everything, there’s a dance move [laughter]! I’m
gonna do the “Let’s Sit on the Chair.”
I don’t really think it helps
aerobically, because he [Elephant Man] really doesn’t look like… No…
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