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Interview: Richie Spice (2008)
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Interview: Richie Spice (2008)
Richie Spice talks to Angus Taylor about his new album Gideon Boot.
Sampler
Richie Spice has just finished his fourth album Gideon Boot, continuing his longstanding association with 5th Element records. Angus Taylor got a chance to ask him about the record and what motivates him in life.
Gideon Boot the single was released back in 2006. Did you always plan to include it on an album?
Oh yes, most definitely it was a plan from the very beginning.
The name of the album and single come from the Book Of Judges. What does the story mean to you?
Well, what it mean to me, Gideon Boots, the name of album and the name of song represent telling the people that right now you got to get yourself together, tighten up your lace, fix up yourself physically, spiritually for the generation to come, and set an example. To the younger generation.
Tell us a bit about the album.
Well the album was produced by the executive producer Bobby Digital, it have fifteen tracks, but also by two other producers… the man called Flava, who did Di Plane Land, but also Arif Cooper with The World Is A Cycle, y’know? Fifteen tracks of different moods, different melodies, and different lyrics speaking of different issues.
Wrap Up A Draw is the latest of several songs praising the sacrament of herb. Do you feel your message is getting across?
Oh yes, the message is getting across, timely, patiently, in a form, people are listening and paying attention very well.
You also touch on these issues on Di Plane Land but additionally on the impact of world events on travel. Did something specific happen to inspire the song?
Yes most definitely. I was on tour… I don’t remember where. But I was travelling with a lickle bottle of liquid, a kind of stimulant which is what I use to warm up your throat because at time it was snowing real hard. Guy just take and… throw it away! Just like that! I was trying to explain that it is a thing that I use and it is very import to me and the guy wouldn’t listen. And he throw it away with a very angry spirit.
You felt he didn’t respect you?
Nah.
How did The World Is A Cycle come about?
Well it come about through natural thing that happen in day to day life and making people know that you should be careful of the thing that you do because what goes around comes around. Whatever you do, if it don’t return on you, it gonna return on the generation to come.
Did you expect it to be such a success?
Well I always work and whenever I work I try to do the best according to my ability and make sure I put it together in the right way. And nobody perfect but I try to put it together the right way so when you listen back after five years it still have the substance. But sometimes I do work on a song and know it gonna be an extra success. Like Earth A Run Red for example. And World Is A Cycle also – it is a very excellent song – and people respect it on a certain level when I travel – in the Caribbean, to America, and for Europeans also.
The middle section about prayer is particularly strong.
Prayer is a great thing to me because every one have something they look up to and carry them through the day. And we use prayer and we look on it as a very important thing.
You have a great success rate is revitalising well used rhythms. How do you approach voicing a rhythm track like Guardian Angel or One For The Road that has been used many times before?
It’s just natural because you get the rhythm and you listen it and you feel it. You get the same feelings that the rhythm have within and your feelings combine with the rhythm and then you put it together properly and it come all clean and clear and so it works.
Tell us about some of the new tracks from the album.
We have Let’s Go which is a collaboration with Gentleman, we have Wrap Up A Draw which we mentioned, we have Getting Harder which is a song about world crisis, and lots more like Make Up Your Mind, Di Plane Land…
What is it like coming from such a musical family?
Well, it was a joy because we grow up in one yard as brothers and sisters with our mother, and at times we might have a little argue but we know to work it out, come round and live in love again. It was a vibes, it was enjoyable because each one teach one and we live. And the same thing turn out in the music also, because my father was a man who was a very disciplined man, who show us how we must help our brothers and so it come out same way because we try to teach world how to live as brothers and sisters.
Is there any rivalry between you and your brothers?
No we never have that before because we know to deal with situation and we don’t mix our family life with music and we respect our views and so it works.
What plays on Richie Spice’s stereo right now?
Many type of music, a variety of music because I’m a person who is a music freak who listen all type of music get different inspiration different feeling and different ideas from different people different musicians y’know?
Like Dennis Brown, you are equally at home singing about love and culture. Do you think this is the key to your success?
In everything there a balance y’know? You have a man, you have a woman so you balance within music… same way you try to please everybody, you cant please everybody of course but you try your best. Sing a song for the ladies, sing songs to uplift them but not to discriminate them so they can carry on and be strong on their day to day living. And we sing songs for the youths out there in street, give courage to say yes hold on and give them a song to sing to carry them on for next stage.
Some artists prefer the studio. Do you enjoy performing on stage as much as laying down tracks?
Again it’s a balance, I enjoy writing songs, performing the songs, perform for the people. So it’s like a trinity and I enjoy it all.
Do you ever get nervous before going on stage?
(laughs) Yeeess… at times but as soon as you reach there and you start working with the people and the people show you love, you start to feel free.
You’ve won many awards. How easy is it to stay humble?
It’s a great feeling to win something because after working all the years the people out there acknowledge you by giving an award for work you’re doing, knowing that you’re doing something positive and not to harm… to spiritually help yr brothers and sisters and it’s a great feeling. But I keep the humbleness same in everything because I know I am in front of the people and knowing my music is for the people. So you have to do to best of your ability - in humility - and carry on.
Do you have a message for Richie Spice fans?
Yes, my message is always “care for the youths” because without the youths we won’t have the next world. So what we say to youths “whatever you doing make sure it is something positive, always strive for the greatest in whatever you do, always have strong faith and confidence in yourself and know that Jah live, good over evil and life every time.”
Thank you for talking to me.
It was a pleasure talking and it was a pleasure giving you my time. Respect and thank you for supporting Richie Spice music and black music. Goodbye.
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