Spice, she'a a international dancehall singer, she made “Ramping Shop” ft. Kartel, “Fight Over Man”, “Daggera” e “Rude Bwoy” ft. Pinchers. We talk to Spice about Reggae Sumfest a Montego Bay, JA.Princelion: Who is Spice? And why did you chosse this name?
Spice: I remember there was a group of girls, a group of us, we used to be in school, we never really had any name, but whenever we went to dancehalls and to part and to dance and enjoy ourself, i was the one who was bringing the spice to the group, and the one who would dance and so one, and the guys would says "what a likkle spice you are", and if i wouldn't turn up to the dance they would go "where is the likkle spice?" so that's how i got the name, people would call me spice cause i was always spicing up the party, so i stick to the name and i just used it as a stage name.
Do you have any regret on your decision of choosing the artistic carreer instead of going o studying?
No, not at all, i mean i finished high school, i just knew that me working in an office, that just wouldn't be me and wpuldn't make me happy, cause this is me, when i'm in dancehall i can be myself, just how i am supposed to be, so i'm so happy that i choosed this and i have no regrets, not at all or whatsoever.
You worked trough tout your pregnancy, and six weeks your baby's birth you went back singing, why this choice? How old is he now?
19 months old, he is almost two years old. I worked trough my pregnancy cause in Jamaica there is this idea that once you become pregnant that's the end for you, there is no way to come back. So i wanted to do the difference, especially to show to the women in the dancehall that when you get pregnant that's not the end of the day, but you can always bump back and continue with your life. So I worked trough my pregnancy and immediately after I had the baby I was back on my seat, I continued doing the music. And I was confident, cause a lot of people think that when you get pregnant you're going to flop, but I just prove them wrong.
Where do you start when your write a song?
Well, ically I start writing the everyday activity, what happens around me, so i start everywhere. My friends and I would be around and they would go "hey look at that" and i just start writing it, anywhere, it doesn't matter where I am, also on the plane, so when I'm travelling, on a tour, I just come out with ideas and start writing them, so that's it.
After the big hits “Fight ova Man” sull' 85, “Rude Bwoy” ft. Pinchers, “Rampin Shop” ft Kartel has had a tremondous boom in all the world, how did you start working with him? And how do you feel after this success?
Vybz kartel and i went out on a show togheter and pulled over 10.000 people, so he said to me "hey, we make a good couple, cause i know that the gangsta man rate me in the dancehalls and obviously the girls rate you as the women ans they look up at you, so we make a good combination, so we have to do a song toghether so our fans can enjoy it." We came back to jamaica, and vybz kartel is the one who wrote the song and at the time the newest riddim that was out was the indipendent riddim, so he was like "let's do a song on this riddim", i guess he didn't expect that the song would become so big but it was.
We read that you are in the lineup of the Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay, have you ever played there?
Actually this is going to be my fourth year there. And reggae Sumfest is a big international festival in jamaica and any artist would die to be a part of that performance, to showcase their talent, so it gives me great pleasure to be part of it. And i just did the sumfest lounge in manhattan, new york, and it was great, the lineup is good, and i'm expecting to give a good show.
We saw you in Venice with Pincers and Baby Cham, how are your reations with them?
To be onest, they're like my two brothers, i remember that baby cham was the one who brought me to dancehall, in the terms of the song fight over man. We were tooring in england and he told me "you shoul make a tune on 45'' that came make a big hit, a big impact, i'm gonna introduce you to " and he introduced me to.... and i made that song fight over man and it was huge so baby cham is like a big brother to me.
Have you planned a tour in Europe?
Well prensently they're planning one for me to come there in august-september, but it's not confirm yet so i just have to wait to see how it pulls trough, and hopefully we're looking out for september cause i'm kind of already booked for august, so hopefully i can come, cause i love europe, very much.
What is your opinion on the Jamaican music scene?
Well, to be honest with you, there is a lot of hypocrisy in the Jamaican music scene right now, I think it's because of the late banning of certain kind of music in the dancehall and i think they are very hypocritical about it because there a lot of other genres of music that have the explicit words but because as Jamaican we speak the Jamaican dialogue as in patwa to say certain things they have a problem with it, but when somebody would sing it in English they won't say anything, but it's the same thing, the same sex. So I think it's very hypocritical. I just think that the Jamaican have to wake up and to see that dancehall music and reggae music shows a lot of Jamaica. When I travel outside of Jamaica and I see a lot of people and they talk to me about bob marley, and I don't want to see them fighting against dancehall music and that is the feeling that i'm getting right now.
What do you think about the 'battle' between Portmore Empire and Alliance? Do you take parts?
Well, I don't take part, but the two are very talented, I mean everybody thinks that i'm with gaza now cause i'm hanging with vybz kartel, he's my friend right now, but it's right to say that i'm not taking any part, I just think that both of them are very talented.
Do you know the italian singer Alborosie? What do you think about him?
I think he is very talented and I would love to do a song with him, I received his cd and I love it, and I would love to do a combination with him one day.
How is it to be a woman in the jamaican and international dancehall scene?
As a woman you just have to work twice than the male, you now it's a big business. I always say that it's like a woman working in a garage. In the dancehall as a male dominated business as a woman you just have to work twice as hard to stay on top of the game cause it's very competitive, there are a lot of very talented male in the business.
Are you working on a new album? When will it be released?
Well, currently I have a promotonial cd out of 15 tracks that i'm shopping for an album deal right now and there are two big majors that are interested and both of them are looking forward to be out by september, it's just to me to choose on which road to go on so definetively by september i'll have my album out.
