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Formerly
known as Baby Cham, the Jamaican-born dancehall reggae star sat down with
The Situation to talk about the industry, crime in his homeland, and hooking
up with Alicia.
Watch
the video 'Ghetto
Story '
He’s
created the biggest Dancehall tune of the summer and has just dropped
his sophomore album of the same name. Featuring guest appearances from
the likes of Alicia Keys
and Rihanna, Cham’s
‘Ghetto Story’ is set to be big. The Situation caught up with
him to find out more....
Why
did you decide to shorten your name from Baby Cham to just Cham?
Oh, Baby’s still for the ladies, Cham is for the rudeboys. But I
feel like I’ve grown so much in the past six years since my first
album, in every way that you can think of, so there’s nothing baby
about it.
What
would you say is the most important thing you’ve learnt in the industry?
Just how fickle the business is. And I’ve learnt how hard you have
to grind to make a record work. When a song starts to do its thing there’s
so much to do on the next level, you end up without sleep for eight months.
I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but at the same time I’m willing
to work hard. That’s what I’ve learnt, just to be a professional.
What
was it like working with people like Alicia Keys on the album, and how
did you hook that up?
It was a good vibe, all of them so talented, rah rah talented! Each person
brought their own vibe and I love the results. The Boom Boom with Rihanna
is one of my favourite tracks, and the Alicia Keys speaks for itself,
you can’t get better than Alicia Keys! I had complete creative control
over the album and the label didn’t provide none of these artists.
Alicia Keys is the one who’s responsible for being on the album,
she called me up saying she loved the song because it’s really reflective
of her childhood life, and she just wanted to reach out and see if she
could get on the track. And when Alicia Keys give you a call, there’s
no way you can say no! She’s so humble, so down to earth.
Your
song ‘Ghetto Story’ has become a worldwide hit. How does it
feel for so many people around the world to be feeling that tune?
I’m loving it. You sit and write a song about your life growing
up in Jamaica and yet so much people around the world face that same life
growing up elsewhere. That’s what reminds you that poverty’s
poverty, ghetto is ghetto, trying to survive is trying to survive, no
matter where you are. 70% of the song is about my personal life, the next
30% is just what I’ve read, what I’ve seen growing up in Jamaica.
Did
you realise when making it how big it would actually become?
I knew it would be big, but what surprised me was how fast. It took like
two days for it to become the biggest song in Jamaica. People do crazy
stuff when they hear that song, they just lose it. I heard that once they
broke down this wall in a club when it came on!
How
do you feel about people saying it’s this year’s ‘Welcome
to Jamrock’?
I think it’s way, way different than ‘Jamrock’; it’s
harder than ‘Jamrock’ by far. But at the end of the day I
respect Damian so I don’t
care if people compare our songs.
It’s
been six years since you released your first album ‘Wow: The Story’.
Why did you wait so long to release another one?
I went through so much problems with the first album trying to get distribution,
getting the record into major chain stores, so after the first album me
wanted to make sure I had a major deal before bringing out the next one.
So that’s what I been working on, and me got signed in 2004 after
the success of ‘Vitamin S’. And since 2004, I’ve been
in the studio, working on the new album.
Now
that you have a major deal, do you worry that your sound will become watered
down?
Never worry, because before signing the paper me made sure I had creative
control over the project. So whatever you hear, that’s what I wanna
do. I listen to opinions but at the end of the day, I go with my good
feeling.
‘Ghetto
Story’ first dropped at the end of 2005, which was the worst year
for crime in Jamaica. How do you see the situation over there?
Politics is what’s messing up Jamaica; it’s like everywhere.
Look like a couple of weeks ago in Lebanon and what’s going on in
Israel, that’s politics. And that’s what’s going on
everywhere you see crime and violence.
Do
you see a way forward?
I think people need to realise that they shouldn’t fight about politics
because at the end of the day, none of those at the top are fighting,
they’re having cocktails and champagne, watching the news, seeing
people fighting about them. I think they should put on gloves and get
in the boxing ring, show that they’re ready to fight too. But that’s
politics, politics is what’s messed up.
Can
you see the situation changing?
There have to be a change. The Bible tell you that God doesn’t give
you more than you can bare. If you turn on your heater in the morning
or your hot water and leave it too long, it will run out. So there must
be a change, it’s just a question of how soon the change gonna be.
What
do you see as the reason for the massive growth in popularity in the Jamaican
music scene in the passed few years?
The Internet has made the world smaller, and people are sourcing music
differently. Rather than waiting on the 45’s to come over, they’re
checking what’s new online, going on myspace and listening to new
stuff on there. Also you got so much kids coming up now over in Jamaica
that understand the importance of promoting themselves, and they’re
doing a good job of it.
What
do you think of the myspace revolution? Do you answer your own messages
on there or is it your manager or record company that deal with that?
I love it! I’m on there every day. We have people who set up the
page, but as far as answering the emails, that’s me. I carry my
laptop around and try to answer at least 50 messages a day, but sometimes
I get 3,000, all in one day!
What
are your replies like?
It depends, if I’m in a vibe I’ll send you back a letter but
if I’m busy or on tour then I just send a short something, just
‘thank you for the support’. Because at the same time I want
to be able to remember my fans when they come up to me in the concert.
That way people see that you’re not just playing around; you’re
taking what you do real serious.
Is
it hard to remember fans?
I have a good memory. All you have to do is remind me. Don’t feel
embarrassed, I say please remind me.
How
do you see the music industry in Jamaica in comparison with other countries,
for example, over here?
It’s the same; music is music. It’s just over here (the UK)
it’s bigger and you have a wider range of media and press. But it’s
the same; everyone is on the grind, working hard trying to get out there.
Do
you think Sean Paul’s incredible commercial success is well deserved?
Yeah, cos there’s no way he would be so successful if he didn’t
work. He’s worked hard to achieve what he’s achieved and for
those who don’t believe so, I think he should just do what he’s
been doing, don’t pay them no mind. He’s holding the flag
and has been carrying it for years, so ‘nuff respect to Sean.
What
do you think about the whole debate surrounding Dancehall and homophobia?
I think it’s been blown out of proportion. At the end of the day,
each to his own. I’m gonna stay on my side, there’s so much
to elaborate about, why talk about homosexuals? I’d rather just
talk about my females and what I love about them, as well as my social
commentaries like ‘Ghetto Story’. But at the end of the day,
each to his own.
Finally,
one for the ladies: How would you describe your ideal woman?
Smart, jovial, pretty, sexy, curvaceous and just fun to be around.
Is
there anything you’d like to say to your fans?
I just wanna say thanks very much for supporting. You gotta get the new
album!
Cham’s album ‘Ghetto Story’
is out now on Atlantic Records. Visit his official website,
www.cham-music.com for more details.
