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The Beat interviewed Shinehead in Los Angeles in November 1988 while he was here for the Jamaica Aid Benefit Concert. He and his manager visited us late one evening at Ashantites Records. My first impression of him was that of a tall, quiet person. I found that he is a man of many moods, ranging from hilariously comical to very sober and intense. He reminded me of a chameleon, changing moods when necessary.
He is best known in the dancehall arena for his versatilty and ability to sing as well as dj. He does everything very well, whether it's whistling, mimicking, singing or djing and he has an active stage presence. Shinehead is one of a chosen few to have signed with a major American label [Elektra] and is enjoying an active career.
The man called Shinehead was born in Jamaica and bred in the Bronx, going back and forth between the two worlds until 1976, when he settled permanently in New York. He surmises that his musical inclinations came from his mothers' side of the family: "My mother could sing her tush off! She's the baddest ever did it, only nobody ever hear her! I guess that's where my musical talent came from. But...she couldn't stand djing. Then, all of a sudden, on my 19th birthday, Moms gave me a microphone."
He didn't say where the name Shinehead came from, but as he took command of the interview, he said: "Are we rolling? Well...let me give you a monologue of when I first started, on July 5, 1982, officially on the sound called Downbeat The Ruler, that's where I started, and believe me it was not an easy schooling. From whence I moved to African Love, which is Claude Evans. He and I were contacted by Elektra...and from there, me, Claude and Tyrone Wallace ["The Pyramid"] have been going good ever since. Now...what did you want to ask me?"

Q: I want to ask you about your background, because there's some confusion about whether you're a New Yorker or a Jamaican. Let's clear that up.
A: [In a Spanish accent] Esto el Jamaicano, that's Spanish for, yes, I am from the land where Gilbert has made a total mess, and that's why I had to go to the John Anson Ford Theater in L.A., the Apollo Theater in Manhattan, and to the New York City Technical College in Brooklyn. I missed the benefit in England that was gonna be filmed by BBC. I'm out here [in L.A.] on some promotional tour business and it's been going well. So far this is the umpteenth interview. I didn't know they had nice little Jamaican record shops out here like they do everywhere else but hey.....I guess we're everywhere and there's no difference wherever we go.

Q: Have you been to Jamaica since Hurricane Gilbert?
A: [Turning very quiet and sober] Nah.

Q: Do you plan to go?
A: Yes. Luckily my family is alright, but some of the people were not so fortunate, you know, and that kinda messes with my moods at times. I see pictures where roofs ar just ripped off like a paper bag from the grocery...rip...that's not happening. I sincerely hope the money's going to the right folks.

Q: Do you think it's gonna take a very long time for Jamaica to rebuild?
A: I hope not, they're talking some 10 year full recovery and five years before agriculture gets back on it's feet. I hope it don't take that long.

Q: I notice you haven't done a Gilbert song like most of the reggae entertainers.
A: Not that I don't want to, the lyrics are no problem, the opportunity is no problem, it's just a matter of timing. My album's already out there, and if I have a constructive and productive system...I'm not going to upset it. But...I do get off on some Gilbert topics live in the dancehall, impromptu.

Q: When did your first lp, "Rough and Rugged" come out?
A: 1985, the studio was Harry J.

Q: Our record shop has been open for about 3 years, and your lp still sells like hot bread ever since...
A: The old one?

Q: Yes, if it's not on the shelf, the customers wonder why. Now...your new lp, "Unity", is that your second lp?
A: Yeah!

Q: What made you go with an American label?
A: Not necessarily an American label, but a progressive label. African Love Music is a progressive label but the bigger labels can do more for us than we can do for ourselves. Claude and I have spoken about this on numerous occasions and really we only needed to talk about it once. Sure...we can do good for ourselves, the bigger people don't need us...well, if they want to make money, they'll contact us or anyone else who's constructive and productive. They can do more for us than we can do for ourselves..am I talking in circles?

Q: On your first lp you did a lot of singing, which is appreciated by a lot of Jamaicans, because you sing so well. On the second lp you only did one singing music, which is "Golden Touch". will you be doing more singing? We want some more of that too.
A: Well...stay tuned for our next album! I'll leave that up in the air. As far as this album [Unity] goes, you see, the market got broadened for the simple fact that variety is the spice of life, right? And that just boils down to more sales, right? And there's just more of something for everybody, right? Ahhh!

Q: Is it the American [hip-hop/rap] market that you're targeting?
A: Not necessarily American, but I have more listeners now. The first lp was alright and the second lp is even more alright.[clucking]

Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: Work, work and more work, meaning shows, tours and more tours.

Q: Will you stil do dance hall music when the occasion calls for it?
A: I have not discontinued doing dancehall reggae business.

Q: Can you tell us more about that?
A: The last one I did was...MTV came to that one, at the Reggae Lounge, which is now the Island Club down Canal Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Since after that, I haven't done any...but I've been going to dances like I've always been going to dances.

Q: Do you have any upcoming tours?
A: When I get back to New York I'll be up and down the East Coast, hopefully.

Q: Tell us something about yourself...
A: [Very sternfully] I don't categorize myself...not even me don't categorize me, so how is somebody else going to categorize me, like these marketing people are trying to do? And these promotors and talk show and music show hosts are trying to fit me into a category. It's just not happening. I didn't do it. As far as the music goes, it just so happens that it's clean, it's catchy, it makes sense...it's simple, still. Nothing too harsh, I don't need no reason to be harsh.

Q: We find in your music that there's not a whole heap of slackness and things that are turning some people off from dance hall...
A: [Smiling] Well...if that pleases everybody, like it pleases me now...thank you!! My humblest thanks to God, thanks to the peoples, thanks to everybody that's supporting me, the record company, the nice interviewers, the nice road people...everybody.

Q: Do you have something you'd like to mention to our readers?
A: [Chants] I'm just a lad who tries to be sweet/and I love everybody who reads the Beat/So...don't worry...don't worry, be happy!

Q: Your fans will want to know your birthday and all those kind of things...
A: Please!!...[hands in the air in a comic Spanish accent] I'll tell you my name, it's Carl Aiken...yes...my age? I don't remember, I was looking for my birth certificate and not for nothing can I find it...before I left New York, I tried laboriously to find it, however, to no avail.,/p>

Reprinted by permission from Bongo Productions
Published in the Beat Vol.8, # 1, 1989
Photo courtesy Elektra Records

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