Edley Shine

#DABIGVOICE Still Dropping Hits

Interview by David R. Navarro

DN: When did you first get into music?

ES: Music started for me when I was maybe 4 or 5 my uncle Palmy Lion use to have a record collection and sound system in our basement. My mom, aunt, uncle and grandmother migrated to Washington DC from Kingston, Jamaica. I can remember hearing my uncle playing Dennis Brown, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh amongst thousands of 45’s and 12 inches that was the genesis of me having a love of music. I use to hear soul music and country as well but Jamaican music was a dominate presence growing up.

Then about 1985 my grandmother took me to English Town New Jersey to the Outlets there to shop. I had been hearing Hip-hop on the radio mainly DJ Franski on Balitmore radio for 1hr on Saturdays. I use to tape those shows and that’s where I heard The Message, Roxane Shanti and all the hip-hop that was in New York. NYC was this magical place to me when I was a kid but going to the English Town Outlets I first saw cassette tapes of hip-hop albums for sale. The first albums I ever bought were Public Enemy Yo Bum Rush the show and BDP Criminal Minded.

Then if my memory serves me correct my cousin’s girlfriend took us to the RUNDMC Raising Hell tour. I had burned a hole in that album and it never even connected to me that the music were real human beings. Just these voices coming from my cassettes that was shaping me into the man I would become. When I was at the RUNDMC show I saw Rakim, Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince, Slick Rick, Beastie Boys and Fat Boys. All the music that shaped my youth, and I realized these were actual real people. When I saw how they were controlling thousands of people with their words, I left that Concert determined to know what that felt like. And my thirst for everything Music became an obsession.

DN: What or who inspired you to pursue a career in music?

ES: Once I hit my teenage years all I cared about was music. It was my way out of Not having all the things, I had to do without being in a single parent home. I felt that music was my spiritual connection to a better way of life. People go to college get a decent job work and die. I did not want that life for myself I wanted to travel, I wanted my mother to see the son she struggled to raise reach a higher plateau as she was a singer who gave up her dream to raise me. Plus, I knew I had a different identity a dual culture that I wanted to spread to as many people as possible. See back then Caribbean culture was frowned upon dreads were not fashion and I use to hear your family is off the banana boat all the time. I wanted to use music as my weapon to break the arrogance of Americans and show them how dope Caribbean culture and its off spring hip-hop was together.

DN: Tell us about your time with Born Jamericans.

ES: I have told this story so much it’s like telling your old college days over and over again.

But, I met Notch in my father’s record store in Langley Park, Maryland. We had that mutual passion for making music. And when I heard him sing I knew he had something. Me studying music I knew with his voice and my contrast gruff voice it would give us an advantage. It’s too bad that’s what the industry exploited in the end to separate us.

We started collaborating and made a demo that our soon to be manager Kitt Walker gave to Leslie Cooney from Delicious Vinyl when he moved to LA. Notch’s cousin had a friend that lived in DC that produced, he was super talented and went by the name of Chuckie Thompson. He went on to sign with Puffy and produce Notorious B.I.G, Mary J Blige and others. But, before he rose to super producer status, a Lil Hip-Hop Reggae group gave

him their samples from our family’s reggae record collection and that’s what birth the, Kids from Foreign album. We eventually got signed by Delicious Vinyl and Boom Shak Attack took the world by storm.

I remember our first tour with Shabba Ranks who I saw become famous from being in my dad’s record store, from his first recordings till he crossed over I saw his evolution and the blueprint he laid for all the artist after him. Now, I was sharing the stage with him, I saw how grueling touring was and all the trappings, money, managers, groupies it was fun but it also scared the hell out of me. It did not feel real I wasn’t use to all that attention but the more popular we got the more I wanted to solidify our status as a premiere reggae act. I felt the love and I also felt the hate during our 5-year run. The Jamaican artist would embrace us but we knew that was a double edge sword I learned that the respect came from the perceived success which we didn’t have. The label kept dropping the ball and changing up distribution mid projects. People couldn’t find our records in stores. We would have popular records but at radio no budget to get them into primetime. It took a toll on the group comradery and the seeds were being sown for us to disband. We separated in 1998 on tour with Shaggy and didn’t communicate for maybe 18yrs. And so is the story of the beloved Born Jamericans and a lesson I will keep with me forever. This game is not for those of small spiritual fiber, only the mentally tough can endure. My time with the group came full circle when we did a couple Reunion shows starting in 2015. I saw first-hand how after all these years. The music superseded the expiration date the industry gives it feels you are dead in the water. The fans we captured in that 5-year timeframe have held on to us the way I had held on to my Hip-hop tapes when I was a kid. We have headlined big festivals in South America in front of thousands of people singing our songs word for word. It was conformation for me that the spirit of music I possess was powerful and to never let anyone or anything disqualify me in music. There hasn’t been another like us since.

DN: How would you describe the music that you create?

ES: It’s a mix of Hip-hop, Reggae, Pop and Dancehall all mixed into one. Not too Jamaican but enough for them to give it an ear not too American who identify it as Dancehall and Reggae they can actually understand. Best word is Hybrid. This was against the grain when we started and the push back was real. Now a days everybody lives in that style.

DN: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music?

ES: For someone who never took a music writing class or had any formal musical training what so ever I’ve stood in rooms with legends like Stevie Wonder and he gave me props for my approach to song making. I think because of my upbringing And ability to adapt I can shape shift my sound into any genre and not miss a beat. I always keep it my sound but with the advent of autotune and other studio techniques I can now paint more colorful pictures in my songs. My new EP gonna shock a lot of people.

DN: Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as a performing artist in a genre overflowing with new faces and ideas?

ES: I say just listen to my sound. Yeah, it’s more popular and successful people that do what I do but I have a certain sound and approach that’s different and more relatable then what the status quo is offering. My unique Jamerican perspective has been missing cause everybody chasing the hype of a country that only loves its own as far as dancehall and reggae which is expected, me as a Yankee can only win them over with talent and success. So, let me be loved in the rest of the world

then and the others will fall in line because they will have no choice you can’t stop sound from making noise and light from shinning.

DN: What has been your biggest challenge as a performing artist/singer-songwriter? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

ES: The biggest challenge is having to requalify myself to the new generation because the attention span is short and the quality has been replaced with microwave music making. I can’t adhere to it by throwing 10 songs a week at the wall and seeing what sticks policy of today. If you don’t have the success aura and legions of social media disciples then that equals no talent in today’s climate. It’s all by design, for the bigger companies to manipulate the mass into thinking someone is organically wining the artist race, but most of who and what you see collecting the accolades and getting all the streams are stocks that have investments and Based on Talent it may pay dividends.

DN: A common phrase in the industry is, “you must suffer for your art”. Do you agree with this statement? If so, how have you suffered for your art?

ES: I may be the poster boy but I never show my suffering to people after the group broke up I was dropped from the label and all doors closed. All the hangers on felt it was over. The sentiment was you not marketable enough or good enough to stand on your own I dealt with it all with a smile. Cause man cannot qualify you only God qualifies and appoints his blessing as such. I’m sure when I pop up with a Refix or people see an interview or blurb about me in the media, it may come as a shock, like damn he still around. Yeah, I never went anywhere, you been hearing my voice and seeing my face or mentions of my name the past 20yrs and if you didn’t, that’s your fault.

DN: How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?

ES: The internet opened up the whole music business to entrepreneurs but it also opened up music to the leeches the ones who claim they know how to get you from A to Z just buy this book or listen to this seminar on how to win it all in music.

The only way to be successful in music is either to become a talented puppet to a record company or be so self-reliant and determine people will do music business with you on your terms. I choose the later. I could never be signed to anyone unless I was majority owner. I have the internet and I have my creativity + talent all you have is a few extra phone numbers and a bigger budget.

DN: If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?

ES: To be honest I would not change much the music business is the game of life what you put in it is what you get out. Do the knowledge and win.

DN: What are the 5 albums that have helped make you who you are today and why?

ES: 1. Bob Marley Legend

2. Pete Rock and CL Smooth Mecca and The Soul Brother

3. Michael Jackson Off the Wall / Thriller

4. The Entire Motown Catalog

5. Tribe Called Quest Low End Theory

and... 6. De La Soul Three Feet High and Rising

DN: Tell us about your newest album release, “Based On Talent”? What was your inspiration?

ES: My EP Based on Talent was a labor of love, Six tracks that I put together with producer Roe Summerz and Riddim Boss out of Jamaica.

I’ve always wanted to release a body of work ever since the group disbanded.

I had another project, The Stolen Legacy of Edley Shine that I produced in the early 2000’s with MADLION and producer Jim Beanz, but due to label issues it was never released.

It took a long time for me to feel comfortable putting out music, because after doing things on a major level turning to independence and having to pay for production, mixing, mastering, video’s, promotions, and marketing which takes alot of capital for 99% of independent artists. It’s a daunting task with skimpy rewards.

Finding the right sound was also difficult, since I did not have access to the producers of Jamaica. So, I had to search out for younger producers who understood my Jamerican approach to making records. Thanks to Roe and Riddim Boss, I was able to make something tangible that was not only my sound but able to generate a buzz in the fickle and very bias Dancehall, Reggae and HipHop markets.

I’m proud that I have 6 songs as a body of work that represent me, for better or worse. And the attention garnered from it shows the world that Based On Talent you can overcome the obstacles and create an opportunity to present your art how you see it to the world. Thank God for the Internet and Musical Freedom.

DN: What was it like working on, “We Can’t Breathe”? How did it come about, working with Monkey Jhayam and DJ B8?

ES: Monkey Jhayam reached out to me via social media.

He and DJ B8 are from Brazil, where my prior group enjoys a cult following to this day. Everytime an artist reaches out to me, I research them and to my surprise Monkey Jhayam had released a project on my old label. He wanted to do something that captured our sound with a message and when they sent the track it was a easy one for me to lay my verse. The track gave another perspective on the struggle all of us face in the black community even for the Afro Caribbean people of African Descendants in Latin America. I have had the privileges to travel to South America and I see how my cousins are treated no better than us in America, just in a different language and atmosphere.

The message is deep and the delivery is brash on purpose. I considered that song a vanguard art piece that only real connoisseurs will appreciate. So, most reggae and dancehall influencers will pass on it cause it does not fit the themes of destruction that they are forcing in the genre at the moment. Hopefully one day my people will wake up, until then, We Can’t Breathe Monkey Jhayam Ft. Edley Shine. Go stream it and watch the video on youtube.

DN: What is the best advice you have received?

ES: At this point in my life, the best advice I have been given is to not chase old glory and continue to be myself and not to get caught up trying to appeal to a demographic that is not my audience.

Music is a young mans game of vanity, favoritism and executives looking for the next big thing to exploit till it becomes extinct. I’m happy that I have positioned myself outside of this bubble, but still carry a spirit and existence within the music that makes people watch my moves. But, it’s all Based On Talent.

DN: Tell us about your current project?

ES: Visit my website at http://www.shinealousrecords.com to see what’s new.

DN: What’s next for you?

ES: I Hope to break into the Cali-Reggae Scene and keep making good music. Still going to make Jamericn style music as well. Hopefully work with some talented up and comers.

DN: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music and follow you?

ES: I’m on all social media platforms @EdleyShine, also the website www.shinealousrecords.com and www.dabigvoice.com will be live shortly.

Photography by @Bxclisive @streetmedia @roesummerz