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For those who don't know, can you give a little
background on yourself? Well, born in
Jamaica, come grew up in New York, Brooklyn,
umm, tour the World, used to play in the city, went to New York and I went to play King
Addies. And after that, about '96-'97, I
started a solo career, yuh know? What caused the split from Addies? It was me and
Babyface...(picks up cell call and says he's doing an interview, something he does three
or four times during this short one). Well,
Me and Babyface, we was good together, tour the World and everyting and dem. Like, we have different views so we just decided
to separate. So we a separate and...bam!. So, just did my own thing and it kick off,
skyrocketed. Seems to be a trend now among soundsystems, with
people like Trooper going on their own, do you believe you started that trend? Yup. I mean started a new era to dancehall. Everybody see it was successful so I guess
everybody started trying it. Speaking of new eras, what do you think of the current
state of dancehall, with the mesh of hip-hop and dancehall coming together? Do you feel like its good for the industry? Bad? Does
it represent Jamaica? Yeah, because at the end of the day, its a signature there yuh nuh?. After all, hip-hop come from dancehall in the first place. So, I guess the joining of them back right now in this modern time...it's...it's very nice. Cool. Cool. Do you feel that Beenie Man And Sean Paul, now
that they are blowing up and they are basically "the voice of Jamaica" for most
American people who are not hardcore dancehall fans, do you feel that they are good
figureheads for Jamaica? Well...Beenie Man well experience so he can carry the flag. And Sean Paul, over the years he got his experience so, I guess them can represent it to a extent, yuh know? Yuh know a dancehall a really the thugs dem still so. Dem can represent it to a extent and then yuh nuh you have the people stepping up to the plate and do for them, yuh nuh? How do you feel about Beenie Man, a lot of people say
he's a sellout coming with all sorts of styles to appeal to Americans, while Sean Pauls
"Gimme the Light" has been a flying success while using a pure dance hall
riddim? Yeah, um, well...Dat a the ting too yuh know? It's not about sellout. Some man have the wrong concept. And Beenie Man is international so when Beenie Man do like change the flavor and change the flow to it a nuh really sell out himself cause...See, Sean Paul nuh really reach the level whey Beenie Man a reach. Beenie Man tour the world so he can relate to the world in a different fashion, yeah he is a dancehall, but he switch it around any which way. Sean Paul dem only really know DANCEHALL, dem nuh really start go and see the World yet so yuh know Sean Paul is an upcoming star. Beenie Man been a star Beenie Man has been into that realm already and have different kind of music, different culture. Sean Paul hasn't been there yet yuh nuh, so him come out raw so then we accept him raw. Just like how dem accept Beenie Man raw too. Beenie Man can do it raw too, but him just a emphasize and make them see say "we talented like that we can come any which direction". What are your favorite types of riddims? You play all over the board? What Producers? Well, just about all the riddim dey, yuh nuh? I mean, for example, tonight you played the Footloose?! Yeah! What inspired that? Well, that’s the thing with me now. I'm like..its like Beenie Man...Yuh nuh? Experiment! I've been so much places. Matterhorn probably one the selector to tour the most world. A very few selector went around the World, the globe. So you see me can appreciate different kind a music, so me just try different tings just the same. What do you enjoy more, a clashing dance or a juggling dance? Well me enjoy a juggling dance more. I mean, I do both of them very well. But, me think me love the juggling dance more. What are you're favorite places to play, besides Jamaica? Uh, well, there are a lot! Canada, England....I've been around the globe. So, how does Chicago fare up? Yeah, Chicago nice yuh know. I mean the vibes are coming back now. Caw you know dem used to have a little feud ting going on...I see the vibes coming back again. Umm, how do you feel about all the DJ wars going on
between Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, and Cobra, etc.? They
seem to come and go so frequently, does it propel the industry or does it have a negative
impact? Well, um, to its extent it have it good and it have it bad. The people really love the war yuh nuh. Its just when the war it get outta hand. So when the fueds a gwaan yuh nuh the people dem like it. The you have a time when dem don't REALLY like it-when it get outta hand. Like the first couple of songs we all accept, but once it start get personal they drawing the line... Speaking of personal, has anything ever gotten
personal when you and another selector were clashing?
Like with Trooper for example, or Fire Linx?
I've heard tapes where you've played some WICKED dubs against Fire Linx. The ting with me and Linx is, it never personal but one time it get personal then me just....This man claim I'm a slob and him see say me nah really into the war ting yuh nuh? I mean, I don't mind war with dem yuh nuh, but when it a get personal thats when me draw the line and say cho!, dead it now. So, me no really take dem tings personal, unless what them call the person with yuh nuh. I just bypass, elevate myself over them. So, I don't really worry about dem and the fued ting yuh nuh? Whenever it come it comes and I know when to stop it . Does it relate to dubplates at all? Obviously if... Yeah! You get some dubplates to different yourelf, striking them, aiming them at the opponent, so sometimes they get dubplates too... yuh nuh? And so, exclusive that... It bring out the fued yuh nuh. Like the "Fire Linx, go suck out your..." you played in Bermuda? I mean, I can get the artist dem to to just about anything. So, sometimes it’s just about using your power. Speaking of artists, what are you're favorite new up and coming artists and selectors? Well Assassin yuh nuh? I mean Assassin, my new artist dat. What about selectors in Jamaica? Well, you have a couple of dem yuh nuh? You have DJ Karim, him gwaan good too. And you have like Ras and Biggie, enough little up coming youth, and Vendetta. I guess to name a few, you have Santex from Asylum club DJs and dem yuh nuh? So you have a couple of dem. They have Steelie Bashment dey one all the likkle young youths, Killa Boo from New York. So, you have quite few good selectors coming out. A couple from Miami-Nashim and Fire and all dem youths... OK now, do you pay attention to dancehall reggae
websites? For example dancehallminded,
dancehallreggae.com? Yeah, sometimes. Whenever I have the time. Did you formerly post as "Di Bredda"? Yeah! That was you, for a fact? Yeah. Uh huh. I thought it was you.
Yeah, sometime when me have time me mess around them board, see what them up too, yuh nuh? Well, have you checked lately to see what they said
about World Clash 2002? No no no. A lot of people are saying, and I don't mean to offend
you in any way, that it’s not fair that you're representing NYC since you travel so
much abroad? So what me fi represent? The World then? Ha! That's
not a category unfortunately. See it den, didn't I try to say, the World isn't big enough! It like, me represent New York because New York bust me and New York me bust from. To the World I bust from New York. And now, nobody from New York no buss so big, where the World know. So, if mi feel like fi represent New York, me represent New York. If me feel like me represent Jamaica, which me never even represent Jamaica inna the World Clash yet...cause to the people dem in Jamaica, dem don't consider Matterhorn as a Jamaican selector. Them consider me as a FOREIGN selector. Well, I think that's because you play a lot of
different things, which is good. Yeah! And, um, one of the main reasons (cell phone again)....Hello, yeah, I mean, me can choose to represent anywhere me want fi represent cause me can represent I mean I can represent a Canada because me enough a Canada. England! I mean me can represent anywhere and then you don't really have anybody in New York who can step up and step to the plate. Thats why me always a tell them...f^ck them! Cause, dem want some pussyh*le who nah do nothing for the business? I mean, 90% of the selector dem inna the business nah do what Matterhorn a do. So...What is it that you do thats so unique? I mean, I'm like the f#cking sculptor in the business. I'm the voice before the DJ voice. You know what I'm saying? I'm that little voice in the wilderness trying to make dancehall bigger. Because whenever the artist them a do something, the ground’s at Matterhorn control, yuh nuh? The artists them, they haven't even covered that ground. I cover more grounds then they can cover, in a short time, like...in weeks! I cover the Globe, they can't do that unless they on a tour, yuh nuh. For example you opened up with that new riddim and
said we won't hear this till 2003. Yeah, I mean, I been to
England with it, I was in Japan in June. Bam! Canada. Bam! London, Germany, back two Carribean date, the
States. I mean, look how much places I've
been within weeks, months. I mean, the
artists can only do that when they have an album releasing they can get to do that. They can't get to do that like all year round. But, I can do that all year round. So most of the time I take the new stuff, bring it
there, distribute it...bam bam bam! So, and
there's not that much selectors touring the World. When
you check the levels you don't really have that much selectors touring the World. Cause sometime the music it take looong, to reach
certain places you know. It takes a while to reach here. Yeah!
So, me doing my job and then...New York people them now, me a New Yorker so
me know New York people's state (of mind). They
don't like to give credit, when credit is due! You
have to FORCE FEED! You have to have that bad
man image and taking it attitude, and that’s me.
Me no expect them fi gimme no hand down so me tek it! Cause that’s how New Yorkers are, we defy
people. So, when them defy me, me defy them. They know me a go defy them. So when them say "Oh, Matterhorn don't
represent New York" me say go get someone else then and leave me the f#ck alone then. You hear me a say?
So, where the sense come from then for the World Clash complaint? Nobody else is gonna want to take the plate. I can take the plate because nobody a New York
bigger than Matterhorn. Soundwise. So, yuh nuh me a say? Anything me want me can take it if me want. Nobody can stop it.
So me do it whenever me feel like me a do it.
Like last year I said f#uck it! Then
them couldn't get nobody fi represent them. Last
year New York did not have a representative. You
see, because they were playerhating and I was like "What the f#ck?". If you're playerhateing that boy Matterhorn a
represent New York, then make someone else represent then. I didn't go to World Clash last year and nobody
stepped up. So, when me come up this year and
say me a go represent New York, me hear some of them say "Why Matterhorn represent
New York?"-Because you don't have a good f^cking representative! So, I'll do the representation. Do you have anything up your sleeve to rip it away
from Bass Odyssey? No. Really, me no really cut nothing yuh nuh? Mi no really voice...I have all the new tune dem already. All I do is change the riddims a bit and stuff. Cause me always ahead of them. I'm always ahead of the competition when it come down to chune thing so me nuh really have to go to World Clash with nothing. Bass Oddysey, I have a few cut out for him. I mean me a their worst nightmare. Being that he's playing last, it gonna be hard on them. A few more questions...Who is your favorite veteran
artist? Well, me have a couple of them yuh nuh. Me love Brigadier Jerry and Josey Wales. And Supercat, those are me artists them. So, what era of dancehall would you consider to be the
greatest? Early 80's before it all went
digital, or...? Well, enough poeple would a say that but, I think the 90's we had more crowd going to dancehall. But, like, the 80's was the best. But the 90's have more crowd. Do you have any favorite type of music you listen to
besides reggae and hip-hop? Yeah, I don't even really listen to hip-hop. I don't really listen to reggae. What's favorite music then? I listen to country and western. American? Yeah Favorite artsists? Garth Brooks, Reba, umm, Tim McGraw and them poeple me listen to, yuh nuh? Really? Me no listen to reggae and me no listen to hip-hop. I mean, me can play it, cause that’s in my blood, I can play that, so me listen to something different. Do you have any hobbies or interests that are
non-reggae related that would surprise Matterhorn fans? Not really. I mean I just play sports and football and everything. Swimming, just about everything. When it come on to hobby, I jet ski and all that stuff. I do all of that like everybody else but no really have a favorite. I don't have a favorite. Future plans? Hmm. I mean, how old are you? Thirty. You have a lot of years ahead of you. Future plans...groom the youths dem yuh nuh? Get some more youths invovled in the business. Get some more Matterhorn and some more Skyjuice and more Fire Lynx and Troopers. Bring more of them and let them live on after yuh nuh? Thank you very much on behalf of chicagoreggae.com Alright. I would like to express my
gratitude to the Mentally Ill one and Chucky for taking time out of their hectic shcedules
and letting me intrude for a good 15 minutes after a hard nights work at Union Hall. Big up to Montana for linking Chucky and Di Bredda
to make sure this interview could take place. |
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