A link with the Prophet - The Capleton Interview Mikara's Springfield Massachusetts February 1996 Part One - Management Mikey: There are some people who believe that American labels are exploiting reggae artists. The shabby treatment of Tony Rebel by Columbia and Capitol's mismanagement of Spragga Benz's album are an example, what's your feelings, and what is the relationship with Def Jam? Stuart Brown: I see the major label as an opportunity, because the labels in Jamaica have a limit. They don't go worldwide. These people go worldwide, and I see it as an opportunity to do business with Def Jam. Yes, they can spread this record (Wings of the Morning) a little further. MC: You said that you're on tour for the new album right now, which cities and what areas will the tour take you after Springfield? SB: Well really, the east and west coast. We'll be on the road for two months straight. We are going to do America, Japan and Europe. Last night we were in Rhode Island, then Buffalo, Syracuse, then back to NY where we'll do a video shoot for three days, then to LA, Miami, and back to NY, Long Island. MC: Are the videos for the new album? SB: We already have one out, and we'll be doing one more. MC: Which one is this? SB: The Heathen Reign. MC: How is the feedback in Jamaica on the album? SB: The people like it still. It's the same tunes on the album that is part of the performance. MC: When will the Japanese leg of the tour start? SB: I don't have any real dates set. I should be doing the Japan Splash, and that should be there sometime in April or May for other shows. MC: Europe? SB: The album has been released over there, and I have been receiving calls from over there to set up a tour, so we will do the whole Europe at once, and not do England and then France, but do all of Europe at once. MC: Germany? Italy? Holland? SB: Yes, all of Europe. MC: What about a tour of Africa? Are you considering Africa? SB: Well, I'm pushing hard to get that, it's in motion, cause it's not really a monetary thing we a deal with to tour Africa. We just want to tour Africa and know the people, because that's place is fi we people. MC: Any place in particular? SB: No not really, the whole of Africa. MC: That would have to be a year round tour. The place is so large. SB: We could chop down a great portion in about a month. Well, okay six weeks. A Link with the Prophet - The Capleton Interview Mikara's Springfield Massachusetts February 1996 Part Two - The Prophet Mikey: The Prophet, welcome to Springfield Massachusetts. Capleton: Greetings in the name of His Imperial Majesty, Selassie I the First. Mikey: You're on tour in Springfield, and what's the feedback on album? Capleton: Everything is going great so far, you see righteousness exalt the nation. Mikey: Earlier I spoke with your manager, and I mentioned if a tour of Africa was likely. Capleton: A home that still. That would be a great pleasure. I and I people back there don't really know certain things, the real authentic things is from there, cause is there them take I and I, and bring I to the west. It would be glorified to do a tour of Africa. That's were most of the greatness is and the authentic things. We have booked a lot of areas, and people have been saying a lot of things. It's good to see for yourself, cause seeing is knowing. There is a lot of misconceptions, yuh know wha me a say. Brainwash educate and enslave, and them nuh really teach I and I bout oneself as black people. True dem know say I and I and de dominance of the earth. But true Jah call up some youth, because them did strong enough fi deal with some of the work. So him choose people him know say a go give him truth and praises. So right now, it's just the motivation of Rastafari and the upliftment of black people. That's what I and I deh pon right now. True the powers of Jah still, yeah so a just righteousness still. Because in the old music fraternity, we need to eradicate certain things. Matie matie things fi done, and the gun gun things fi done, cause certain things a cause vulgarity and brutality and violence and politics. So the culture come to motivate the youth and elevate the youth and mek dem see themselves, cause Jah say seek and thee shall find, seen. So in order to know yourself, you have to seek. Mikey: Where did that title the "Prophet" came from? Capleton: People say the Prophet, due to the kind of lyrics and the levity, and them see the manifestations, and know say a just the works of the almighty. Mikey: The song, the "Heathen Reign", what gave you the inspiration for that one? Capleton: You see when I and I just find Rastafari, and voice the "Trinity" is like a nuff people start to gwaan a way, and a say bwoy, man a mad man, and people start to put you down. Yuh see wha me a say, but you know say Jah did show me say, the way him name was so dreadful and powerful amongst heathen and shethen and your mother and father forsake you, and your friend become your enemy. So basically, is them thing deh wha a gwaan, when I and I find Rastafari, so that's how the "Heathen Reign" come about. Because Jah say, regardless of who you are, or whatever you wha have, or where ever you may be from, if you nuh right, then it's judgement, that's how that tune really come about. That's what really motivated I and I to do "Heathen Reign." Mikey: What's your feelings on the whole economic and political system in Jamaica, and the problems of youths finding jobs? Capleton: Well, right now, them naw do anything for the people. When you check the amount of resources wha I and I have in a Jamaica. Every youth should have a job, and everyone should live happy and comfortable. But every man have to create for themselves, and private sector come bout. So the whole politics thing is a joke thing, the whole economic system is a joke thing. All them do is hold back I and I as black people, cause slavery nuh really abolish, cause it comes in different forms, yeah like mental. Them must do something for the people, because society is no benefit for I and I. So I and I must accept the truth, because it naw go get better if the people dem stop deny the truth, because it's going to get worse. We have to live to love and love to live, and share. Mikey: The album? Capleton: Everyone must glorify the works! The people them start wise up and start to realize for themselves. Everyone glorify the album, them glorify the works, cause basically everything a say Rastafari and the upliftment of black people. Because when you check the injustice and the inequality, and the manipulation wha I and I feel as a race and as a nation over the years, Jah have to really emerge certain youths to really deal with certain works, yuh see wha me a mean to that level. What has been hidden from the wise and prudent, will be revealed to the babe and suckling. Yes, so a just righteousness straight. Everything is going fine, and people a see themselves and we done know say man caan save man, but the countenance of one brighten the other. Every tub have to sit on it's own bottom, and every man a go get paid according to how him work. Ancient people say you can lead a donkey to the well, but you can't force him to drink the water. Every man to him own still, but me show a man that is just the upliftment of a man, and that's going to prove how every man lives in the land. Yes so its just strength and power again to the most high, and we thanks to Rastafari. Rastafari make I and I really see I and I self, and analyze things on a different level. Mikey: Lets say a politician in Jamaica wants to do something good, what advise would you have for him? Capleton: Build up some more factories and some more things, and in the colleges, schools and institutes, start teaching the youths about themselves, them black selves, and build up some houses, because it's there's. People must work for a decent salary, you can't work the whole week, and when weekend come, them can't even find food. Yeah man, we need to know about our self. Yes, cause that's like food too pon a level. We need to know about our black ancient history. Build up some more schools, colleges and institutes, and teach people about them black curriculum, and not just European philosophy. We need to know about our ancient history and our self. Marcus Garvey show you that a nation without knowledge of it's history, is like a tree without roots. That means that if you don't know where you're coming from, you don't know where you're going. So we need to know about our self. Mikey: Which song on the album has the strongest message? Capleton: Big time sellout. Even in Jamaica me a show the people, we have to be careful who let in a the farm. Them sellout the bauxite, them sellout the airport, them sellout nuff things, yuh see wha me a say, and them even sellout the people. Most of them are powerful tunes, Chant Bun Down Sodom & Gomorrah, Leave Babylon. Yes me show the people say a really Africa certain things start, so the ancient history. Me even a warn (Nelson) Mandela in a the thrown to, say he must secure the youths and watch out for DeKlerk, cause Jah say man head a go roll like breadfruit. Woe to the man who leads his children astray, judgement. Mikey: Is there a particular place in Africa that you would like to visit? Capleton: Ethiopia, because that's where everything start. Mikey: What's a typical day for you when you're not on tour? Capleton: Basically, me is a youth wha is always in the studio a work, deh so where me spend most of my time. If I'm not in the studio or on the road, them I'm in the hills, full of meditation. Getting some fresh breeze and less pollution. Mikey: When you come up with a song, is there a particular process that you go through to develop the lyrics? Capleton: No, it just come naturally. Capleton is not a youth that has to puzzle to write a tune, cause like how me and you a reason right now, I could just come up with a tune. Just from out of the wind and the breeze. It's just a natural mystic. My tunes just come natural, and when something out fi go down, me always find a tune before it happen. A just dem levels. A just Rastafari still, the truth is the truth, and the only conqueror for the truth, is the truth. Mikey: Is there anybody that you looked up to in the early days of your career, and they were a like a mentor? Capleton: Bunny Wailer and Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, because them ancient man used to deal with the works. The ancient man them like Brigadier Jerry wha a uplift the works. But Capleton as just Capleton still, original vibes, natural. Mikey: There are 500 people eagerly anticipating your performance, do you have something special tonight? Capleton: We have something special for them tonight, acapella. Because you find out say them build gun and nuclear (weapons) to try kill out I and I people. But through the powers of Jah, them find out that I and I is the dominance of the earth, so it doesn't matter what them use, them can't kill out I and I, so Jah say nuff atomic energy them have, but them can't stop the time. Bob (Marley) come sing it and motivate the people. Mikey: Is there a particular Jamaican hero that you look up to? Capleton: The prophet Marcus Garvey. 'Cause Marcus Garvey teach we how fi live and set up certain things that I and I adopt. That's why dem nuh really teach we bout Marcus Garvey in a de school and college, and fi know sey I and I a de dominance of de earth. But Jah say him a go execute judgement and justice, and none shall escape. Audio Clips of the interview will be available soon at the Irie Jam web page! Mikey Respect Due Every time! ------------------------------------------------------------- |Reggae Rock Irie Jam - Greater Hartford Reggae | |WESU 88.1 FM http://www.nai.net/~reggaerk | |Sat. 5-8pm | |Middletown, CT Reggae Ambassadors Worldwide Member 613 | |***********************************************************| |Unified Broadcasters Association 800-960-8605 (Voice Mail)| |P.O. Box 4481, Hartford, CT 06147-4481 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~