To be reminded of what is good about current Reggae music, one only has to look as far as the young Reggae artist Baijie. A melodic tenor by day and a shrewd deejay by night, Baijie, born Dave St. Albourn Williams, is able to walk the border between the two, juggling wicked rhymes and soulful reggae melodies over solid Jamaican beats. Rather than a matter of simply pulling a talented artist out of thin air, this is about music imitating life. Growing up in two of Jamaica’s notorious garrison neighborhoods, Rae Town, East Kingston and Macgregor Gully, Vineyard Town, Baijie’s life has been defined by the borderline between rich and poor, black and white, haves and have-nots.
“In Macgregor Gully it’s normal to hear gunshots every night. Just imagine if a man forced his way into your yard,” he says. “You would defend yourself. So if you live over Macgregor Gully you are forced to live violently.”
Rather than surrender to the intense realities of ghetto living, Baijie recognized the power as well as social and political freedom generated by channeling that reality through the music. Baijie’s solid dancehall credentials, renewed roots focus and an ambitious vision caught the attention of producer Steve Locke of TruckBack Records.
“That’s Life” is Baijie’s first single from his forthcoming album, EQUILIBRIUM, scheduled for release in early 2009 on the TruckBack label. Leading off with a groovy one-drop riddim, a TruckBack original, “That’s Life” also signals a new direction for a studio known for its dancehall beats. Heavy bass bubbling underneath a bright melody, passionate percussion and TruckBack’s tight production provide the artiste room to showcase his full vocal and artistic range. From cool and deadly singing to rough and ready deejaying, Baijie employs a variety of styles to interrogate why “The little the poor man got, him stealing it/ Empty plate a yard and me cyan put a meal in it”.
Music is not a way out for Baijie. Rather, music is used to connect with people productively, in ways that otherwise would be difficult or perhaps even dangerous. “When you come from garrison, the people want you to represent them. I appreciate that, but most artists don’t even realize it,” he says. Even Rae Town and Macgregor Gully agree on this where Baijie can now comfortably walk down the middle of any street.
Still, it wasn’t an easy path to follow. Starting with other youths in the area who liked to chat lyrics and “beat fence pon corner”, Baijie traded the street for the dubplate studio with the help of long time breddren, Chickenhawk, who carried Baijie to Caveman Sound as well as mega producers Steelie & Cleevie and Jah Life. His dancehall recordings earned Baijie tours of England and the Caribbean, but something wasn’t right.
“Things get stale with the music in general,” Baijie says, “I want back that pulsating beat and the type of argument where one line is of significance. You see, me is not a bling bling singer. Me is a message singer.”
By the time TruckBack Records came calling, Baijie had a new outlook and a wicked new sound to match. “I approach music totally different. It have to have melodies. It have to have bass. And it have to impress people, whether you black, white, purple, no matter. The bottom line is, I want to make a mark with it.” While most music in Jamaica “nah pass the port” (it doesn’t leave the country), Baijie’s debut album “EQUILIBRIUM” is prepared to set sail everywhere.
“In Macgregor Gully it’s normal to hear gunshots every night. Just imagine if a man forced his way into your yard,” he says. “You would defend yourself. So if you live over Macgregor Gully you are forced to live violently.”
Rather than surrender to the intense realities of ghetto living, Baijie recognized the power as well as social and political freedom generated by channeling that reality through the music. Baijie’s solid dancehall credentials, renewed roots focus and an ambitious vision caught the attention of producer Steve Locke of TruckBack Records.
“That’s Life” is Baijie’s first single from his forthcoming album, EQUILIBRIUM, scheduled for release in early 2009 on the TruckBack label. Leading off with a groovy one-drop riddim, a TruckBack original, “That’s Life” also signals a new direction for a studio known for its dancehall beats. Heavy bass bubbling underneath a bright melody, passionate percussion and TruckBack’s tight production provide the artiste room to showcase his full vocal and artistic range. From cool and deadly singing to rough and ready deejaying, Baijie employs a variety of styles to interrogate why “The little the poor man got, him stealing it/ Empty plate a yard and me cyan put a meal in it”.
Music is not a way out for Baijie. Rather, music is used to connect with people productively, in ways that otherwise would be difficult or perhaps even dangerous. “When you come from garrison, the people want you to represent them. I appreciate that, but most artists don’t even realize it,” he says. Even Rae Town and Macgregor Gully agree on this where Baijie can now comfortably walk down the middle of any street.
Still, it wasn’t an easy path to follow. Starting with other youths in the area who liked to chat lyrics and “beat fence pon corner”, Baijie traded the street for the dubplate studio with the help of long time breddren, Chickenhawk, who carried Baijie to Caveman Sound as well as mega producers Steelie & Cleevie and Jah Life. His dancehall recordings earned Baijie tours of England and the Caribbean, but something wasn’t right.
“Things get stale with the music in general,” Baijie says, “I want back that pulsating beat and the type of argument where one line is of significance. You see, me is not a bling bling singer. Me is a message singer.”
By the time TruckBack Records came calling, Baijie had a new outlook and a wicked new sound to match. “I approach music totally different. It have to have melodies. It have to have bass. And it have to impress people, whether you black, white, purple, no matter. The bottom line is, I want to make a mark with it.” While most music in Jamaica “nah pass the port” (it doesn’t leave the country), Baijie’s debut album “EQUILIBRIUM” is prepared to set sail everywhere.
Courtesy of Heather Cameron (Truckback Records)
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