the safe house

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Myspace Contact Tables At home there were six of us, two brothers and one sister. Life was never easy as far as I can remember growing up in deprived surroundings, my out look in life and the future like others around me was very negative, reggae music saved my soul. Working on a sound system in Bristol, three stripe rydim wize was always set up in ray mighty yard in city road, most of rydim wize sound members lived in easton and we would link up at Robbie ranks yard and mc budah bye. My first experience of a major reggae dancehall was in 1985 st pauls festival, at ink works, sir coxsone outernational was playing and I managed to find myself three foot away from the control tower where the operator,selector and djs were performing, like the song bob marley says “when music hits you. You feel no pain”! I was never the same again. At the age fifteen I was now young fresh creative and full of zeel, ready for the reggae industry. My father decided to move from Bristol as depravation was rising rapidly.he moved us to a small coastal town called hastings. This is where the story begins. The first sound system I helped build was king solton with a dj name “Kenny g” with this sound system we run hastings havock for three and a half years,at this time during the summer heat, day exscurtions from London would also bring there own sound systems which I was present observing. At this time there was a known English white artist called “Dominick” in the reggae industry. After the battling of sound clashes and mc clashes id experienced I was ready to go to Jamaica and clash with “Dominick” knowing when I clash and win I would be the undisputed number one white mc of the reggae industry. The plane landed in july1990, my feet was now on Jamaica soil for the first time,I made contacts and good friends along my travels in the first few days, because of the friends id made were ones that were connected in the reggae industry I quickly gained access to many dancehalls and stage shows, one in particular was reggae sunsplash, I gained access back stage an looked for “Dominick” to no avail. That night I saw many big artists and legends perform live on stage, which gave me great inspiration!! I continued to look for “Dominick” to the end of my visit to Jamaica. Arriving back in hastings with Jamaica glowing from me I began to build a sound system called jura magniffasound which run hastings hectick for two years always keeping in contact with the good friends and contact I made in Jamaica. I booked my second visit to Jamaica in june 1992 I was more prepared and more eagar to establish myself in the reggae industry. My first major performance was in kings vale; hanover. A sound system called pieses were clashing the great killamanjaro, my good friend adviced me to perform on lesser of the two sounds. On the legendary sound system killamanjaro the artists hammermouth and puddy roots were performing,id only ever heard these artists on cassette tapes, which usually had been duplicated fifty or more times, waiting to be on pieses I prepead myself in the usual way. I was in front of a crowd who looked vibrant and waiting as the master of ceremonys announced my entrance to pieses sound system , I took the mic and began my performance , first shouting out my respect to the artists in the venue, within ten seconds of my first lyriq performed I heard gunshots and shouts all over the venue, the operator rewound the record in a mental fashion till the needle jumped off the record, I was know in 5th gear my2nd 3rd and 4th lyriq blazed the venue. I was now glowing with same vibrations that I used to listen to on cassette tapes back in the uk, coming off the stage I felt like I was floating, this is what id always dreamt about and now it was a reality. For the rest of my visit I quickly gained more contacts and good friends which gave me asscess to areas in Jamaica where some of the most famous reggae studios were based, there I met several artists at the famous and respected “king jammys”studio. On my return to the uk I realised that this little island called Jamaica had a very powerful presence across the world through reggae music. I was now pat of it. One of the first objects I needed to complete was to establish myself on vinel, to do this I would need to be attending studio reguly . my father saw my passion for reggae music and by fate he had a friend called Richard who had his own band and recording studio, we were introduced and were to write and produce. The first group I made out of this stable was “genuine artikal” there were two members of this group myself and “general douge”, we would support the uk hip hop “first down” on many occations, one in particular I was billed along side heavy weights “cash crew” from london , who later took my details for contact, shortly after I received a call from cash crew to come to London and record a couple of tracks for future release. I continued in hastings recording with richie, I came in contact with a famous songwriter Claire hammell through a friend of richies called “andy warrel, we quickly gelled and put together a group called “murma” . We praticed and performed for the next two years at various venues around the country Still in contact with “first down” I wasted no opportunity in recording some tracks with them, at this time a lot of my dj friends were producing jungle music, when they heard what I was producing on reggae music they was impressed and wanted me to mc on jungle music, over the next 12 months i wrote and recorded reggae vocals over jungle, through this experience I gained many skills and tecniqes which I could execute later as an attribute. One summer evening in1995 richie would be holding a party at which I was to meet many musicians and artists, one artist in particular was “douge reuben” who had just finished a tour of Europe with Southwark music college in London, we exchanged contacts and later meet up for a music jam. Baron demus from the uk hip hop group first down left the group and started to record at richies along side myself and douge reuben , over the next 2 years we recorded and produced over 100 tracks. One night id just performed on stage when I was approched by a famous saxophonist “wesly mcgoogon “ who was impressed by my performance and was interested in working with me, we exchanged contacts and over the next 12 months we wrote and recorded several tracks for future release. Baron demus come up with a concept and group called “secrecy” which richie, douge and myself lawless began to write an record, at this time in 1997 douge reuben was opproched by a record company called “heavenly records” to write and record tracks with a group called “monkey mafia” later to perform and become frontman of the group gave us great focus and inspiration. Douge invited me to one of the rehersals with the group “monkey mafia”, at the rehersals when the group had a break me and douge began to jam on some of the secrecy tracks, the manager of the group was impressed and began to talk to douge that evening to discuss the idea of lawless and douge reuben to front the band on gigs , I didn’t hesitate on the opportunity. The fist gig I performed with the group “monkey mafia” was at reading festival 1998 in the dance tent at peak time in front of a crowd of 6000 people, we totally smashed the place up converting a rock crowd into a reggae dance fusion , when I thought things couldn’t get any better I was told to get my passport ready for Sweden to perform at a festival called the lollypop festival, little did I know on this 3 day event that I would be travelling along side the likes of the chemical brothers. On the night of the performance we performed in front of 4000 people which we made run riot. I returned to hastings with great vibes and inspirations witnessing the international link up, utilising dance music with reggae vocals. I knuckled down and began to focus on the project “secrecy” which me,richie,baron demus and douge reuben completed 18 months later. I was now a professional artist but yet still a struggling musician within the music industry , I needed to learn other skills so I started to train and work as a carpenter within the construction industry which gave me a steady income. I received a call from john niven the manager of “monkey mafia” in april 1998 he asked me if I was avalible for 7 days to tour france, which I replied yes! And began to prepear myself in the usual manner . I meet with the rest of the group in a bar called “the blue note” which is based in hoxton sq, old sreet, London. On our journey to the blue note we received a call to say we would be performing that evening at the same venue, me and douge arrieved at the venue the blue note, whilst waiting for the rest of the band we were opproched by other musicians who began to hold conversation with us, it happen to be the heavy weight lead vocalist from the group “stone roses” “ian brown”, he just come back from Jamaica explaining that he had experienced and witnessed reggae artists, one in particular artist was “sizzla” As the rest of the band turned up and other musicians and artists we began to realise the importance of the gig we was about to play for this was a charity event to raise awareness of “homelessness put together by “the big issue” and “the blue note” we performed along the likes of javis cocker, carlin Anderson, ian brown and many more established artists, later that evening after monkey mafia performed there was a big media burst of magazines, newapapers and television personel surrounding all the artists, something I had only seen on television at music awards, later that evening a tour bus turned up to the venue to carry us on the tour of france. We did several gigs across the country, one I remember the most was in paris where we performed at a large venue on the champdilasay,which kate moss, niomi cambell and stella mcartny turned up to see us perform. Shortly coming back from the tour of france I was called again to do a live radio show in edingbrough called “the breeze block show” hosted by mary ann hobbs this show was broadcasted to an audience of 5 million people, later after the show we was interviewed by various magazines and music journals“n.m.e”, “melody maker”. Arriving back in hastings knowing I had work the next day made me look at the whole music industry in a different way, this would be the last time I perform with the heavy weights “monkey mafia. Douge continued to perform with the group over the next 12 months, updating me always with the tales of life on the road. For the next 12 months I knuckled down and worked hard within the construction industry as a carpenter. Douge had left “monkey mafia and had hooked up with scratch genius “krash slaughta” from Scotland to form a group called “fillibusterz” which I later joined and wrote songs with. One of the highlights of the shows we performed at was “blow pop” festival in Bristol. A consept was born inside me which I knew would work and be acceptable by the mass, the name of this project would be called “lawless”. Theres been one thing that iv always disliked about the music industry and that was the “lies and deseat” that is always in the back ground. The work ethics I have picked up in the construction industry has taught me first to prepear for a job, secondary is to work and deliver a standard of craftsmanship to the consumer no matter how big or small the job may be and all the way through the job it is very important to work in a clean and hygienic envioroment which the music industry at this tine breaches, to those that are reading this I wonder if you could guess what “lawless music” was to give birth to ”the lyriq cleaner” The lyriq cleaner is a manner that I will address the music industry with. A good friend of mine called “big sykes” who lives in hastings called me to ask if I was available to perform at a big outdoor dance in Jamaica 2004, which is held by “skengdon,skelly barka,sykes” {sss cup}in Kensington, Portland,Jamaica. I made several dub plates for “skelly barka sound system” which he played regularly , I mc at several dancehalls across Jamaica ,some dancehalls I left people dumbstruck and a lot of dancehalls people saluted me,the best vibrations I received on my short visit is when I recorded two fresh dub plates at a local recording studio called “piyaka”in port Antonio which later that night was played in a big dance which received its “props”! Back in the uk,hastings I was working on a job in consruction where I meet a big dj and producer named “deckwrecka”who I would be recording with. 12 months passed rapidly and befor I knew it I received a call again from my good friend “big sykes” to blaze the fire again in Jamaica with his brother “skelly barka”once again I did several shows in and around Portland,Jamaica,whilst taking a break in ochie rios I meet some artists and promoters who quickly seized the oppertunity to invite me to there studio to record severeal dubplates for them,they kindly made me 3 dubplates for my good friend douge reubens sound system “platinum bashment” back in the uk douge reubens sound system “platinum bashment”would play once a month at a club called brass monkey,where I would perform 3 tracks of my project “lawless” continually recording with producers richie and deckwrecka,I began to find form in my project,in one specific track I recorded with deckwrecka I featured on a track on a rap artist album called”lazuras”later to perform shows with him at Finsbury park along side the likes of “ms dynamite”,also at a award ceremony held in malta which was filmed by international networks,it was a glamorous and elegent occation which I shall remember for a long time now the development and technologies and the modern outlook of the project “lawless”is ready to clean! So let it begin….