Jamaican beats, an international commodity

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

On the evening of March 31 2006, producer Rohan 'Snowcone' Fuller says he got a telephone call from Miami, Florida. The person on the other end of the line was American superstar producer Salaam Remi, who informed him that Temperature, deejay Sean Paul's song on Fuller's Applause 'riddim', had reached number one on the Billboard pop chart.

Rather than bringing out the celebratory liquor, Fuller recalls marking the occasion with a spiritual moment.

"Mi jus' go inna the yard an' thank the Father fi all the glory," he said.

The portly Fuller's profile rose considerably with Temperature's success.

It earned him two ASCAP awards and paved the way for his collaboration with some of the biggest names in hip hop, including Akon, Li'l Wayne and Sean Kingston.

The Applause beat remains his biggest project. While songs by Sizzla and Red Rat announced its release, the Applause's stocks skyrocketed when Sean Paul jumped on the beat for his multi-platinum album, The Trinity.

It also spawned a considerable European hit in Ring Ding Ding for LOC, a Jamaican-British trio, in 2006.

Fuller's latest production is the Ital Stew, a beat featuring some of dancehall's hottest acts led by Vybz Kartel and Busy Signal, veterans Spragga Benz and Rayvon and upcoming artistes like Tifa.

Holding court recently at the back of his St Andrew home, Fuller said dancehall 'riddims' are no longer exclusive to the Jamaican scene.

"The hype inna Jamaica, but people abroad tek the thing serious. Remember seh Gyptian song (Hold Yuh) wasn't done here," he explained.

"The good thing is, people a foreign love the beats an' once it tek off, dat's it."

Hot, computerised riddims have ruled the Jamaican dancehall since the 1980s, most of them produced by the super team of Steely and Clevie. In the 1990s, younger producers such as Dave Kelly took over with beats like the Pepperseed and Joyride, setting the tone for Steven 'Lenky' Marsden whose Diwali jam yielded big international hits for Sean Paul (Get Busy) and Wayne Wonder (No Letting Go).

In the last five years, hip hop and new wave Rhythm and Blues performers like Alicia Keys have come to Jamaica seeking out the hottest beats.

Fuller believes that form of acknowledgement has done wonders for the Jamaican producer.

"If a big artiste on a riddim an' it tek off, it can only help us," he said.

bustling reggae scene

Originally from the Crescent Road area of Kingston, Fuller says he immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s and got involved in the bustling New York City reggae scene.

He turned to producing in 2000 after years of working as a road manager for acts like Mega Banton, Shabba Ranks, Patra and Vicious. He was also understudy to Remi who produced Banton's 1994 hit song, Soundboy Killing and singer Ini Kamoze's comeback smash, Here Comes The Hotstepper.

"I was moving 'roun' all the big artistes dem an' writing song fi people like Rayvon an' Ini (Kamoze) so I said, 'If my ears so good, mi can do this miself'," he recalled.

Fuller returned to Jamaica 11 years ago and got the ball rolling with the moderately successful Resilience riddim. His big break locally came in 2001 with the Rice and Peas beat which produced hits by Bounty Killer (Mystery Is The Man) Spragga Benz and Elephant Man (Warrior Cause) and Assassin and Sugar Slick (Dedicated To The World).

Even hip hop superstar Wyclef Jean got in on the Rice and Peas action, recording his Warriors Part Two song on the beat.

It was Temperature, however, that put Fuller on the international map. The song was a worldwide party stomper, staying in the Billboard pop chart for 17 weeks and helping The Trinity to sales of over four million units.

While he still enjoys churning out killer jams, Fuller says he is keen on improving his knowledge of live recording, and to make 'serious' music in the mould of producers Clement 'Coxson' Dodd and Sly and Robbie.

"Mi look to dem man deh as mi mentor 'cause dem neva into the hype an' after all these years people still love dem music," he said.

"Me'd a like reach fi dem heights."