Michigan releases 'Empress By My Side' - Deejay touring US to support third solo album

Papa Michigan says on his 2010 album, Love Iz, he had a song about being friends with his lady. "I got so many requests. The ladies asked why I don't write more songs for them," he said.

He took note, because for his current 15-track full-length set Empress By My Side, Michigan points out that the first section is for the women. Among them are Rude Boy Date, Woman I Love You and the title track, then the CD changes topic with Too Much Gun Thing, featuring Luciano. Mikey Spice is the guest on Respect and the album closes with Take it Easy.

Michigan has been on the road in the United States, performing from Florida to New York, Tennessee and Alabama among the states he has visited. He was slated to leave Jamaica yesterday to go through San Diego, Sacramento and Los Angeles. This set of performances is slated to take Michigan's touring schedule up to August. According to Michigan, if he gets a break he will come back to Jamaica briefly.

Focus on roots

He focuses on roots reggae rhythms, putting tour observations into practice. "When I was touring Europe last year, I realise the international audience like a certain kind of beat, a certain kind of lyrics. They like the beats that have substance. Them like to hear horns. That no mean them no like dancehall, but them more go for the reggae," Papa Michigan said.

While working in new material can be problematic for some artistes who already have popular songs, Michigan said for him it is not hard.

"The songs are written same way that I write Diseases and so on. The people can sing along with them. From them sing the first chorus them can sing the second," he said.

Then there is also the lyrical content. "I write about current affairs and social and political affairs. Mi nuh write bout gun; mi nuh live them life there," Michigan said.

He said Empress By My Side is doing very well in Italy, New York and South Florida and, as an independent effort on his own Michigan Records/Ras Shanco label, not least of all because it is a solo set.

"A lot of people say I could not make a hit without Smiley, like how them say Paul McCartney could not make a hit without the Beatles. Smiley a mi good friend still," Michigan said.

- M.C.