From the dance floor to the studio - Spoonie makes his own beats

Ainsley Walters, Gleaner Writer

'To get a hit, you haffi fit,

You haffi fit, fit, fit,

To get a hit you haffi fit,

Fit, fit, fit, fit, fit.

To hit the chart you haffi smart,

Smart, smart, smart, smart,

smart.

To hit the chart you haffi smart,

Smart, smart, smart, smart,

smart.'

IT was Junior Reid, during his time in Black Uhuru, who made those words a hit which hold true in music, internationally and locally, more so the fast-paced world of dancehall in which you're hot today and cold tomorrow.

Dancehall is an industry, as intricate as any other, in which its players peddle various skills including music, fashion, dance and booking overseas shows.

Being industry-smart goes a far way in making or breaking a dancehall player. Timely decisions are just as important to a dancehall investor as it is to an investment banker.

Maurice 'Spoonie' Parkes, of Old Spoon Production, excelled as a dance promoter and also as a dancer alongside the iconic 'Bogle' and 'John Hype' before venturing into producing with his label, Old Spoon Production.

For producers like Spoonie, investing in a 'riddim' could guarantee overnight success. However, it could also be a business failure after shelling out cash and not attracting interest from the best deejays.

He did pretty well as a dancer and promoter but found that record producing was not as easy.

Spoonie's first three projects, 'Money Pull Up', 'Bounce' and 'Collapse', failed to ignite the rabid response catchy rhythms have on top-flight deejays who, in order to remain current, ensure they have songs on the hottest 'riddims'.

After 'Collapse' collapsed, he decided to go all out with a fourth rhythm, 'Put Out', which he believes will be his big break.

'Put Out' has since attracted the likes of Gyptian, Big Wayne and D'Angel.

"The most popular song so far is D'Angel's As From Mi Born, and Gyptian's Sen It Up. The other one is Big Wayne's Knock It Pan Dem, which the disc jocks tell me has been getting a feedback," Spoonie noted, adding that a medley video will be out to support the 'Put Out' rhythm.

"I was a dancer before," Spoonie explained. "I danced with Bogle and John Hype, created couple dance well - Drive By, Higher Level, Pon Di River, Pon Di Bank," he added.

He stopped dancing in 2006 and "did a show overseas, a dance show in 2007, sent for John Hype and a couple more from the squad".

His foray into promoting led him to staging 'Spoonie Birthday Bash', an annual affair at venues such as Rebel T Headquarters on Rousseau Road, but "the police lock off one, so I took up producing, link up with Fire Links and did my first production in 2010, 'Money Pull Up', my first rhythm".

"It never really went anywhere. I had another rhythm, 'Bounce', I used Sample Six on it. It never really took off. Last year, I told myself I was going to try with two rhythms. 'Collapse', didn't get a good feedback, so I decided to push 'Put Out' and put all my energy into it because I want to see it pay off."

Investment in a 'riddim' could range from $20,000 upwards or, as Spoonie put it, it depends on your connections.

"For me, I come up in music so I don't make the rhythm, I mek my engineer room mek them, then I listen to the one I like, I buy that one.

"Riddim sell for all different price, depends on who's your friend. You can get a rhythm for $20,000, put an artiste on it, and if it makes an impact out there you're bound to get back something. Once you have somebody who can market it, you'll benefit from it.

"The more it plays on the radio, you'll get royalties. Overseas, whoever marketing it will put it online. We may not like a certain music in Jamaica but in Europe people will like it," Spoonie explained.

challenging

Getting a 'big artiste' on a 'riddim' could be challenging but, again, it comes down to connections.

"I was a dancer before so I was in the streets," Spoonie pointed out. "You go to dances and you associate with everybody. Artistes come to parties. I don't have to give big artistes money to voice because we're friends," he said.

It's a contra deal because the artistes themselves, recognising a hit rhythm, will jump at the first chance to record on it.

The financial arrangements differ when a hit is made.

"It's left to the agreement you and the artiste have," Spoonie explained. "If you pay the artiste to voice for you, the song is automatically yours. If the song makes a hit then there are royalties for everybody.

"On 'Put Out', I have two Gyptians, a Big Wayne, D'Angel and my artiste who I am pushing, Triple B. I also have another artiste on it, Gender, plus Ninja Kid. Flexx and Predator also have a combination on it," he said.