Entertainment

'You can't stop me this year'

germaine smith
Cutty Ranks

"TO ALL THE elements out there who fight me and try to keep me out of the business, I say thanks, cause it mek mi stronger for life and what is to come."

Those were Cutty Ranks's words which struck hard, and were coated with bitterness as he spoke to THE STAR recently. The deejay, who has not been seen much in recent times, says he is on the mend with his career, and feels that 2005 is his year.

Cutty ruled the radio during the 1990s with several chart topping anthems. Among them were Retreat, Stopper, Fire Burning with Marcia Griffiths, Six Million Ways To Die.

However, as prominent as he was then, Cutty suddenly faded from view and not much has been seen or heard of him locally since.

Cutty spoke to THE STAR with venom about his career's demise, but the poison subsided as the deejay spoke about his soon to be released album.

"I and I never left Jamaica, although I was in and out. It's just because of the corruption and dog eat dog business inna the music it kind of keep me away," he explained. "I did a couple of tracks which dem release overseas but locally nutten much."

New company

Cutty groups the blame on a bunch of promoters, producers and other people in the media for his lack of visibility, but promised they would eat their words when his album drops soon. He said he has 50 tracks ready and is finalising the 15 to 20 which will make the cut.

"I am with a new company, E-Logic Music Group. Mi haffi give thanks to them 'cause they are the ones looking out for me. The work we put down so far sound good. We have some awesome tracks for the album, consciousness, and

militant music with a mixture of a few commercial lyrics. My music get serious with more social commentary on it. I bus from the streets, and the tunes coming from me are always going to be about reality," he noted.

To date, the track Hard For It which he produced himself has started playing, and the music video has been on at least one cable station.

"We coming with different things this year, and to let them know that nuff a dem don't have it, many of them are toy soldiers. In this country, a man who used to get oppressed, as soon as he gets to a certain level, he becomes the oppressor too."

Known for encouraging fierce lyrical battles, Cutty stated that that will not be his focus this time around.

"I naa go call no deejay name on this album, 'cause calling them only make them more important than they really are and that is not necessary. It just does not make sense right now.

"Now I am always at peace, mi nuh mek nutten trouble mi, things just get slower in the business but mi naa complain."

Cutty added that he lives more purposefully now. He works out, plants his vineyard and lives in the studios to record constantly.

"Mi music now has more focus. I voiced tunes for the Gumption Band for the album, plus some more independent producers, and do tunes which mi produced miself. Everything just different this time.

"I still have a few gangsta tunes in case somebody try a t'ing but this album is not about gangsta things. I scope the music now and see that we no need these clashes. I see some recent clashes on stage but those are weh mi call common battles."