Entertainment

'I don't have AIDS'

By GERMAINE SMITH, Staff Reporter

Elephant Man - file

DEEJAY ELEPHANT MAN does not let off with the excitement.

Though dealing with a widespread rumour that he has the AIDS disease, the deejay is smiling even wider now, with a platinum mouthpiece recently bought while on his two-month US tour.

In an interview this week, Ele attempted to squash the rumour and elaborated on his mission to return dancehall to its happier days for this summer.

The removable mouthpiece adds to an already blinging Elephant Man, who sports chains, bracelets and rings worth thousands of dollars. Ele did not state how much the platinum mouthpiece cost him, only explaining that it was an image thing.

Grill it out

"Yu know when the yellow hair dye go dung yu brighten up with the yellow and it brighter, so me seh what can I do with this image now, so mi seh alright mi a go grill it out, platinum mout straight. Plats in the mouth, so mi seh mi a platinum out mi mout," he explained.

"So when the girls dem see mi smile or the fans, normally I had a bright smile, now it's even brighter, yea, diamonds forever!"

"So mi just seh the grill is fi bring up the image ... more time tu haffi flavour up the ting. Yu caa just have it pon one pace, more time yu haffi mek THE STAR hear bout yu grill and mek dem come tek picture wid the grill, more time yu mek dem hear seh the artiste have something pon him hand, dem go look fi him, yu haffi carry something, yea, yu haffi new up the game and bring things to the game. Yu caa have one image fi 10 year, one way yu look. Yu haffi change it up. If Usher come out wid a album da year ya him image change, da year ya him inna double breast, next year him inna jersey yu see mi, yu haffi just change it up."

With regards to the widespread talks that he has the deadly AIDS disease, Ele had much to say. He noted that it was started by people who were close to him and who he thought were his friends. He did not give names, but said jealousy was the root of it.

"Well right now, me deh a Jamaica and mi hear people seh Elephant Man have AIDS. Mi a seh more time dat fi just show yu how bad mind tek over people wicked. Dat a when people see yu and no like yu. People just get up and wicked enough to come seh tings like those when dem know nutten like dat ever exist."

"Because first of all when yu know, jut knowing seh something like dat dat exist yu dead pon spot. Yu no even waa live fi see another day from yu find out seh dem tings deh happen, yu a go dead pon spot."

"And yu have some man seh dem a yu friend, but memba, yu best friend can be your worst enemy, and mi get fi find dat out, yu see me. And a people close round me start spread dem rumour deh, and the fan dem shoulda even know better dan dat and seh hear me, Elephant Man a we artiste. Ele no dat stupid and dem ting deh a foolinish, cause how Elephant fi have AIDS and Elephant happy and a run up and down and Elephant nice and a party and a drink liquor every day and a drink champagne and deh a 'Weddy Weddy' and all bout, so dat just show yu how people bad mind and how bad mind a tek over people, yu see me."

In Ele's opinion, he would not be stupid to be having unprotected sex. Also, even if he had the disease and he were receiveing treatment, he could not be on any kind of medication and still be drinking alcohol. That, plus his healthy physique he added, proved that it was only a malicious rumour intended to break him down. According to him, the focus of the entertainment fraternity should be on building the artistes, not on tearing them down.

"It nuh mek sense we build up we artiste dem and when we a work toward the thing, dem a follow people and a like we waa bring dung one another. It naa put yu no where so mi just a seh, right now when mi hear the argument mi just laugh and seh God over devil, yu see mi. Mi just laugh and read mi bible cause who God bless, no man curse, yu see mi, and when yu a dig yu hole, don't dig one dig two, yu see mi, cause what goes around comes around."

The deejay added that it has not affected him, as he is only focusing on recording as many tracks as possible. The aim he said, was to take dancehall back to its dancing days. Though some feel the time has passed for more dancing tunes, Ele says that actually the times are more appropriate for them.

"Mi just a seh love to the fans dem and God over devil, cause right now we need fi bring back Jamaica cause Jamaica a run too vile. We need fi get back inna the party vibe and the party spirit, the happy mood, put the past behind. We need fi just stop these foolishness and mek everybody can enjoy back Jamaica, cause if Jamaica continue like this until December mi no feel like nobody a go deh ya, everybody a go just disappear, so we need fi memba seh one man run the world and a God, not mankind."