by Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Ninja Man, The Star's 'Artiste of the Month'. - Andrew Smith

Today, as part of the Artiste of the Month feature, The STAR presents the first of a three part interview with Ninja Man which details his start in music from the 1980s to the present.

Desmond 'Ninja Man' Ballentine did not actually start out as a deejay, even when he first took up the microphone on Black Zodiac Sound System, based on Henderson Road between Maxfield Avenue and Callaloo Bed.

"Me a bad yute. Me like how Supercat do it an true me a bad yute me try it," he said.

That 'try it' in the mid 1980s led him across to Cockburn Pen, to Bamboo Lawn to deejay on Soul Imperial, along with Supercat and the now deceased Early B, known as the Doctor. Then, it was on to a legendary association with Kilaman-jaro, a stint with Stereograph and then back to Kilamanjaro and dancehall immortality.

As well as a record. As far as his start in the studio goes, the record Protection was the official beginning.

"Mr. Harper (from Kilamanjaro) give me a eight-track tape. Me dung a Wayne Smith; him jus' a deal wid de computerise system. We jus' a vibes de riddim. We listen it an we call in Courtney Melody," Ninja Man said.

"Jus' de way him approach it we sey yeah," Ninja Man said, singing the high-pitched "I believe..." from The Greatest Love of All which starts the song. "Courtney Melody is a man who have a nerves problem, so me an him a sing, when a my time fe stop me touch him an' him come een," Ninja Man said.

It was not the only song that was done on the rhythm, as Junior Cat did Annorexal Body and Shabba Ranks did Holla Fi Buddy.

Then came the effort of getting the songs heard, Ninja Man facing a peculiar situation.

"When me carry it go to Stone Love, over Winners, when Shabba Ranks play it mash up. Junior Cat play it mash up. When Protection play people listen it, but it no mash up," he said. The response had a tremendous impact, as Ninja Man considered just producing. "A no sey me a great deejay. Me jus' a try a ting," he said.

However, about two weeks later some friends called 'Double Ugly' or 'Ugly Man', as he was known much more than the Ninja Man on the record, out of his home to hear Protection on the radio. Still, it was a bittersweet experience. "A no de song, is a commercial," he said

Still, the safe sex message was a start and "next Sunday me go Winners. Naa hear mi tune. Bout 2:30 a.m. him touch it, me hear 'I believe'. Pap pap pap, place mash up. Then him touch a nex' tune an it quiet dung. Bout 5:00 a.m. him touch it again, 'bout 18 time, place mash up," Ninja Man said.

And so it was on to his first major stage show, DJ Roll Call, where Early B called up Ninja Man as his 'prentice'. But it was a bitter experience. "Louise Frazer-Bennett an' Super Don tun off de mic pon me. Me tun to Frazer-Bennett an sey 'nex year me a come back an' done it', wid tears inna me eye. First time my name come inna paper, it sey 'Early B and his sidekick Ninja Man were kicked off the stage'," he said, shaking his head at the memory.

"It hurt me. See 10,000, 20,000 people in front a me an' don' even get fe sey a word," Ninja Man said.

But there were bigger things to come.

Tomorrow: Ninja Man takes the stage shows and the clashes.