Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

Selector Ricky Trooper. - Contributed

From being surrounded by sound systems as a child to touring the world and 'killing' many others, Ricky Trooper is surely one of the greatest Jamaican sound selectors.

Trooper, whose real name is Garfield McKoy, says his interest in selecting and dancehall started when he was a child in St Mary. He recounted memories of the different sound systems that went in and out of the yard in which he lived and played on nearby streets.

Noticed his interest

By age eight, Trooper moved to Spanish Town, St Catherine. There, his interest in music increased because another sound system was next door. He said the owner of the sound system noticed his interest and gave him the opportunity to play.

"By 12 years old mi start play di sound system. Mi mother neva used to fight against it. Sometimes mi play out and she used to wait on mi," he said.

While attending St. Catherine High School he worked at Ultimate Touch Record Shop. After the store owner migrated, he started to deejay on a sound called Creation Rock Towers. His next move was to Killamanjaro, where he started to get his fame but it was not from being a deejay.

"Mi deh pon Killamanjaro a deejay three years before dem know seh mi can select. Di owner seh either mi play di sound or no work nuh deh deh fi mi," Trooper told THE STAR.

Big break

His big break, however, came in 1994 when he defeated the New York-based King Addies in a sound clash, which popular selector Tony Matterhorn played for at the time.

"Dat was di biggest dance for me. From dem time deh mi just get famous and start travel all over the world," Trooper said.

But his journey did not stop at Killamanjaro; he started his own Sound Trooper sound system in 2000. Since then he has won many awards playing on his sound system around the world.

He was champion of the Bronx Showdown in 2004, Mental Cup in 2003 and World Clash in 2006. He also won the Universal Clash Championship in 2006 against David Rodigan, the Foreign Invasion Clash and Death Before Dishonour.

Defeated many

'Killing' other sounds is nothing new to Trooper as he has defeated many while part of Killamanjaro and Sound Trooper. Some sounds that he says fell victim to him include, King Turbo, Metromedia, Stone Love, Bass Oddessy, Black Scorpio, Tony Matterhorn, Mighty Crown, Silver Star and King Jammys.

Though he has his own Sound Trooper, Ricky Trooper still has close ties with Killamanjaro. He said he is still called to play on the sound system when there are major gigs lined-up.

He said it was while playing with Killamanjaro that he helped to launch the careers of artistes like Luciano, Garnett Silk, Anthony B, Fantan Mojah and Turbulence.

He also credited himself as being the selector who revolutionised selecting but he is not pleased with most of the current crop of selectors.

nah really play no music

"You see selectors a Jamaica nah really play no music right now. De amount a music weh mek and when you go a party you a hear de same ting over and over. But when you go overseas you nuh hear nutten like dat," Trooper told THE STAR.

Adding, "dem time deh (when he started selecting) fi really mek yuh name yuh haffi clash. Yuh did have more sound systems weh did vibrant so none a these guys caan walk in my shoes."

Trooper is set to tour Europe soon and says he is part of a soon-to-be-released documentary, which is being produced by Norman Stolzoff, author of Wake the Town and Tell the People: Dancehall Culture in Jamaica.