Roze Don Talks Gritty Old Capital, Alkaline Comparisons & Being Unenthused With Trap Dancehall

Spain Town Badness artist Roze Don has affirmed that the old Spanish capital where he grew up, is one of the most violent places in Jamaica, and as a consequence, is depicted as such in the gritty track and its accompanying music video.

Spain Town Badness joins a slew of songs about Spanish Town, recorded by Reggae and Danceall artistes over the years, some mellow like Barrington Levy’s classic Spanish Town Prison Oval Rock, which was voiced by in 1883, as a dubplate for the Volcano system, Chronixx’s Spanish Town Rockin, and Koffee’s Rapture remix featuring Govana, with others being gritty like Kip Rich’s Spanish Town Anthem and Lutan Fyah’s St Jago De La Vega.

The upcoming artist was speaking in an interview with Television Jamaica’s Anthony Miller, for The Entertainment Report recently, when the veteran journalist quizzed him about the violent content of the song.

“When your friends and when people in Jamaica listen to Spain Town Badness, what impression do you think they form in their heads?” Miller asked.

“That Spain Town is not a nice place.  Spain Town Badness is not a joke thing.  Just be careful,” Roze Don replied.

“You want people to think that the lane you grew up on is a dangerous place?” Miller stressed, referencing Big Lane in Central Village where the artiste has his roots.

“Definitely.  It is a dangerous place,” Roze Don responded.

With its persistent gang wars, Spanish Town, which has produced stars such as Koffee, Papa San, Chronixx, Lady G, Grace Jones, Lieutenant Stitchie, Dirtsman, and Govana, has developed a dubious reputation for violence.  Spanish Town was Jamaica’s capital up to 1872, when Kingston became the capital.   It was given capital status by the Spanish in 1534, and was initially known as Villa de la Vega and then St Jago de La Vega, before the final name change.

Indicating that he was simply being honest about the realities of sections of the St. Catherine capital, which is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Jamaica, Roze Don rated the rate of violence, when pressed by Miller at about six or seven on a scale of 10.

When Miller asked: “Do you fear for your life sometimes” Roze Don responded in the affirmative.

“Definitely.  But it’s just like you don’t know what because bullets don’t have eyes.  So it is not like nobody a come look fi me and anyting but I don’t want to be at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Roze Don said.

According to Miller’s report, Roze Don’s story is a very familiar one, as like many other artistes, “he recorded a few tracks, but only one, a badness tune sparked some interest”.

Roze Don told Miller that his father had wanted him to become a pastor which made him a bit shy at first.  He also added that he worked at a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company for a year, before making his exit to fully pursue music, where his mother now forms a part of his management team.

The artiste, who looks up to Vybz Kartel and Mavado, also told Miller that he is not really a big fan of Trap-influenced Dancehall music, which characterizes some of his songs.

“I am not a fan of the hip Hop riddim really, but I can freestyle, so some of the times when I am in the studio and have nothing to record I just hop on the beat.  But I really don’t like the idea.  I see everybody a try like Trap Dancehall or this Dancehall Trap, but mi nuh really like di idea,” he emphasized.

“Mi really like di hard core Dancehall.   Why me think dem a try change it, a because artiste have it fi seh Jamaica a nuh no weh, suh dem waan get dem music overseas and ting.  And everybaddy is a big fan of America and America is Hip Hop and Rap ting, so dem a try hit di overseas market,” he added.

Of being told by many that he resembles Alkaline, Roze Don said he does not mind the comparison, particularly when it is not done in an unkind manner.