Linval Thompson Distances Himself From Shab Don, Focusing On His New Music
Reggae/Dub producer and singer Linval Thompson is occupied with the final touches to three new albums (two of which are set for release this year), and he’s also preparing to tour Mexico and Europe with his vast catalog. All this while his supposed son, Dancehall producer Linval ‘Shabba’ Thompson Jr., popularly known as Shab Don, is facing a possible life sentence for three murders.
The 67-year-old, whose real name is Leval Alphonso Thompson, has distanced himself from the ‘Trap Dancehall’ hitmaker, asserting that he’s not the father of Shab Don and is willing to do a paternity test to prove it.
“My children live overseas, I have no children in Jamaica,” the I Love Marijuana singer told DancehallMag.
Shab Don was charged in connection to a triple killing in Rose Heights, St James, and two counts of shooting with intent, which occurred in May. His lawyer, Donahue Martin has insisted that his client is innocent, as he was “not even close to being anywhere near St. James in that period.”
In light of this, Thompson said he has taken stock of the death of Tabby Diamond, which Loop News reported was believed to be retaliation for a murder allegedly committed by Tabby’s son.
“What happened with Tabby Diamond is an eye opener for me, I just don’t want any problems, I am not into the mix up,” Thompson said. “I want everything to work out, I am focusing on my music, I don’t even work in Jamaica, Jamaica doesn’t appreciate what I do, I should have an OD already.”
“He (Shab Don) doesn’t make the type of music that I do. The music I make is grassroot, it’s what the people in Europe go crazy for, the real type of Jamaican music,” he added.
“Right now I am gearing up to release a vinyl record with Roberto Sanchez, a producer from Spain. It’s a 10-track album with about 5 or 6 dubs, and the rest are songs.”
The artist-turned-producer also shared that he will be putting out unreleased music from the late Jamaican singers Freddy McKay, Roman Stewart, and Barry Brown this year, as well as an authentic instrumental album next year, all courtesy of his label Thompson Sound.
In an interview in March this year, Shab Don, 32, had spoken highly of Thompson, after whom he is named, and told DancehallMag that his father is a musical legend. “I hope one day to live up to his expectations,” he had said, before sharing that he and Thompson were “planning to work on something soon.”
When quizzed about this possibility, Thompson seemed unaware. But he, nonetheless, said that he would apologize to Shab Don if a paternity test proved that he is his father.
“Yes, if he is my son I would apologise publicly,” the veteran said.
At the age of 20, though raised in Kingston, Linval self-released his first official song ‘No Other Woman’, recorded in Brooklyn, New York. Soon after, he returned to Jamaica and did work with artist/producer Phil Pratt, who worked with the highly respected Coxsone Dodd.
As his career progressed, he expanded his collaborative efforts with Lee Scratch Perry and recorded “Kung Fu Man”, then with the pioneering producer, Bunny Lee which bred his debut album, Don’t Cut Off Your Dreadlocks in 1976.
In 1978, Thompson produced his own Trojan album I Love Marijuana.
Although he continued his work as a recording artist, he found major success as a producer, working with Freddie McGregor for Big Ship, Dennis Brown, The Wailing Souls, Barrington Levy on Poor Man Style, Eek-A-Mouse on Skidip and Cornel Campbell.
His productions were used as the basis of some of Scientist’s best-known dub albums.
Meanwhile, Shab Don is known for his hybrid trap-dancehall productions such as Vybz Kartel’s World Government, Bad Mind, and Any Weather, which was the first single to be released on his most renowned riddim, the G6ixx.
Thompson Jr., who is one-half of the Shab Don Records team alongside Carlos Clarke, also produced Teejay’s Shub Out and Henny and Weed, Popcaan’s Baby Yuh Tight, Jahvillani’s Nuh Rate Dem, and Squash’s Money Fever.
His most recent work was the Active riddim, which featured Spice and Demarco on Jiggle, Bounty Killer on Aggressively, Vybz Kartel and Shaneil Muir on Ride It, Squash on Ready, and Silk Boss on Off Guard.