They say that a cat has nine lives, meaning that it survives many a close encounter of the deadly kind. Whether or not deejay Supercat has the proverbial nine lives remains to be seen, but his long-lasting musical life is a phenomenon in Jamaica.
In a country where deejays come and go with unfailing yet still amazing regularity and those who are not on the latest hot rhythm are often deemed to be on the verge of extinction, it is amazing that Supercat retains this hold on the musical consciousness. And this is even among persons who were not yet of dance going age when the Cat was really ruling the roost with Boops and Mud Up.Supercat has not had a hit in Jamaica for many years, but two years ago he was the big draw at the now defunct Sashi show in St. Mary. To invoke his name amongst the reggae faithful is to brink a sparkle to the eyes.
His influence is astonishing. Sean Paul is a kitten in the Cat's litter and, more astonishingly, so is Hollow Point, who would have been a child in Supercat's real ruling days.
And when DYCR did 'Sting' he dropped the line "a woulda return one back like Supercat" - and we all knew what he was talking about.
Maybe it is because the 'Cat', as he is simply known to his legions of fans, epitomises the 'bad man' deejay, but with a certain style.
He is, after all, the only man in Jamaican history to 'bad up' a Sting crowd with a bottle (and the promise of a gun), but he is also the man who has the real gangster dressing down to the last pinstripe. But yet he is the man who displayed an astonishing compassion for the young of the nation in Cry Fi Di Yute.
Maybe it is because he rides a rhythm superbly (listen to Mud Up), with such a distinctive voice and hit the big contract times at a time when BET was not a common thing.
Who can forget the remix of Jump with Kriss-Kross, when Cat came in with "special reques' to all uptown man ..."?
Maybe it is his incredible intelligence (listen to Under Pressure) or his legendary sample talk, like when he said that Stone Love was a stone that rolled from Kilamanjaro, one of his favourite sounds, as Kilamanjaro was a mountain in Africa.
And it is not only the listeners and the younger generation that have given Supercat a certain special 'ratings', but also his peers, as Shabba Ranks said in Respect "cool, Supercat done rule, don don don Dada of the deejay school".
And that he is, forever.
