[1]Love him or hate him, Ricky Trooper has earned his place in Jamaica's dancehall history.
The spunky selector for years was the major mouthpiece behind the legendary Kilamanjaro sound system. With bravado arguments and fiery confrontations, Trooper earned his name during the '90s despite his wins and losses in the clash world.
Since leaving Kilamanjaro and forming his own 'Sound Trooper' sound system, Trooper has not been as prominent locally as he was before. Some say that the tightly-knit dancehall elit? is squeezing him out, while others argue that Trooper is just growing old.
Speaking with THE STAR earlier this week, Trooper notes that things have changed for him, but only for the better.
"Since mi start push Sound Trooper, I am travelling overseas a whole heap more," he notes. "Inna the '90s when yu see me a gwaan bad, I was just trying to make my name, now I am making the money. All these clashes and ting, was me fighting for my name, now mi have it and I am enjoying the profits. I learnt that certain place in Europe and Japan music take off and they are paying to see me."
Trooper does not headline many major stage shows in Jamaica anymore, and he rarely passes through the plethora of street dances which litter the weeknights. He argues that much of this is by choice, because his outlook on the business is different now than it was 10 years ago.
"The time dem different now. Inna Jamaica mi play mostly rural areas cause mi take mi image seriously, yu caan just play any and everywhere so. Yu see the name Ricky Trooper, it feeds my family and me, so I have to protect it. Mi can't be everywhere and everybody here see me every minute. Mi deal with my things pon a business level, so mi will pass through certain events round town and where the people want see me. That way dem appreciate yu more."
The hype
His perennial musical rivals, Tony Matterhorn and Firelinks, are enjoying fruitful days in the business. Matterhorn headlines several sessions in and out of Kingston along with Firelinks, who is making major gains in the production business. All this hype seemingly has passed Trooper but he does not seem to care.
"It depends pon what yu call hype. If yu call hype when yu deh everywhere locally and a play the same thing everyday, that is not me," he argues. "I am not playing prime time music that everybody have and is common. Yu will always see me a play something different."
"Everybody a play the same type of music and a say the same things pon the microphone, If yu go ten dance inna the week yu hear the same things a talk bout, this is boring to the music.
"Nuff man here seh dem hype and dem a the big man, yet if dem go overseas dem caan draw 2000 people. How many selector can seh dem go pon tour and draw out X amount of people inna one venue? Whe dem go? Wha dem do?"
CD Selectors
His other beef is with the modern wave of selectors who operate without sound systems. He calls them CD Selectors.
"Mi caan respect the selector dem who just a walk round with a little box a CDs and who pass through a dance and then go collect a bag a money. Dem no understand what it is to spend thousands of dollars pon equipment, help out youth and hire them pon yu sound. Dem no understand how fi spend time and tune up yu thing and mek sure yu thing play right ... the music business just run under hype now."
"Nuff who play now no know dem history, it is not that I am miserable, but when yu love something yu get passionate bout it. The people who built this business no get them props. Some selector like Danny Dread, Jah Screw, Ainsley from Jaro, Ian from Roadstar, and Rory from Stone Love. Nuff selector nowadays don't know the role dem man deh have inna the early part of the business."
Trooper's arguments are strong and many will disagree with him, but his views come with several years of music under his belt. His passion is also influenced by his now popular drum corp called the Magnificent Troopers. Since Trooper formed the group, they have an enviable record of victories in competitions. Among their trophies is the annual Courts (Jamaica) Limited/Drum Corps West Indies Competition.
"When mi waa hype a that mi hype with," Trooper boasts. "Mi watch that band struggle from three or four people to a band now with over 100 playing members. Mi proud. That band mek mi know seh everything mi want in life mi can get it. I just have a fire within me for the music, and when mi see how the band grow and achieve, mi know seh there is hope in life."