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  Serocee Interview
interview 0412 added
23.05.06 words:
Hayley Rebecca Coyle
technical:
QED
Serocee and I met in a bustling wine bar in Holborn,
and sporting a pretty sharp suit he could easily have
been mistaken for a slick n slimy City type, rather the
rapping urban cat he is. I was impressed. He exuded
charming confidence, suggesting a man at ease with
himself, and though he is certainly outspoken and a
little spiky, a cheeky thoughtful side was evident too.
He’s a veteran of the bashment, dancehall and reggae
scene, so you’ve probably heard his rhyming rhetoric and
fresh “vibe” on myriad tracks. And if you’ve wondered
“what’s that sound?” He’s about to embark on his first
solo voyage -you’ll soon be hearing him everywhere. Over
an abstemious orange juice he told me what it’s all
about and what to expect…
Firstly a bit of background so those of us unfamiliar
with you can get acquainted.
 The
name’s Serocee, and I’ve been in the music game now for
a number of years. Probably about seven, and that
includes writing songs, and even singing in a choir.
I spent my early days growing up in Jamaica so that’s
where I really began my love for reggae music. One of my
uncles was only nine years older than me, he was like an
older brother, and he got me into it.
And when did you move back to the UK?
I got back here when I was ten. I went to secondary
school over here and spent most of my time at the back
of the class, battling and throwing down beats. But I
suppose I only really started to perform seriously when
I was with a youth group in a place called Sparkbrook
which isn’t too far from Small Heath in Birmingham where
I was born. So yeah, I got involved with this youth
group and they sort of helped me hone my talents rather
than being on the street and getting into trouble.
The youth group sounds like it acted as a sort of
springboard for greater things. Tell me a bit about some
of your first projects? People you’ve worked with…
Quite a few different people….one of the main people
I’ve worked with from the UK would be JD from So Solid.
I’ve worked with him and a few others who are from my
area in Birmingham.
“...I
eventually became a rapper. But I kind of mixed the two
styles: rap and reggae...”
And what about “The Heard”, an album you recently
collaborated on?
“The Heard” is basically a collection of rappers -
something we put together in September of last year. We
were all doing our own hip hop thing, and I got a phone
call from Premier one day saying that he had heard a
track I’d worked on, a track called “Mother’s Day”. A
radio DJ had given him my number, and he basically asked
me to come down for another track called “Love”. Get a
beat, start working on it…
I think I got the call on the Friday, and by Saturday I
had a track ready. Then I pretty much just went and
recorded it. It got loads of airplay and DJ’s like 279
have been using it too.
And when did you decide you were ready to go and do your
own thing?
 When
I started rapping, I initially started out as a bashment
dj, doing the whole reggae music thing. When I came over
to England, I scored some regular spots, and eventually
a few friends introduced me to the likes of NWA and LL
Cool J.
At first I was like: “Oh, I’m not interested in that.
I’m into reggae music, that’s what I do.” But then when
I sat down and started listening to them, I thought:
“You know what? This is interesting. Maybe I could do
something like that” .
So then I started getting into rap and writing lyrics
and so on and so forth - eventually became a rapper. But
I kind of mixed the two styles: rap and reggae.
Earlier I mentioned the youth project I was working
with. My other friend called DLT, he formed a group
called “Crossfire”. This was way back though! Early
nineties or something…we were real young anyway. We did
quite a few shows, then in about 1993 or so, we didn’t
go our separate ways as such, but the dynamics of the
group kind of changed. So from then on I’ve been trying
to do my solo stuff. But you know what its like, you
stop and start, you stop and start.
So
when did you get involved with JPM?
Got a phone call from Darkjoint….
Had he already heard of you?
The way he tells it is, he was having a conversation
with another singer, and they were chatting about
rappers or whatever, rappers that they rated in the UK.
And then Malachi said that I was one of the best rappers
he’d ever heard, and that Roy should really hear some of
my stuff.
So he gave me a call, said I heard you’re a rapper, and
then he put me down on a track. The first track he heard
me on, or that I featured on, was called “JPM Anthem”.
Seanie T, Malachi, Karl Hinds, myself and Emanuel all
featured on it, and I think from that he sort of
realised that maybe I had a talent.
A
beautiful story. And where does your album name come
from, “Second Generation Windrush Pickney?” For
ignorants like me!
Ha ha! Well, I was born here but spent a large portion
of my life in Jamaica. But when my grandmother came over
here; like many of her kind, she came over by ship. They
found whatever work they could, and one of the ships
they all came over on was called the Windrush, or the
HMS Windrush. And even though I don’t know necessarily
if my grandmother came over on that particular ship, I
just thought: “Well, it’s associated with us (Jamaicans)
coming over, and two, I’m a pickney of, or a child of
that Windrush. So that’s how the name came about. You
see, if anything, the album’s got to represent me, from
my roots to who I am now.
“...One
of my AKAs IS BIG DUTTY STINKIN SEROCEE...”
Your new single “Life” is released on June 5. It’s
peppered with a lot of references to family and
struggle. Where did you get your inspiration for that?
One day I was sitting at home, listening to a track by
the great producer, Urban Monk. I started thinking about
what I could put down there, and I came up with the
concept of life. As in, let me just talk about life. And
I think I kind of try to embrace everything in my own
life in there. From the trials and tribulations that you
have growing up in our society over here, to those
growing up in Jamaica, to where you are and where you
get to now.
 I’ve
got a line in there that says: “Trying to hold onto a
job for Life….trying to do these things in Life”.
That’s why there’s the whole repetition thing in there,
because no matter what you do, it all keeps back to
life. Every single one of here is trying to carve
something out, get somewhere, or achieve something in
life. And regardless of what you’re trying to achieve,
what’s important is that you’re trying to do it.
Tell me a bit more about the rest of the album…
The album is going to be a pretty short, and it’s still
not completed yet. But my main aim for listeners is that
they get a picture of where I’m coming from. I’m not
saying that I’m representing all young black men that
are out there, but maybe I can paint a picture of my
aims, what my ambitions are….which are probably similar
to where a lot of other people are coming from as well.
I’m going to get collaboration on there from a number of
artists and producers. There’s a track which features
all the JPM artists, and there’s also help from Karl
Hinds, Seanie T, Keith Lawrence, Urban Monk and JD from
So Solid. There’s a lot of names, a lot of people who
are helping putting it together.
So
when can we hear it?
We haven’t got a final date on it yet, I’m hoping for
the summer.
And are you preparing with a lot of publicity and gigs
to let people know you’re out there? Where can we see
you next?
I just did Love Music Hate Racism the other week, and
I’m also working with a group called NEW MCs, we do gigs
all over the place. We’ll be performing in Newcastle
soon, I’m up and down the country really. Certainly
between now and the summer you’ll be seeing my name or
hearing it. Check out my myspace on
www.myspace.com/serocee for more up to date
information.
To
wrap up, charm me, tell me what you music embodies cos I
hear you don’t “preach the gospel according to Jay Z!”
You’re too right I don’t! The whole album embodies me, I
just talk my talk. What you can expect really is various
representations of the various music forms that have
influenced me throughout my life - the reggae, the hip
hop. My grandmother was really into country music, she
loved the cowboy music! So you’ll also hear influences
from people like Charlie Pride. There’s also got a lot
of the Old Del Boy references. British but Jamaican at
the same time.
“...Serocee
is a Jamaican root, used for medicinal purposes, but
doesn’t taste very nice...”
One of my AKAs IS BIG DUTTY STINKIN SEROCEE!
And the name Serocee, what’s that about?
Oooh! That’s a long long story but mainly Serocee is a
Jamaican root, used for medicinal purposes, but doesn’t
taste very nice. And that pretty much transcends to me.
Sometimes you may not like how I say things, but I’m
generally saying it for the better good.
Do
you find it difficult trying to juggle work and to get
your music off the ground?
I do find it extremely difficult. Within the British
music industry itself there are a lot of artists working
a day job, or even a night job ,and still having to go
back home, then go to a studio or perform, then get up
again and go back to work again.
So we should support those in the music industry. Even
as an artist myself, if I see something in a shop and I
like it, and it’s available, I’ll go out and buy it. We
all need to support our own music you know? There’s a
lot of British music out there so we should get behind
it.
What do you contribute to UK Hip Hop though? What makes
you unique?
The vibe!
We’ve got a lot of very very good lyricists and a lot of
very good rappers, but what’s always been said about me,
on every track I’ve worked on, is that I bring the vibe.
I bring a fresh bashment vibe. And the one thing about
reggae music is that its lively, it gets you moving.
Slow, fast, whatever, it gets you moving. That’s what I
try and do and I don’t think anybody else brings that.
That’s great, thanks. Do you want to add anything else?
Any juicy quotes?
Stay true to what you’re doing and be passionate about
it, regardless of what it is. And remember, BIG DUTTY
STINKIN SEROCEE, that’s me!
-
Hayley Rebecca
Coyle
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