Rempage was one of the performers on hand at this year's Annual Reggae Explosion. A budding young artist based in Miami, Rempage is managed by Chuck B - Spragga Benz' former manager. Read this exclusive interview.
Kelly's write up: Rempage started the interview by telling me he’s a Ganja-ologist - "100% pure Rastafarian"
Kelly's Q: When's your birthday?
Rempage A : My birthday? I’m born in August the rest is no more August 31st (no more).
Kelly's Q: What's your favorite color?
Rempage A : My favorite color is blue.
Kelly's Q: Are you married or singler?
Rempage A : I am Rempage - so I’m single.
Kelly's Q: Name a song that we would know.
Rempage A : Nah Gone Stray
Kelly's side comment: Rempage is working on a collaboration or two with a couple of artists but he wanted me to keep the names silent…‘cause ya dun know ya jinx tings more time. But from what he told me I’m sure it something to look forward to.
Kelly's Q: Can you cook in the kitchen?
Rempage A : Oh hell yeah, I’m a rasta ya know…we deal wit’ like, we roast up some fish or mi brown stew some fish. But it’s mostly ital, I deal with, straight Ital, ya know, some chunks or some tofu and that’s my cooking right there, no gyal nah gon want me if dem no like tofu-so ital.
Kelly's Q: Explain what "Ital" is for those who don't know.
Rempage A : Ital is food made from products of soybean, ya know they make various ones, like um, they make tofu and they make chunks, veggie chunks, it’s basically the same thing made from soybean. Basically, the same, the replacement for meat, you get the same amount of protein etcetera, etcetera- no meat, ya feel me. Next question…
Kelly's Q: What are your plans for 2005?
Rempage A : 2005…okay, well I recorded over a year ago for Specialist, the guy who they say rob Shabba and rob um, wha em name? Cobra etcetera, etcetera. I recorded for him over a year ago and um, ya know, he finally released the song now. It's a slow song, different kind of vibes and I’m working on shooting a video for that song and I’m doing this video (Gal Flex). I have my personal project that’s on my own label. I have my own record label and I’m putting out a riddim called The Snap. My song on the rhythm is self titled it’s a dance called the Snap…and I’m shooting a video next week Sunday.
Kelly's Q: Where's the video taking place?
Rempage A : It's in Miami at the Banana Boat - that's a dancehall club. Big Ting-so basically that’s what I’m working on right now. All of that is going to lead over to 2005. That’s basically the intent and I’m working on more rhythms.
Kelly's Q: Where do you see dancehall going from here and what do you think we in the “reggae community” can do to promote it more?
 Rempage A : Honestly I don't think it's about what we do to promote it. I don’t think it’s the promotion of the music - it’s the kind of music that we do. The songs that we do in dancehall are some hard ass songs to cross over. You can’t expect a raw dancehall song to become a number one hit in America. These Yankees
sing, for that specific… they look out for that, they look for the hit, but we’re not heading for hits, we’re just voicing. Until the artists decide to start making hits again, there won’t be no more hits. There’s hardly any hits, only the artists that used to make hits from before are making hits now. Or maybe somebody like a Kevin Lyttle, but that’s it. And he's not doing dancehall, that’s soca music ya understand? So I just think it’s based on the dancehall artists, the promotion is there. It’s just the dancehall artists need to do the right kind of music and then it reach there. Stop dis the batty man dem and it will reach there. But burn dem still ya know, don’t get mi wrong, mi burn batty man still but it’s gone make the music suffocate. Jus’ leave dem alone- so that’s basically my views on that.izz wasn'e
Kelly's Q: When people hear your name, what would you like them to associate with you?
Rempage A : I’d like them to associate me as being a lyricist - somebody who thinks. Beyond musically; somebody who doesn’t limit theirself to music. And not just as an artist, but as a producer. I’m looking to get recognized as a producer, not individually but my label. I’m looking for my label to get recognized production wise. So when they mention Rempage, they know Knox - Knox Entertainment, that’s the name of my company. That’s what I want them to hear when they mention my name.
Kelly's Q: What are your interest outside of music?
Rempage A : Smoking weed, smoking weed and smoking weed!
Kelly's Q: (laughing) come on for real now, if you weren’t doing this …Before the music kicked in, did you have any other outside interest.
Rempage A : I’m a computer geek. I can strip it down, I can build it back up everything. That’s just what I know otherwise from music, is computers and I put those tools together. That’s how I was able to do certain songs and bring them to the attention of certain people. If it wasn’t for that knowledge I have of computers I wouldn’t be able to do music. So if it wasn’t music, I would be doing computers.
Kelly's Q: Anything else you’d like us to know? Anything?
Rempage A : Anything?
Kelly's Q: Anything, whatever.
Rempage A : Um, let’s see. My manager isn’t gonna like this…but um.... here's wha gwan still. Honestly my aim is to head to Jamaica and to conquer the market in Jamaica. That’s not going to happen for another year. So I want my fans to understand, it’s not my fault it’s just Babylon. I can’t go any further they’ll see me in a year. For now they’ll see the video’s and log on to Rempage.net and you can find out what’s going on. I’ll be touring doing a lot of shows etcetera, etcetera. so it’s in a year, expect the real deal in a year. That’s all mi can say I have nothing more to say.
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