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TOK was everybody's favourite at this years Splash! in
Chemnitz/Germany. Being busy with voicing dublates they even
found the time to record a tune ("Shining Star")
for Germaican Records, that is taking local Dancehalls by
storm already. Reason enough to interview the group. Nadine
catched them on tour in North Carolina and talked with Roshaun
"Bay-C" Clarke , the bass singer, about everything
concerning the Hit machine from Kingston/Jamaica.
Flexx at "Cure" voicing
(Phlatline Studio)
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Germaican Observer: What is TOK, what does
it mean, Talk of Kingston or What?
TOK: Originally it meant Touch of Klass, but then as
time goes by we changed the name, we play with it yuh know,
Taking over Kingston, Thugs of Kingston, Together on Keys…
everyday we have a new name for it, it's all good.
G.O.: What is it that TOK tries to achieve with
it's music, what do you want to achieve and where do want
to go?
TOK: First of all we trying to revolutionise dancehall
music, we want to put music into it, more music, melodies
and harmonies… basically we're trying to be different
from anything else that's out there.
Basically what we want is some places around the world that
have never heard about Jamaica, but they know who Bob Marley
is, that's what we want, we want to be like the next best
thing… once you think of Jamaica, once you think of Dancehall
music you think TOK, we want our name to be a household
name worldwide.
G.O.: You guys seem like nice down to earth people
who are not like some Jamaican artists who sometimes have
a hype around themselves, especially when they are at a stage
show… but people can approach you and you just seem like
ordinary next door guys , is that something that you strive
for or is it just the way you are?
TOK: The thing about it is that you
see the stardom that we have achieved and the fame and all
a dat, probably if TOK was one person it woulda kinda
get to we, but because it's four of us, what you find is that
we all keep grounded because nobody caan hype more than the
next person, it's a team effort that mek we achieve what we
achieve so far and so basically that's the spirit that we
have, just because we have a couple of hit songs and popularity
around the world that don't mean that we better than anybody
else. That's what we try to do make everybody feel like they
can approach us and mek wi fans feel like they are a part
of us because they are the ones that make us what we are,
so we try wi best not to hype and don't get caught up in the
hype and all a dat that comes with it.
G.O.: So like being four guys, how
do you go about it when you do a new song and do you get along?
TOK: Well, what normally happens is like we brainstorm
an idea, a concept, like work out the hook together and like
each of us would probably go in wi own world and work out
the verses and then we come back together and blend everything
together to mek the song, but it is always a group effort
at the end of the day.
G.O.: To date your most popular song
is "Chi Chi Man", for those persons who became fans
after that song, tell them about your other hits?
TOK: Yuh know the list is like "Shake Your Bam
Bam" produced by Richard Brownie our Manager,
"Man A Bad Man" feat. Bounty Killer, there
is "Keep It Blazing", there is "Hardcore Lover"
feat. Lady Saw, "Eagles Cry" that was our
first No. 1… we have a few a dem still but the thing
about it is wi 'still hungry,' we still seeking a lot more
because we don't even reach half of where we want to go yet…
but we still working hard at it.
Bay-C at SPLASH!2002 |
G.O.: The Song "Chi Chi Man"
is an anti-gay song, yet it was so popular in the U.S. and
countries in Europe were you surprised by the success of the
song internationally ?
TOK: I can't say on behalf of everybody because one
of the members of the group (Flexx) he was the one
that came up with the chorus and from we did that song he
was convinced that it was going to be a hit and he was right…
I'm the kind of person I just do the songs and just hope the
best, basically what I was doing was doing the songs and putting
it out there and hope that it connect. I was kinda surprised
to see the magnitude of the success of the song still, pleasantly
surprised I should say.
G.O.: I think your performance on
stage is very good, do you rehearse for a show, what is like
before you actually hit the stage?
TOK: Well mek mi explain something now, yuh see each
of us in the group is extremely talented, each of us is pushing
150% so when you combine all a dat it's a whole lot of power
that we pushing and it's hard for any one solo artist on a
stage to kinda compete with the energy that the four of us
bring… and then we come from a hardcore society like
Jamaica seen and Jamaican people don't play around, yuh go
up there pan the stage and do foolishness, yuh gonna get bottled
yuh know what I'm saying. So because of that we have to make
sure that there is no low point in wi show from beginning
to end… that's what we achieve.
You saw the show in Germany, we were very well received there,
we loved the vibe there… we're glad that we could have
such a impact on our first show there and basically everywhere
we go we leave that golden touch. Is like from Japan straight
back to Jamaica everywhere we go we leave a certain vibe there
and it's unique because there is no other vocal group that
do what we do… we just coming back from Guyana last weekend
and it was 10,000 people there, wi one in concert and tell
you the truth we were so surprised, they say that was a record
for the amount of crowd that were there, they have never seen
so much crowd for any one Reggae artist… and it just
feels good that at least we're doing something successful,
we doing something positive and we're getting somewhere with
our talent still.
G.O.: You've been all around the world,
tell me where you haven't been?
TOK: We haven't been to majority of Asia, apart from
Japan we haven't been to a lot of other countries in Asia…
we still yet to do a proper Europen Tour because some things
got messed up, just been told now that we'll be in Europe
for February next year.
G.O.: What is it like working with
Richard Brownie, he's your Manager, your Producer and
he plays in your Band?
TOK: Wi tired a him now yuh nuh, he's right beside
me now, the thing about it is Richard was there from
we did our first Top 10 hit, "Hard Core Lover" was
produced by Richard… it's more than just business,
it's like a family thing. He's building his empire, like with
his label and his studio and everything and we building up
our thing and it's a joint effort… I'm almost sure that
for the rest of our lives he'll be around.
G.O.: When it comes to Dancehall Music
in Germany, one of the producers who is very much on top is
Pionear, who voiced you on the "Cure" Riddim
from Tom , what was that like?
TOK: We put a lot in every song that we do and we have
to say big up to Pionear because he's a good producer,
he has the ears for it and we don't like just doing songs
with people just because dem have a riddim and they want to
voice us… we want to work with musicians and producers
who want at the end of the day quality songs and Pionear
is one of those people. The effort was good and we went to
the studio and Tom's Riddim was bad and we came up
with that song, so if the people dem feel it we're very glad
for that.
Flexx at SPLASH!2002 |
G.O.: Do you do like free promotional
show, or is it that you have to get paid for every show that
you do?
TOK: Most of wi shows is a paid event still, but we
do charity events and we're also very eager to do promotional
stuff, it just depends on the case… for instance in Jamaica
we never ever charge for High School shows, just because the
kids are the ones that make us what we are. We travel across
the world and do promotional shows, especially when the album
is out and we want to promote the album… It just depends
on the case.
G.O.: Is there any rivalry between
TOK and Ward 21?
TOK: First of all for anyone who is hearing anything
else let me just get it straight, there is no rivalry going
on between we and dem, we and dem in the studio vibing same
way… we go down to Jammys and record down there
and they will come link us and voice on our track, there is
no rivalry. But you know the fans going to compare and contrast
and say, "this is my group, this is not my group,"
we don't really like to be compared because Ward 21
deejay and we deejay and sing and harmonise… we are a
vocal group and they are a crew, like how you used to have
Monster Shack Crew and Scare Dem Crew, that
is what Ward 21 is they are a collection of four people
who deejay… we know we are a group, we are like a quartet,
we started out trying to be like Boyz II Men so we
harmonise vocals as well as deeejaying, as well as singing.
It's unfair to compare but I understand why people do it still.
G.O.: For people out there who may wondering what TOK does
on a normal day, tell them what that's like?
TOK: First of all we have no personal life, no personal
life, muisc is our life… a typical day is like, well
it depends on if we in Jamaica, then we probably like get
up go around and do some interviews, like go to the bank get
some money, go to the studio and record some songs, it's all
in a days work. But if your on the road now travelling it's
more hectic where you have different shows to do every night
so you probably have to leave a show tonight and as you reach
back to the hotel pack, go to the airport to go to a next
venue to perform again.
It's hectic on the road, it's hard work… a lot a people
see it and think it's one big happy fun event, but it's a
lot of hard work that we have to do still to make our name
known across the world.
G.O.: But at the end of the day it's worth it monetary wise,
isn't it?
TOK: Definitely.
G.O.: When you go on tour, do you guys gotta have a different
girl or two as the case might be, to take back to your room
every night?
TOK: You know you can't ask us that.
Craigy at SPLASH!2002 |
G.O.: Why not, there are girls out
there who want to know if they go to a TOK concert
and they look good if they have the chance to go back with
them to their hotel rooms, they wanna know these things after
all you are gonna come to Europe soon.
TOK: They stand a chance yuh know, I'm not saying that
we definitely gonna pickup a girl after every show, but you
know we're nice guys, we're all single and ready to mingle…
so it just depends on the case.
G.O.: Nice Answer.
TOK: Politicaly correct.
G.O.: Do you think because you all
went to high schools and didn't really grow up in the ghetto
that you approach the business different than someone who
grew up in the ghetto and is not really educated?
TOK: It will because it not about where you grow up
yuh nuh that decide that decide your professionalism, it's
just the state of mind, a wise man once told me, ghetto is
not where you live but your state of mind. You have a lot
f people who come from poverty and they're not professional,
their whole vibe is just unprofessional and destroy the business…
we now, we are profssional but I don't even think it has a
lot to do with schooling but it's jut the way we were grown
up and just the background where we're coming from where there
is a right way to do things and there is a wrong way and if
you do things the wrong way it's gonna end up affecting you
in the long run. So we try to just live good with people,
we try to just handle our business correct, we try to be as
sociable as possible, we try to just do the right thing so
we career can go on further.
G.O.: Tell me about TOK's up coming album, what can people
expect?
TOK: Well, I can't really give out any names but for
those who heard "My Crew, My Dawgs" and said that
it was good, this one is going to be better… we always
competeing with ourselves, we are ourselves biggest critics,
right now we trying to carry the music to a next level. We
have done a couple songs already off the album…
G.O.: What about "Shining Star" from Germaican?
TOK: It depends on how successful the single is, we'll
see.
We doing a couple of tracks with Richard Brownie, also
look out for Tony Kelly, probably do a couple of tracks
with Sting from Big Yard (Shaggy's camp)…
we just like how the business going now like Sean Paul
lift up now, Bounty Killer with No Doubt and
Beenie Man with Janet Jackson... we just want
our piece of the cake.
Alex at SPLASH!2002 |
G.O.: What message to do you have
for your fans in Germany who saw you perform at your first
show earlier this year and can't wait to see you again?
TOK: Just know that whoever saw us and was impressed,
just know that when we come back we come back to carry it
on another level, we coming back to do better than that…
for those who were disappointed because we were supposed to
come before that show and it didn't work out, we apologize
to those people who didn't get to see us, know that when we
come we going to come correct and it going to be off the hook,
it's going to be big.
G.O.: Where do you see the business going, what is like for
you and where do you see it going?
TOK: Well, right now I see a turn for the better, couple
years ago I was kinda depressed with the business there were
a lot of people in the business who don't really belong in
the business, they were not doing anything else but taking
up space. Now I see it moving for the better, there are a
lot a more professionalism coming into the business…
artists hungry and I see artists trying to be more creative,
I'm happy for that and basically just like how you saw couple
years ago latin music blowup and you see Ricky Martin,
Jennifer Lopez and all a these people just blow up,
I feel Dancehall Music can be the next thing like that. It's
just up to us to mek sure that we keep unity and a level head…
G.O.: As you say that, what about
the prices that the artists charge to do a show, sometimes
they could go to Europe to do a show but because of what they
charge it's not gonna happen… cause there is no way that
the promoter would be able to make his money back and they
would be losing out on a new market and new fans.
TOK: It comes down to the same thing I'm saying it
comes down to the type of artist, we have our team and we
know that it's not always about the money, you can do promotional
stuff and there is a time when you stick out for your money
and there is time when you bend your price… it all depends
on what you can get out of it. But you have some artistes
they just one track minded, they just all for the money so
they don't realise that they shooting theirselves in the foot.
But it just comes down to the level of professionalism.
G.O.: We had a lot to talk about, thank y'all and see you
in Germany soon.
TOK: Yeah, we're looking forward to that.
Nadine Reid, G.O. Crew, Leipzig/Germany
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