The release of the Doctor's Darling One-Riddim-Album of course requires an interview with one of the Artistes featured on the Riddim. Lukie-D one of most talented singers of Jamaica contributed one of the exclusive tracks only available on the album. Nadine talked with the Entertainer about underrated singers, girls and about his son.

Germaican Observer: Did you become a singer by accident or was it something that you always wanted to do?
Lukie-D: I´m from a musical family, father sings, grandfather play music so I was born into music... so being born into music there was no other way where I could say I would become a shoemaker or nothing like that, so that's how I got started...

G.O.: You have been around for a while, but to say that you are popular would not be true, does that sometimes frustrate you?
L.-D: Sometimes you say to yourself that probably the justice that you're looking for you haven't received it and really and truly the bizniz is really kinda unfair sometimes, yuh know that yuh a do some good work... yuh not singing off key and then yuh know seh di level weh yuh suppose to reach yuh nuh reach and yuh probably have some people that do half the amount of work that you do and not singing on key, and yuh know dem gone further. Some people weh come after you, sometimes you probably say to yourself "boy this nuh fair" but yuh haffi know seh people a sing long still who neva mek it or tek long fi mek it... so yuh haffi just gwaan work wid it. Sometimes it get frustrating but wi just gwaan work wid it still and just hope seh one day something will work out still.

G.O.: Have you benefitted from the Dancehall "hype" going on right now?
L.-D: In the early 90´s one of my first famous songs was on a Dancehall Riddim, Vanessa Williams' "Save The Best For Last" and then wi just start give dem some one drop and then when the "Log On" came out is when we decided to give them some Dancehall back again and people start seh 'wi neva know seh Lukie-D can deal wid the Dancehall..." more people voicing me and yes wi like that still because yuh know seh Dancehall deh pan a certain level which international.

G.O.: You have worked with Pionear and have songs on the "Doctor's Darling", "Valentine" and...
L.-D: Dem man deh a wicked producer... yuh working wid somebody dat have a good earing as well as you, cause sometimes some little things can pass you. Mi like work wid him cause him always have good ideas and it help you as a singer to explore different parts of the music... the songs that I did for him mi like very much. Also the next song is ready too, this time a "Bad Man" tune pan the "Typhoon" Riddim named "The Undertaker" a feature with Alozade...

G.O.: Do have the feeling that the singers in Jamaica are underrated and not given the exposure that they deserve?
L.-D: Mi is a singer and as dem say inna Jamaica: "yuh haffi trod fi really hold it out", cause if yuh nah trod yuh get lost down the line, cause there are so many DeeJays, and that's why yuh find most of the singers resorting to singjay because dem find that when yuh singjay pan the Dancehall Riddim that is the only way to compete with the DeeJays... the one drop songs hardly play pan the radio, yuh probably hear 10 one drop and at least 30 dancehall songs and of course the singers dem underrated.

G.O.: Having a son growing up in Jamaica, what do you teach your son about life?
L.-D: First of all yuh haffi get a good education that is nr. 1. Nr. 2 you yourself haffi have some education inna yuh head and if yuh nuh have it then yuh caan teach it. No matter which part of the world me go mi haffi tek time out fi call... mi nah hide nuuting mi a tell him the truth and mi nah do like some man weh say "Santa Claus a come next month", no Santa Claus not coming nowhere, if him get up and find something in a socks him know that is me put it there.

G.O.: As a singer you're really the girls man, how do you deal with the girls?
L.-D: My relationship weh me inna is going on now 16 years and anybody who me a get myself involve wid haffi have class... if me ago cheat, mi haffi go cheat wid somebody that if my people find out and she leave me can bring in this person. Everybody know bout my lifestyle cause mi no really party, me is a man weh normally inna my house the only thing me really do is play ball... of course wi have whole heap a girlfriend weh wi mek sure seh wi deal wid dem pan a level still and mek dem understand cause wi nah go run weh the girls when dem come cause wi sing fi dem and dem love wi . I just did a Valentine show 3 weeks ago at the Brixton Academy and mi a tell yuh seh I couldn't even hear myself, mi know seh dem check fi mi still and mi try fi mek sure seh mi sing di songs weh dem love yuh nuh and mi know how fi sing fi mek a woman feel nice yuh nuh.

G.O.: Do you have any tours coming up, plans to come to Europe any tours com ing out soon?
L.-D: Yeah well wi working on a album cause a long time wi don't give the people one a dat... mi alwys say God don't give me my voice to sing Reggae alone, it a go have Reggae pan it, Dancehall, a likkle piece a R´n´B, Acapella, Gospel. Yuh just have to write it different because R´n´B singers write more close to naked I must say yuh nuh, while the Reggae kinda naked but more raw. I don't have any tour but the only thing I know about is 3 shows, 1 in the Caribbean and 2 in Spain... when my shows in the States is always some weird parts like Tenessee or Alabahma where yuh know seh yuh haffi prove yourself, cause the people dem seh who the hell is this and yuh haffi sing and perform good, anybody can mash up New York, yuh go Miami, Toronto and everybody ´rail,´ yuh know dem likkle normal places.

G.O.: What's the response to Gentleman in Jamaica been like, do they like him or do they think he's another ´white man´ trying something?
L.-D: No, is not a joke Artiste and he is not a rhyme Artiste cause most Artistes all they do is rhyme and nuff respect to him especially like how him a carry the music and mi have a combination wid him weh a go mash up di place.

Germaican Observer: Well thanks Lukie for the interview!
Lukie-D: No problem, take care my dear!

Nadine Reid/ G.O. Leipzig/Germany

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