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-- by
TYRONE S REID, Observer staff
writer
BEFORE he even
utters a word, his street-steeped
swagger announces his arrival
inside the New Kingston family
home he's known all his life.
It's a few minutes after 4:00
pm on a postcard-perfect May
afternoon and as he pushes
the air with his shoulders
to find a seat on the couch,
he resembles the ultimate dancehall
poster-boy, one with an insatiable
hunger for mega-success and
all the trappings that come
with it. He's late for his
interview but with good reason.
For the man known as Leftside
(or Mr Evil) to fans, these
are ultra-busy days coloured
with a range of family-oriented
and professional concerns.
"I'm working on my album
so that is taking up a lot
of my time right now," he
offers, dressed in a black
muscle tee, blue denim jeans,
a brand new du-rag and silver
jewellery.
Like any new kid on the block,
making a memorable entrance
into the world of albums and
album sales is foremost on
the 29-year-old artiste's mind.
After all, these days the competition
is fierce with a new 'star
on the rise' being anointed
in the dancehall every week.
"For me, right now there's
a lot of ground to cover. It's
all about constant growth for
me, and I'm glad for all the
support I've been receiving
from the public, radio and
TV. It's just for me to now
take it to that next level.
In this biz, there's never
room for complacency," he
wisely puts it.
But he modestly says all this
before mentioning that he has
one of the hottest new singles,
Back It Up (featuring Sean
Paul) currently climbing the
charts and taking over the
clubs and music video playlists.
Having been tight with SP for
years, it was only a matter
of time before a collaboration
materialised.
"Sean and I have been
friends for years. I produced
tracks for his Stage One album
and used to go on the road
with him a lot before his international
success and all the platinum
sales. So when he heard that
I got a record deal, we decided
to do a collabo for the album.
It's all good," he says.
And with artistes like Sean
Paul offering support for his
upcoming project, Leftside
says his expectations of a
smash success are even bigger.
HOUSE OF MUSIC
The
son of famous vintage musician,
Lloyd Parkes (frontman
of the We The People Band),
Craig 'Leftside' Parkes was
born and raised in St Andrew "with
music in my bloodstream".
Over the years, the Ardenne
High grad has proven himself
to be a savvy music progeny
with big dreams of a career
in the industry. Along the
way, he has gained invaluable
first-hand experience and increased
his knowledge, playing drums
for his father's band, working
with a sound system (Syndicate
Disco) to producing tracks
for a who's who of dancehall
artistes.
So, the million-dollar question
many are asking? Just how did
this one-time behind-the-scenes
man go from being virtually
unknown to becoming one of
dancehall's most popular and
potent lyricists and a superstar-in-the-making?
Good, old-fashioned ambition.
"I have learnt a lot
from just watching older and
more experienced artistes do
their thing. So since becoming
an artiste, that has helped
me in promoting my music and
my career. It took a big transition
but I think it all flowed smoothly
for me," he explains,
sounding like the true hustler
who's proud to have learnt
the ropes of the biz quite
early.
Nowadays, with female fans
galore and a string of catchy
and flavourful hit singles
under his belt, Leftside seems
to represent the triumph of
pure talent over manufactured
industry hype.
These days greater success
seems assured for the artiste,
who admits that it was only
a matter of time before fame
and the celebrity spotlight
came knocking on his door.
And he refused to let the 2007
collapse of his groundbreaking
partnership with long-time
friend Matthew 'Esco' Thompson
derail his ascension to stardom.
"We have known each other
for many years and we both
worked as selectors with Syndicate
Disco," Leftside tells
Splash. He goes on to explain
that after being selectors
for a while, they decided to
form the self-named duo, sacrificing "the
sound thing" to start
working together on singles.
The chart-topper Tuck Een Yuh
Belly came shortly after and
several other club-ready singles
followed. But after close to
four years, the atmosphere
changed.
"We had internal differences
and sometimes our personalities
would clash so that was one
problem. Then a record deal
came about so I had to decide
whether I was going to take
it up or continue with the
group. So we just decided to
end it there because things
were not going the best possible
way," he explains. "There
is no animosity between us
but we don't really keep a
strong link like one time.
But if we see each other, we
hail up and that's it."
Choosing to leave the duo,
Leftside got off the proverbial
boat so he could test the waters
(however deep), taking his
drive and commitment to excellence
with him. But his new solo
journey has not been without
its share of obstacles.
"The
hardest part about being
a solo artiste now is
doing everything - building
rhythms, recording and doing
street promotion - by myself.
I wasn't accustomed to that.
So I had to form a team, with
my brother (Noel) as my road
manager. That way I can worry
less and focus on making music."
ME, MYSELF AND I
The many sides of Craig Parkes
will play out on his upcoming
album Split Personality (via
New York-based Ultra Records),
which is scheduled to drop
in late August and boasts an
all-star lineup, including
Sean Paul, Elephant Man, Aidonia
and newcomer Tash Simmonds.
It's a lyrical sparring between
the always-dapper brother we
know as Leftside and his mischievously
comical flip side Mr Evil,
a name he doesn't want to be
interpreted the wrong way.
"It's all about fun and
everybody likes to laugh. So
I don't want people to think
that I am promoting anything
bad. If you listen to my Mr
Evil character you will realise
that it's just about fun and
comedy," he says, explaining
the alter ego he adopted from
the popular Austin Powers movie. "Leftside
is the smooth character, the
ladies' man while Mr Evil is
the more fun and lyrical side.
So they complement each other," he
adds.
No doubt his fans can relate.
Fans including his famous pop,
who has nothing but encouragement
for his son.
"He's successful because
he knows what he's doing. He
just needs to stay conscious
and keep focused," Lloyd
Parkes tells Splash, taking
a break from some music he's
working on.
Avoiding personal drama at
all costs is one thing Leftside
has vowed to do. That's probably
why he's put relationships
aside to focus full-time on
his music career and his five-year-old
son, Jehlani (from a past relationship
with his high school sweetheart).
"I'm single at the moment
because relationships can be
distracting when you're trying
to focus on something you want
to accomplish. So I'm keeping
that area of my life clear
right now," he says. "My
music and my son are my main
focus right now."
An unabashed nature lover,
non-smoker, non-drinker, regular
gym-goer and part-time basketball
pro, Leftside believes dancehall
artistes and other stakeholders
in the industry need to do
take their roles as people
of influence more seriously.
"Dancehall artistes are
seen as role models so we have
a responsibility to our country
and the young people. We need
to help bring back some level
of control to society in any
way we can. A lot of people
don't understand how powerful
music is, and young people
are easily misled so we have
to take our responsibility
seriously," he insists.
From all indications, Leftside's
got a firm grip on the baton.
But is he dancehall's saving
grace or just the flavour du
jour? Only time will tell.
In the meantime, the multi-talented
star is determined to find
the inner strength and the
will to keep on his quest for
prosperity.
"I am looking for the
kind of longevity that Jay
Z and Mariah Carey have by
singing songs that people can
relate to. It's going good
for me, so right now, it's
all about maintaining the energy
and creativity," he says
in a confident tone. Did I
mention that he's much, much
taller than on TV?
SOURCE
published: Friday | May 23, 2008 | Jamaica Observer
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/
20080522t210000-0500_135902_obs_leftside_s_hustler_spirit.asp
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