Nabil Directs a Dark mini-Epic for Gongzilla’s Shotta’s Lament
From the moment Jr. Gong hopped on the Rootsman Riddim, it was a major statement. For an established reggae superstar to join forces with a juggling that featured up-and-coming Jamaican artists like Chronixx, Jesse Royal, and Tarrus Riley. It didn’t hurt that Damian’s new song itself, “Gunman World,” ranks as perhaps one of Gongzilla’s deepest pieces of songwriting ever. “I’ve had that idea before working on the Welcome to Jamrock album actually,” says Damain of the tune, which is featured on the upcoming EP Ghetto Youths International Present: Set Up Shop Vol. 2.”The concepts and thoughts of what’s happening on the song. And I’ve kinda finished putting it together over the last year or so. And I decided that I would put the song on the Rootsman riddim because of wanting to support that movement and that energy. Cause the Rootsman riddim is produced by my keyboard player, Winta. So I wanted to support what he was doing as well as support that movement of new Rasta youths you see coming up in the music. I wanted to give some of my energy toward that also. That’s why I chose to go on that juggling. And we have a new video coming out for that real soon that was shot in Morocco. I’m not even in the video. It’s a nice kind of story based upon the lyrics and whatnot.” Directed by Franceso Corrozini & Nabil, we present the visual interprtation today for the first time. Video After The Jump…
“What coulda scary like a gunman voice? / When people beg a gunman think twice / And him say no.” Run that…
THAT WAS A STRONG JUGGLING WHICH YOU ADDED A LOT TO.
Yeah, and we was there from the beginning of it. For example he had played me that diddimd before he even started voicing people on it and all that stuff. So we were always in support of that all along, you know?
THAT WAS A GREAT TRACK THAT DID A LOT FOR THE DIRECTION OF THE MUSIC OVER THE PAST YEAR. BUT IN YOUR SONG I WAS REALLY STRUCK BY HOW YOU BROUGHT OUT THE HUMAN SIDE OF THESE PEOPLE WE CALL “GUNMEN.” TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY PRAY AND HOW THEY TUCK THEIR KIDS TO BED AT NIGHT. AS MUCH AS PEOPLE SING SONGS ABOUT SHOTTAS, WE SELDOM HEAR THAT SIDE OF THINGS.
Yeah well you know say me kinda aware of those things to a certain level. Caw you dun know… generally a man woulda say, Bwoy him no like police. But it’s not the police as individual people. Same way likewise, them woulda say “burn politician.” I know politicians inna Jamaica—is not every bone inna them body is malicious and vicious. You know wha’ me ah deal with? Is not really so clear-cut like that. So that’s part of what we ah try to express inna this tune.
Also in this tune too, I think a part of what I’m trying to get across inna that particular song to the youths is that when a youth is stepping into that lifestyle from outside, sometimes him don’t realize all that come along with it. The burden of it also. You understand? So that is kinda part of the thing. It’s not just about being a tough guy. The burden of being a tough guy is kinda heavy at times.
AND AT THE VERY END YOU MENTION ABOUT HOW “THE MAJORITY OF GUNMAN POOR.”
Nuh true? Reality that.
SO YOU’VE HAD THAT SONG IN MIND FOR A LONG TIME?
Yeah. Like, I’ve had the first couple bars sketched out from way back in the day. So I always had that concept, but I never really finished it up in details until more recently, like up until the last two years I did start work back pon it.
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