And The Winner Is… Gyptian

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Bigs Up Soul Train Awards Best Reggae Artist for 2010 “I come all the way from a place called Jamaica,” said Gyptian during his acceptance speech at this Wednesday’s taping of the Soul Train Awards in Atlanta. “From a far distance, very very far…” The singer rocked the top-celebrity crowd inside the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center with his smash hit “Hold Yuh” and later collected the award for Best Reggae Artist. As he left the stage, he let them know: “This is just the beginning for Gyptian.”

Just before catching a flight home to Jamaica, Gyppy took a moment to reason about his second award of the year (in October he won the MoBo Award (Music of Black Origin) for Best Reggae Act):

CONGRATULATIONS GYPTIAN. HOW DID IT FEEL TO WIN LAST NIGHT?

It was awesome. The Soul Train Award is not just any award. Man, I been watching that show from back when the west was won.

OTHER THAN YOUR OWN, WHOSE PERFORMANCES DID YOU ENJOY?

I pretty much enjoyed everybody’s performance cause I’m a Jamaican and I’m seeing these boys live in front of me.

YES, AND THEY’RE SEEING YOU LIVE IN FRONT OF THEM. HOW DID YOU LIKE THAT ANITA BAKER TRIBUTE?

My mom would cry if she was here. That’s my mom’s singer, that’s my dad’s singer, that’s my whole family’s singer. Sunday morning in the house [he sings] “I’m in love, Sweeet Loooove…”

DID YOU SEE TONY KELLY’S MESSAGE TO YOU ON TWITTER?

No.

HE CONGRATULATED YOU ON YOUR WIN AND SAID YOU ARE THE ONE WAVING THE FLAG NOW, SO GO ON AND DO IT BIG.

Even on the red carpet, I see some Jamaicans and they said “Do it Gyppy, do it!” And I was like Whoah…. That was awesome to have my fellow Jamaicans say that.

WELL REGGAE HAS HAD A VERY HARD YEAR. SO MANY ARTISTS CAN’T TRAVEL ANYMORE.

Some of them acting like they are not artists, man. At least do good things so everybody feel good. But we acting like we don’t want what we got.

NOW YOU’VE GOT THE FOLLOW-UP SINGLE “NAH LET GO” POPPIN’ OFF…

Yeah, the video’s out and it’s goin’ on very good in Jamaica.

WHAT ARE THE SALES NUMBERS ON “HOLD YUH”?

So far it’s like 300,000.

AND YOU MADE THAT RECORD IN RICKY BLAZE’S BASEMENT STUDIO. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU?

We Jamaicans need to go back to basics. Back to doing reggae music, cause that’s what we do. That’s the main thing and it’s like we losing it. You think Bob Marley and the Wailers them, they go through all of this for nothing? Hell no.

(Photograph by Rhona Fox)