Capleton.

IT WAS EARLY, BUT THERE WERE ALREADY HUNDREDS of people there. Everyone was waiting patiently, smoking the greeny green and knocking back a few drinks. The DJ was bumping all the classic reggae and dancehall anthems pumping the crowd up for the man known as the "ProPhet." Finally the lights dimmed and everyone's attention was drawn towards the stage where Capleton jumped out with explosive feeling. The entire concert came alive and the crowd didn't stop dancing until the very end. Never in my life have I been completely, and totally possessed by the music or the energy of the crowd, until then. And never had I bean entirely drenched in sweat from head to toe.

Capleton, aka Clifton George Bailey III, is definitely still blazn'. For the last decade, he has been one of the defining people in dancehall always staying true to the music and the people His latest album, Still Blazin', is a rich combination of the traditional roots and the thumpin' dancehall flavor that he is known for. But the real spark of Capleton is beyond anything words can describe. --Martine Kelsch

How did you get your name? Does it have a particular meaning?

Capable and strong I really got my name from an attorney at law though. There was this attorney by the name Capleton. When I was growing up as a kid I loved to talk, One day there was an argument and I walked on the scene and got involved and someone jumped up and said "You can really talk, you must be like Capleton." From there it just, stuck, but really, capable and strong.

What inspired you to finally complete your journey into Rastafari?

I grew up in the church and after learning certain things, I got hooked up with some Rastas, some ancient man from inna di bush, ya kndw? I was enlightened to certain levels of Haile Selassie I aind Ethiopia and the whole levels of Rastafari. In terms of livity the way you eat, the way you speak, and the way you live--the kinda things where you uplift.

Do you consider yourself a radical?

Yeah yeah, yeah, a voice for the people Definitely. It is a message, ya understand, a mirror of the different people within the levels of earth, Knowing that the music is a weapon that can unfold the truth and unite the people dem, bring the people dem together. So the people can see themselves in terms of heritage, culture, philosophies, curriculum--the lifestyle they're living.

Do you think your music has improved with each album?

Oh yeah, most definitely because as soon as I go along then I create more in terms of support from the people. They start to overstand the real message and where I am coming from and where I am going, and what I'm trying to bring across.

Do you have a favorite album?

They are all my favorite, but I like More Fire.

Who did you listen to growing up?

Used to listen to Bob Marley still, most of the ancient man dem like Burning Spear, Culture, Dennis Brown In terms of dancehall DJ, me used to focus on Papa San still. What used to fascinate me about him was the long lyrics that he made, y'know? So I wrote even longer lyrics. than his.

This new album, Still Blazin', feels a little more 'rootsy than usual. Did you have any particular inspirations for this?

Ya have to keep it more traditional. Stick to the roots.

How did you go from the "King of Slackness" to the "Prophet"?

As soon as you grow new energy, new ideas. Well, I guess the message was in me from a longer time, but in terms of "" get the recognition and the publicity in those times, mi haffi really involved in what was going on, ya know wha mi ah say? In terms of certain things for the woman dem and the rudeboy and the whole energy mi haffi highlight for the people to get the recognition. But really I had the culture inna me from day one.

Only true we never even have it inna di right concept, cah unno, say the people grow up inna di church, so it's' more like a religion ting. After mi find Rastafari, we get to find out it's more natural than that, y'see me? Elected official in Jamaica try to grasp the recognition of the musical artists in the country. Do you feel the attack on you and other dancehall artists' lyrics containing any reference to fire is all behind a political agenda at the end of the day?.

Yeah, most definitely, because the fire it fight against politics, it fight against division it fight against injustice, inequality manipulation, fight against sodomism. It's no different from when Bob Marley and Peter Tosh and certain men used to burn the fire, it's the same way dem fight dem, ya understand? From you say you haffi defend equal rights, humanly, say you haffi speak out for di rights of the people dem in terms of the economical stress dem face, the inequality and the injustice. You ah go always get a fight. It's up to you if you ah go say, "Yo, if me never ah do the right thing dem would nah fight me," ya know. So right now mi haffi hold di faith and hold di power and say just gwan exalt the message and the truth for the people dem, y'see me?

So that is why you use the image of fire?

Yeah, only, dem try to bring from a negative term more time and make it look like when you say fire that they have to burn dem people place, or burn up people. But it is not like that because the fire is really through di words, through di Nyabinghi, yah understand? The fire is death to di black and white downpressor. The fire is the way you live. You stay away from pollution, you stay away from violation.

In Islam, there are officially two meanings of "Jihad." 1. The ultimate state of war, and 2. A war against the weak sides of oneself. Do you think that when you mention fire in your lyrics that this is also a reference to a kind of battle within oneself?

But the fire is impartial. That mean that if you nah live up, an' you go speak of the fire, the fire ah go burn you also. So, the fire is a universal thing, ya understand? No one cannot live without fire, whichever level you ah go see the fire from. For instance, say you want to look pon the fire from a biological point of view, the human species depends on a certain amount of fire to serve them in terms of life. If you was a woman don't consist of a certain heat, body temperature wise, you can't even conceive a child. If we haffi look pon di fire from a geographical aspect, the earth itself haffi emerge from the equator, the creator, me ah talk 'bout volcanic activity, lava, the hottest element. If we see pon a Biblical ting, Jah say him nah come back with no water, just brimstone an' fire. Shadrach, Meshaq an' Abednego walk through the fire an' never get burned. Moses saw Jah inna di burnin' bush. If you see it from a natural aspect, the sun is the hottest element. In the rising of di mornin', if no sun nah shine, no rain nah fall, then we have no energy for humanity, ya understand?

Many of your songs also talk about burning Babylon, also a common goal of the terrorists involved with the World Trade Center attack. On the other hand, you speak of love and humanity. How do you compare the two in your mind?

Well, every man ah go get paid according to their works, still. Most things happen to the earth and certain things have been orchestrated and designed and set. So people will even do themself things to make it look like it's really other people and try to blame it on other people to verify whatever their deal is in bringing in the new world order, illuminati or whatever.

Anthony B has been quoted saying he sees "Rome as a system that we're living off right now in the western hemisphere." What is your opinion on that?

Well, we no say burn Babylon. It's really the system, you know? Everything start from Rome, that's why Haile say, Light up a chalice and burn down Rome." Even before Anthony B said fire pon Rome.

What do you do when you are not recording or performing?

Well, mi just go up inna di hills an' whole a' meditation, you know, write songs. When I'm not recording or performing whole a' vibes from di youth, an' meditation.

How do you stay connected to the streets at such a high commercial level?

Well, I just hold my humility, ya know, and be myself I don't really see myself above humanity; I don't really put material nor money nor popularity above people. Me see myself as any normal people out there.

What does the future hold for the youth of Jamaica?

Just more fire for the youth dem, just Rastafari, straight. Right now di youth, dem realize, di youth, dem, start to see themselves an' dem get to overstand say, "We haffi go get this thing pon a collective level." Dem realize what is going on in the system. Dem realize that Babylon nah really mean them no good. Babylon give dem gun fi kill off each other, then dem send back police fi come kill them fi get back di gun. So, with the help from the message from INI and even other artists like Sizzla, Anthony B and di youth them who burn di fire, it really highlight the youth dem fi really get inna themselves right now. So, it no really so easy fi get them misled again. Within the levels of dem political issue and having dem kill off each other division is them aim. The object of divide and rule is still valid today inna di West, so by any means necessary, whatever method dem haffi implement, so di people are fightin' against each other.

Explain the purpose of the David House Community Center that you helped to establish.

That's to help the youth dem. That's to motivate the youth within the levels that we can help dem. Right now we are currently putting out di label now, starting in production, and on this album I produced 'bout four tracks and we are working on the studio. So, we are looking forward to taking it to a different level.

What entails being a part of the Bobo Ashanti order of Rastafari?

You have to live a certain live. You can't eat a certain eat, eat straight Ital. We don't drink alcohol. We chant Rastafari, straight--redemption, repatriation, 'bout churchical, state-ical, governmental. 'Bout the Black Ethiopian Congress.

Any last words?

Just patience, faithfulness, adorance, clean heart, clear conscience for meditation, stay focused. Know what your goals are, reach out for them. Always be yourself, and make sure to go get that album! Still Blazin'. Cyant cool.