by ERIN MACLEOD

Considered blessed with sharp reasoning skills, Jamaica’s Clifton Bailey III was dubbed Capleton—the name of a well-known lawyer from Bailey’s rural community. A committed Bobo dread rasta, King Shango, as he’s also known, is hailed for his reality tunes. He may chat about the reality of ghetto life, but he insists that the fire and violence in his songs is metaphorical, not literal. Though Capleton is contentious both at home and in foreign lands, his powerful and incredibly prolific voice has made him one of the most popular deejays worldwide.

Mirror: Tell me about your organization, David House.

Capleton: David House is like my company. David House is for the people. I’m trying to bring up new artists and work in the community. When the youth see the way is being paved by a certain artist, they will follow and they will give back to the community.

M: In your tune “Invasion,” you talk about how “Babylon corral my place it look like dem wan overthrow me.”

C: “Invasion” is a reality song. The police dem raid my place and jump over di gate and ting.

M: Sizzla’s Judgement Yard studio has reportedly also been targeted. Why do you think this is happening?

C: There are a lot of things happening in Jamaica. They will have attitude towards certain artists, certain artists who are involved in certain things. Every man have his own idea, his own opinion, sometimes people get involved in things that they’re not supposed to do and the system will have an eye on dem. On the next level again, you done know a Rastafari always have been terrorized by police. You understand? It’s a problem for the system. When you’re uplifting righteousness, and when you’re uplifting heritage and culture, and Selassie I, picking out in the system in terms of the injustice and the inequality, manipulation and exploitation. So therefore, when I and I chant the message and burn the fire, Babylon will terrorize us.

With Military Man, Jah Thunder and others at Studio Juste Pour Rire on Friday, Oct. 7, $30

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