Peter King

Maxi Priest 

There was money in there, over thirty odd pound. I can't

remember exactly, but there was enough for

all of us. It was a joke thing. We was in a

dance, and people paid. So we said this is

sweet, if we could always do this it would be

good...It never lasted, cause people was going

I'm not going to pay money to hear Saxon

and then afterwards they are going to

want money as well! That cooled out and

stopped."

"Then, like some people went back to Saxon -

er Levi and this time Smiley and Asher was

chatting on it. I just cut. I had something behind

me already - electronics. I was working

on computers, designing computer circuit

boards. I was working on that and I stopped

MCing...sod it I'll live and work a normal life.

So I stopped writing lyrics for over a year...

and the fast style kept getting big. People

kept saying how come you're not doing it.

Then the work situation got hard, work got

short and I got laid off. And trying to get a

job was hard. I wouldn't want to do anything

and go right down the scale."

"So I thought, well I don't know what I'm going

to do, after a few weeks or months I

thought I'll start writing lyrics again. And by

this time the fast style was still getting big, but

I was thinking I don't want do MCing again

really, cause it would look like I'm following

the rest. They had used the style and I would

only be following it as they were making the

money out of it, and I wanted a cut."

"I was thinking people were...I wasn't that

worried about people. Just thinking myself,

that going back into it...You see usually I like

to go into something, achieve something

and then cut out. I was a blackbelt Kung Fu.

Once I got that, I cut out. I did Table Tennis, I

got trophies then I cut out. Everything I do, I

get to a certain stage, then I cut out, but I cut

out too quick for the fast style really (laughs)."

"So people were asking me to do it. but

there's no point in putting out just one lyric

and that's it. So I've got to build them up. So

lately I've been writing styles, and I'm still doing

it."

And this is working exclusively with Fashion?

"Not really, I'm working with Fashion, but it's

for the purpose of putting something out, to

build up my name. And I want to do that

with Fashion, cause Fashion are a good studio

to work with. It's like a school down here.

You learn. I could do a style and say yeah use

it. I want it on music. And certain producers

would say alright, then put it out, and it

More Axe 2

129

might not be right, cause it might not be

done right, but here they would tune it up,

get it right."

"Once the lyrics are together you can see the

commercial aspect of it. Which I don't really

know. Which the buying public side of it. So I

learn a lot as well."

In a way you are the UK equivalent to Brigadier

Jerry. Even though you weren't inspired

by him. As he's also an originator?

"Yeah, I find that I do one or two lyrics and a

lot of people like it. Then they do different

styles to it, but I wouldn't like to claim anything.

So what I've been avoiding ...I could

go and chat on a sound system now, but I

don't want to flash out my lyrics and let people

use them. So what I would rather do is

try...If I do a music, and it does something for

me and people recognise that I'm not

washed up after all, as I'm sure a lot of people

think that I am."

I think people are surprised that it's taken you

a long time to come forward, being the originator.

"And that he was in England sitting down all

the while.."

A bit of mystery (laughs) Now it's been revealed

it's an interesting story.

Have you seen anything coming off of the

fast style, any direction that you didn't expect?

"Well it's getting big all over the country, all

over the world, that shocked me. And here

was me not doing nothing much about it.

And right now it's time that I should. That

why this one I'm doing now, I design it with

a fast style in it."

What's it called?

"It could be called many things 'Step On The

Gas'. It's got a story, it's got style and finesse

everything is in it."

How about some of the criticism of Saxon,

that they have taken the mix down style too

far? The live LP on UK Bubblers, there's more

talk on it than music. There is a lot of...(Gussie

P who's also present at the interview) 'Haul

And Paul'. Colin adding that the DJ has become

more important than the music.

Top Cat & Gussie P - Pic - Ray Hurford

More Axe 2

131

"Well what it is, since MC's realise that people

listen to actual lyrics rather then just dance to

the music, it's changed, but big headedness

is another thing. If you get too big headed it

will be your own down fall. Lyrics wise you're

putting yourself over the people. Imagine

you're doing lyrics about - I'm brighter then

this and cleverer than that, and that and this

and all that right. And people are going yeah

well so am I. I don't want to hear about you,

cho. Now if you can do something like 'Police

Officer' that's wicked. It's something everyone

can relate to."

Why did some of the tunes on the Johnny

Ringo meets Asher Senator album get faded

out Gussie?

"Everyone of those tunes had to be cut

down. Just too much lyrics for the actual

tune."

That's unusual isn't it?

"Not really" replies Gussie. Peter see's my

point and continues. "That's true, one time

lyrics were much too short for a record. Then

again (Gussie comes back) 'Smiley and Asher

and you PK write lyrics', Gussie indicates to

Peter's book of lyrics, and it's clear what Gussie

means. Peter's book is full with lyrics.

Peter continues. "If I was to show you my

book, there were over two pages [to one

tune], that had to be cut to two, then down

to one and a half. A lot of what I put in there

has been chopped out and twisted around.

A lot of work. What a lot of MC's forget is that

things that swing in a dance that people can

click to, Sometimes it's what people can say -

a catchphrase."

More Axe 2

132

Gussie continues. 'That's what it is. A song

has a chorus and from time you hear that

song once you just remember it...you might

not remember all the verses, but you know

the tune is nice, from the chorus, which a lot

of tunes don't have. It's just three minutes of

rambling, but if you lay the song out properly

you only have to hear it once, and the second

time you hear it you can sing the chorus."

Peter King continues. "Also style is important.

There are many different ways of saying

things. And what MC's are penetrating now

is lyrics, and a lot of MC's are fogetting about

style."

How about the change in calling DJ's MC's

now is that significant. Does it mean anything.

That you now prefer to be called MC's

rather than DJ's?

Ringo

More Axe 2

133

"Well, that was started by a Yardie, Ringo-really.

He said don't call me no DJ, a DJ is a dirty

John Crow! (laughs) an MC is a master of

ceremonies. Call me an MC. Everyone goes

wicked, yeah, me is an MC. And everyone

switched, and he done that with a few lines

in a lyrics, off a cassette. It's not even on

record. When that happened everyone

changed. Everyone is an MC now. Now

some MC, now say they are a lyrics banton,

or a banton. Some people don't know the

meaning of it."

What is the meaning of it?

"Well more or less it's known as a fowl." Gussie

then mentions that there is a chicken

called a banton.

"I wouldn't call myself something I don't

know." continues Peter. "Like you get MC's

who say they walk pon the sea and swim on

the land, but I can't do that, I could do the

lyrics, easy to do. You just think of impossible

things to do. It's just gimmicks really, a joke

business. What is harder to do is to form sensible

lyrics. That's why people write lyrics like

that."

Do you think slackness is another easy way

out of writing good lyrics?

"I used to use it a long time. When I chat

slackness. I said I want to do something that

would make people laugh. Make them say

forward. so you put a little nastiness into it.

Since Echo use to kick up with it for long

time, but then it started to run down. He

died (General Echo) and they said slackness

bite the dust. Briggy come out with that.

'Slackness bite the dust.' And people would

More Axe 2

134

say slackness bite the dust, he's dead. I don't

want to chat slackness. I don't wanna be

dead. Satan works that, and thing. Everyone

stopped chatting slackness, and I stopped as

well, but certain DJ's carried on 'cause they

couldn't find no other way keeping the

dance lively. And when you have to resort to

things like that your intelligence doesn't really

show. It won't be appreciated after a while,

where there are people who are chatting

intelligent, who don't need to do that.

Gussie then comments that a lot of people

are saying - "Intelligent they're intelligent, instead

of actually being intelligent and showing

it.'

Peter adds "That's why I've done the lyrics '10

Commandments of An MC'. That shows everything

that I'm talking to you about. I've put

everything that I've thought in it."

Smiley & Asher

"There are MCs who are chatting like they are

intelligent, but are only using long words out

of a dictionary. They're just looking in books

seeing long words - 'Oh yeah me dis.' Ask

them a year afterwards what was that again?

'Um I've forgot now'. It's not a natural instinct.

It's best to chat off of your own original natural

instinct. Why try to be something that

you're not." What do you think of the Ja MC's

who are now using your style. How do you

see that? "Yeah well people should see that

British MC's should be getting the headlines.

Not just the Yard MC's. When they are over

here they kick up. Alright, repect due for

them drawing style from a long time, but the

English MC's are trying to get through as

well, and they are getting a fight down. They

are not getting the respect, and why not, we

are the home base. Why fight within yourself?

But reggae music as a whole always get

a fight, yet we could go international. Look at

Smiley Culture's record, and that's just one

record. If everyone got a breakthrough, people

could hear all the lyrics."

"One thing, I'm not rushing to get big, I'm

doing it for the love of it. Just love, cause I

would do a PA and they might get away

with me doing do it free. Which is a bad

thing in a way. It's one of the reasons I

stopped. I wasn't rushing it. There was nothing

stopping me anyway. I could have. I

could have gone to a studio - look I originate

the fast style Levi did over the other day. Let's

flash the original one right now, but I didn't

want to rush it out. I could have done it,

even before Levi, flash one."

More Axe 2

136

"I was in the studio, Max, Maxi (Priest) introduce

me to go a studio, the same time as

Levi did 'Mi God Mi King' and I didn't go

cause I didn't want to. I could have gone,

and it would have been out at the same time

on Level Vibes...everything, but I said no,

cause I always think the music business is a

rip off. I remember Sir Lloyd after that Dick

Sheperd dance. He did a LP thing and there

was like pennies coming in. Real pennies. I

went, oh boy, music business is like this. He's

giving me all these percentages and that. I

don't know. I don't know, I thought sod it let

me work man. I'm earning more that way.

Do some overtime. If I wanted to chat, I

could chat on a sound, when I wanted to.

But then I thought, no I wouldn't even bother.

I won't chat on a sound, I have other little

runnings and things."

Papa Levi

More Axe 2

137

Where do you get your inspiration from today?

"I don't look at other MC's. I hear other MC's, I

hear a whole heap of MC's, but I don't hear

anything that worries me, boy I can't write

nothing like that. There are many things to

being an MC than just lyrics. You can capture

people with many styles you know. A fast

style, anyone could do a fast style."

Gussie: "Once you know the lyrics inside out,

it's only a question of time. You then just say it

fast, something you know off by heart."

Peter: "Yesterday in my little home studio, it

just came to me that I could have got the fast

style off of something, but it wasn't that. I

know it wasn't that, cause it just came to me.

I was sitting down and chatting to myself all

sealed off."

Does that help you?

"Yeah it does 'cause I don't listen to the sound

tapes at all now. Then it came to mind, hold

on, I thought the fast style could have been

done like that. Then different lyrics come to

my mind. I have

many different

ways of writing

lyrics, sometimes

it's not lyrics it

could be a style."

Other styles cited

by Gussie include

a Car auction or

the bookies at the

race courses.

Gussie: "Asher and Smiley went to buy a car,

and they just heard this guy chatting about a

million miles an hour, you know what I

mean."

Peter: "Sometimes it depends how quick you

are. I've found a different style of riding the

same rhythm which brings melody into it.

What I mean...No I don't want to tell you

that, top secret(laughs). Alright this is 'Boby

Babylon' which has just begun to be played

in the shop above. Mow if you wanted to be

a classical MC..." Peter stops as the rhythm

changes to 'Won't You Come Home'.

"Now if Levi was riding the rhythm to that, he

would go 'Now me are big, and me are

hard, and me is massive and me are broad." If

he was styling to do a rhythm like that. If a

man wanted to think of style, it's the melody

you could do a complete lyrics out of it. I'll

talk to you again like after the music is out

and see what happen. I hope the people like

it. It's only love I'm dealing with anyway, it's

not going to change me."

And it didn't. Fashion released only a few

tunes by Peter, including 'Step On The Gas'

on a 12", and 'Me Neat Me Sweet' on the album

'Great British M.C.'s'[Fashion]. These

were very well received, and more would

have probably followed but at about the

time the LP and 12" were released, reggae

music went through one of its traditional and

dramatic musical swings. Part of this meant

that DJ's were out of favour and singers

were in. The ragga style left the UK DJ/MC's

out in the cold. When DJ's came back, it was

the Jamaican DJ's that were on top again.

More Axe 2

139

Still nothing ever gets wasted in reggae music.

It was green [environmentally] from time.

The fast style will one day return, that you

can be certain of. And when it does Peter

King hopefully will laugh when he reads of

some little youth claiming he invented it. Peter,

myself and now you know different.