As one half of Chocolate City based Reggae / Hip Hop duo, Born Jamericans, Horace “Edley Shine” Payne, and then group-mate Norman “Notch” Howell, unleashed a pair of very well received projects; their ’94 debut, Kids from Foreign, and its follow-up, Yardcore, in 1997. Collectively both albums spawned a succession of charting singles; “Boom Shak-a-Tack,” “Cease & Seckle,” “Yardcore” & “Send My Love / Send One Your Love,” having arrived courtesy of Delicious Vinyl.
Let’s hop right into this single, “Big People Party” — Tell me about this particular track; how did it come to fruition?
“Big People Party” is a fresh new single for 2025, produced by DJ Baby Ace and myself. Just something to set the vibes, and start the year off strong; I have so much music in the vault I think this is the right time.
“Big People Party” follows right on the heels of “Grow (Refix)” — Talk to me a lil bit ’bout this composition…
“Grow” the original track was released in 2023, and DJ Baby Ace loved the track so much he remixed it to keep the vibes going and give the song an extended shelf life.
Of course both selections come courtesy of your new LP, Mature Movement Riddim — Conceptually, what does this title represent both to and for you?
The Mature Movement Riddim is not my album, it’s the Riddim Project released by DJ Baby Ace; riddim projects are (a) compilation of artists recording on the same track with different ideas. It’s a staple of Dancehall Culture. My song “Big People Party” is one of 10 songs on the same beat.
How then does Mature Movement Riddim either differ and / or compare to previous Edley Shine efforts?
It’s me, along with various artists on the same track; so far the people that heard it says I have the best song on it.
As a songwriter when you sit down to pen your lyrics, where do you draw inspiration from?
From my culture and heritage Hip Hop, Dancehall and Reggae…maybe old school R’N’B; a lot of the new music is uninspiring.
That said, how do you describe and / or define the style of music that you create and / or perform?
The Jamerican Style a mixture of all the cultures I grew up with blended seamlessly.
Where does your moniker originally derive from?
Just how I carry myself; I’m not the loudest, but definitely the biggest voice.
Now August 11th 2023 marked the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop — What exactly does that mean to and for you?
For me being an August Baby that shares the same age as Hip Hop, I’ve been here from the start watching the culture’s Evolution and current mutations. Seeing Hip Hop Become a Billion Dollar Global phenom has been a joy and heartbreak. Watching Corporate America shun, then embrace, Hip Hop has shown me what capitalism does to benefit the 1%, while destroying the 99%. It means that the Hip Hop Community has been given a gift from God that changed many lives, but we can’t fully capitalize because we only go up to be pulled back down, devalued and eventually disposed of. I hope in Hip Hop’s next mutation these practices will change.
To quote the late, great The Notorious B.I.G., “You never thought that Hip Hop would take it this far!” — Was this something that you ever could’ve imagined?
Well, Hip Hop is the imagination of the urban youth’s dreams and we always had visions of grandeur. So, I’m not surprised on what we were able to accomplish with limited resources.
What are some of your fondest, most stand-out moments / memories during your lengthy tenure in this thing called Hip Hop?
The standout moments for me were meeting some of the Figures I grew up admiring; like KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane, Pete Rock, De La Soul, 2 Pac and Biggie, and then knowing my work as well. Great Feeling.
So, what are your future plans and / or goals for the 2025 season?
Is to continue to express my creativity to those that enjoy it. At this point in life, I don’t try to compete with what’s out here; I’m more a museum of my unique sound of Hip Hop Reggae, and any new music is just my latest paintings to those that appreciate my art…and not to be compared to newer younger artists who express themselves differently and have a different sound.
Switching gears here, what exactly do you want people to get from your music?
My core audience are the kids from foreign, the ones that grew up in a multi-cultural Caribbean home eating Caribbean food with American food, and hearing Hip Hop, Reggae and Dancehall. Just want people to be inspired, and do what feels soulful to them. You can always consider me your voice who speaks about your experiences.
If you could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Living: Sade.
Passed On: Michael Jackson & Biggie…both were God Given talents; MJ ’cause he is the epitome of artistry. B.I.G. was a Jamerican, and I think we are related. Our family comes from the same place in Jamaica.
If you could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?
I’ve been on some huge stages from Colombia to Japan, but it would have to be my Hometown FedEX Field, Capital One Arena. It would be a Caribbean Hip Hop Reggae Themed festival with all the artists I came up in the ’90’s…AEG or Live Nation, holla at me ’cause the Caribbean arena crowd is under served in America.
On a more serious note, are you happy with the current state of Hip Hop?
No, like I said it did not evolve, it mutated and mostly is waste outside of a few standout Artists and Indie Movements. Streaming destroyed music as an artform, and turned it into a circus.
What do you feel has and will continue to be the key to your longevity?
I think the Novelty of being an American that can do Caribbean music, a.k.a. the Jamerican brand, solidified me forever in music. When Gen Z taps in long after I’m gone and discovers the treasures and scrolls we left, that will be my legacy.
Do you have any other outside / additional (future) aspirations, maybe even completely away from entertainment?
I love Tech, and being in Tech I was able to witness how music has been streamlined because of it. I would like to become a spokesperson for this, and hopefully help young musicians and artists from the Caribbean be able to create and compete on the world stage.
What’s an average day like for you?
Get up, work out, take my daughter to school, go to the office; I have my own Tech consultant business that I work with NASA. At Night I record, and on the weekend I fly out and do shows.
Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans…
My FB is my Barbershop; you can catch be over there engaging and sometimes getting into it with the trolls. TikTok, IG, Etcetera…I treat as Billboards for the music I’m promoting. I don’t subscribe to the philosophy that social media can break me as an artist again. It’s just a virtual Billboard, where people come to keep up with the Joneses.
What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?
Likes: Making the music, and seeing your ideas leave your brain and become anthems for people’s lives.
Don’t Like: The music industry, and all the Human forms of Parasites and Cancers that exploit creative people and call it business. The New Streaming Plantations and Social Media Marketing Snake Oil Salesmen making Tech Rich, and Keeping the creators of music Poor.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Don’t…create your own path. Be self sufficient. If you want a record deal, find a way to un-want a record deal. Turn that desire into wanting multiple cameras, laptops , studio equipment and some good young people on your team willing to tell you like it is and complete each other’s dreams. Put your agreements in writing.
Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you see yourself?
Just cooling, making music, minding my business, telling my story to whoever will listen; of how a kid from NW, DC, that should have ended up a statistic, became a notable person in Hip Hop, Reggae and Dancehall. With the music I have on my Hard Drive, I may just have a George Foreman moment and win a championship in my 50’s. My skill-set is still very high, and I am of sound mind, body and soul.
Is there anything I left out or just plain forgot to mention?
Check out my Music; everything is Edley Shine.
Any “parting” words for our readers?
My story is still being written; I think the best is yet to come.
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