Don Corleon & Protoje: Cousins united in music

On what mission are you these days in Europe?
DON CORLEON: I'm on the mission of promoting reggae music, promote my culture and my heritage, to all kind of different people from all corners of the world. I am on this tour particularly with two of my artists : Pressure and Protoje.
Why did you decide to get those two artists on tour?
DON CORLEON: Well, they're my artists, we're well together, we're feeling good together.
How did you get involved with those two artist?
DON CORLEON: Well I first discovered Pressure when I was on a trip in Miami a few years ago. Someone gave me a CD of Pressure called "The Pressure Is On" and asked me not to throw it away but to listen to it. I promised to listen to it and when I heard Pressure's voice, I wanted to work with the artist. So he came to me and the first song we did was "Love and Affection". It went straight to N°1 in the charts. The rest is history, I produced a full album for Pressure.  Now we're working on some singles like the track "Jah Love" on my own Message Riddim, then "Love U So" on the Monte Carlo riddim for Purple Skunk Records and "Stand Firm" on the Broken Hearts riddim.
Is there any album in the planning ?
DON CORLEON: No as yet, we're working on releasing good singles for the moment. 
And how did you get involved with Protoje?
DON CORLEON: Actually, Protoje is my cousin. We grew up together at my grandmother's place since our very young age. He was the one who encouraged me to build my own sound system actually. Since the age of 13, I was playing with sounds, but then had stopped it to go to school. Then I created the Vendetta Sound.  From there I moved to the studio and became a producer. Over the years Protoje was trying to get through in the music.  After 7 years, I saw he was ready for it and I endorsed his vibe and produced his album.
From the sound system, how did you get the skills of a studio man and producer?
DON CORLEON: Well I'm just a quick learner. I go around a lot of people and get knowledge from them. I learned a lot from Steelie and Cleevie, from King Jammy too. Then I did some experiments for myself. Let's put it like this: anything I put my mind on I can do it, I catch things fast.
How did you get involved and accepted by those great producers?
DON CORLEON: Well, I was a friend of King Jammy's son, Baby G and I used to mix his songs. The King asked his son who was doing the mix for him because he appreciated it. So he told Baby G to bring me to the studio. I went there and every day I was asking questions again and again and I was observing how Jammy was working. There I linked with Steelie. One day I was at my studio and Steelie came to my gate and we started building a vibe. He played a bass phrase and then I played a drum and we ended up recording a song for Vybz Kartel. I was also going to sit a Bobby Digital's place and watch him mix. It's just a vibe, I am just a real person and people appreciate me and go along with me easily.
Your experience as selector was also important to become a producer?
DON CORLEON: Yes, because it makes me know what the people want and how things are supposed to sound and what is going to buss the place. Nuff producer songs only buss as the artist starts to sing, but if you listen to many of my songs, when you hear the roll call, the place buss before the artist even chat a lyrics.
What are the ingredients for a good tune?
DON CORLEON: Basically, you have to get a good riddim, but not only this. Everything have to be on a scale and level. The lyrics needs to be good and it needs a catchy hook. Furthermore, it depends also on what you are saying in which region of the world. For example, one song can be famous in one part of the world and unheard of in the rest of the globe. You have to target also the audience that you want to reach with you music. Look at my Major Riddim. I did it in major key which I never did before. The reason for this: I wanted to reach Europe and the West Coast of the US, Australia and New Zealand. That kind of sound works good out there.  There's also a part of psychology and marketing in the producer work! At 32, I've been doing this for almost ten years now so I know how to adapt my production to reach the goals I set.  I also enjoy doing some dancehall tracks which I know will stay specific to JA.  I do music for the love so I love to do every kind of reggae, as far as I can keep the message positive.
You've worked with different artists from outside of JA ?
DON CORLEON: Yes I worked with Rihanna who came to record "Break It Off" with Sean Paul on my High Altitude Riddim, Keisha Cole also did a combination with SP for me. I worked with Deep Set, Joel, Santana… 
People come from abroad to look for a specific vibe. Busta Rhymes came to my studio and looked around and found it was the right place for his creativity and rented it. Even Gentleman rented the studio for three months for his last album. Most of the work on this album was done at my yard.
Which other artists outside of Jamaica would you like to work with?
DON CORLEON: There's a big singer with a lot of reggae influence called Bruno Mars or also with Ayo, the French singer, the wife of Patrice. I'm ready to work with anyone as far as there're making good music. Good music and inspiration can come fro anywhere. Yesterday at the Garance Festival, I was so happy to see Jah Shaka playing for the first time. As I was watching him being busy on his set, it gave me some inspiration to do something when I go home.

Greetings Protoje, What is the meaning of your name?
PROTOJE: My real name is Oje Ken Ollivierre. The meaning of Protoje is like a student, someone who has a mentor and studies. I just added my own name Oje in it. Here in France I heard that "Protégé" also means someone who's protected.
Where are you from?
PROTOJE: I am from Saint Elizabeth in Jamaica. I live in Kingston, even though I come from the country. Where the good herbs come from.
You love to talk about the herbs?
PROTOJE: I don't like speaking about it because it's been oppressed; it's been made illegal because of certain people's business interest. So if I speak about it I don't just go and say "yeah, smoke the herb". If you listen to the song called "Wrong Side Of The Law", you will hear a story about being locked up for the herbs and the oppression around it.  It's a song about keeping the faith to smoke something natural. I feel strongly that this thing should be legal that's why I'm singing about it.
How do you feel about having your first album produced by Don Corleon?
PROTOJE: To work with him was a joy because he his one of the best reggae producers in reggae history and he has a catalogue that's unmatched! When I started working on the album, it was very hard to put it together. When I was two songs in, we linked up and I decided to shift and let him take control of the album and do the production work. He really did some amazing job on it. Give thanks to him.
The album is called The Seven Year Itch.  Does it mean that it took you 7 years to create it ?
PROTOJE: Yes, it's somehow true. I started music in 2004 and decided that I wouldn't release anything before I could get an album together. That was my dream because that's how I saw all the great artists doing when I was a little boy. I started writing it from 2004. I wrote about a hundred songs. For the album, I selected the songs that would represent a journey of my life. The track Roll was written in 2004 and Rasta Love in 2010.  It's me being young at some times and being more mature at some time. That's why it has different feels.
It was a tough bet for a new artist to have an album as your first release…
PROTOJE: Yes, nobody knew me, tThat's right. We dropped a few singles just before the album: "Arguments" first, then "Dread", and "JA", finally "Rasta Love" was the real first lead single. We're now spending the rest of the year to promote the album. It's not just to have an instant success with the album but to work with it in the long term. If it goes well, we could be pushing it for even two years.
Can you tell us about the Rasta Love song you did with Ky Mani Marley?
PROTOJE: I was in Florida and when the producer told me that Ky Mani Marley would be on the track I was amazed because I love his music. This song really raised the awareness about my music. My sister directed the video clip and "Rasta Love"was number one in Jamaica for a couple of weeks. That was really my first number one song in Jamaica. The song is about a girl finding herself and empowering herself and growing up.  It's not just a 'boy meets  girl' song. It's also about the oppression that rastafari faces in the work places, about social classes, it's a song with a deeper meaning. 
You also draw some inspiration from the other Marley Brothers and call their name in one of your songs…
PROTOJE: Damian is making really solid music for a long time. I'm a big fan of him and Stephen is an amazing producer. Welcome to Jamrock is an album that really influenced me. When I heard it in 2005, I definitely decided to make my album… Welcome To Jamrock blends the new trends with the old trends, it's a special sound that Damian has perfected. Just like him I also have some strong hip hop background.  The first song I remember in my life was "Children Story" from Slick Rick, a Jamaican British rapper. Then I also grew up on a lot of early hip hop, West Coast chill vibes and so. I also have a big rock'n'roll background. My lead guitarist is addicted on Jimy Hendrix and such. We're blending the influences.
There's a song where you're talking of a mother complaining on her son leaving school for music.  Does it refer to your own story ?
PROTOJE: Yes, it's a personal song. My mother sent me to a prestigious High School in Jamaica and then to College abroad.  And all I came out with was to be a musician. I didn't finish my degree, I didn't finish school. I really gave up a lot to do music. Because it's what I love from since I was a child. That's how important music is to me. It's not just about writing songs to make a hit. It's about feeding my soul. I feel so alive when I am on stage. My Dad and Mum supported me. My Mum was a reggae singer in the seventies, she's called Lorna Bennet and had this famous song "Breakfast in Bed". But later she gave up music for school. So I flipped it and left school for music.