Tifa: "I just really want to make people happy and entertain the crowd!"

Tifa, can you tell the Belgian dancehall fans how you got into the dancehall business?

Tifa: "I got into the dancehall business really and truly because my family is in the business. My stepfather I grew up with was a producer and he brought Lady Saw to the world. So from the day I was born I always had that bug, the dancehall bug. Then in 2006 I linked up with Ward 21 and they put me out there to the world.

Do you have a goal that you want to achieve with your music?

Tifa: "I just really want to make people happy and entertain the crowd. I'd love to be like a female Sean Paul or a female Shaggy."

Who are your favorite artists? Who inspires you?

Tifa: "I get inspiration from everybody, from every female dancehall artist: Lady Patra, Lady Saw, Lady G. And then Bob Marley of course -I'm Jamaican after all!- Dennis Brown, Garnett Silk, a whole set of people. I get inspiration from everybody!"

Let's talk about your name for a second. Are you aware that you share that name with a video game character, one that is celebrated for both its strength and independence as well as its sex appeal? Your look is also a bit reminiscent of an anime character. Was that name a deliberate choice? (editor's note: Tifa Lockhart is a fictional character in Square's role-playing video game 'Final Fantasy VII'. Named the pin-up girl of the cyber generation by 'The New York Times', Tifa has been compared to Lara Croft as an example of a strong, independent and attractive female character in video games. Media have repeatedly praised both the character's strength and appearance and described her as one of the best female characters in gaming.)

Tifa: (hesitates) "I like that theory, but it was actually a bit of a coincidence. My real name is Latifa (spells out name). So from when I was little, for my pet name, my mom took of the "La" and just called me Tifa at home so it's not really a name I made up for myself, it was always part of my real name."

In the dancehall scene and even more so in the popular media that surround it, there tends to be a lot of drama, a lot of clashing, people making diss tunes or perceiving certain tunes as such. Do you ever get tired of that? Or do you feel that it's just entertainment and a part of the dancehall culture?

Tifa: "I think it is a part of dancehall culture, but I think sometimes it gets out of hand. People take it personal and that's not cool. Personally, I'm not for it. With all that has happened in the past, I want to maintain a positive life for dancehall music, you know what I mean? And I represent a lot of brands back home: I represent MINI Jamaica, the car company; I represent Digicell, the phone company and I represent Bigga Soda company. I'm representing these brands as a dancehall artist, so I try to keep my image as positive as possible, you know. I'm not saying a bit of drama is bad, it can keep things interesting, but of late, recently, the thing's getting out of hand."

You have a degree in psychology. Do you feel it comes in handy sometimes in the dancehall business?

Tifa: "Sometimes, yeah! I can be like: "that person is bipolar, leave them alone". (laughs)"

You've been suffering from Blount's disease. (editor's note:  Blount's disease is a growth disorder of the tibia (shin bone) that causes the lower leg to angle inward, resembling a bowleg.) How has that affected your career?

Tifa: "Initially, when I started, everybody was just like: "she's handicapped, she can't do this". But now it's become my signature walk; a lot of girls want to walk like me and men think it's sexy."

You've had quite an extraordinary childhood. Can you tell us a bit about that?

Tifa: "Sure, why not? I spent the early part of my childhood with my dad. He had a really big house with a lot of land, so as I child I had goats and horses. So it was very different from a typical Jamaican upbringing."

What are your plans for the future?

Tifa: "Well, I have more new songs coming out; I just have the "Me Baby" on the 'Overdrive' riddim, 'Centerfold' riddim (editor's note: "Got It like That"), "Fairytale" (editor's note: 'Cardiac Keys' riddim). I have a lot of songs coming out; just look and you will see (laughs). I'll be shooting some videos and I'll be touring a lot; Europe, Canada, USA, Caribbean. To sum it up: I'm just working, you know, working and putting out more music. An album is definitely coming out next year!"