REVOLUTION OF MCS
While most of the MCs to burst onto the scene during the 1990s arrived fresh-faced, and that got me interested. I always used to start freestyling when I got drunk so
the same could not be said of Cleveland Watkiss. Schooled in the soundsystems of everyone used to encourage me to get on the mike and eventually I started redirecting
1970s London, the versatile singer teamed up with Courtney Pine in 1985 to form my energies towards that. I listened to a lot of reggae when I was younger and that’s
the Jazz Warriors and tasted widespread success. Almost a decade later, he was where I got a lot of my inspiration when I started writing lyrics. English producers took
drawn into the exciting new world of jungle / drum & bass. some hip hop, reggae and acid house and made a whole new sound that was unique
to our country. I’m a very energetic person and the energy behind the whole thing was
“I used to go to school with Eastman and I used to listen to Kool FM from the what made me want to get involved. I was fan of people like Navigator and The Ragga
beginning – in Hackney in the early 1990s you couldn’t really avoid jungle,” he Twins but I was always trying to do my own thing because it was important to make a
explains. “I started going to a few of the raves and I realised that this was the logical name for myself. I’ve never really analysed where I get my inspiration from – I’ve just
progression of the soundsystem days. I was in my 30s at the time so I was able to tried to add my flavour to it.”
compare it to what had come before. It was really inspiring and creative and what the
producers were doing with the technology was amazing.” But it wasn’t until the advent of Size’s live music project Reprazent that Dynamite
really shot to fame. The band walked off with the Mercury music prize as drum &
After getting his first gig as a resident at London night Speed, Watkiss was introduced bass entered the national consciousness like never before, with Dynamite’s lyrics an
to Goldie in 1995 and he soon became known as his regular vocalist for Metalheadz integral part of the sound.
at the Blue Note, even appearing on ‘Adrift’ on Goldie’s classic album ‘Timeless’.
“It was a real challenge at first but a lot of fun for everyone involved. There were so
“The Blue Note was different to anything I had seen before,” he remembers. “There many people up on stage so it was a matter of fitting in properly but I really enjoyed
was more of a laidback atmosphere there and I could relate to it more because they every minute of it. We’re playing all the festivals again this year so I’m really happy
were playing music with more of a jazzy vibe to it. At first there was no MC at all so I getting back to it. There’s a lot of fans out there and it’s nice that everyone is going to
suggested to Goldie that I could go and get my mike. After about half an hour, he told get a chance to see it all again and all those that missed it first time around will be
me to get on it and I stayed up plugged in there for about two years! able to see it for themselves.”
“It wasn’t a planned thing – it just happened and that’s why it worked,” Watkiss adds. As for Watkiss, he went on to form Project 23 with Marque Gilmore and DJ Le Rouge
“My inspiration was from the sound systems and jazz music that I had grown up with but never really recaptured the spirit of the mid 1990s. “I was hoping that the music
– I knew the art of improvising and doing things on the spot. I wanted to be able to fit would take on more of a live element like with bands like Reprazent but it never really
into the music as a whole rather than express any lyrics. It was such an epic sound in happened,” he says. “I’m not really inspired by much of it today because it has become
those days – it was almost like soundtrack music in its dynamic. There were so many quite formulaic, but it all works in cycles. I did a lot of work with Patife when there was
DJs coming down with different styles every week so it was a real challenge to try and the whole Brazilian movement and producers like Calibre and D-Bridge are keeping
find a way of fitting in. It was fantastic for me as a jazz musician because it was all things on more of a Logical Progression tempo. I think a lot of he people involved need
about testing myself.” to do some research into the evolution of the music because that is what can inspire
them to improve. There needs to be more teamwork between the DJ and the MC
At roughly the same time, a young MC from Gloucester was taking his first tentative – they should be working in harmony rather than fighting for the limelight. I always
steps into the world of jungle / drum & bass as part of Roni Size’s Bristol revolution. tried to make myself sound transparent and part of the music and that’s what makes
“I always wanted to be a DJ but I couldn’t afford the turntables,” remembers MC it sound really strong.”
Dynamite. “I started listening to things like Shut Up and Dance when I was young
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