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In the case of Cham versus the rest
of the world -- insofar as our general
impression of him is concerned – it
seems the seasoned reggae artist has
been keeping a little known about
secret: the man behind the raspy voice,
exuberant performances, glamour and
notoriety is not quite the boisterous
personality that one may otherwise
believe him to be. Upon entering
Cham’s dimly lit sixth floor suite of
the Sheraton hotel, I am immediately
drawn by his laidback, soft-spoken
down-to-earth charm and pleasant
demeanor.
The world over has been privy
to both the fire and fury that
has been the alchemical forces
of Cham’s one-of-a-kind,
youthful yet coarse vocals,
alongside longtime producer
Dave Kelly’s impeccable
sounds. The artist formerly
known as Baby Cham revoked
the “Baby” moniker back in
2005, five years into the game
and following the release of
his debut album, Wow…The
Story. After the name change
came the release of Cham’s
sophomore album, Ghetto
Story, under the direction of
Atlantic Records/Madhouse,
which proved to be more of
a heavyweight record and
arguably put the budding
artist on the map.
It’s been quite some time
since the artist formerly
known as “Baby Cham” has
been in the glaring spotlight; seven
years since his enchanting “Ghetto
Story” collaboration with songstress
Alicia Keys. Over the years we have
witnessed and heard Cham on
numerous tracks in collaboration with
Toronto’s own Jully Black, Brooklynite
Foxy Brown, iconic pop singer Rihanna,
and universal Hip Hop heavy hitter,
Akon. Even with a lengthy hiatus (in the
eyes of the public),Cham’s been toiling
away in the studio alongside his wife O.
Together the duo has produced such
blazing tracks as “Tun Up” (2012) and
“Wine” (2012). 2013 witnessed Cham
hit the studio with dynamic producer
Dave Kelly and highly-lauded reggae
star Damian “Junior Gong” Marley with
the release of “Fighter.”
Though only in Toronto for a
performance as part of the Scotiabank
Caribbean Carnival festivities (at the
time of our interview), Cham has
frequented the streets of Toronto in
recent years, claiming that the city
“got something that nowhere else
has.” Many would venture to say that
Cham’s onto something with respect
to his views about our beloved city,
given Toronto’s multiplicitous cultures
and large Jamaican population,
which makes for celebrations around
dancehall music to be that much more
special for the reggae artist, as well as
others.
Recognized for his musical talents,
Cham’s artistry has also spread into
the domain of fashion. At 34 years
of age, this ever-evolving singer/
songwriter/entrepreneur, whose
clothing line, aptly named Lawless,
describes the inspiration behind the
company’s name. The artist, who was
raised in the heart of Waterhouse in St.
Andrew’s Parish, Jamaica, has come to
realize that he and his fellow fashionconscious
Jamaicans simply reject
most conventional rules of fashion and
never seem to follow the trends; hence
the name Lawless. Cham’s laissez-faire
attitude toward fashion could easily
be related to his views about life as a
musician, in that he has “never been
one that watches someone else.” Much
in the similar way that he would not
dare instruct an artist about the way
in which they choose to go about their
uniquely tailored creative process,
so too would he hesitate to criticize
another’s style of dress.
Cham’s rebellious views on life, music
and fashion make it of little surprise
that he envisions himself someday
collaborating with the colourful and
effervescent rapper Nicki Minaj.
For the time being, Cham remains a
staunch supporter of producer Dave
Kelly, whom the singer has
worked alongside to produce
countless tracks. A mutual
bond was formed between
the two, as Cham fondly
recounts, when Kelly took it
upon himself to give a young
Cham a chance. He was fresh
out of High School, and even
though other producers
shunned him due to sinus
troubles that produced an
often coarse sound coming
from his diaphragm, Kelly held
on to the belief that Cham was
destined to bring something
great to the world of music.
Cham has in turn repaid Kelly
with his undying loyalty. As a
youngster, his predecessors
included bigwigs such as
Supercat, Shabba Ranks,
and Buju Banton, whom
Cham never falls short of
acknowledging for having set
the stage for contemporary
reggae artists such as himself.
Cham’s “live and let live” frame of
mind serves him well, as it grounds
his approach to all of his endeavours,
whether business or personal. On the
road to fame and popularity, Cham
carries with him the belief that it is
easy for one to lose their soul, and
thus cherishes the long-held notion
of being paid handsomely in return
for the fruits of one’s hard work. As
for the one thing Cham would like the
world to know about him, he coyly
states: “I love love.”
For more information about Cham’s
t-shirt line, visit: www.chamworld.com.
“The artist... has come to realize that he and his fellow fashionconscious
Jamaicans simply reject most conventional rules of fashion
and never seem to follow the trends...”