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PREFIX<br />
AUDIOFILE<br />
turbulence<br />
A cultural singjay rises to<br />
notorious status.<br />
Words: sarah bentley photo: peter dean “afflicted” rickards<br />
“Let me tell you this again, I could have been one of the most<br />
notorious/I got saved by the king, and his grace is so gloriooooous.”<br />
If you’re a follower of dancehall, you couldn’t have missed<br />
the rallying tones of Turbulence’s inimitable “Notorious”<br />
single. Voiced on the Scallawah riddim–a fresh hip-hop<br />
tinged b-line with a penetrating electric guitar riff from new<br />
Jamaican collective THC Muzik–Turbulence’s militantly<br />
righteous singing/deejaying makes this a street anthem for<br />
rastas, big men, and rude bwoys alike.<br />
The track’s hard-hitting video narrative depicts<br />
Turbulence and his Higher Trod backing crew preparing<br />
to bury alive an enemy when they unearth a Kebra Negast<br />
African Bible, which causes them to rethink their actions.<br />
Of the video Turbulence says, “When you’re moving<br />
through the ghetto every day you get tough. It’s easy to get<br />
caught up. We show the youths no matter who disrespect<br />
you, Jah is the only judgement.”<br />
Although it was the rawness of “Notorious” that catapulted<br />
Turbulence to top status, he varies his style from gruff<br />
deejaying to melodic singing. For example, his latest album<br />
on VP, Songs Of Solomon, is a classic culture album. “The<br />
most important thing in life is love,” confesses Turbulence.<br />
“Songs of Solomon educates with no bigotry or racism, just<br />
unification, upliftment, and reality.”<br />
Born Sheldon Campbell in Hungry Town, Kingston,<br />
Jamaica, the 25-year-old has been a music man since his<br />
school days. “It’s my calling,” he says of the artform. Like<br />
most up-and-coming artists Turbulence struggled to get<br />
his first break–his skills as a deejay and singer confused the<br />
island’s producers. Eventually Phillip Fattis Burrell, production<br />
don of Exterminator Records, spotted his potential and<br />
the two have worked together since, with Burrell producing<br />
two albums, Hail To The King and Rising.<br />
Turbulence is different from the current school of popular<br />
culture artists: Ritchie Spice, I-Wayne, Jah Cure, and<br />
previously reigning Boboshanti-dread dancehall artists like<br />
Capleton and Sizzla. He is righteous but streetwise, earthy<br />
but cool. He cruises around Kingston with his Higher Trod<br />
crew all on motorbikes. He wears a tam and Africa pendant<br />
with coordinating brand-name streetwear. For his debut<br />
UK performance supporting Sizzla, he wore a shirt and<br />
patterned necktie with army fatigues. And now his music<br />
reflects his hybrid sartorial style, as well as his huge potential<br />
for crossing over into an MTV-obsessed urban fan base.<br />
Of this comparison Turbulence laughs. “Yes, me always<br />
like to mix it up,” he says. “My original name was Double<br />
Trouble–come two-styles. It was an elderly ras that named<br />
me Turbulence–disturbing to Babylon, electrifyingly strong.<br />
I’m rasta but I love de street vibes. I want to see myself on<br />
BET, MTV. Some artists burn them but that’s where I see<br />
myself, for real.”<br />
“Notorious” is featured on the Scallawah Riddim LP on THC Muzik/Crisis.<br />
Turbulence’s Songs Of Solomon LP is out now on VP Records. www.vprecords.com<br />
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