Entertainment

Clean Slate for Queen Paula

By GERMAINE SMITH, Staff Reporter

Queen Paula - Ian Allen

QUEEN PAULA'S 2004 ended with personal tragedy and injury, but rather than soak it all in, she is declaring that she used the experiences to become a better person.

In the midst of spitting venom on stage shows at fellow female deejays Ruffi-Ann, Macka Diamond, CeCile and others, Paula was nearly cut down in the madness last year. As she hurried from one event in St Elizabeth to another in Kingston one night, her car overturned and was completely totalled. She escaped with only bruises, but not long after, tragedy struck.

"After the accident my father died, and it's like that mek mi get stronger bout life," she told THE STAR this week.

"Mi pick up back the pieces, buried my dad, got a new ride and in the streets now but in a different way. I hooked up with a new deejay now, his name is G-mafia but him used to name Crazy Hype. We communicate good so we par in the streets and at the show dem. I am working with a new booking agent, and she tell me seh mi must be more clean and only do suggestive lyrics, which I do now."

Rough edge

Paula said she took the incidents as signs that she should change a few things in her life, so, though she maintains the rough edge for her live performances, her recorded material has toned down.

"I have about 11 songs which record already for the summer, and all of them clean. They can play on radio with no bleep out or nothing. The new Queen Paula is here. First the weight, now the music. At the show Follow The Arrow weh day ya mi let them know that all the foolishness finish, and mi realize seh this is the year for the females so, mi a do my thing."

Regarding the fans who actually love to see her spewing rawness on the microphone, Queen Paula noted that these fans will enjoy themselves just the same.

"The shows hardcore the same, but not dirty cause yu have radio and television people at the shows and they show it back so yu have to clean. It is hardcore but clean same way, mi just find a different way fi say things," she explained.

"Yu get the crowd same way but yu say things differently. Yu ruff same way but yu ruff in a way dat if pickney even inna the dance same way them no haffi lock off yu mic same time."

That's the plan fi Queen Paula this year."