Assassin - Contributed

Stage name: Assassin

Real name: Jeffrey Campbell

Birth month: December 22

Which high school did you attend? Camperdown

How did you get started in the business?

During sixth form at Camperdown. Mi get a link to Spragga Benz tru Briggy, an' di tune Big Up All Di Shottas Dem, a me write it.

Di summer of 1999, mi meet Spragga and him introduce mi to man like Donovan Germaine an' others, and everything jus' fall into place.

What has been your greatest challenge so far?

The greatest challenge is just to cope with the nature of the industry and maintain your identity and not be confused or transformed by it. Yuh can't allow it to change you, especially in a negative way. Because as we all know, people can lose dem way and easily get carried away.

What have you been up to lately?

Since wi form Boardhouse Records, wi really trying to reform or revamp wi whole ting as an artiste an' what we want to do. The next challenge is to have people acknowledge yuh talent and what you are capable of.

Do you look up to any specific artiste?

First and foremost, wi love the music to another level, from Professor Nuts and Papa San dem days, a people weh just mek mi love music to a different level. From yuh music a seh one, mi love it, an' mi respect every artiste, mi acknowledge every artiste from Shabba dem, Bounty, Spragga, Buju, everybody.

Are you happy with the way things are going for your career right now?

Wi always haffi count wi blessing, and wi haffi feel di sense of accomplishment, like Wa Do Dem Guy Deh a tear up di dancehall right now and we had a wonderful show down a Follow Di Arrow, suh wi haffi give thanks.

Anything you'd like to change about it?

Change is probably not the right word, but improve. I never tell myself that I can't go any further. Performing, I want to change it to the better and improve.

What are your future plans?

Mi always deh pon a endless quest, mi really think bout what it going tek an den go at it. Suh if it mean sey mi need fi spend more time an listen odda music fi broaden mi horizon, then I'll do it, if it mean seh di people need fi si mi more, den mi haffi guh come out a mi yard an guh out, whatever it takes."

Do you have any advice for young artiste coming up in the business?

First of all, love di music. The sincere love for the music is absent in some a di young artiste dem weh a come up. There is no respect, and I think that comes out in what is happening now. Once that is there, then the rest will just fall in place, suh yuh will respect the music enough to write a good song, and to learn how to sing so you don't fall off key and so on.

-T.J.