MIA Music
SHIFTA
By Jarrell Douse
Kingston, Jamaica's newest musical installment, Shifta Mason, considers modesty a virtue. His unassuming dress and choice of a ordinary midday meal of two cheeseburgers, small-sized pouch of fries and a cup of water lend credence to a pared down philosophy that appears to serve the singer well.
He's casually clad in a pasty, red t-shirt, tattered blue jeans, a Texas fitted baseball cap, and feet that would've been shod in a pair of well-worn Ed Hardy casuals--had he not been stepping on the backs of them. The site of this interview also bolsters his embrace of all things moderate - McDonald's on 62nd Street in Liberty City, just off of I-95.
Sitting so that he's facing outside, Shifta peers out of the window as though something behind the glass is commanding his attention with a hold so taut, his eyes cannot move.
He blinks, then, confesses that his recent rise to respectable notoriety is attributed to his musical interests and interpretations--a cacophony of traditional grassroots reggae and back-bending, hip-winding dance hall beats-- and a subscription to the belief that he can have whatever he wants-- and he wants it all!
He advises anyone wishing to stifle his self-imposed expectations: "Don't hold your breath."
Innovative and daring, this young trailblazer also infuses sounds from "di yaad" with distinct snippets of American rhythm and blues, and hip hop influences into a niche he has carved for himself amidst the soulful genres.
But before he would introduce his artistic genius--which is evidenced in his hit song "Do It" (produced by Power Surge featuring Miami's chart topping artist Flo-Rida)--to the ears of his increasing American fan-base, he says that he had to put his "time in."
His time included innumerable hours perfecting his voice, tone, and even, patience, while creating a name for himself back home.
"I thought it was important that I establish a certain level of respect in Jamaica before I could expect to establish any in the United States. I had to get the attention of Jamaicans before I could get it anywhere else in the world--if you're not respected at home, where are you respected," he said.
Shifta insists that he is not an "overnight sensation." His father, Piper Fras, legendary Caribbean promoter and producer is often credited for helping to spawn the careers of Lady Saw, Reggie Stepper and General Degree.
His dad's success notwithstanding, Shifta said his persistence, not family ties, catapulted him to the status he now enjoys.
"You gotta hustle in the music industry," he says, adding "I know what it is like to stand beside the deejay booth (for hours) hoping for the opportunity to drop my demo in the deejay's hand. I know what it is like to sit outside of [WEDR] 99.1 Jamz waiting to talk to DJ Khaled."
He knows what it is to be hungry for something that you love almost more than air.
"Some people tend to think that I am where I am because of my father and that I had it easier than other artists. Some people may even think that my success over the last several years is a fluke."
But what many don't know about him but he wishes that they did, is that he has "been into music a long time" and has "no plans of leaving it anytime soon."
His impetus for creating music began in Jamaica when he was around seven or eight-years old, he recalls. Then, as teenager, he dared to become a deejay if only for the purposes of making music, and to satisfy his ardor for entertaining people.
"I like to make music that makes people feel alive."
As he grew up he continued to deejay, but discovered the rhythm of his own beat; inevitably instigating a need to create his own music, his own sound.
"I'm not new to the music industry--maybe a little to the American music scene, but I've been on the mixed tape circuit for a while, now, with my Timeless Entertainment brand."
His hard work and perseverance, humility and genuine motivation, have afforded him the "excitement" of sharing with music lovers from Europe to Japan to Africa, his distinct mix of reggae and dance hall and hip hop.
Some might say "not bad" for a young man who has yielded a career out of a hobby-turned-dream that continues to materialize. Shifta eats the last of his second cheeseburger, washing it and the last of his fries down with his cup of water.
He is looking out of the window, again.
Silence.
He soon breaks it, to say, "If you want to be someone it is important to be humble, and to know that the beginning of everything begins in the mind. So, do it!" he declares, while managing to smile a modest smile.
