Kavelle Anglin-Christie, Staff Reporter
Rohan 'Snowcone' Fuller holding his ASCAP award. - Contributed
Many Sean Paul fans may know his song, Temperature, but not many may know the man behind the beat. Nor would they know he recently walked away with an award for his contribution to the hit song.
Producer Rohan 'Snowcone' Fuller recently won an award at the ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) Pop Music Awards for Temperature, which was neatly laid on his 'Applause' rhythm. It was one of the most played songs in 2006.
Also walking away with an award from the category was Nigel Staff of Ruff Kut Band, who co-produced Give It Up To Me by Sean Paul, featuring Keyshia Cole.
Snowcone is now in the United States and, needless to say, he was elated about his win.
"ASCAP is a publishing company and the award makes me feel really good. I feel like I am honouring dancehall music ... It's unbelievable that dancehall music even get mention in that category and we are just a little dot on the map," he said.
This is Snowcone's first award and he says winning will most likely catapult his career, but how far he gets rests mainly on his shoulders.
"It's cool, but it's really up to me. It's good for my career, the music industry and our culture. I just want myself and all of us in the industry to take the music to the next level certain way," he said.
Long road
It's been a long road to his win. Throughout the years, Snowcone has worked with some of the best in the music business, ranging from Bounty Killer to Wyclef Jean of the Fugees.
Snowcone says "I've been doing music for a long time. I wrote Mystery and I Am Who I Am for Bounty. I've written for Elephant Man and Spragga and a lot of other artistes. These are good writers, but sometimes artistes just want to try a different style."
Snowcone later produced the 'Gallop' rhythm that featured Predator's hit Mad Sick Head Nuh Good and, of course, the 'Applause', with Sean Paul's Temperature and Thunder Roll that brought youngster Shane-O to the fore.
"After 18 years I returned to Jamaica in 2000 and I started producing. I learnt a lot from a lot of people and wanted to share it. I've worked with people like Salaam Remi, who produced Here Comes the Hotstepper by Ini Kamoze, Fu-Gee-la by Fugees, Queen of the Pack by Patra, I Can by Nas and the one with Nas and his father (Bridging the Gap)," he said.
"I was around him and ah him teach me a lot of things I know. Sometimes after him do him thing and him used to come back with an award mi used to feel proud. I used to work alongside Wyclef and the Fugees and watch how them put them thing together. I was there when him (Wyclef) a do My Love Is Your Love with Whitney, Gone Till November and when him a do the first string fi 911 with him and Mary. Then after that mi decide fi come back home and work with some young artistes and teach them how fi caress a rhythm and deejay with clarity and that sort of thing. But some of them don't understand the thing and how to maintain a militancy and humility. Them just love the hype," Snowcone said.
Snowcone says music has always been his first love and will continue to be. "From me born a just music me love. Nobody inna my family nuh have no musical background or anything like that, but growing up in Kingston 13 on Crescent Road when me used to hide and go dance and then when me come back me get a beating. But me ever a dance and love music ... If I were to wake up tomorrow and hear that there is nothing called 'music' anymore, I would want to die," he said.
Snowcone recently released the 'Cheerful' rhythm, which features artistes such as Spragga, Beenie Man, Red Rat, Delicious and Bridgez, among others. He says there are other projects involving overseas acts that are keepinghim busy, which he prefers to keep top secret - for now.
