Andre Jebbinson, Staff Reporter
LUST members from left are Lukie D, Thriller U, Singing Melody, and Tony Curtis at the release of the compilation album 'Time for Love', and the new single and video 'Hardware', held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston, on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - Winston Sill / Freelance Photographer
The Jackson Five won the hearts of Americans in the '60s followed by many other tremendous groups. They left an indelible mark on world music. So have Bob Marley and the I-Threes. The '90s saw the rise of 98 Degrees, Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, groups which are now essentially defunct.
T.O.K. has revived the format in Jamaica, paving the way for more groups to follow in their footsteps. Others have used it as a stepping-stone for a solo career while others have stuck with it until the inevitable end.
This was missing in Jamaica until Lukie D, Thriller U, Singing Melody and Tony Curtis decided to form LUST. All four members already had solo careers.
"We realised that groups were deteriorating in Jamaica. There was no young Mighty Diamond," Singing Melody said. "We are now trying to keep the authentic reggae music together."
When one thinks of a recording group, the cliché two heads are better than one comes to mind. Flexx of T.O.K. said his group has the advantage of sharing some of the responsibility of constantly coming up with new ideas. So in his case, four heads are better than two.
different personalities
"Depending on what you want, you have four individuals with four different personalities. But at the same time, we all have one goal and we work toward that goal," he said.
He said that this is what keeps T.O.K. going. And with careers that keep getting better, the unit is not about to dissipate any time soon. "At this time there are grounds that we still have to cover. People know us locally but there is still more that we can do on the international scene." Flexx said.
But despite his high praises for the T.O.K., Da'Ville, a former ARP member, said the financial aspect of going solo works out better.
Da' Ville parted from with his group after he did a stint with the legendary Marcia Griffiths.
"I realised the response from the people was huge and they wanted more," he said. The opportunity seemed like one he had to grab. This was made easier by a change of management that he was not fond of. "I enjoyed them both but now I have full control of what I put out there," Da'Ville said.
He said that while there are the added incentives of being associated with a particular group, some members do not "pull their weight."
lack of unity
But when all the heads are not in the same place, that can cause major problems. It is the lack of unity that Harry Toddler blames for the demise of Scare Dem Crew. The crew, which Toddler describes as the best out of Jamaica, dissipated over six years ago as a result of a conflict between Elephant Man and Nitty Kutchie. Since then, he has travelled the world, something he said his management team did not encourage. "I feel better off on my own. Right now a mostly fight mi a get but you will know the truth when a my time," Harry Toddler said.
He also said he is responsible for coining terms such as "Sell Off," "Swing it weh," and "Buck dem Heaven, tek it pass dem."
"When Missy Elliot come Jamaica, she ask mi how nobody told her seh a me come up wid 'sell off'," he said.
Toddler is hoping that the crew that once dominated dancehall, will come together one final time to make an album for their fans.
a different approach
The entertainment business is a booming and an ever-changing one. Entertainers therefore must stay on par with the changing trends and demands. According to Flexx, that is why solo artistes tend to have longer careers. And while T.O.K. believes the combination of the group makes interesting conversation as it reduces monotony, he said it easier for a single artiste to regroup and come with a different approach.
But Oneil from the three-member group Voicemail disagrees. "It doesn't even make sense to be in a group if you are not creative. You have to always be coming up with new ideas to revamp your image," he said. He said the likes of Bounty Killer, Beenie Man and Buju Banton all became notable in the early '90s but had to keep reinventing themselves to hold their edge.
Another issue with being in groups is being known as part of a unit, but not individually. "Of all these groups, people can't identify some of the people dem and they rely too much on each other," said General B, of Monster Shack Crew.
The paradigm is not an epidemic only in Jamaica. The members of Destiny's Child, which has gone down in history as the best-selling girl group, are pursuing individual careers. Beyoncé continues to be a driving force in the industry while the other two members, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, are still trying to find their niche.
Trouble will always lurk when different ideas are expressed, because it is human nature. But specific goals make the difference for groups like T.O.K., LUST and Voicemail.
"There will always be ups and downs in every group. The main thing is that we maintain love and respect," Singing Melody said.
