Interview: Mean Dawg Talks Ward 21, Respecting Trap-Dancehall Artistes, New Music, and More
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Veteran Dancehaller Mean Dawg whose real name is Mark Henry is intent on establishing a solo career in the genre, having seen remarkable success being apart of Ward 21, a popular entity in Dancehall in the 2000s. On his solo journey, while still being a member of the group, Mean Dawg recently found success in the song ‘Boom’ a 2017 release that has fueled his desire to achieve more.
In a chat with Yardhype, the Waterhouse native who is now based in British Columbia, Canada stated that his dad inspired him initially, causing him to often times group up with fellow Ward 21 members as youths to play and make music on sound system owned by one of the group member’s relative.
He recalls starting out as a selector and later becoming one of the “top selector” in Waterhouse at one point. Further-more, he lived across the road from Jammy’s studio where at an older age he owned his talent.
The group Ward 21 group which was formed in 1998 consists of Andre “Suku” Gray, Kunley McCarthy, Mark “Meandawg” Henry and Ranaldo ‘Rumblood’ Evans. With regards to how he got the name “Mean Dawg”, Henry detailed that he was the one who usually conducted business for the group and he usually do it in a no nonsense manner.
We also had a questions and answers session with Mark, See some questions and answers below:
Q: How long have you been doing Music?
A: I have been in music for 24 to 25 years now.
Q: What would you say is your proudest achievement in music.
A: Just being a recording artiste and to see how a likkle youth from Waterhouse could tour the world and millions of people listen my voice; Shaggy calling us up on stage in Japan was one of the most memorable moment in my career.
Q: List the top 5 songs that you get best reaction to from crowd, when you perform them.
A: (1) Haters, (2) Blood, (3) Stain, (4) Pain, (5) Ganja Smoke.
Q: Who’s your favourite Dancehall Artiste of all time(Male and Female)?
A: Without a doubt a Bounty Killer enuh; Lady Saw a mi favourite female artiste and honestly mi affi squeeze in Tifa, can’t leave her out, bad artiste.
Q: Which musician has been most influential in your musical career in terms of their musical style or one you have worked with?
A: Steele and Clevie, just fi standup inna the studio and watch Steele play a riddim, play supp’n pan a riddim… The late Steele yuhknow, one a Jamaica’s greatest producer, great musician.. Sleep in piece bredda yuh did a lot fi this Dancehall music.
Q: What Keeps You grounded? (Things you do to relax/chill)
A: Mi have a son name Kemar Andre Henry, love him to mi heart, nuff things mi change inna mi life when mi get that youth, a mi one and only son, one and only child. To chill i like to play music or play a riddim and try write a song.
Q: What’s your Favourite Jamaican dish?
A: A stew peas, yes man, i’m not a rasta.
A: Which do you hold in higher regard, and why: Reggae Grammy Award or a song in top 20 of the Billboard hot 100 chart?
Q: Fi get a song inna the top-20 Builboard is a very very very good achievement… a Grammy really and truly is ok, and one would be happy fi get it but i kinda put the Buildboard higher, that is just my opinion.
Q: What’s your latest released song and what will be your next?
A: My latest release is a song called Struggles produced buy College Boiz… My next song to come will be very soon, in a few weeks, titled ‘Ride and Pedal’, a song for the females, produced by my brother Kunley McCarthy, Ward 21 major member, he produced my song ‘Boom’, most of my songs are done with Kunley.
Q: Do any of your family members do music?
A: I have a little cousin in the UK who is an upcoming Dancehall artiste name Trenz, happy to see him take on the music.
Q: What do you want listeners to grasp the most from your latest song “Struggle”?
A: I want people to understand that not everything that glitter is Gold and not everytime you see a person a walk with a smile on their face means that they are ok. Don’t badmind people for their achievements because yuh don’t know their struggle.
Q: Do you plan to release a solo EP in future?
A: Yes, i’m working on it right now, in the near future to come… i am just trying to siv through and pick the songs i want on it.
Q: We see you comment and react to Pops YG’s incarceration, Do you have any connection or just an outsider who wishes the youngster all the best?
A: I don’t have no connection, just a outsider who wants to see the best for him amidst the criticism he has been getting, mi just wish him the best and hope him learn from his mistakes.
Q: Do you think nowadays Dancehall has the potential to outdo the Dancehall of the 90s or 2000s, also what you believe will improve the reach of nowadays Dancehall aka Trap Dancehall.
A: When 90s Dancehall come een it neva out do the 80s, it never out do the 70s, it’s just a new and improved version.
He went on to Highlight that Ward 21 faced similar criticism in Dancehall from some people who think that they were turning the music into Hip-Hop. “This nowadays Dancehall, a lot of people will knock it but i will not knock it. When we cam in with Bellyas and Bada Bada riddim and when Suku start deejay inna him deep voice and Kunley start the rapping, every-body never accept we, dem seh wi a hip-hop up the music.
“At the end of the day, my opinion is, we have to give the youths a chance because its evaluation, music changes… it’s just a different era we have to work with what’s working,” he went on to highlight that his next song will be of a new Dancehall vibe with a little 90s essence.
Before completing the Interview, Mean Dawg hinted at a major collaboration that’s in the pipeline.
In closing, the deejay asks that fellow musicians and music lovers show respect for the artistes because everyone has their time and the journey is often filled with ups and downs.
Follow Mean Dawg on Instagram.
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