The ‘Real Gangalee’ still standing firm in music

The music industry certainly does not look the same it did in the 1980s and 1990s and there are several entertainers who have wrestled with real-life situations to keep up with the changing times. One such individual is Portland native, Louie Culture, otherwise known as ‘Mr Gangalee’, the ‘Original Gangalee’ and of late, ‘Real Gangalee’.

The word, which is used to describe a gangster or unruly person, Louie Culture said, has given him a new lease on life on more than one occasion. Of course, when the artiste started using ‘gangalee’ in 1993, he was defining a person who does not give up, “continues fighting against all odds” to stay ahead.

In 1994, the hit single Gangalee was released on vinyl and propelled Louie Culture’s career, however, the veteran artiste has admitted to not having a lot of the essential things in place until recent times.

“Back then, I never have no manager or assistance. I was as independent as it gets. The artistes used to record for different producers and not everybody had the privilege of even having a music video done for their songs. True me come ah country in the peak of my career too, a lot was not accomplished. Some things may take a while, like now, I am just dealing with the merchandise part of things,” Louie Culture told The Sunday Gleaner.

Louie Culture’s catalogue is painted with other good-natured, conscious and thought-provoking lyrical art-imitating life, including songs like Bogus Badge, Foundation From Birth, The Uprising, If We No Love featuring Sizzla, Hills Farmer, Cyaah Dead, among others.

He is currently in studio recording a 13-track album with John John Music Group and is available for performances, but has had to dispel rumours about his retirement that have circulated to as far as the European reggae-dancehall market where small event to large festival promoters, as well as producers.

“A bredrin from Germany was even trying to get in contact with me, and a man mussi tell him say ‘who, Louie Culture, him done with music’. Me haffi laugh,” the artiste shared, “I still a stand firm. Very much alive and active … not talking about retirement just yet. I’m here recording music and it was a little easier when I was in Kingston, but because me deh Portland, it challenging even with the road conditions and going back and forth. I have about seven songs recorded and collabs in the making, including one with Dexta Daps. There are couple shows coming up, here in Jamaica, and I’m to travel to the US soon too.”

It’s almost three decades ago, but out of a lot of his other recorded tracks, Gangalee continues to score goals with dancehall fans locally and internationally. This is in part due to, the sampling of the hit song by Dexta Daps in 2020 for Call Me If, which Louie Culture said he knew it would become a hit all on its own.

He shared, “When I got the phone call that Dexta Daps wanted to talk to me, I accepted it. He wanted to sample the song and I was fine with that, because he is humble and respectful, a great youth. He recorded it and then him say him want me on the song, but when we link up and him play the song me look pon him and say, ‘you know you don’t want me on this song, it gone far without me … if yuh ah me artiste and if yuh rate me, do the song by ourself, because you don’t need me fi this hit.”

Louie Culture, real name Lewin Brown, would not dare to deny Dexta Daps a feature on the remix. The music video for the official remix of Call Me If was released in 2021, on March 18 and also featured international R&B sensation Tory Lanez. It has amassed close to 10 million views on YouTube.

“It put an extension on my career, because the younger generation of reggae-dancehall listeners and even artistes never know me was the ‘Real Gangalee’ artiste, but Dexta choose to highlight me. As me say, I never even do a lot of videos in the earlier days for people to know my face. It’s good to know the new era of entertainers are getting to know me now and more persons tuning in now,” he said.

“Working with him and Tory Lanez, who is a big international artiste, on a combination like this was a great vibe. And seeing an artiste from a video, and in the media, and meeting them in person is two different things. It’s great to hear them perspective on things. I have a love for the new or younger generation – some a deal with life, some a deal with death, but we overstand that people live what they see and learn. All we need is little love and unity in this industry to keep moving forward positively,” Louie Culture continued.

stephanie.lyew@gleanerjm.com