Chino McGregor back in the dancehall - ‘The Process’ continues

The name Chino’ McGregor hasn’t been buzzing much on the local music scene in recent times. Still, the entertainer who gave Jamaica hits such as Pon Yuh Head, From Morning, and Rich Tomorrow will be quick to tell you that silence on the local scene does not mean his ‘glory days’ are behind him. Chino told The Gleaner that while he is unfazed by comments that he has somehow ‘fallen off’ his musical track, he thinks it’s time to show why he was once one of the hottest acts in dancehall.

The Process, volume one of a three-part project, is proof that Chino is once more focusing on captivating audiences on home soil.

“I am always working and putting out music. Prior to pandemic, I was performing and touring a lot. I guess my persona contributes to that (silence). I am not the one to hype up every single move. Sometimes the work has to be done in silence,” he said. “I am seeing the results of what we’ve been doing, but now is pretty much get-back-in time for the local fans and the space. There is a void within the space in terms of quality music, and so it’s necessary for me to come back,” he said.

The entertainer, who is one of the sons of reggae icon Freddie McGregor, said that having recognised said void, he and his Grammy-winning producer brother, Stephen Di Genius, are planning their re-emergence on the local dancehall scene. He emphasised that they are not stating that they are ‘musically superior’ to any of their colleagues, but they know that their work can help influence the space. “Not to make ourselves look like we’re some boss of the industry, but yuh affi member say a lot of the younger talent now we are the influence for them and is not even a hype talk,” he said. “A lot of them will be vocal about that when we cross paths, and so we feel the need to do the right thing and steer the direction and secure the bar again so that the younger ones can see that again and say, ‘This is where we need to go with things’,” Chino added.

Pointing out that he considers himself blessed to have a catalogue of timeless hits, Chino revealed that there is still a demand for shows just based on songs such as From Mawning, Pan Yuh Head, and Ruff It Up.

RELEVANCE AND STANDARD

“In the dancehall space, people are accustomed to a certain hype, and they measure success by you releasing 12 songs every month because other artistes who are supposedly in the forefront of dancehall, that’s their blueprint. But you have artistes in the dancehall who probably release a couple songs for the year and dem even more relevant than those on the forefront. They are getting more worthwhile gigs because this business really is about quality over quantity. And so I wasn’t one running down a million songs or trying to get on every single riddim. At the end of the day, I have a standard to maintain and me haffi make sure say everything in line with my quality seal,” the entertainer said.

Speaking of that seal of quality, Chino said that with a father like Freddie McGregor, he had the best example. “We have a great leader in my father, and so his career was a great model to follow. We learnt a lot about the business from him, and we understand every side of it – the good, the bad, and in between,” he said. “We watch his career, the longevity, the type of music he makes, the approach. Fifty-plus years later, him can still perform songs from his early Studio One days and everybody can come together and sing along. So from the genesis, we knew the type of career we wanted to model and the standard we wanted to always achieve,” Chino shared with The Gleaner.