Gang leader and founder of the Hempolics. I came to to London from way up north in spring ’92 when I started working in a studio mixing drum & bass tunes for Sour records. From there I progressed and started to assist in bigger studios, like Trident 2 and Swanyard, before landing myself a job engineering for Rollo (Faithless, Dido etc) which lasted over 10 years. During this time I was able to develop my production and arranging skills alongside my engineering career. Any time I had other than with my son or studio engineering was spent working on the Hempolics sound. In the process working with the signed and unsigned, random singers and players coming into my life through work and play.
Central to it all was my love of Jamaican music; ska, rocksteady, roots, dub, dancehall. Even though The Hempolics plays with different genres it always has the reggae vibe. Naturally pushing for a new type of reggae sound, and tired of the ‘natty dred inna Babylon’ type of reggae. I always wanted to find my own British reggae style. 70’s and early 80’s uk reggae was class.
With the youthful Aswad and Steel Pulse, Judge Dread and The Cimarons, LKJ and Smiley Culture, for many years reggae has had a home in Britain and in me. The strong Caribbean influence in many British cities, spreading everywhere with weed culture. We used to produce DJs the likes of Maka B and Tippa Irie.
The Hempolics is a gang of singers and players, but most of all, of friends. And having friends around me was important when I decided to make the Hempolics a live band.