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August 26, 2006
Shane-O Leaves the 'Wasp Nest' for P & L Records
By: Claude Mills
DJ Roshane 'Shane-O' McDonald has switched camps from producer Rohan 'Sno Cone' Fuller's Wasp Nest to the rising dancehall powerhouse, P&L
Records.
It was reported a few weeks ago on YardFlex.com that the Billboard-topping producer 'Sno Cone' had cut all ties with the DJ with whom he had forged a close relationship since Shane-O was 11 years old.
"Me neva really have no falling out with 'Sno Cone'. Me deh a New York and see it pon a website, so all now mi no know wha a gwaan, or wha really gwaan. Me send Cone message pon him phone, him no reply, and him no call me back," said Shane-O, whose 'Lightning Flash' hit on the Applause rhythm went to number one on the RE TV and Richie B charts last year.
"The last call a me mek dem, and he never gave a reply, so me feel a way to go back around there, and me have a family to take care of. So mi need to promote mi career right now; every man a man, mi a hold my
corner...me do nuff fi him, and him do nuff fi me, a just so life go," Shane-O reasoned.
However, former manager and mentor Rohan 'Sno Cone' Fuller hit back with revelations of his own.
"What Shane-O can do for me? Mi read an interview that him say 'him do nuff fi me'. What Shane-O can do for me when is my money spend to buss him inna Jamaica? Mi no mek no money offa 'Lightning Flash', and it go #1 here. How him fi send me text? Ah big man ting me ah deal wid. Mi rate the man like a son, and mi neva expect this. Deejay like Spragga, Wayne Wonder and Assassin come and see the yute round me, and know say mi have him like a son, and the man just switch pon me through him have some lickle people inna him ears ah tell him tings," Sno Cone said.
"I don't have a problem with Shane-O moving on. Mi nuh vex. It's just that he still doesn't understand the business. When you spend money on an artiste to build him up, how can he feel like he can just walk away and switch because some little man a tell him tings? And these young artistes do this when it is time for the producer/manager to recoup money they have spent...these young artistes don't understand the business. When him gone, that nah go break or make me," 'Sno Cone' said.
During the interview, Shane-O hinted that financial considerations might have played a role in the severing of ties with his former mentor and producer. Sources close to the camp have even hinted that Shane-O had wanted 'Sno Cone' to purchase a motor vehicle for him.
"If no money no spend pon your career, yu not going nowhere as an artiste. Right now a money, friend and family run the business and if you don't have anybody doing exclusive tracks with you, and working with you in the studio, yu not going anywhere," Shane-O said.
Sno Cone laughed at this comment saying that money was not the significant thing in the music industry.
"If Bill Gates and Donald Trump come and spend several billions out of dem personal billions, and you no have no hit tune, or song weh the people dem accept and endorse, dem ah go waste dem money. Anno money count, is solid work, well put together lyrics, melody and belief in yourself that counts; money is not the problem, you ah de problem," he said.
In the meantime, despite all the brouhaha, P & L Records' executives are pleased with their latest acquisition.
"He signed the contract last week," Keona Williams, chief operations officer of P&L Records, told YardFlex.com. "It will be a three-year management and booking contract, and we are expecting a mutually beneficial relationship because we believe that Shane-O is an excellent artiste with a lot of potential, and great
things are ahead in his future."
SHANE-O TO RETURN TO SCHOOL?
The move to P&L Records is quite surprising for dancehall lovers who are well aware that there was ongoing friction between DJ Schoolboy, one of the signature acts of P&L, and Shane-O, to the extent that there was even a mix-tape where they exchanged verbal disses.
"He and Schoolboy used to have a beef, but they have since made amends, and now they even hang out together, so we're excited about the prospects for the future," Ms. Williams said.
For his part, 18-year-old Shane-O has a number of new singles out which will be distributed by P&L Records, including 'Life Difficult' and 'No No No'. Singles that have already been released include 'Filla Pop' on the Galore rhythm, and 'Fly Di Grill' on the
Build Back rhythm.
"I wish him all the best still because mi no bad mind, and he is his own man a mek his own decisions. He needs to go out there and sort himself out, and write the real tunes, not the gun and the slackness
songs that he is doing now. Him start off good, he must not let the wannabes and the distractions lead him astray. May God be with him."
In the meantime, Shane-O has promised to return to
school during the next school year.
"Mi sorry KT [Kingston Technical], but I had to stop from school, too much pressure. Mi plan to go somewhere else and do six subjects and conquer dem because me anno duncehead," he said.