Bring the Ruckus - Elephant Man aims to energize and entertain on his Bad Boy debut

By

SHAILA A. MENTORE

O’Neil Bryan, better known to dancehall disciples across the globe as Elephant Man, is loved and admired for his outlandish lyrics, colorful image and high energy performances.  This past April Ele released his newest testament, Lets Get Physical, which debuted at number one on Billboard’s reggae chart. The album is his first since signing a marketing and distribution deal with P.Diddy’s Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment in November, 2006.

It’s about 4:30p.m. on a March evening and the Energy God is still bursting with gusto even after a long day of interviews. Loud and boisterous, he talks to an associate about buying some fresh snapper from Queens so that he can cook up his favorite dish: steamed fish and rice. Ele excitedly brags about how he was up until 3a.m. the previous morning fixing himself a hot plate. As Elephant’s telephone conversation with WhereItzAt Magazine ensues, he’s asked about his cooking skills. “I’m a big chef, you didn’t know? I got it on lock,” he says gleefully.

Father Elephant is in great spirits, and it isn’t hard to understand why. He believes he has reached, what may very well be, a major turning point in his career. His new album is more than just his latest work. It’s his world debut, as he fishes for the ears of potential fans who await him in the untapped waters that he hopes to navigate.  Though Elephant is still signed to VP Records, his deal with Bad Boy is his way of making sure he reaches a larger audience.  “If I’m on the B side, they can take me to the A side, and that will give me more fans, it’s going to open new ears,” says Elephant. “Puff got the promotions and the links. You just have to do the work and do it from your heart.”

Like many dancehall artists, Elephant Man sees the opportunities that are available to him outside of his typical dancehall audience. As part of his promotional campaign, he plans on visiting radio stations he has never been to in an effort to spread the word about his new LP. It’s like he’s Samson and Bay Boy Worldwide Entertainment is the hair which gives him the strength to allow his music to crossover and reach the masses. 

Though Elephant Man has a lot of respect for his fellow dancehall artists, he contends that in order to reach new fans, artists need to go to the studio and produce an album with exclusive songs.  “Songs playing on the radio can’t be the only songs on your album,” he says.  “We need new fans in dancehall. I’m trying to cover the hip-hop and rock and roll ground. I want to gain new fans, I’m keeping dancehall culture in a position where it can crossover.”

While many dancehall fans fear that the authenticity of the music is lost when their artists crossover, Elephant Man assures that he is not abandoning his Weddy-Weddy ways. Instead he maintains that his frenetic dancehall sound is left squarely intact.  He says that his mission is to merely show fans that the genre has reached a level of musical relevance where it can attract eager collaborators like Chris Brown and Rihanna.

The album’s direction and energy made the title Lets Get Physical pretty fitting. LGP benefits from collabos with the likes of Busta Rhymes, Mario Winans, Shaggy, Swizz Beatz and many others.  Some of the songs came to fruition because the artists wanted Elephant Man to do tracks for their respective projects. The Energy God seized the opportunity, but only under the condition that they return the favor.  Before he knew it, he had some great tracks in his stash and figured they would give his album a fresh and exciting sound.  “I can sing it myself, but that’s not going to bring the energy and the sexiness I wanted,” Ele explains. 

In preparation for the album, Elephant came to the U.S. and visited nightclubs to see what people liked and what made females go wild. This seemingly simple task helped him come to the conclusion that his album needed club bangers and that he needed to deejay more for the fans. “You can’t do an album for yourself, deejaying about your car and your shoes,” says Ele. “I’m not deejaying about the yellow and red hair on my head. No. I’m deejaying for the fans.”

Undoubtedly one of the most innovative and consistent dancehall artists of his time, Elephant Man has come a long way since his days as a deejay in the Scare Dem Crew. The four-man clan from Seaview, Kingston, Jamaica consisted of Boom Dandimite, Harry Toddler, Nitty Kutchie and Elephant, whose name was synonymous with the group about a decade ago.  He recently recorded a song with the Crew, which he wrote himself, but maintains there will be no Scare Dem Crew reunion; he says if they need his strength, he will give it to them. 

With the breakout success of his fourth LP, Good 2 Go (2003), Elephant established himself as a bona fide star, thereby raising expectations for all of his future work. Today instead of deejaying he singjays (a cross between toasting and singing) to offer his fans more melody and showcase the breadth of his talent. “An album is something people are supposed to buy and enjoy, when you hear this album you’re going to know that I went into the studio and did some work,” says Ele, who occasionally breaks out in song over the course of his interview.

While Elephant loves American soul music and says it puts him in a different mood, he says LGP is what’s spinning in his CD player right now—not because he likes listening to himself, he says, but because he worked hard on the album and waited so long to hear it on CD.

When asked who or what motivates him, Elephant Man quickly credits God. “I know I have to do good in the Lord’s eyesight,” says Ele. “The sky is like a big eye looking down on you and you know that some day you’re going to have to face your judgment, you’re going to want to do good. That’s why I don’t do music for the money. I do it from the heart because I was chosen to do this. [God] wants me to send a message.”

When Elephant Man is not on stage climbing and jumping from one speaker to another he is at home listening to soul music and watching movies to relax.  He loves comedies, horror and karate flicks. While he does not mention if there is a special lady relaxing with him, he doesn’t hesitate to comment on what he likes and dislikes in a woman.

“I look for a nice and honest lady, a lady that’s straight up and likes to enjoy herself,” says Ele.  “I hate a woman who wants to play the role of the man and the woman.  You have to let me play my role. I’m supposed to take you out and buy you a drink. I ‘m supposed to offer you a dance, and I’m supposed to make sure you get home safely.  Be the lady and I will be the man.”

Elephant Man is a happy person who’s full of energy, but even he gets pissed off. The people who bring out his dark side, he says, are usually those who mistake his kindness for weakness. “If you try to talk to me a certain way, you’re going to piss me off.” Bad boys beware.