Whaddat?Com v.2 :: Ras Kassa >> Director

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PART I / PART II

I remember back in the day when there was no cable TV or DSS and the only visual entertainment we had at my house was JBC, I used to live for the music videos (and cartoons of course) that were broadcasted by the island's only television station. Though I can't remember all the names of the songs (I was around 7), I can remember distinctly laughing my little ass off at Leroy Smart skanking across the TV screen or singing along to Beres Hammond's "She Loves Me Now" or trying to decipher what the hell Eddy Fitzroy was singing. Back then music videos were shot in a day I'm sure and the quality was comparable to the style of the Blair Witch project- raw and uncut. Equipment probably consisted of one camera and videos were made with little if any creative input by the director.

Come to think of it, I don't even know if they had any real music video directors back then but thankfully like reggae music, the local music video has certainly evolved. Ras Kassa, probably one of the Jamaican film industry's more promising directors proves just that. He uses his creativity to raise the standards of locally produced videos, a task he has chosen to take on largely because of his love for reggae music. In between tokes of his spliff, he breaks down his love for the music, women and life.

"Born as a Rasta but trodding the livity for about 8 years", Kassa recalls being immersed in the arts from a young age. Painting at his old alma mater, Windward Road All- Age was a talent that helped him secure his place in the school. Because of his frequent run ins with teachers his saving grace was his artistic talent. Always used to his advantage by helping the art teachers, painting was his safety net preventing the school's administrators from giving the gifted student the boot. When school days came to an end he dabbled a bit in music before finding his calling in film.

He had spent 6 years in the local film industry before single-handedly directing his first video, TOK's Deadly medley, filled with images of blatant ballin'. He, along with any true reggae purist, agrees that line has to be drawn somewhere. "You have to go in as the man. You have to deal with these artists verbally, spiritually, every kinda way." Although it's usually a mammoth task, Kassa tries, (though at times he has succumbed to the artist's wishes), to " find a way to tell them that it's already been done- Puffy did it, let's do something different. That's what a video should be- something different."

As a true lover of dancehall music, Kassa cannot ignore the American influence, which permeates local music, a reality that he struggles with on the set. Invariably, he is faced with artists who o.d. on MTV and BET and believe that a quality video is one filled with images now synonymous with hip-hop, from million dollar cars to Cristal. "That is one thing I hate about directing, dealing with some of the artists. But I can't blame 'dem because it is a loss of culture. We lose we culture- it going away. Back in the day wid (acts like) Shabba, we did have we dress code and yuh coulda do a video yardman style. I have a responsibility as a yute in dis business to maintain the culture. Mi love dancehall, it's a part a wi culture and I want to preserve dat wid the skills that I have, making videos…making anything visual".

Now with the widespread access to cable television he deals with its negative repercussions first hand. "Our government tek in everything like a woman weh lie down inna New Kingston. Dem mek everything come inna di country. Yute weh jump outta high school and come inna di music business… dem nuh ovastand …Dem nuh original like when Super Cat and Shabba did have dem talk. Now it's 'fo shizzle ma nizzle', 'Waddup' or ' You know how we roll'. Dem waan look like Missy Elliott or Puffy in the video!" he laments. There are instances where he becomes so fed up with the end result of some of videos ( those instances where the artist plays director) that he opts to not have his name put on the final cut. " They have the tackiest ideas. Ideas that don't come from this planet! When things like that happen it fuck you up. Is like yuh girl hurt yuh so yuh don't even feel like being a part of it. I just don't put my name on it."

After much cajoling, he gives a hilarious recount of what he'd consider his worst video experience, where two artists on the come up, took matters into their own hands. "It was their video, their idea", he says setting the record straight about Mark Ice and Dilgin's 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'. " I did the first one which worked for their image caw it was mesh marina, Honda 50s and Clarks". But the second time the deejays had something else in mind. " I respec' dem still caw dem a try do dem ting. They've worked clubs overseas…dem a try mek dem money…and that's why I chose to work with them but dem fuck it up. "

This time around, the director reveals, "I wasn't quite sure about their sound… if it was hip hop or dancehall and they were singing the hook with some kind of falsetto so I came up with a concept." A fantastic concept as a matter of fact, which was rejected by the artists who preferred more mundane shots which involved carting girls around in a pretty car to the plazas and other choice locations to do a little shopping! The end result makes for an entertaining and amusing spectacle, which Kassa clearly wished ended up on the cutting room floor.

Thickheaded musicians aside, there is nothing more fulfilling for the 28 year old Kassa than the creative process of video making- a craft which demands a lot of time and tolerance. "I feel fortunate that a man can go in the studio and mek him music…and bring dat to me so that I can come up with something- put some visuals behind his music. Regardless of who it is it is a big honour and I really cherish that vibe".

For him the best part about creating a video is "going into the fountain of creativity after listening to the song." "Like sometimes when the lyrics nah happen or the artist nah happen none at all- You (may) look to the actual instruments for inspiration," he explains. "Listening to the music, coming up with something in your mind then seeing it on TV. It's like… I think about it and then it's alive! That is fucking powerful."

CONTINUED... GO TO > PART II : DI NITTY GRITTY PON KASSA

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