5 QUESTIONS WITH ... SPI
THERE HAS been a lot of noise recently surrounding Spice and whether or not she can lay claim to the Queen of Dancehall throne. One thing was sure; her fans aboard the Independence of the Seas luxury liner for the 2017 Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise were thrilled to see her perform on Wednesday night when the cruise made landfall in Ocho Rios after sailing from Miami. They were also grateful for the opportunity to mingle as the atmosphere aboard the ship allowed guests to engage performers in conversations as well as take pictures with them. For those on land who didn’t get the chance to become more acquainted with Spice,The Gleaner allows you to do just that. This is five questions with Spice, Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise style.
Is this your first time on a cruise?
This is my first time on a ship (laughs)! The experience was amazing. My first time performing on the Welcome to Jamrock Cruise and I’m pleased with my performance. I could feel that I had fans that came from all over and they were coming together in one space to see me perform, so that was a great feeling.
Did you have any reservations about performing on a ship? Were you scared of the idea?
You know what, I’m always thinking about Titanic for some reason (laughs). Mi can’t swim, so that was my only fear. Because it’s my first time, I didn’t know what to expect, but when I came and got a feel of the whole vibe, it doesn’t even feel like I’m on a ship. It feels like I’m at a venue or at a hotel. I had fun with my fans, and that will definitely be one of the reasons I’d come back if asked again.
You’re not one to shy away from addressing issues as they come and there were a lot of persons hoping you would at least touch on the whole queen of dancehall thing. Why didn’t you?
I’m not about that. I’m not about fighting with Beenie Man or any other artiste for them to say I’m the queen of dancehall. I’m about proving myself to my people, my fans and giving them good music, because I believe that I have to make my work speak for itself. The only way I can make people eat their words is to continue doing great.
What’s next for Spice, and what is she currently promoting?
Well, I just dropped three music videos – and that’s what I’m focusing on right now – Robot Wine, Hooku Wine,
and Couple Up. I’m off to Canada as soon as we get off in Montego Bay (on Thursday night). I’m fully booked until next year, 2018, so I can’t complain, I’m blessed.
What big plans does Spice have for Christmas?
Christmas belongs to my kids, so big up Nicholas and Nicholatoy. I have a lot of promoters right now offering to double-pay me to perform in Christmas, but I’m not taking it because then I’d break my kids’ hearts. I work so hard throughout the year and they get so excited around Christmas, so I would disappoint them so much if I should work on Christmas. So I will definitely be at home cooking. Grace will be at home, Spice will be on a break.