There’s no doubt that Bashment Soca music has grown by leaps and bounds this year. In fact, one could even say that Bashment Soca dominated Crop Over 2017.
But just where do these catchy rhythms come from?
Bajan Vibes recently sat down with Haskell DJ Spider Greenidge, the man responsible for producing many Bashment Soca hits including Marzville’s Bang Bim, Dollar Drop, Stiffy’s Stick It and many many more. He also produced Marzville’s 2017 hit Gas It Up and Scrilla’s Wood.
Spider is excited over how Bashment Soca has taken off in Barbados.
“My label is GW Music. I’ve been doing music for a long time but I got my big break with Marzville. Bang Bim was one of our hits. I did Dibby In a Fete with Verseewild. Then I did Stick It with Stiffy. Before those I did Dollar Drop, Do Bad, Dirty Wukup, Wining Position, Wickedest Wine with Marzville,” he said.
Of the Bashment Soca artistes, Spider has a special relationship with Marzville. He said he admires and respects Marzville as an artiste and enjoys working with him.
“It’s very interesting working with him. Marzville is a perfectionist and so am I. So two people who are perfectionists working together, go through a lot of arguments. So it’s not that easy. We always go back and forth to figure out how it should sound and so on but we get the end result and that’s the most important part of it all,” he said.
Together, they’re very much like a dream team. But their working relationship is quite unorthodox. Marzville explained how. “We know it’s a hit when Spider doesn’t like it,” he said with a chuckle. Spider agreed and also sought to explain.
“Marzville sent me back Bang Bim and I sent him back a note asking him what on earth was this crap. I didn’t do Give It to Yuh but when Marzville sent it to me, I told him it was crap. But another hit record. Stiffy sent me back Tek Off Something and I asked him why was he sending me these things. They both told me the same thing. They told me I didn’t know Barbados like they did. And of course you know the end result. They were both hit songs. So I think the chemistry is if I don’t like it, it’s a hit,” Spider said.
Marzville told Bajan Vibes he believes that Spider, who is based in New York, is the go to for Bashment Soca music. Spider added that he is humbled to know that artistes think that way about him. He said it came from years of ‘homework’.
“It makes me feel good because I’ve always loved the culture. I didn’t grow up here but I was here every summer in South District, St George. I would always listen to Lil Rick and Peter Ram dub tapes and keep rewinding them and listening back. So I study the craft and listen to the beats. I was a fan of Peter Coppin’s music. And John Doe in the mornings. I’m like a student to the craft. I study it,” he explained.
Given Spider’s success with the genre, he is now looking to explore sweet soca. “I’m already in preparation mode for next year. Sweet Soca is where I’m looking to go next. Marzville is a great singer so why would I not do soca,” he said.
Source: Davandra Babb barbadostoday.com
