Jamaica has always loved child stars. Classic reggae singers like Delroy Wilson and Dennis Brown were making hit records during the 1960s and '70s while they were still in their early teens. Legendary dancehall star Beenie Man's first album, released in 1980, was entitled The Invicible Beenie Man - Ten Year Old Boy Wonder. And long before he made the Grammy-winning boomshot "Welcome To Jamrock," Damian "Junior Gong" Marley was part of a group called The Shepherds at the age of 13. Now age 30, Junior Gong has just produced an impressive ten-track debut album from a fresh young reggae singer named Javaughn.
Born in the rural Jamaican parish of Portland, Javaughn says he started making music from birth. "When I came out of the hospital," he says, "my father put my finger on the keyboard." By the age of six, Beenie Man was calling for him onstage at major dancehall shows like Sting in Kingston, Jamaica's National Stadium. While performing at Nine Mile, Bob Marley's birthplace, Javaughn impressed the Marley family enough that he began working with Damian and Stephen. Now, at the ripe old age of 14, Javaughn expects to see his video on Jamaican TV and his debut album in stores - but he has no plans to drop out of Fair Prospect High. In fact, we had to push back our interview a couple hours, because the first time I called he was still in class.
VIBE: What's up Javaughn, is this a good time to talk now?
JAVAUGHN: Yeah mon, good time.
So school is finished for the day?
Yes.
And you don't have any homework to do?
No man, music is my homework tonight.
Have you been balancing music and school for a long time?
Long time - from I started.
And that would be when?
When I started music? From birth! Because when I came out of the hospital my father put my finger on the keyboard, the drum, and the bass. Ah desso me start from, so from birth.
Oh, so your dad is really into music too?
Yeah mon, he's a music teacher. But home teaching. Not like for government or stuff like that, just home. Like if somebody want to learn music.
So when did you go beyond just touching the keyboard and stuff?
I guess you can say my father teach me how to sing. And he teach me how to play the keyboards too.
So your dad puts a lot of energy into your music then?
Oh yes, he's putting a lot of energy.
And I understand that he writes a lot of your stuff?
Yes, majority of them. Well actually all of them. Yeah, he wrote all of them.
What is the first song you recorded and put out to the world?
"Good to be Humble" at age 5.
Age five! Wow. So did you go through the talent shows in Jamaica like Tastee Talent or Rising Stars or any of that stuff?
No, no.
So what did you do with your song at age five? Did you put it out?
Yes, the whole of Jamaica heard that song. That's my first song that the Jamaican people heard.
So how did you start to work with Junior Gong?
I've been knowing him for a long time. Junie Star, that's his cousin. One time, at a show she kept in Nine Mile every year - Tired Fi See Me Face. I was on that show, and she liked my performance and she asked them if Stephen can work with me.
Okay, Tired Fi See Me Face," that's a line from Bob's song "Bad Card" "Can't Get Me Out Of The Race." And so when did you start working closely with the Marleys?
Closely? I would say 2004.
What song out right now is getting a good response for you?
"Rich Quick Mentality." That song is basically talking about the people who want to get rich quick. For example, the people who are out there robbing peoples' money in order to get rich. They don't want to work.
So you're telling the youths to try something different.
Yes, try and work. Because it's better to work than steal. Because when you steal something, you don't really feel good about it, your conscience bother you.
So you've had a chance to go on the road with the Marleys too?
Yeah, I was on tour the other day with them. I was on Steve's tour, opening up for him.
You were in Los Angeles not too long ago, right?
Yeah man, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Melbourne, Jacksonville.
Were you nervous standing up in front of big crowd like that?
No, I've worked on some big shows before. For example Sting, 1999, Beenie Man called me up on that. And I worked the Portland Jerk Festival, the biggest festival in the Caribbean. I did East Fest. And I performed some shows in Miami before, working with the Marleys, like Unity Fest, two consecutive years.
Hold on, you said '99 Sting, so that time you were how old?
I would say six or five.
What time of morning did Beenie Man call you onstage?
Early in the morning, man. I was waiting all night because I was there from early!
Now Sting can be kind of a wild show. How old were you then?
Yeah man, you done know, ah me five, six at Sting! [laughter]
So you don't have security problems as a youth hanging around Sting? Do you go with your Dad?
Yeah man, every show, every single show, my daddy. Because he gives me the confidence fe work.
So how did you get the nickname "Javaughn The Genius?"
Well probably, my opinion still, it's because I can play all the instruments plus sing, but that's just my opinion.
Who gave you that name?
My father as usual.
Dad again! You know there's another producer who goes by the name Genius too?
Who, Stephen McGregor?
Yeah. You've got to get him to build a track for you, then you'll have Genius meets Genius.
Probably my genius was first, because I mean that was from birth. My genius was from birth. Probably him no aware of my name, so. But the "Genius" come off now, that was the past. Now it's just straight Javaughn.
Good idea. Keep it simple. As you said, it's good to be humble. Now you have a song on the album called "Peer Pressure," what's that one all about?
Well this message is a very strong message and I hope that the children in my age group, my peers, would look up to this song, "Peer Pressure." Because for example, you have some children who influence their peers to stop go to school - one. Take drugs - the other. Even take up gun and kill. So I mean, that's peer pressure. But probably they can just listen to this song and think how I'm thinking. Because me not gon' stop go to school, and go do drugs, or pick up guns and kill somebody It's a real powerful song still.
Yeah with positive peer pressure, there's a lot of problems we could do away with.
Yeah mon, peer pressure. Nuff ah de tings dem. Innocent killings. Peer Pressure.
Do you think music can play a part in solving these problems?
Yeah! Yeah mon. Because your tune ah play all over the world. Ah just the people them now, fi understand your tune, and listen to your tune keenly, and try live up to your tune. Because you have some tunes that send wrong message you know. So it's up to them to listen to tunes that send the right message and they can just live off the right message.
Junior Gong started out pretty young too. Did he give you any advice about being a young entertainer?
Well basically him say just gwan do weh you ah do, and sing conscious music. Because me now, my own album. . . When me have pure conscious music pon that, you done know say, people ah listen keenly. Me? At my age group? Singing conscious music? Cause normally my age group sing pure jump-up jump-up, gun and slackness and stuff. But for someone of my age group to sing some conscious music. Probably, you done know, people ah look up to me.
So are the students in your school treating you in school any different these days?
Yeah, you done know, them know say me an artist and ting. But I mean, my friends don't treat me any different cause the whole ah we are one. The whole ah we are brother and sister. Can't treat nobody different from nobody.
You don't sound like a very hype person.
Never. Never hype.
Which other singers do you admire?
Dennis Brown. And. you done know, everybody get some inspiration from Bob Marley. But Dennis Brown too.
That's another child star. There are so many great child stars in Jamaica. Looks like another one is rising.
True.
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