Ricky Trooper Says He Was Called ‘Racist’ After Using Sizzla’s ‘No White God’ In Clash Against David Rodigan
Veteran music selector Ricky Trooper says he was labelled as “racist” after he praised Haile Selassie while using Sizzla Kalonji’s 1995 song No White God, to destabilize veteran British disc jockey David Rodigan, during a soundclash more than a decade ago, when he was lead selector at Kilimanjaro.
“Dah business yah a one big p_sy business. Becaw mi si mi come a New York come clash David Rodigan an when mi a kill di p_sy inna Jamrock Club and mi play Sizzla song an seh ‘White God’, everybaddy weh deh a di dance, an know wha gwaan, seen,” Trooper said in a recent fiery Instagram monologue.
“Afta, man a seh mi racist and dem bl__dclaat deh,” the St Mary native added, in his speech in which he sought to remind naysayers that he was “the Emperor of Dancehall clashing” and had singlehandedly decimated many of his rivals while he was head selector at Kilimanjaro and at his own Sound Trooper.
Upon its release, the valorous song, which later appeared on Sizzla’s Best of Sizzla: The story Unfolds album, won the Bobo Ashanti Rastafarian artist the attention and admiration of persons opposed to the notion that God was Caucasian.
No White God, which was produced by Xterminator’s Fattis Burrell, was played extensively, particularly on poet and broadcaster Mutabaruka’s late-night Cutting Edge radio programme on Irie FM.
Among other things, Sizzla, in his fiery delivery declares:
“I have no white God/Don’t teach me anything wrong/Would the white God save me from white man oppression/I have no white God, is just a black messiah/If a white God bless, how him naw bless Sizzla”, even as he declared that the bible had been altered to reflect white supremacy.
In an audio clip of the clash with Rodigan, which was recently played by Ijahstars during an interview with Ricky Trooper, the selector is heard praising Haile Selassie.
“Hear mi now nuh! Yuh si mi? Mi born and si dem a come show mi white Jeesas. Mi bun a b-mboclaat white Jeezas! A Black Jeezas mi seh! An a meck a wrong speech; wi nuh seh Jesus; wi seh Jeh-sus! Yuh nuh si a Michaelangelo dem show wi!” Trooper blared over his microphone as he hurled invectives at the Pope.
“Hey Rodigan yuh si you, yuh come from weh di Pope come from enuh! Rome dem place deh, ova Europe. Wi bun bl–dclaat Rome! A Selassie wi seh! Man a African. Hear dah bl–dclaat chune yah! Sizzla!” he shouted as he played the Sizzla No White God Dubplate, and shouted ‘white bwoy’ at Rodigan.
In response Rodigan, before playing his Red Rat counteraction dubplate, said in a sombre tone: “If you believe in the father up above then you will know I have no control over the colour he made me. So don’t bring the thing down to that because, bwoy, Ricky, I don’t know what to say: I am disappointed in you, because that’s sad.”
In response, Trooper, who was prepared for the Red Rat counteraction, had drawn for a dubplate from Black Rat, which he declared that he had written, in a bid to kill any sound that used Red Rat’s hit track Wrigley’s.
Trooper went on to point out in the interview, that the claims of him being racist for his utterances whilst playing the Sizzla track song, made little sense as what he said matched what the artist was saying in the song.
“Dah one song deh cause a lot a controversy over the years enuh. People who of same complexion like me a black man dem she mi racist, seen. But racism nuh have nuttn fi do wid music mi dan, inna my world inna my book. Di ting is if a man a sing a song bout nuh show mi no white God, mi caan guh introduce di song an a talk bout car and plane… di song a seh nuh gimme no white God; show mi a Black Messiah, seen,” he explained.
“Suh when mi a introduce di song now, mi haffi seh weh di song a seh, seen. Suh naturally, mi introduce weh di song a she an play di song,” he added.
Trooper then went on to say that all selectors, including himself, when entering sound clashes, are supposed to do so with a heat of steel against their opponents for the duration of the face-off, and be as ruthless as they can be with their ad-libs and intros.
“Di ting is, a clash me guh fi clash. When me guh inna di dance and a clash time, mi nuh business bout my opponent. Mi nuh business bout weh mi a guh she; if it a guh hurt him feelings; if people feel seh mi a guh below di belt. My ting is, mi guh fi win,” he declared.
“Becaw, di ting is if me neva reach a stage inna music weh mi a kill sound and dem ting deh, and revive back Jaro sound, nobaddy wouldn’t look pon me; nobaddy wouldn’t memba Jaro sound. Suh why me fi guh deh now and guh show my opponent respect. Oonu caan get no respect from I; I guh fi win,” the St Mary native stated.
“My enemy is necessary because inna war war nuh have no rules seen. Because inna world War II dem have Geneva Convention weh seh yuh nuh fi poison wata and dem suppm deh, and certain ting yuh nuh fi do, but man still a poison wata; man still a do weh dema do, because war a war my lord. Why should I show Rodigan respect? Becaw a win me huh fi win, an him guh fi win too,” he continued.
Added Trooper: “My song that I played, it nuh call Rodigan name enuh. A Rodigan first shoot mi wid a song by Red Rat a call my name. Suh di man come fi win.”
Trooper said that he fell out with Rodigan after the clash, but that about three weeks later, the Briton called his home phone on a Sunday and told him that he did some research about The Christ, and discovered that The Saviour was ‘really from where Ricky said he came from’.
“Him research because di song hurt him.. but dem feel like seh mi an Rodigan a enemies from dem time deh… but is a man weh mi have a high amount a respect for and him have a high amount a respect for me,” Trooper said.