Elephant Man Says He’s Father To 38, Open To Having More Kids
‘Father Elephant, gwine mek dem dance,’ but he’s also going to make some babies.
The ‘Energy Gad’ has developed a reputation as a father to a nation, last confirming 20 children in 2019, a count increased by 18 while talking to peers on Instagram Live this week.
“I have 38 pickney; start from mi a 17,” the Pon Di River hitmaker said. “Mi might ugly and all of that, but the gyal dem like mi bandy legs… ‘Member a me climb and jump off a di something dem and the gyal dem seh, ‘No man, mi woulda tek a lift up from dah black boy yah’… ‘Member di gyal dem see the attitude enuh…”
He further attributed his tribe to being “young and idle” while growing up in Seaview Gardens, Kingston.
The 47-year-old didn’t hesitate when DJ/producer Noah Powa asked if he wanted to have more children.
“How yuh mean? Den if it come, it nuh come bredda. Weh you a talk bout?”
Reminiscent of Rohan Marley’s math on how he ended up with 12 children, Ele insinuated that he doesn’t use birth control in relationships.
“You nah sex your woman inna nuh condom,” the Jook Gyal deejay said. “You ever go to your woman inna her house inna condom, yuh inna trouble.”
Like Marley, he hinted at his diet contributing to his “fit back,” flashing a bottle of some roots concoction prepared by popular herbalist ‘Viva’ (referenced on Chronixx’s Spirulina).
The talented showman has faced much scrutiny over the years for his personal choices, even battling claims that he’s an absentee parent. He addressed this in a 2019 Gleaner feature.
“We’ve been through it,” the Bun Badmind artist said. “When you’re a likkle youth coming from nothing to something, people a go talk things. But at the end of the day, never mek a rumour be true. Me take care of my kids but sometimes you and the mother have a dispute and you know how that go.”
Doubling down on not believing everything you hear, Elephant Man spoke about navigating the rumour that he had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the advanced stage of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The World Health Organisation states that HIV, which weakens the immune system, spreads through the bodily fluids of an infected person.
“Memba mi deh yah good one time and dem seh Ele have AIDS. Me seh weh dat come from? Mi nuh dead, mi deh ya – that’s how people is. Me stay strong cause the fittest of the fittest shall live and God nuh waan no weakness inna Him camp.”
In 2020, Mr. Lexx shared his reaction to the vile rumour in an Instagram interview with producer Koolface. Once friends, Mr. Lexx said while he hoped the news was fake, it wouldn’t be hard to believe.
The Full Hundred deejay told a story about taking Ele on a US tour after the latter’s Scare Dem Crew disbanded in 1999. Mr. Lexx, who was married at the time, said he dropped his wife off at a Florida airport before going to a strip club with Ele and others.
“Dem time deh we coulda pay for the ‘go-go’ (exotic dancers) dem; pay for them night and then tek dem outta the club. So, mi pay fi, like, six go-go…”
Mr. Lexx claimed they took the women to their hotel where they rotated them throughout the night. At some point, he ran out of condoms.
“Go round ah dude door and knock pon him door… Him go so boom and push out him head, well a sweat… Me seh, ‘Yow, give me a condom deh’, and I swear to God, on all my kids, this was his response. He was like, ‘Condom? Mi nah use nuh condom’.”
Mr. Lexx said he was shocked, but claimed Ele said God was his protection.
“When I heard that rumour, I was like, God, please no, cause even though me and him nuh good, me nuh wish dem thing deh pon nobody. But you could see why people could say that.”