Ninjaman (Desmond John Ballentine)

Project: Clarks in Jamaica

Hello

Desmond?

Yeah Yeah.

Respect, this is Al…

Yeah, mi know man.

Yes, you good?

Yeah man, mi good man.

Thank you for taking this call so early, I appreciate it. So, just to give you a low down on what this is so I’m doing a book about Clarks shoes in Jamaica. The popularity of Clarks shoes in Jamaica.

Yeah.

That features many many musicians and artists who have worn and sung about Clarks, you know…..

It a come from the original Garrison days you know.

Yeah.

Y’understand, it was the like the Garrison youth dem. Dem take on to Clarks from inna di sixties, seventies come right up, you understand. So, Clarks is not a trending shoe now inna Jamaica. Clarks trending inna Jamaica before Ninjaman born.

Of course.

Cause when mi, mi come know Clarks… the Claudie Massop, Buckie Marshall, Curly Locks dem man, they ah wear Clarks… you understand.

You remember seeing that?

Yeah man, dem time deh mi a youth and dem man was the top general, dem inna di Garrison dem, dem was di community leader, dem man are the head of the ting. So all ah di youth dem loving Clarks, love wear Clarks and not even by loving Clarks alone, Clarks is one of the most genuine shoes you have inna di world. You understand, inna comfort, and everything because mi nah care how your foot stay, you have a Clarks you can fit and be comfortable. There is no other shoes company wha build shoes so, you understand. So there is a comfort inna Clarks, weh everyone can find they are the only shoe where if you want a shoes you go work inna di cement, you can take a Clarks shoes. If you want a shoes for going ah di office, you have some Clarks Gentleman ah di baddest Gentleman shoes – dresser shoes – they have, you understand. And if you want a everyday wear, draw fi your Desert Clarks, it go anywhere, any time, any minute, inna any outfit, Desert Clarks wear. That a di most popular Clarks inna Jamaica. And I think worldwide.

It’s a classic. So, it’s a versatile shoe, do you think that’s part of the reason why it’s popular in Jamaica?

It’s a trend you know and it’s a foundation thing. It’s like Clarks booties is a part of Jamaica heritage. It’s like reggae is a part of Jamaica backbone, just like Clarks booties. Ya understand me? Because every artiste wha buss inna di music industry, him haffi buy two pair ah Clarks. Every man who reach somewhere in life, weh come from out of the Garrison, what you call it Garrison, we call that the poorer class of people dem – alright, hear what is the Jamaica trend now – Jamaica love wear the dearest things, ya understand. If  you carry a shoes down here weh lined with gold and you sell it for 200 dollars and no-body nah buy it…Yeah?

Why?

Nobody nah wear that cheap shoes deh man…. Ha ha ha ha… and you bring a Clarks come weh? A bull frog and say 25,000, that Clarks not staying inside the store. You understand me. When mi born there was two shoes weh had Jamaica lock, the whole country… that’s Clarks and Bally…… and Bally kind of dropped down out ah di market and Clarks hold the market from mi know myself til 2020 right now. Clarks is still the name branded top brand shoes inna Jamaica. The trending shoe. Nah care how much brand come, you can’t get Clarks out of Jamaica.

For sure, for sure. Yes it’s a mad thing.

Yeah man. But Clarks ah go mek it man. Cause dem ah go design a Clarks…[inaudible] Dem ah go design a Clarks for me, because mi wear the most Clarks as an artist.

Yes, you must be up there.

Mi closet lined with Clarks.

How many pairs do you have?

Mi have more than 50 pairs of Clarks man. Me have every type ah Clarks man. Know say the new one that come since mi incarcerated mi nah have none man.

OK I’m going to make sure you get some. 10 and a half UK. What’s your favourite type?

Mi wear every type of Clarks man. Mi like Clarks that nobody never see yet too. You understand.  But you dun know, every Jamaican wear a Desert Clarks, because Desert Clarks inna every colour, every style, every ting.

What about the Wallabee?

Wallabee, Bankrobber, you name it. From ah Clarks it name. Yeah man, Frogman Clarks, the whole of dem man.

Frogman Clarks? I don’t know them.

Yeah man, they have a broad mouth Clarks. They ah come in like a sneakers. It have a kind of sneakers bottom pon it. And it soft, you can sleep inna them!

Do you remember when you got your first pair of Clarks? Was that from a community leader? Or how did you get your first pair of Clarks?

Nah man, mi first Clarks weh me get man, ah me buy dat man, when Clarks ah twenty five dollars man, yeah man.

From where?

Mi buy Clarks dung a town man.

Did you used to go to Barracatts? And D&D?

Yeah man. D&D, a dung deh mi get mi first Clarks dung a town man. Wallabee ah mi first Clarks weh mi wear too. Yeah man, Wallabee, the first Clarks that mi put pon mi foot.

Which colour?

A burgundy Wallabee ah di first Wallabee mi wear. And then mi buy a next Clarks, the second Clarks mi wear a one wha they call Bankrobber. And mi third Clarks a L-stitch. Yeah man, and then a bare Desert me start wear. And then mi deh ya England and mi buy a bootie Clarks. Mi nah see no more a dem bou yah. With the fur inside.

With the fur inside?

Yeah man.

Did it have the pocket on the side?

Yeah, pon di side. And the laces come way up on your foot man. Mad, man.

So how old were you when you got your first pair?

14 man, 1980 man. Mi never forget, that’s when election ah gwaan.

Oh yeah, it was a violent time.

Yeah man. Dem time deh politics war hot. And through mi as a youth where mi responsible pon the street to make sure seh everybody stay alive. And mi get mi money first thing through the don dem inna the area, and bare Clarks dem a go wear. So mi as a lickle juvenile now, mi get enough money and go and buy a Clarks, fast! And mi Terylene and wool pants cau’ dem time deh a Clarks, Terylene and wool and a shirt weh named Arrow shirt ah wear. When you have on your Clarks and your Terylene and wool, a problem!

What about the diamond socks?

Yeah man! Alright, you see Clarks, di world fi know dis – Inna Jamaica, Clarks cause the most man fi go hospital. Cause when a man have on him Clarks, him suede Clarks, and him go inna a dance, and you ever step pon it, inna di 70s and 80s, a fight… you can’t step pon a man’s Clarks….Yeah man, Clarks are something weh man cherish inna Jamaica even inna di jail dem, you have a man who have him one pair a Clarks, and he would put that inna a bag, every time you see him, it new. And when you go outta road, if you deh pon di road, you have some man weh put in two Clarks so it cannot dus’ up.. yeah man.

What in a bag? A special bag for the Clarks?

Yeah man. Remember Clarks company always give you two bags to put your shoes inna it. Well you see sometimes when people get things from foreign dem nah really get dem bag deh. Through people a pack barrel they just take out and pack up, so when a man go get him Clarks a Jamaica a know say…[can’t hear] him lock that off inna a bag and him it off and wash it off the back ah it man [???]. Yeah man, and Clarks is the only shoes weh you can buy one pair and no buy no more for the next 15, 20 years.

Yeah it’s a lasting shoe.

Yeah, yeah. You can rebottom it, over and over, cause they sell the Clarks, the suede bottom you know. You can get the suede bottom fi buy fi like the Desert Clarks. The man buy the suede and cut the shoes and make back the bottom ah it.

Oh the cheese bottom?

Yeah, the cheese bottom I should say yeh.

So, do you remember when you first came to England. What year was that when you were bussing as an artist?

1988.

And do you remember, you must have gone straight to the Clarks shop?

The first place mi go ah Blackburn. Mi nah tell you seh Clarks shop, mi a tell you Black Burn! That means from me tell you Blackburn, you know say a Clarks factory mi deh.

How come you went up to Blackburn?

You mad? Mi cyaan come to wear Clarks mek and mi nah go a di factory [kisses teeth]. You mad? And when mi up deh mi get Clarks for all one pound? You must be mad! [laughing]

Who told you to go up to Blackburn?

Mi friend dem have a friend weh carried me up that way named Slingers. And Sampa Lou, the producer youth that bussed Lady Saw.

Right. Yeah because there was a shop in Blackburn called Tommy Ball.

Yeah man.

Tommy Ball, they sold the seconds and all that. Seconds Clarks for very cheap.

No seconds, no seconds. Soiled [?] Dem brand new. But wha man used to do, man used to go in there and dust up all cigarette pon it, that’s why they said no smoking in them place. Cau one time man used to go in there and dust off the cigarette pon them, and bruise all cigarette pon the cheese and carry it go show them. One pound you pay for it, two pound, dem way deh.

How many did you buy there?

Me? When we come back ah England first a one suitcase ah Clarks mi go back ah Jamaica with you know.

And then you’d give them to your family and friends?

Friend dem, whole heap a youth from di corner. Every man a wear Clarks man. Cau mi get them quite cheap – can mi go round the damage style, you know, Weh dem call damage a England, mi nah know if they a really, cau dat not damage in Jamaica. [laughs]

Maybe a small scratch or something.

Nobody nah seh dat damage. You think man a see that?If you come a Jamaica and you buy that, you nah think him go look pon dat? Nah man.

So is that the shop you went to in Blackburn, do you remember the name was Tommy Ball?

I think a Tommy Ball it name man.

Did you ever go to Street in Somerset where they the Clarks were made?

Yeah, mi go a Somerset too man.

Who carried you down there?

Slingers dem, man.

Slingers knew everywhere to get the cheap Clarks.

Dem man deh ya England long time man. Dem know everything about England. Dem man a deceased now, may his soul rest in peace.

OK. Was Singers someone in the music industry?

Yeah man, he was a promoter.

OK. So, in terms of lyrics, mentioning Clarks in your lyrics. I heard you in 88 in Ganoose mention Clarks. Can you remember any other tunes that mention Clarks?

Enuff tunes mi do with Clarks in deh man.

Which ones? Do you remember any?

95% of artists from 1988 come up haffi deejay about Clarks.

Even earlier than that

Yeah, even earlier than that, have to tell you about Clarks. If him buss and him nah deejay about Clarks him nah inna di music industry.

Why do you think they were so big amongst the musicians and the deejays especially?

Because it’s a trending shoes and Jamaica is a fashion country you know. That’s why everything weh you see in Jamaica, mi nah pay it no mind because it’s all a style, it just go and come. That’s why mi rate Clarks, because Clarks is the only thing that never come out of style. So it keep trending for people. Every man weh buss, it’s a follow-on ting[???]. An artist buss, him come back with a badder Clarks than wha he used to wear. And every time di Clarks dem change, you have a man change inna di style. So every time a man see a style come, him want it.

The new style?

Yeah and Clarks is the only ting, if Clarks was a car it would be the only car would ah build one set a car weh never change its looks never change its style. And it continue with all ah the new trend dem weh it build. Because the foundation Clarks dem, you can’t build no new Clarks to go round them. It’s like you see the Benz that build 1966, a vintage dat. Clarks never vintage yet. Tell me one vintage Clarks.

Them compete with every brand. Remember since Clarks build, remember when Clarks did just buss, you did have Hush Puppy, you have Bally and you have a ting weh name Viking. Dem shoe was trending. Alright..

Travel Fox?

Travel Fox come in after but hear what happen now, Travel Fox create a storm and come in like scandalbag. The way they became popular it was like a scandalbag. The scandal bag – the little plastic bag dem weh the government ban and need to get them out of the system. And since dem come in, dem just come in and come out and blow away. Clarks live. Every designer inna the world ah build shoes. You have basketballer come inna shoes business, entertainer come in the shoes business. All dem come inna shoes business and no design have ever get Clarks out of the existence, no time at all. And mi nah talking bout a new Clarks dem build, mi ah tell you about Wallabee, mi a tell you about Bankroller, mi ah tell you about L-Stitch. Mi ah tell you about Desert Clarks, the leader of all the pack, dem cannot get out Desert Clarks. No shoes weh you see, how many brand you see come in since Clarks and there’s none to overthrow Clarks.

Do you think it’s mainly a male thing? Mainly men wearing Clarks.

Nah man, you want see the girl inna dem Desert [laughs] But through how the hipper, boots girl dem come in now, it’s trending more with Clarks.

Right. So, what was your kinda…..  what would you pair Clarks with? The Terylene and wool and the Arrow shirt?

Mi Terylene and wool, mi Arrow shirt and mi diamond socks and mi Desert Clarks, man. Yeah man, dem time deh you put the back of one of your pants’ foot inna your diamond sock, so when you ah walk one ah your diamond socks ah show. and one cover. Or the two ah dem a show, because the pants foot dem used to big, so you just put the back ah it inna di socks, so people a see the style of your shoes and everything.

When did you start wearing the Japanese headband?

Well, from 1988 me buss you know, mi build a trend down a Japan you know. I have a wide fanbase down there you know. So Japanese used to come in, you have a girl named Yumi and one wha name June, dem come a Jamaica, two Japanese, ambassador like, and dem come and from dem come ah just Ninjaman dem check for. So every time the Japanese send gift to me and dem something deh, they always ah send headband and all dem something deh. Even the outfit weh mi wear on stage, them all design in Japan. All ah di karate suit dem and di Chinese suit dem weh you see mi wear. Ninja suit, everything. First ninja suit mi get it inna Canada, but every one after that – build in Japan. Every year Sting a gwaan, mi suit come the night before Sting, or the same nigh when Sting a gwaan, Mi suit reach. But mi designer dead now still. God rest now still.

Who designed your outfits?

A Japanese designer, I don’t remember her name still.

And she sent it from Japan for every Sting?

Every Sting weh you see mi inna mi Japanese suit. Every killing Sting, weh you see mi come out inna mi ninja suit and all ah dem ting deh. Send from Japan

So that headband was sent to you by June?

Yeah man. Every year June dem bring me gift dem from Japan. And the Japanese ambassador wife was mi good friend, you understand.

OK. And who would bring you Clarks?

Mi used to buy Clarks man, and mi friend dem send Clarks cause you dun know, before mi start go ah foreign and my friends dem gone a foreign, mi friend dem used to send in things because they know what we wear, you know? You understand, and man used to buy dem Clarks man. Cause that’s a one thing weh man halfi buy. Mi nah care wha gwaan, mi half have mi Clarks. Back in the days, before even sneakers, Clarks was the number shoes. And even now with the sneakers, Clarks still is the champion shoes.

Do you remember any of the producers like Junjo or anyone like that bringing you Clarks. And even paying you to voice with Clarks.

No man can pay me with Clarks. You haffi pay mi with money. If you want me to voice and you want to pay me with something you have to give me a car dat or house dat or land dat. But you can’t give me Clarks. Mi nah cheap artist, mi can buy mi own Clarks.

But do you remember any of the producers like Junjo who could come to the UK a lot giving out Clarks to artist?

Yeah, you see Junjo dem now, dem never have to bring me Clarks. Because Junjo dem, dem nah buss me. How it go now, mi record song for Junjo, but it’s not like him was the one who produced me when mi did in needs. You understand me. The man who would bring Clarks for you, is a man who would have buss you when you was in needs, and through how my career go, my career leap off like a bullet, you understand me. So by the time me get my first break inna the big world pon a big sound, Kilimanjaro, the first dance me go pon Kilimanjaro mi lock it dung and Professor Nuts allow me to deejay til when a time for him to perform. Normally when some deejay ah deejay, Professor Nuts would ah come in and do a likkle part and come out back and make dem perform, and Professor Nuts mek mi work straight til when him seh ah my time now fi finish and take over the dance. And me a lead out. So from me go inna di industry mi ah mek my own money, me can buy mi own Clarks, buy mi own clothes, buy everything. Move out of the ghetto immediately, everything changed for me one go, you understand me. So it’s not like mi is a man weh a did siddung and deh a Jamaica, and try one and two and ba ba ba fi make it. Me bad pon the sound dem first. Me start deal with sound and competition first, then mi take it to the stage. You understand me. And the recording now, mi nah speed from long time.. [??]

So, many of your Sting outfits you would wear Clarks.

Yeah man.

So do you remember back in the day, was there anyone who was a top Clarks man, always had the fresh new Clarks.

Well, inna Jamaica dem time deh, you cyaan compete with people with Clarks, if you ah seh Clarks. You have to just come out with one weh bad and a man just come out with a one weh badder. Because Clarks was like food, man they craved it. So when ah artist go ah foreign, man like all Josey Wales, them man they nah come back without no Clarks. Man like Super Cat, Shabba Ranking. The whole ah we ah Clarks mi seh. Admiral Bailey, Lieutenant Stitchie, Professor Nuts, Papa San, the whole ah dem. Flourgon, Red Dragon, Daddy Lizard, the whole ah wi. Clement Irie, Tonto Irie, all ah di man dem. You understand. Ricky Ranking, the whole a dem man deh. Everybody. Squiggly Ranking, Peter Metro, and even the man dem before we was some Clarks people dem. Black Uhuru band? Ah bare Clarks dem man deh wear. Third World band? Ah bare Clarks dem man deh wear. Mighty Diamonds? Ah bare Clarks dem man deh wear. You understand. Even long before wi, Bob Marley and dem man deh kill you with Clarks.

Yeah, I’ve never seen a photo of Bob in Clarks.

Bob will kill you with Clarks man, ah Trenchtown Bob come from man.

You know for a fact Bob wore Clarks?

Yeah man, Bob wear him Clarks man! You might see him inna nuff sneakers cos ah football man. Yeah man, but Bob wear dem Clarks man. Jacob Miller dem wear dem Clarks man. Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer. You understand me. Producer like Phillip Fattis. Jemmy’s dem. Scorpio dem. Scorpio ah wear di biggest Clarks [laughs]

The biggest?

Yeah man!

You mean, he has the biggest foot?

Yeah because remember, Clarks are the only factory weh build shoes for everybody you know.

They make the big sizes, yeah.

Scorpio now is a man weh he needs biggest shoes from Clarks, and he’s a man that ah wear nuff Clarks too.

Bunny Lee too, Striker.

Yeah man, Striker Lee man!

So, what’s your memories of Clarks as a child growing up?

Well, my memory of Clarks you know, I did want one you know.

You just wanted them.

Yeah man, me just well want a Clarks man. Even when mi a go school, mi want a Clarks. Dat me ah seh. The first money me get we can get a Clarks, me go buy my Clarks. Me cyaan forget the day mi go dung ah town. And buy my Clarks, me buy a suede khaki looking Desert Clarks, and a Terylene and wool, same colour me Arrow shirt, look like a school youth when mi put on mi clothes. Yeah man, and mi come up and give mi tailor mi pants length and mi tailor build mi pants and come out di sun deh man. And excitement when mi step out pon the road man. Ah bare girl ah run and dem a bawl cau dem time deh mi name Double Ugly you know. Ah bare gal a bawl, “Double Ugly, you’re trash! Bare nice!” You know as a ghetto youth, you’re suit out, people feel like you reach ah town, cau ah country mi come from you know. And trash now like a town man, di whole town deh excited.

So, did you used to get Clarks from higglers?

You get Clarks from higglers and you get Clarks from the Clarks store.

Which was the main shop you would go to in Kingston for your Clarks?

Well, more time mi go dung di shop dung a town you know, mi nah remember what they call it you know. It was a main place, they never have nowhere ah town away from the higgler dem but that store. No store never uptown weh ah sell no Clarks, No store never deh ah Crossroads, no store never deh ah Stonehill, Matilda’s, Papine, nowhere. One place you get Clarks – dung a town. And if you want it anywhere away from dung a town you have to buy from higglers or buy from somebody who sell from foreign.

Often they have fake Clarks the higglers?

No man, since Chiney come in you have fake things man.

There was a shop maybe you went to called La Parisienne.

Mi nah remember weh di Clarks store did name you know. But ah one Clarks store did a dung town.

[Speaking about Dillinger CB200]…

Dillinger was the first big deejay star down here you know.

Bigger than U-Roy?

Let me tell you about big – dem man deh were the first man with glass top car.

Who had that?

First artist come down here. when him ah drive you ah see through the top of the car and through the side of hte car.

What car was that?

Mi nah remember wha the car name but that’s the baddest car mi ever see. Nobody drive no more car like that ah Jamaica. Them drive convertible. Fully glass top!

So, do you think the golden age for Clarks in Jamaica was really the 70s and 80s? Because no it’s popped down a little bit.

Where?

Well not popped down but now more of the kids are wearing Nike and stuff like that.

Yeah, let me tell you something now. When the youth dem are a certain age, dem a run inna dem Nike and something, but every man weh you see have a Nike have two or three pairs of Clarks at their yard. That’s why mi tell you seh the trend of Clarks cyaan go because, it’s like, even though you see so many brands, top brands inna di world, check most of the man dem, check 90% or 99% of the houses inna Jamaica, mi nah care how much brand in there, you have a man have 1000 sneakers inna him house, but him haffi have two or three pair of Clarks. So, once a trend mix with every trend, it nah drop its form. And from you say garrison, you say Clarks.

Because it’s a bad man shoe?

Not really a bad man shoes – garrison shoes, poorer class people shoes.

Why is that?

Well, it’s a shoes you can rely on you know. And guess whappen now. When you spend your money and buy a Clarks and rain wet it up, you still have a Clarks. When you guy a sneakers and rain wet it up, that spoil, man. It smell funky all kinda ting. Mi wear mi trainers to go exercise, but… [not otherwise].

So in prison, do you wear Clarks?

Bare Clarks mi have! You never see the video with mi inna prison where I say the Clarks clean?

Do you think most of the prisoners wear Clarks?

Every man have Clarks man. Bare Clarks man. Every man in here. A bad youth in here you know. A bad people shoes you know.

What about the prison wardens?

Yeah man. There’s a warden in wha have on him Clarks man, him nah wear him government boot, him Clarks him wear man. Yeah man.

INTERVIEW ENDS.