Norris Man nice up Rub A Dub Tuesday (Aug. 2023)

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Born, in March 1973, and raised in the notorious Trenchtown and Arnett Gardens area of Kingston, Jamaica, Christopher Campbell, now known as Norris Man had Bob Marley as a hometown hero to inspire his immersion into the musical arena. As a young boy, Norris Man (named because of his enthusiasm for karate king Chuck Norris) would sit under a tree to write his own songs of redemption.

As he matured, Norris Man gained the respect of sound systems throughout the city with his unique toasting and singing style. By age 22, he began recording songs in some of Kingston’s most reputable recording studios such as Black Scorpio, Leggo, and Celestial Sounds Studio. By the mid-nineties, Norris found himself fully committed to his faith as a Rastafarian, wherein he experienced a shift in his consciousness to a higher spiritual and musical level. He created lyrical content that became more potent, more socially uplifting, and more meaningful. With this devotion, he recorded “Love and Affection” at Buju Banton’s Cellblock studio. From there, Norris Man went on to Celestial Sounds Studio to record “Congo Shanty” and “Ever-living Soul”.

Norris Man has been residing in Sweden for the greater part of 10 years.
An interview with roots-reggae entertainer Norris Man begins gently enough, with his taking a measure of the distance he has come. For the uninitiated, the veteran artiste might be considered an underground recording artiste, albeit one who managed to nab a record deal with VP Records and maintain a busy touring schedule over the past 25 years.

“Some people say underground, but once the songs play, people know them. I became a household name in 1997 with the hit single Persistence, which was followed by the album of the same title with VP Records, four years after. I wouldn’t say that recording music was a dream career, but as a youth people would hear me,” Norris told The Sunday Gleaner.

He added, “Living in a country during hard times of political warfare, a little youth coming out of Trench Town and right there `on Torrington Lane, music was an escape … music and football. Things like flying kites around Heroes Circle, and visiting the cone factory to get broken cones, the ones weh never mek good, to making cornflakes to eat with tin milk, were simple pleasures. And in those days we have sound systems playing music on every corner on the weekends.”

Nearby, his home he has access to a recording studio and spends nights within its four walls alone bouncing about ideas while listening to the thumping bass of reggae and dancehall rhythms sent to him.

“I go back and forth from Jamaica, but I’ve been in Sweden for the greater part of 10 years. I have a daughter here, she is 11. Still, my country is my country. I’ve just returned to Sweden from The Bahamas where I performed last month and also celebrated my birthday and there are several other trips lined up for the next three or so months. Right now, I’m just taking it easy,” he said, “I think I’ve selected a country to reside where things are able. In European countries, people spend millions of dollars trying to turn themselves into reggae and dancehall artists or invest in albums, which is what I’m doing at this very moment … looking for music to compile and release another album as I do each year.”

For the past two decades Norris Man’s songs such as She Never Knew It, Home and Away, Jah Is The Ruler, and Woman Have Patience, have garnered international attention but none of his albums have been submitted for Grammy consideration he said.

“I never had dreams of being nominated for a Grammy Award, never attempted to put my song or music up for one because it always felt more like a battle to earn that recognition. I also thought that a Grammy was for those artists who paid their dues and let’s set it straight, it is a corrupted process because you have several big acts, touring all over the world and making an impact, who people look up to, but they have yet to take a Grammy home. A friend of mine pushed me to record years ago, I never stopped and from then, I’ve recognized myself as something great. That is all the validation I need and I just want to make good music,” he said.

Last year, Norris Man teamed up with South Pacific-based Littlerock Sound to release the single Dem Haffi Runaway and he recently collaborated with US-based producer Christopher Roswell for his latest song, Wicked Man World. It is featured on the Sydonnie Riddim, along with songs by Anthony B and Lukie D.

“I may be old-fashioned in my style and my ways, but it has worked for me and I know me nah push up my face like me bad for reasons that don’t make any sense. With the state of our culture, I hardly see a hit song in the real, culture reggae world (so) that is why I continue to sing these songs. Persistence is the key,” Norris Man continued.