At 82, King Crazy (Edwin Ayoung) has flipped the script.
The iconic calypsonian known for classics like 鈥淣ani Wine鈥 and 鈥淚n Time to Come鈥 is lending his unmistakable voice to Trinibad music鈥攁 genre often written off for glorifying gang violence and misogyny.
But Crazy isn鈥檛 here for hype. His new single, 鈥淣o Money Ting鈥, comes with a message: young people鈥檚 art deserves more than criticism. It deserves support, guidance and respect.
鈥淭his one is to educate and inspire all who believe that this matter. This one is for conviction,鈥 Crazy said, with all the weight of his decades in music. 鈥淣o money ting. No money ting.鈥
New riddim,
same mission
The song was born out of a chance encounter. While at a studio in Cascade to record a gospel track, Crazy met 20-year-old producer William Bronte of BT Records. Bronte had an idea鈥攖o build a musical bridge between generations.
鈥淗e say, 鈥楥razy, boy, I want to bridge the gap. Let鈥檚 try a thing,鈥欌 Crazy recalled.
Given a Trinibad riddim, Crazy began experimenting, but made one thing clear: he wasn鈥檛 about to follow the usual script.
鈥淚 cyah sing that. I will not sing a song named 鈥業 Kill a Man鈥 because I know is a gun thing,鈥 he said plainly. 鈥淒at ain鈥檛 me.鈥
Instead, 鈥淣o Money Ting鈥 speaks to exploitation in the creative industry鈥攅specially the habit of undervaluing local talent. It鈥檚 kind of a modern-day nod to Scrunter鈥檚 (Irwin Reyes Johnson) 鈥淪ing In She Party鈥.
鈥淩ight now the whole thing is about people using people,鈥 he said. 鈥淓ven my own want me to come and do shows and they don鈥檛 want to pay. So, I just put that together. Look, I fed up with the no money thing.鈥
The response has been electric. A video of the studio session racked up over 100,000 views in a matter of hours. And Crazy is being hailed by young fans everywhere he goes.
鈥淚f yuh hear dem鈥擟razy, Crazy, we love that song!鈥 he related.
Respecting the sound,
reframing the message
Trinibad has long faced backlash, often condemned for its violence and bravado. But Crazy sees deeper value in the genre鈥檚 raw honesty.
鈥淭he genre was based on gun violence, gang warfare, and violent projection by the young artiste,鈥 he admitted. 鈥淪o, I wanted to put a different twist to it and do something different with a kind of Vybz Kartel message鈥攖o let people know that they can鈥檛 use you and think you stupid.鈥
Crazy likens Trinibad to the early days of dancehall鈥攁nd even to calypso itself, once scorned by the elites before becoming the soundtrack of a nation.
鈥淚 using Trinibad to promote messages of awareness, to uplift youth consciousness,鈥 he explained. 鈥淭he riddim has that international appeal and could be used to send our messages throughout the world like what reggae did.鈥
Genre-bending isn鈥檛 new for Crazy. He鈥檚 done it for decades. From pioneering parang soca 鈥淢aria鈥 in 1978, to claiming Road March in 1985 with 鈥淪uck Meh Soucouyant鈥, to penning what many call the biggest chutney anthem of all time in 鈥淣ani Wine鈥 in 1989.
鈥淚n our Trini culture of calypso, parang, soca, chutney鈥攁fter singing for 54 years, I have hits in every genre,鈥 he boasted.
Now, he has a Trinibad hit on his hands, too. And after that? 鈥淢y next project is zessin,鈥 he teased. 鈥淕iving messages to uplift standards.鈥
Build bridges, not walls
If you ask Crazy, the friction between older and younger generations in music isn鈥檛 necessary. He believes there鈥檚 more to gain through collaboration.
鈥淚 am the first 82-year-old calypsonian to do Trinibad music,鈥 he smirked. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 unheard of.鈥
Crazy singled out soca superstar Machel Montano, soca icon SuperBlue (Austin Lyons) and contemporaries Baron (Timothy Watkins) and Scrunter (Irwin Johnson) as the next mainstream music acts he wants to hear on a Trinibad production.
鈥淭he youths need the guidance,鈥 he nodded. 鈥淚nstead of criticising their content, show them how to create hits in the genre with positive messages.鈥
His move also adds credibility to the music. It echoes the sentiment expressed by David Rudder, who once said the Trinibad acts are the new calypsonians.
鈥淵es,鈥 Crazy concluded. 鈥淩udder was right. They are!鈥
Crazy鈥斺淣o Money Ting鈥
No money ting
No money ting
Look ah fed up of de no money ting.
This one is to educate and inspire
All who believe that this matter,
This one is for conviction.
No money ting
No money ting
Look ah fed up
Look ah fed up wit de no money ting.
Everybody ha de feeling they could use you
Some of them, you just still have to rescue
Round de clock, they come in to give you wuk
As yuh talk 鈥檅out pay is an issue
Dey want you help dem, but dey want it quick
As if they hear that yuh serving the public
Call yuh phone and dey put in dey order
Treatin鈥 you like you does wear pamper.
Some ah dem when dey approach you, dey real dread
Setta ole talk messin鈥 wit yuh head
No money talk is de only ting dey know
Dey come to influence you to stoop low
Dis thing over, I tell dem I done
If no pay, dey better doh come round
Had enough and enough is enough
Tell dem that the road ahead too rough.
Dey want yuh mother, yuh sister, and yuh uncle
Telephone number to call when dey in trouble
Some of dem, dey always want some assistance
Like is doggie dog dat eat out dey conscience
Dey will never, never feel little sorry
To bring a case of Blue Waters if yuh thirsty
Everything for dem is want and always want
And that is de reason why I takin鈥 in front.