Peppa Pot: Ok, more controversy, when Portia Simpson was elected she sang a little of your tune.

Cham: [deejays] "We get di ting dem" [laughs].

Peppa Pot: Then the government went and banned the tune. How you feel bout that?

Cham: They banned it before. They only banned it for a weekend. They banned it from like Friday night to Monday afternoon. That s just politics and people being hypocrites. Cause if Portia can seh "She Get Di Ting Dem". Why can t I tell my story?

When Christopher Columbus, or Henry Morgan and his friends went to Port Royal and did all that horrible stuff to the people of Port Royal. All that was documented. That s much much more violent that my Ghetto Story. My Ghetto Story, up to the day I haven t said one word about shooting anyone. It s just telling a story - I lost a friend at a tender age and that I m here now. Politics can t push us around anymore because we don t have to depend on politician money. I can take care of my family by myself - that s what Ghetto Story is saying. You have hypocrites and politics in Jamaica. I never ever pay them any mind.

Peppa Pot: That was your second song that was banned correct?

Cham: Probably third or fourth. [laughs]

Peppa Pot: Did it surprise you?

Cham: Nah. Never ever. I ve always been picked on in Jamaica because i ve always spoken out on stuff that the government or the people in higher class don t want anyone to speak on. I ve never ever been afraid to speak on nothing at all concerning what I think wasn t right or I think the people we re wrongly treated on this topic or whatsoever. I ll speak out on it.

Peppa Pot: Tell us about the album.

Cham: The album is entitled Ghetto Story but what people don t get - they re expecting every song to be like Ghetto Story. They re expecting every song to be hard, talking about poverty. What they don t get is that in the ghetto you have happy times also. You have Boom Boom with me and Rihanna - that s like a love song - expressing my side of affection. You have Rude Boy Pledge, you have a song with Tia Jean from London which is like a total different side [of me]. In the ghetto you have ups you have downs you have fun; so basically that s a whole Ghetto Story.

Peppa Pot: Any other producers on the album other than Dave Kelly?

Cham: Strictly Dave Kelly. What s not broken my mom said never try to fix it. Strictly Dave Kelly.

Peppa Pot: Why strictly Dave Kelly?

Cham: Reason being, every other producer in Jamaica heard of me before when I was younger coming up. I went to all of them and they turned me down. Dave was the only one who took the time out to hear what I had to bring to the table. The rest of them just wanted polished diamonds. Dave was the only one who took the time out to invest in my career. Not money or nothing like that - i m talking about grooming an artist from day one. Showing me the ins and outs, the intricacies of the business, teaching me delivery techniques - all of that. Dave was the one who sweated tireless nights in the studio trying to get me to just get the delivery perfect. So why when it s all glowing and glitter now I should allow Tom to reap. If you didn t sow you aint reaping nothing around here. Nothing. [laughs]

Peppa Pot: Dave Kelly is a big name.

Cham: Dave Kelly to me is the definition of dancehall. No producer in the history of dancehall has made as much hits. None.

Peppa Pot: What did you do different on this album from "Wow - The Story".

Cham: Wow came out in 2000. I m six years older, six years more mature, six years smarter, my writing technique is six years better, my delivery technique is six years better and I have Atlantic behind me. So instead of fighting to be in the major chain stores I know it s going to be in the major chain stores because of Atlantic. Back then we used to war, people used to email us - we can t get the record here, we can t get the record there.

As far as work, it s no easier. The work is a hundred times harder. I m doing interviews from 10 am in the morning to 11 at night. I never did that with Wow The Story. It s a better route to get Madhouse and Cham on an international level.

As far as the album itself, you can t get better than Alicia Keys, you can t get better than Akon, can t get better than Rihanna. So Wow The Story is one of my classics, but this [Ghetto Story] total different level.

Peppa Pot: How do you feel about the progression of dancehall at this moment?

Cham: The progression of dancehall is a plus, couldn t be negative. We re making good music and contributing to that. Sean [Sean Paul] out there doing well. Ghetto Story is doing well. It s a plus because the kids that are coming up now are going to have it much easier. You have Spice, who s on fire. She ll have it much easier because Mad House has a label deal with Atlantic. So if she catch fire tomorrow - she ll be coming out on Atlantic.

Peppa Pot: For someone that has achieved so much you seem like a very humble person. What contributes to that?

Cham: My mom. I was raised with my mom no daddy around from like age ten, eleven. Mom had to do two three jobs to send all of us to good schools, make sure that food was on the table.

My mom always tell me from day one, "On your way up the ladder take a look at the little people, wish them well, and treat them good. Cause if you should come down that ladder, you ll have to pass them back." I never every forget that.

You find that there s nothing to hype about. We ve been coming from nothing and without people you wouldn t get anything. They re the ones that s supporting the CD so why you re going to get hype over a jewel, ring, watch, chain, or because your name is Cham. At the end of the day you re still a human being. At the end of the day the humble calf suck the most milk.

So just keep humble and be you. This is me, this is Damion [Damion Beckett]. Damion always just humble; quiet in a corner by himself. Not in the limelight unless he needs to be. That s me.

Peppa Pot: Is there a different between Baby Cham and Cham?

Cham: Cham is for the rude boys. Baby Cham is for the ladies. No if no buts - they re my babies. I still own the name Baby Cham. But on this album there s nothing baby about it. I ve learned so much over the years. I ve been in the industry for so long that i ve gotten mature. So we dropped the baby for this album. But for fans in the streets I m still Baby Cham - especially my female fans. I m still their baby. Yeah.

All images courtesy of Atlantic Records