Professor Nuts Says Super Cat Took His Lyrics For ‘Cry Fi De Youth’ – No Ill Feelings Though

Professor Nuts says he actually composed the lyrics to Super Cat‘s hit song Cry Fi De Youth, one of the most beloved conscious Dancehall tracks in Jamaican history.

According to Nuts, he performed the lyrics at an event in 1984, where Super Cat’s brother, Junior Cat, happened to be present.  Junior Cat was immediately captivated by the song and embraced it and sang it elsewhere, while an impressed Super Cat, upon hearing the lyrics, decided to record the song himself.

“Junior Cat love that, loved it, and took it, go back up, start deejay di lyrics,” Professor Nuts said emphatically in a past episode of The Entertainment Report Podcast.

“Supa Cat seh ‘me love dat more dan you’.  An took that lyrics.  Cat told mi.  Cat seh ‘is your lyrics meck me reach New York yuh nuh’,” he added in his usual storytelling style.  

Super Cat later included the song in his 1985 album titled Si Boops Deh. In Jamaica, the song became a massive hit, catapulting Super Cat further into stardom and cementing his legacy in Dancehall.

Despite the adoption of his song, and what many consider the blurred lines between inspiration and appropriation in the music industry, Professor Nuts says he has no ill feelings towards Super Cat.

In fact, Professor Nuts explained that he considers Super Cat a friend and was thrilled that the Don Dadda interpolated the song, as this meant the lyrics were not only solid, but had resonated deeply with him.

“Super Cat, Cry fi di Youth.  I wrote it.  But you see, Super Cat is mi fren.  I am not di one or di person that angers over foolishness.  Gwaan wid all a mi lyrics dem, as long as yuh nuh teck mi wife, mi good,” Professor Nuts quipped. 

“Mi naw fight Cat.  Cat is mi fren.  And if me write a lyrics an Cat love it, hey dat mean seh mi good.  I have to commend Papa Cat for loving my lyrics. No dats how I stay.    That’s my heart.   I have to commend Papa cat for loving my lyrics.   I told him.  I seh ‘Cat, a choo yuh nuh know weh yuh do fi mi fi teck my lyrics enuh.   Mi respect yuh fi dat enuh.   Caw, you take one of my lyrics and remember you were a more established and a more publicized deejay dan me out there.  If you can take my lyrics and mek yourself a man and feel good, a wha do yuh.  Ruggu dat!’ Dats how mi stay.   Mi don’t fight mi coworkers,” he said. 

Released in 1985, on the Things N Time Riddim, Cry Fi De Youth was the first track on the B-side of Super Cat’s nine-song Si Boops Deh album which was produced by Techniques label’s Winston Riley.     

The album also featured songs such as the title track Boops, Experience Lover, Kearn fi Ride, Big and Ready and Trash and Ready.

The hook of the song told of the artist’s desire to champion the cause of young poor children and nit the big-wigs in suits: “Mi nuh holla fi Matthew, Mark neither Luke/Me nuh cry fi nuh dignitary inna nuh big suit/ Mi cry/ Mi will cry/me cry fi the youths.”

Professor Nuts, whose real given name is Carl Wellington, has the distinction of being among the first Dancehall artistes to combine music, social commentary and comedy. 

The Dancehall veteran whose given name Carl Wellington, began his musical career deejaying on the St Catherine-based Love Child sound system back in the 1980s.   

Among his most popular songs are Inna Di Bus, from his album Make It Again. Other tracks include Nuttn’ Ah Gwan Fada, Satan Strong, Fish & Festival, Woman Deh Yah, Funny Guy, God Damn It, Mama Have Her Own, Bad Boy Jimmy and Don’t.