He was a friend of The Clash and the first Jamaican disc jockey to use sound effects and vocal drops between songs. Now, Michael Campbell (a.k.a. “the original” Mikey Dread) has gone on record in an exclusive Bad Gals radio podcast to clear up rumors about his life, his music, and a copycat DJ with a similar name.

Campbell, known as “the Dread at the Controls,” has worked with producers like Treasure Isle’s Lee “Scratch” Perry and Adrian “On-U Sound” Sherwood, and contributed to The Clash’s Sandinista! album. He released Life Is a Stage in 2007 and has remained active on the live front, completing multiple North American and European tours. He also hosts his own podcast–a throwback to his days at the Jamaican Broadcasting Company (JBC).

Bad Gals podcast host Mama ASID (born RE Ausetkmt) is the site’s “present ruling queen” who, in addition to conducting phone interviews with her guests, edits the webcasts and provides fresh content on her site, including conscious updates on world events. Her interview with Mikey Dread covers plenty of ground, from his radio days through recording, and his current dispute with the similarly named DJ Mikey Dread from Channel One sound system, in the U.K. Mama ASID delves into a plethora of other topics, including the origins of Campbell’s music.

“Mikey tells the story of how one of his biggest hits, ‘Barber Saloon,’ is actually a studio out take,” reports Mama ASID. “Yes, he was just making noise for the producer to tune the mic and riddim, and it was so comical that [Studio One’s] Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd decided it would be a novelty release; becoming Mike Dread’s first number one hit on the world charts.”

In other recent updates, ASID paid tribute to Jamaican deejay great Johnny Ringo and provided news on the Jena Six trial. As serious about her politics as her reggae music, ASID states, “Our podcasts are the Warrior Sound. We are constantly in production on interviews with global newsmakers and artists of all kinds.”