Protoje Takes Aim At Trifling Politicians With Anti-Dubplate Song
The anti-campaign dubplate protest, ignited by Bounty Killer, Tanya Stephens, and Vybz Kartel, is heating up, with reggae superstar Protoje, taking to the studio to declare in his own dub, that he will never voice for any of Jamaica’s politicians.
In the two-minute track titled Self Defence Anti-Dub, Protoje takes aim at the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party’s (PNP) candidates who have been commissioning dubplates from a slew of popular dancehall artistes.
In his characteristic’ cool and deadly’ style, he rebuked the politicians and pointed to the duplicity in their actions, in the song which he posted on Instagram yesterday.
In the hook he sings:
No politician caa play no dub plate from mi.
Look inna dem face, naw smile wid nobaddy
Mashin up di place dem naw provide fah mi
Das why dem caa use my voice none at all
In the lone verse, the Truths and Rights artiste is stinging in his lyrics, echoing the sentiments of Bounty Killer’s Nuh Wah Know and Vybz Kartel’s Emergency .
Di mockery fi stop right yah now, outta luck right yah now
How much time di music dem attack?
Wi caa keep dance more dan four time a week pon di streets
An dem want lock it off 12 a clack
So youths be wise cause a dem blame di music
Seh violence is rooted in dancehall or trap
Well if dat’s di case den what excuse you will use
Now a bare dub plates dem a drap
Now mi haffi wanda wha coulda cause dis
Di land weh wi love jus a move suh crosses
Yow a mussi joke caw how man a starve yet dub place a vice like a world clash gwaanin
Fix di place bredda, and stop di stallin
Go try debate bout why di country fallin
An any MP weh naw work fi di people get vote out pon election morning
Protoje captioned the post: “NO POLITICIAN CANT BEG NO DUBPLATE FROM ME. Yo lots of Politicians blame the music for everything yet when time come they turn to the Music to catch the people. Yes me have politicians that I rate and respect highly same way, but if the Stone Naa touch you please don’t squeal. Naa judge no artist for being involved, this a just my argument for me, let’s debate!! Produced by @iotosh. Big up @grunghadzilla fi set the example seen, ICON set the order.”
Protoje’s song comes amidst a growing controversy about dancehall artistes who have voiced dubplates for politicians, in stark contravention of the ethos of the genre which emerged as the voice of the people against oppression from the State.
Among the artistes who have voiced dubplates for politicians are Shenseea, D’Angel, Intence, Stylo G, Spice, Teejay, Skilli Beng, Dovey Magnum, Christopher Martin, Quada, and Jahvilliani.
Bounty Killer, Vybz Kartel, and Tanya Stephens have openly condemned what they describe as the exploitation of the music by politicians in their election bids.
They also took umbrage to what they described as the betrayal of dancehall by artistes who succumbed to the whims of leaders, who have done little or nothing to advance the dancehall genre, but were using the music to attract votes.
It came as no surprise that Bounty Killer reposted the video on his IG page, and, making it clear he could not be bought, he wrote: “Money isn’t the order of my day moral is!”
“Stand for something!!!! #nopoliticaldubs… Respect to @grunggadzilla who has stood for a lot of things including this and we salute you as a leader in dancehall music!!!”
On Protoje’s page, other artistes came out in full support, chief among them his mentee Lila Iké, who flatly wrote: “#CLASHDONE,” indicating that Protoje’s bomber would silence all who chose to exploit dancehall.
In responding to one follower, who asked whether Protoje would rather perform for one of Jamaica’s dons, if called, Lila argued that he was ‘comparing apples with oranges’.
“The difference is that when u go the stage show ya deliver the true message inna the music not a modified version of the song encouraging people fi dash weh them rights and you dunce if u cya see that,” Lila said.
After the follower responded saying he knew her from she was a little girl and it was her statement that was “dunce, the Solitude singer responded: “All if yuh did deh deh when me a born you still missing the point.”
Her In.Digg.Nation stablemate Naomi Cowan, was in full agreement posting: “Music to catch the ppl yet dem seh is music corrupt the ppl. The irony.”
Jada Kingdon showed her support with a series of flame icons, while Kabaka Pyramid also gave the song his thumbs up.
“Di system wah zero an start ova fresh. Nah join NO colony follytricks,” the Well Done artiste who had slammed politicians in his recent Babylon Falling release said.
Producer and recording artiste, Dre Island, was not to be left out.
“This is it!” he exclaimed, adding a series of his own fire emojis and then added: “Me would a remix this right away send the riddim.”
BBC 1Xtra disc jockey Seani B, cheered on Protoje from afar.
“Militancy. This is what I know the music to do. Fight the system that nah help whether its Jamaica, America or England. Step forward same way bredda,” he declared.