Foota Hype Says Jamaican Prime Minister Should Be Blamed For Reggae’s Regression

Dancehall selector Foota Hype says Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness must shoulder the blame for the inability of veterans and Reggae Revival artists including Jesse Royal and Kabaka Pyramid to score hit songs on the island.

Foota was commenting on his IG live feed about recent statements made by the Prime Minister, in which he cited Chronixx’s type of music as among his favorites, whilst bemoaning the fact that Jamaican music has, for decades, been bombarded with songs of violence, which threaten its integrity.

According to Foota, it was Holness’ own actions back in 2019, in which he fully enforced the weekday midnight and 2 AM weekend lock-off for entertainment events under the Noise Abatement Act, that has caused the doors to be slammed shut on the Reggae artists, as these events are where songs are propelled into hits.

He said despite the scores of roots reggae songs being recorded daily, because of the Prime Minister’s actions, they were being stifled.

“Kabaka Pyramid, di same Jesse Royal, di whole a dem yute yah weh a duh music – dem naw no hit song.  Dem get couple song but dem naw nuh hit like weh Chronixx have.   Becaw di dance too speedy, becaw a di time… di juggling dem  too speedy; yuh caan get a good hit; yuh caan get a Rasta hit yuh caan get a good righteous hit, because di dance time  too limited bredrin.   A jus di truth.  A jus di truth dawg… When last yuh hear one authentic Reggae song?’ Foota argued.

“If a nuh certain selector like a me or a Matterhorn or a (Fire) Links or some top selector weh wi guh inna dance prime time an drop some bloodc—t Reggae… Si Buju come out deh and dem naw look pon Buju song dem, caw no weh nuh deh fi play dem.  Di timing fi play dem nuh deh-deh.  When Til Shiloh and dem ting deh bus, nuh dat a run di place, caw yuh know seh when all 2:30 an yuh guh, yuh a hear some blood—t reggae and by 3:30 a Dancehall time,” ” Foota added.

He argued that the contraction in the time allowed for dances, which would in the past go on until daybreak or even sunrise, has forced music selectors like himself to rush their playlist and deviate from the regular selection structure, and in most cases playing only Dancehall songs which are current.

He said within the session, the Reggae segment would commence at the beginning and go up until about 3:00am, when mid-90s dancehall music would be played as a build-up to the newest Dancehall tracks.

“These artistes are singing righteous songs every day.  Every Reggae artiste voice every day, but the song dem naw get play or promoted.  Ask me why?   We would love to play some of these positive songs.  But when your country weh the biggest distribution of Reggae is dance hall, weh dance keep, an  yuh a guh minimize the playing of music to 12 a clack during di week, and two a clack pon weekend, how di hell yuh expect positive  music fi guh out to di people dem?” he asked.

“If oonu a lock di gate pon music how it fi play?  When a selecta get half hour fi play dawg, him a guh run guh play Skillibeng Crocodile Teeth…Him a guh play weh hot,” Foota said.

According to Foota, his longstanding career as a music selector makes him an authority on the matter, and so it is within his remit to declare that the Prime Minister has failed to understand the downward spiraling effect his actions have had on the industry, as the Government has effectively “cut out the entire Reggae segment” of the parties.

“Yuh si because a how dem squingle dung di time, sh it ash up Reggae ting, mash it up wicked, widcked, wickedwicked.   Any selector wi tell yuh some time yuh guh inna one party an yuh waan drop two Reggae, but because di groove is so slow and di groove is not with what is going on it hard bredrin.  And di Reggae artist dem a feel it.  Di Reggae hard fi bus.  Dancehall song easier fi bus dan a Reggae song.   And a just di truth bredrin,” he said.

Foota also rubbished the Prime Minister’s claim of the music being smothered with violent songs as untrue, pointing to the extensive catalogue of Sizzla’s and even Turbulence whose playlists outstrip the number of existing negative songs combined.

“Andrew is saying there is not enough positive music like weh Chronixx duh and ting.  Andrew dat is a lie.  Guh look how much album Turbulence have.  Turbulence have over 25 album.  Guh look how much album Sizzla have; guh look how much album Jah Mason, all a di Rasta dem have.  Why are we not hearing these songs?  Yuh waan hear why wi naw hear no song like Chronixx an dem stuff deh?  When last Luciano get a hit?  Yuh know how much song him have?   I am going to break it down to you because you are talking to somebody who know di music,” Foota declared.

“Das why di Reggae artiste dem a suffa.  An dem fraid fi talk.  Some a dem fi dead fi hungry still enuh caw when wi a talk, dem naw talk.    Yuh tink Luciano caan sing again? Luciano still can sing.  But him caan get no hit becaw dem naw play.   Di space nuh deh deh fi play di song dem.  Suh di people dem don’t have option.   Me know weh mi a talk bout.  When dem start enforce di lock-off time, Reggae artiste start suffer.  Dem a stifle di culture; dem cripple it,” Foota added.

This is not the first time that Foota has upbraided the Prime Minister for meting out poor treatment to  the music industry.    In September 2019, took Holness to task for failing to make follow-up checks with Minister of Entertainment Olivia Grange, whom he had tasked two years prior, to see to the creation of “Creative Oases,” with all the amenities of modern entertainment venues and where Reggae and Dancehall events would be able to be held 24 hours per day.

Holness had said that as far back as 2017, he had discussions with Grange regarding the creation of the entertainment zones, which would help to alleviate the myriad of woes with which the Dancehall music industry was grappling.  Foota at the time became incensed that even after two years, Grange had failed to carry out the task and Holness had not had asked her for a progress report on the matter.