Mr. Vegas Talks Divisiveness Of Dancehall Deejays, Plus Being Shunned By Jada Kingdom For A Collab
Heads High singer Mr. Vegas took to Instagram a few days ago to vent about being snubbed by Jada Kingdom when he tried to get a collab, a symptom he said resulting from the general divisiveness and poor examples set in Dancehall by older artists.
Mr. Vegas said that if the older Dancehall acts had made it a habit of collaborating with each other, and working with artists across generations, instead of stepping on their compatriots, then Dancehall would not be on a downward spiral.
He cited as examples, Billboard-topping artists like himself, Elephant Man, Beenie Man, and Baby Cham, who were already well-known on the international market and with whom collabs would be mutually beneficial. The Nike Air singer said younger artists would be able reach the more mature audiences, and their elders would gain access to the fans of the junior entertainers.
“Nuff a oonu seh people a old people and wi a old man and wi a dis and wi a dat, as soon as oonu get some new yute. If we did a blend music and a blend some a di new yute wid some a di old man dem, wi nuh can introduce dem to a wider audience and dem woulda introduce we now to dem young fans dem,” he said.
“So di likkle teeny boppers weh all a listen to a Skillibeng, or a listen to all a Intence or dem new yute deh, or a listen a Jada Kingdom or a listen to a Shenseea, dem a guh start even listen di older artiste dem catalogue and di older artiste dem now, a guh draw di older fans dem now to fi dem audience to. Suh wi actually a feed offa each odda. But we nuh see it suh inna our industry…,” he said.
Vegas said that older artists had set bad precedence with their egocentric behavior where, instead of collaborating, they preferred to fight for individual supremacy in what is a losing battle now, as that in no way contributes to their earnings as their streaming potential continues to be low.
“It feels good when a man a seh a you a run di place; it feels good when a man a seh a you a di ‘big man’. It feels good when man a seh a you a di numba one, an all dem tings deh. But yuh haffi understand she, a house that is divided cannot stand enuh,” he explained.
“Suh while di Afro artistes dem a link up togedda an a do songs and do music togedda, when all me reach out to all a Jada Kingdom and shi nuh answer mi and har manager all tell me she how shi nuh interested and dem ting deh, wi naw go get nowhere inna our music,” the Oberlin High School past student added.
Vegas also implicitly addressed Lila Iké, who made statements several months ago during an interview with Television Jamaica, saying she was not willing to do collabs with unknown, upcoming artists.
“When we hear a likkle young artiste buss and a tak bout shi naw do no song wid no young artiste, wi naw guh get no weh inna our music. Caw right deh suh wi program wiself and a seh wi betta dan a next artiste, or wi more up deh or wi reach now or wi get weh wi waan reach now, when odda artiste from odda genre, dem deal wid love and unity inna dem music,” Vegas said.
“When a man like Baby Cham weh cross ova and people know him internationally, wi nuh suppose to see Baby Cham nuh have all two, three songs wid all three a dem young yute or four a de young yute and one a di elder or one a di icons dem,” he said.
Blasting older Dancehall artists once again, Vegas said they appear oblivious to the fact that their actions were hurting rather than enhancing the music, and they were only sabotaging themselves.
“Wi nuh realize seh a hurt wi hurt di music and den we come talk bout seh: ‘a 90s Dancehall mi seh; dem yah Dancehall music a fool-fool music’. And then, we as artiste come criticize di likkle young artiste dem and bun dem out and talk bout dem a do Trap music and dem tings deh,” he pointed out.
“Sometimes if dem did si we as di elders dem, or we as di dinosaurs dem a link up and di numbers dem a meck sense, dem likkle young yute yah woulda waan do song wid wi,” he said
Vegas’ Instagram page comments section saw an outpouring of agreement with his statements relating to the stance of the younger artistes.
“Lila ike did say that seh naa work with no young artiste that’s why me no listen her music,” mickoye_ wrote, to which Vegas responded: “Sad talk that she mek fam”.
Not finished with the matter, mickoye_ added: “@mrvegasmusic it the most disrespectful thing that she could ever dem new artiste yah a move like them reach… Jada and Lila never reach the heights weh you reach the other day me see your interview on vlad tv… and the Breakfast Club your thing global and you naa hype like them”.
She was supported by 1jamlife816, who called out Jada for ‘flying past her nest’.
“Is Jada stupid?!!!!, what does she think she could do for Mr Vegas career? There is no new age supporters that don’t know and dance to a Mr Vegas music,” he wrote.