Mr. Vegas Unhappy With Preferential Treatment Given To Foreign Artists That Sample Dancehall
The preferential treatment being given to foreign artists over Jamaican nationals, where the sampling of Reggae and Dancehall music is concerned, according to Mr. Vegas, does not sit well with him.
The Sweet Jamaica artist recently brought up the matter on his Instagram Live feed, and argued, among other things, that at the root of the problem is a lack of “togetherness” in the music industry and impudence by some holders of the Reggae and Dancehall artists’ publishing rights.
“Why is a foreigner can sample a icon? A foreigner can come Jamaica an sample a Gregory Isaacs and get it cleared, boom, no problem. But meck all me sample a Gregory Isaacs, a problem fi get it cleared,” Mr. Vegas stated.
“Meck me sample all a Alton Ellis or one a dem people deh; a problem fi get it cleared. But a foreigner can come just suh and get it cleared when a our music. So who own di publishing a guh tell wi seh dem naw give wi no clearance or dem waan teck weh everything from wi,” he added.
According to the Heads High singer, it is the Jamaican artists who are deserving of the rights to sample the songs of the Reggae and Dancehall greats, and who ought to be given first preference to do so, as, being Jamaicans, it was akin to their birthright.
“Even if yuh nuh waan use one a di big man artiste dem, wi have enough music. Out catalogue big from yah suh to Brazil and come back. Wi have so much songs inna our catalogue fi sample. A we fi a sample wi icons dem and a throw some a dem young yute yah pon it,” he said.
“Dat mean seh when all a Skillibeng song guh a road, di man dem hear a sample pon dat and him an all three more a di young yute dem pon dat,” he added.
This is the second in recent times that a Dancehall artist has brought up the subject of sampling of Jamaican music by foreigners.
In late March, Nah Sell Out artiste Khago, while declaring that Jamaican Reggae and Dancehall remains a global cultural heavyweight towering over American genres, had said he had to chase away American rappers who had approached him asking for permission to sample his hit song, something he considered a disrespectful, arrogant and belittling request.
At the time, a strident Khago said there was no way he would allow anyone access to reproduce any of his songs, unless it is they humbly ask for a collaboration with him, which must include him in everything from recording in studio, to video-shoot.
According to the Blood a Boil artist, reproducing or sampling the work of an artist who is still alive, without including them physically in the recording is the height of arrogance, exploitation and disrespect, as anyone who does that is relegating the artiste and his/her original work, to being a relic of the past.
Khago’s wife and manager, Francine Gayle, had also contended that American artists were exploiting the music, sampling artistes’ music and making them appear redundant.
Similar sentiments were also echoed in October 2019 by veteran Dancehall selector Foota Hype, after American Kanye West came to Jamaica to stage his Sunday Service. At the time Foota said there is a slew of American rappers and other artists who have either sampled or pirated Jamaican music, in order to redeem their faltering careers, remain relevant and fatten their bank accounts, while watering down the Jamaican artists.