Grange To Young Dancehall Artists At Sting Launch: “I Don’t Want To Hear You Continue To Sing About Scamming”
“I just want to say to the young ones that are now in Dancehall, that I want you to be positive in your lyrics; I want you to be respectful of women; I don’t want to hear you continue to sing about scamming, those of you who are doing so. And I don’t want you to sing about violence.”
That was the charge from Minister of Entertainment and Culture, Olivia Grange to young, upcoming Dancehall artists, as she gave her address at the launch of Sting 2022 at the Jamaica Pegasus in New Kingston on Tuesday night.
The Minister, who is a former Chief Executive Officer of Specs Limited and Spec-Shang Music and who also served as producer, arranger, and songwriter, in addition to being artist manager for Bounty Killer, Shabba Ranks and Patra, pointed out that she “came out of the belly of West Kingston, born and bred” and “knew what Dancehall was all about in the early days.”
“Dancehall is not just a music; it’s not just a genre, but is also a lifestyle. Dancehall has produced some great artistes and Dancehall has done a lot for Jamaica,” she declared.
“I want you to promote the positive things about Jamaica and about ‘livity’. Because if you don’t, you won’t last as long as the Bounty Killers, and the Shabba Ranks and the Beenie Man. You will not last as long. So you young artistes, you are talented but I want you to respect the music and to carry on the positive vibes and the positive tradition of those who paved the way for you,” Grange added.
Sting, which is set for the Grizzly’s Plantation Cove in St Ann on Boxing Day, December 26, will be dedicated to facilitating only young artists this year, as veterans, except for Kiprich, have been excluded from performing.
In a subsequent interview with Pelpa Time TV, the Minister reiterated her stance that artists must put out positive music or they will not be able to stand the test of time and will be forgotten.
“I want to use the opportunity to say to the young artistes, the new artistes of Dancehall that they are standing on the shoulders of great artistes; great Dancehall artistes and those who paved the way for them. They have a responsibility to ensure that they carry on the legacy and not go off track,” the St. Catherine Central MP said.
“It is not necessary to sing about scamming. It is not necessary to disrespect women. It is not necessary to be negative and promote violence. You can be positive, because you have a great music and you are talented and you can create lyrics that are uplifting and motivational that will stand the test of time like all the other great Dancehall music that has come before,” she added.
In expressing joy at the return of “The Greatest One Night Show on Earth”, during her address at the launch, Minister Grange had said that its seven-year absence had left a void in Dancehall, as the genre started out decades ago out of friendly clashes.
“There is a uniqueness about Sting. No other event has the vibe that Sting has. And there was a vacuum, when this particular event was discontinued. And so, I am happy to welcome sting back and to say to Supreme Promotions, that you have stood the test of time; you have persevered and now you are back,” she told the gathering.
“I know that the new Sting is going to bring back an excitement, a feeling of togetherness; a feeling of family. Because this event was missed. It was really, greatly missed. This is a true reflection of where Dancehall started and where it should go. Because it is friendly rivalry. And if you notice the artistes who have remained dominant in Dancehall are those who were there in the early days of Sting and helped to build the brand,” the Minister added.
In furtherance of her support of Supreme Promotions and Sting, Grange also shared a post highlighting aspects of the launch noting that: “Sting is back Jamaica”.
In March this year, Social Security Minister Karl Samuda, during a sitting of the Standing Finance Committee of Parliament, had charged Grange, to use her “charm and skills” to encourage new Dancehall artists to step up their lyrical game, as uninspiring and mediocre content being recorded by many of them, was causing them to miss out on millions.
Implying that there was monotony in the lyrical content that he was hearing in recent times, Samuda had said that he knew the artistes are competent lyricists and should be encouraged to display their musical mettle. He also asked Grange to encourage the youngsters to be “philosophical with their lyrics” as “the ones that are most successful are the ones with a philosophical base and a message”.
His request has come three weeks after Grange was asked by another politician, former House Deputy Speaker Lloyd B. Smith, to prod the artists with the rod of correction, as he raised a litany of concerns about Dancehall music’s current content.
Grange had, in response, told Samuda that the issue was also of concern to her, and that “we have come a long way but there is still a lot more to be done”.
A month prior at the Reggae Month Church Service and Launch, Grange had lamented the matter of many upcoming, and established Jamaican artists unfettered use of violent and sexually degrading lyrics in their songs, noting that based on the “difficulties” Jamaica was facing musicians ought to pay special attention to the lyrical content of their songs.
She had at the time, called on artistes and songwriters to steer clear of gun lyrics and other depraved types of content, and instead, use their lyrics to inspire, as it was for this reason Dancehall and Reggae have been long-known and embraced worldwide.
Weeks later Prime Minister Andrew Holness had told journalists that while he was aware of the many concerns being raised about the unsavory lyrics in much of the new music, the Government would maintain its hands-off approach, and not censor Dancehall artists or their lyrical content, even if depraved or degenerate, but would instead, continue to utilize gentle persuasion.