I-Octane Claims G.O.A.T. Status In The ‘Real World’

Dancehall star I-Octane has described himself as “an elite performer and one of the greatest artists Jamaica has ever seen.”

Responding to questions from Television Jamaica’s Anthony Miller, about where he fits in “the new Dancehall in Jamaica,” the Puff It artist declared that while he is the stuff of which legends are made in what he described as “the real world,” unlike some elders in the music, he cannot bash young artists, who are making a name for themselves in the “internet world,” or berate them for being weak performers.

“But yuh haffi understand seh nuff yute, a dem belly dem a crawl pan.  Suh dem only a do weh dem know.   Nuff yute weh yuh si pan stage, a dem best dem a do, and yuh can’t kill a man fi a do him best,” Octane said.

“Suh not because I am an elite performer and one a di greatest artiste Jamaica eva see, dat nuh mean seh me, meself a guh ridicule a next individual…,” the Wine and Jiggle artist added.

According to I-Octane, he had experienced a barrage of criticisms as a young artist coming up in the business, albeit not for being weak as a performer, but for being confident and strong onstage, and so empathizes with the young artists, who have not solidified their onstage performances.

“Di generation before di yute dem, weh a cuss di yute dem, a same suh dem usually do me.  When me teck di chaallenge and seh mi a guh close Sumfest, bare man inna di business before mi cuss mi seh: ‘him jus hype, choo him sign to Digicel him a gwaan like a him a run di place’.   An if mi did follow dem, mi woulda fail,” Octane said.

As for the expanded role of social media/internet in propelling  Jamaican artists to the rest of the world, I-Octane said that while he has not mastered the internet space, his legendary status is undisputed and lies in “the real world.”

“Well Listen now: yuh si inna di real world, mi dope; mi a legend inna di real world.  Inna di internet world, mi a new artiste; mi nuh buss yet.  Caw yuh haffi rebrand yuhself inna di internet world,” he said.

“Dem individual deh weh break now; they were some a di individual weh dem neva get a opportunity by some a di prominent producers dem, because dem seh dem couldn’t sing, an dem couldn’t do nuttn.  Suh di yute dem find one way now fi build some riddim weh nuh sound like Dancehall an dem voice dem fren and dem become a sensation on di internet,” he added.

According to Octane, older artists like himself will now have to seek to master the craft of using the internet to push their music.

“Suh we now as who come before dem, haffi learn dem ting deh.  Caw weh di yute dem a do a some great ting dem a do.  So in dat world, the internet world, I am a young artiste.  Mi nuh buss inna di internet world. But inna di real world, (I am) Globe Boss,” he stated.

As for the ‘chappa’ music, which has been quite dominant in the Jamaican music landscape, the Clarendon native said that he would also not bash the youngsters who chose this line of lyrics to make a name for themselves in the music industry.

“Mi caan falla some people an bash di yute dem bout chap songs, when yuh have white collar criminal bout yah a chap.  Look how much people money a missin outta bank account, eeh? An dem only a get a slap pan dem wrist.  An get one three, four years an guh weh.  Suh yuh have people weh a do dem ting deh, but yuh have di yute dem weh a sing bout it,” he emphasized.