Khago Says Entourages Should Be In The Crowd, Not Backstage

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a sea of men walking at light speed behind your favorite Dancehall artist. 

There’s a love-hate relationship between entertainers and the Dancehall entourage.  While some defend its benefit as a formidable barrier between the artist and danger – even a strategy to depict an air of importance – others say the posse can prove detrimental to an artist’s pocket and reputation. Leaning on the latter fence is Dancehall/Reggae singjay Khago, who believes the modern-day entourage is straying away from its cheerleading role. 

Speaking on Instagram Live on Friday, the Nah Sell Out artist referenced the approach he used while working with fellow act I-Octane to delineate an effective entourage. 

“When me and ‘Octane come out and we carry two bus load a people go a show, the whole a dem haffi go inna di crowd wid dem baygon and torch weh we buy dem,” he shared. “Two hundred man inna one bus…and di 200 man haffi go stand up inna di crowd, corner to corner, and we line dem out…a so it work.”

He encouraged his younger peers to employ the same strategy, highlighting the new norm of the hangers-on being cozy backstage. He recalled recently attending a show where “the backstage thicker than in the crowd and the artist go out pon stage and flop. Aye boy, yuh check seh when me and ‘Octane a run dis we can flop?”

As Khago sees it, there should be a noticeable separation between “superstars” backstage and non-performers, which he wants show promoters to enforce in contracts. 

“Dem yah upcoming artist yah carry 500 man backa dem and di whole a dem backstage… Any boy weh come round yuh, him better have him baygon and him horn. We nuh waan see no more a unno a come a people show wid 100 man; a five man we want backstage… When unno touch di show wid dah 100 man deh, unno betta put dem out inna the crowd – a worker dem, dem a nuh star. And even if you have upcoming artiste out deh, bring him inna di crowd wid him whistle a cheer fi yuh. A so we waan see the work.”

Beyond this, Khago supported the argument that camp followers can become a financial burden, adding, “as that artist get one million fi di show, it done deh so cause him have man a min’…”

Reasoning with youth at his Campbell’s Boulevard, Kingston, HQ last year, entertainment entrepreneur Romeich Major dished on entourage culture, positing that many artists would rather ditch the crew because of the expense, but opt for it as it discourages unwanted engagement. 

Yet, he remains wary of the extra men, saying they contribute to the mentorship resistance present in rising talent. 

“A di entourage a manage dem now enuh, not the manager,” Major said. “Di friend a seh this and a seh that and everybody inna yuh ears.”

His former signee Teejay also cautioned against shadowers in 2019, especially in his quest to carve an international brand.

“I was born alone and when I walk alone I get to hear my own footsteps; you don’t need 400 people around you, just the ones real to you and those who truly support you and were there from day one,” Teejay told The STAR.

“You also need to know the occasion that fits so many people. I’ve been working hard to gain a certain level of success and now that I’m aligned with corporate companies, not every occasion calls for a huge entourage.”

Bounty Killer has also advised against huge entourages since, according to him, it looks unprofessional.

“Suh mi nuh know weh some artiste thinkin or what they bringing or presenting, why they think they have to have these security and all a these things.  When you are the peoples champ, you don’t need all a dat.  Dat’s a mind thing.  It’s good fi have security, a one or two licensed firearm or police.  Yuh nuh need no 15, 20 man – nope!  Dats unprofessional,” Killer told TVJ’s Entertainment Report last year.

He added, “and most of these artist can’t control dem entourage.  If me a par wid a hundred person, everybaddy haffi work under my regard!  Anybaddy naw do dat, yuh have to leave my surrounding.  Caw yuh can bring mi dung, yuh haffi bring mi up.”