Bounty Killer Says Afrobeats In The Lead, While Dancehall Held Back By Unappealing, Silly Content

Bounty Killer has attributed the perceived stagnancy in present-day Dancehall to what he described as the “fool-fool”, internationally unappealing topics, such as Obeah and lotto scamming (chopping), around which upcoming artists are centering their songs.

Speaking in an interview with I Never Knew TV, Bounty weighed on the inertia in the music, pointing out that much of the songs being released — while they are ‘full of lyrics’ — lack grooves and melodies and contain downright silly content, which music lovers in and outside of Jamaica are not interested in listening.

He said that unless this problem is remedied, Dancehall will remain in the perceived doldrums and not regain the acclaim it once held.

“It’s just the topics.  Dancehall artists don’t have any topics.   They are stupid.  They are singing some regional things; some corner argument.  They are not singing household argument where every household understand what this means.  Chappa argument, scamma pan corna; dat not relatable.  People caan relate to that in every nation and every country. How far that goes? Fool-fool.  People jus a sing fi roun di road the road. So that’s why Afrobeats a lead…,” a seemingly exasperated Bounty said.

“So the [Dancehall] artists they are very talented, even more than me.  Caw di style weh dem a use and di different things great.  But the topic stupid.  We need to look in the world and choose a topic fi suit we and them… universal topic or relatable argument, household topics, weh every household understand  and can relate. And then, Dancehall will get back to the fore.  But nuttn nuh wrong wid Dancehall.  All Dancehall a do is lose the feel.  The music and the topics not right,” he posited.     

Bounty Killer said that in examining the work of Afrobeats artists with which Jamaicans are being compared, though the Africans’ songs, for the most part, are lacking in lyrics, unlike most upcoming Jamaican artists, they offer music lovers the key elements of music that become global hits: internationally relatable topics, melodies and grooves.

“Afro have topic.  Afro don’t even have lyrics.  Afrobeats don’t even have lyrics; they a have a lot of melody, groove and topic,” he said.

He then cited Burna Boy’s Ye as an example: “Ye, ye.  Dat a lyrics?  Dat a  topic.  Ye, ye, we know what Ye Ye Ye, mean… those are topic and di melody.  Style melody topic.  Simple!”

Turning to one of his own songs, Look Into My Eyes , Bounty said it was evident why simpler songs would be bigger hits than the lyric-laced Madhouse-produced track.

“Look into my eyes tell me what to see can you feel my pain.   A whole heap a lyrics dat comparing to Burna Bwoy Ye Ye Ye, enuh.  An Ye Ye Ye is a bigga song enuh.  Caw Ye Ye Ye easy fi catch.  Him nuh want suh much lyrics; him jus want “ye ye ye”.  One word, with a lot a melody an di beat nice and full a style and groove.  Wi nuh want nuttn more,” the Coppershot artist said.

“Jamaican music too technical.  Dem a do all type a ting an dem a sing inna metaphor, like dem nuh really waan yuh know weh dem a seh.  You make it simple technical, not technically technical.  Dis is how Dancehall music is today.   Technically technical, they are making the songs like it’s a test.  You have to figure out can puzzle it out.  Nobody don’t want to puzzle music,” the Warlord stated.

Continued Bounty Killer: “We want music to relieve our stress…  we don’t want music fi stress out wi brain and wi ears a fight fi hear because yuh a  sing inna yuh nose an all dem suppm deh.  Dat a mash up Dancehall. Is the creativity.  They are not creative anymore.  Any likkle foolishness a gwaan a man want come tun it inna song.”        

Turning to the international market, Bounty questioned whether the artists have been considering the fact that the content of their songs will only take them so far and no more, unlike artists like Charly Black, who, while not considered huge in Jamaica, has sold gold in the US, and has a massive overseas following.

“How much nation yuh si a falla di likkle foolishness weh yuh a sing?   When yuh a meck a song, look pan di nation and di world and talk to wi.  Don’t look roun a Waterhouse or Calaloo Bed or Seaview an a meck di song,” he advised.  

“That’s Dancehall problem – the topics.  The topics are limited.  None a di chapppa artiste nuh big like Charly Black.  Party Animal .  Everybaddy know bout party.  Di word party big inna every nation.  Which nation don’t party?  Simple.  So a dat.  Our artiste dem don’t choose di topic right.   Di argument is regional and wi a sing inna wi own dialect and wi a talk to wiself.  Suh dem music deh just go in di diaspora,” he said.

In bolstering his point that simplicity was key, Bounty cited Skillibeng’s Whap Whap , which he said, while considered nonsensical, was catchy with simple lyrics that foreigners could quickly grasp.

“Watch Skillibeng.  Whap Whap – and dem seh a eediat song.  It catchy! No bag a technical and foolishness. Simple.  That’s what the music need to go back to – simple.  Why yuh think di 90s dancehall is the best one?  Dem nuh want no bag a technical suppm weh a tell yuh fi do all these foolishness,” he said.

“That’s why 90s dancehall is the best one caw it naw tell yuh no lie.  It just talk to you and tell yuh di truth.  It just free.  No petticoat,” he emphasized.

The content of the music, the Warlord warned, was not even impressing the Jamaicans in the Diaspora, who themselves are unable to relate to or do not support the scamming lyrics.

“So it’s like our music selfish.  It is not making for the universe; it’s just making for the Diaspora.   It’s like as far as Jamaican people deh, a deh suh mi music a guh.    Caw you are singing just content that suits us.   How much people know wha chappa mean?  People nuh know what dat mean.   More time Diaspora people don’t know wha yuh mean by chap.  Dem think a grass yuh a chap.  Betta yuh did seh scam, caw di world know scam,” he said.

“And den now, how much people a celebrate scam?  Because dat’s a criminal act.  Suh a criminal we a sell?   Obeah and dem foolishness deh?  We need fi fix it. Wi can’t deh come wid dem fool-fool topic deh.   Suh di slang suppm dem, dem nuh guh far,” he added.

Watch the full interview below.