Queen Ifrica Says ‘Rich N Richer’ Artist Pablo YG Has “Crossover Talent”

Queen Ifrica has rained praises on Pablo YG, hailing the rising Dancehall artist as a highly talented youngster who she says can become a major crossover star.

The Lioness On The Rise singer made the declaration on Saturday when she shared a video clip of the St Ann native performing his hit song Rich N Richer for the 4ShootersOnly series, ‘From The Block.’

“One ting bout dah rock yah it aguh just tuff nuh matter wah.  Pablo YG yu talented yute like crossover talent,” Ifrica marveled.

“And all of the young talents male and female, including Valiant, 😊 keep at it music road is a rocky but rewarding Road suh 24 use music to fix tings… shift the frequency let Love Lead in the Music Richhhhhh🇯🇲,” she added.

Her praises of the 19-year-old ignited a firestorm as while some followers said that with the right guidance, Pablo could indeed become a huge superstar, others contended that Rich N Richer‘s lyrics were glorying lotto scamming and bigging up dons, among other things.

Queen Ifrica had to draw for her ‘motherly apron’ after one commenter replied that: “Him fi keep his trousers pulled up it’s not a good look he’s exposing his ass it’s disgusting tell him the real truth presentation have a lot to do with reggae and dancehall music!”

“Yes mi dear.  No lies told, but also remember he was cultured to accept that as normal to the point of believing it. It’s time we stop telling the yutes what to do and start showing them for a change. Dont you think?  Better role models are needed too yu seet,” Ifrica explained.

In September, Pablo told The Star tabloid that he believed Rich N Richer, which is featured on his Bad Juvi mixtape, was already proving to be a hit.  He had also said that he had placed high hopes on the song, which was produced by YGF Records, Poppinz Records and 23Recordz.

Since its release in July, Rich N Richer’s accompanying music video has accrued more than 7.2 million views on YouTube.   The Bad Juvi mixtape also topped the charts in three territories, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos and charted in other countries such as Barbados, St Lucia, the US and St Kitts and Nevis.

Pablo, whose given name is Romeo Hines, is described by VP Records as “one of the notable sounds to emerge from Jamaica.”  

“The multi-talented artist, deft in the genres of Reggae and Dancehall, combines upbeat tempo’s and eclectic sounds which pair for what some call his signature sound,” VP notes in Pablo’s biography, adding that his mission statement, is “to live honestly and stay true to myself” which “is expressed in the stories he tells in his music.”

“Pablo is influenced by his late father, his brother and the young crop of artists such as Skillibeng, Jahvillani and more.  He proudly represents the community of Crimetop, Jamaica,” the label adds.

According to VP, Pablo YG “enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks of Dancehall music in 2023”, resulting in his biggest hit to date, Rich N Richer, which the label describes as “a soulful mission statement that has resonated with millions for its message of resilience and ambition.”

“Since releasing his first single, Ready in 2020, he has worked steadily, finding his breakout moment in the last days of 2022 at Jamaica’s annual Sting Concert… In the months that followed, he surpassed 40 million views on his YouTube channel, was featured in a fashion campaign for a collaboration between Supreme and Clarks and earned one of dancehall’s hottest songs of the year with “Rich N Richer” released on his 14-track debut project, Bad Juvi Mixtape,” the label states.

According to the label, the artist got the nickname ‘Pablo’ in high school “after a teacher compared his skills on the soccer pitch to those of Argentinian football great Pablo Aimar, while the ‘YG’ came from his father, Mr. Groove, “a singer in his own right, who also had a hand in inspiring the younger Hines to pursue music.”

It noted that before rising to musical prominence in Jamaica, Pablo had built “a local buzz” in his community, performing at successive stagings of annual treats and events there, hitting the studio in 2020 with producer Spinaz YG Muzik, where he recorded Ready on the Wildside Riddim, and later other songs such as Sauce Gad, Changes and Postmortem.

Following his clash with Malie Don at Sting 2022, Pablo YG had told The Star that he was still on a musical high and was happy that he was given the opportunity to make his debut and showcase his talent on a show of that magnitude.

“There was only one thing on my mind when I got on stage and that was to mash up the place, and that is what I did,” said Pablo YG.

“When I was younger I always wanted to be an artiste, and from I realised that dream, my sights were set on performing on Sting. So really, this is a dream come true. I am happy that I got the chance to perform, and that I got such a big ‘forward’ from the crowd,” he had said.