Reggae artist Sean Paul isn’t happy that today’s artist are using dancehall without giving credit to the genre’s forefathers.
The “Gimme the Light” singer, who helped propel dancehall into mainstream territory in the early 2000’s, took shots at “Controlla” artist Drake and “Sorry” crooner Justin Bieber for appropriating the genre.
“It is a sore point when people like Drake or Bieber or other artists come and do dancehall-orientated music but don’t credit where dancehall came from and they don’t necessarily understand it,” he told The Guardian. “A lot of people get upset, they get sour. And I know artists back in Jamaica that don’t like Major Lazer because they think they do the same thing that Drake and Kanye did – they take and take and don’t credit.”
Paul, who became an independent artist a few years after dancehall lost a lot of popularity in the Unites States, told the outlet that the patois lingo Drake uses on “Views From The Six” is exploitative.
Paul isn’t the only artist who’s been critical of the way artist have used dancehall since it has regained popularity in the states. Mr. Vegas called Drake “fake” for not crediting any Jamaican artists on his latest album.
Though Paul and other artists aren’t happy with the state of dancehall in pop culture, the “I’m Still In Love” artist said he hopes to push the genre’s true vibes to the forefront with his new album. He said this is especially important since many Jamaican dancehall artists can’t get a visa to work and tour in the states.
“Dancehall is back but this time it’s also infused with Afrobeat, with hip-hop, with trap, and that’s fine with me,” he said. “Sure, I would like what we do in Jamaica, that authentic dancehall, to be on top, but it simply isn’t. So I want this album to bridge that gap.”
H/T Vibe
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