The sound of young Jamaica has been a constantly evolving, musical feast ever since local recordings began. Styles and faces come and go but every so often a singer or deejay will free themselves from the pack and define an era. Such artists are lightning rods. Their music tells a people (and now a worldwide community of dancehall followers) who they are, where they’ve been and where they’re headed.
Busy Signal is still in his early twenties. He’s only been a professional artist for little over four years, and yet his songs and the way he expresses them are now the pulse by which modern-day dancehall is measured. Witness for example, the power of “Jail”, which he wrote about his own brief stay in a US jail – an episode he’s now transformed into a master class for others. Continue reading →
The difficult task of remaining on top of billboard charts in Jamaica and overseas have motivated many talented dancehall artists to dig deep within their lyrical library for songs that would give them staying power. Predictably, many artists are unable to dig deep enough to remain competitive and as a result had their careers wiped out before they even got a chance to release an album. The year 2008 was arguably one of the most exciting, colorful and eventful periods in dancehall history, because it gave birth to talented individuals and forced veteran artists to “step up their game.” 
The clash was a draw. This seems to be the consensus among people within the entertainment industry, following the war of words between Vybz Kartel and Mavado at Sting on Friday night at Jamworld, Portmore, St Catherine.