Dancehall News

Dancehall has always been a conversation. From the earliest sound system clashes to the studio combinations of the nineties, the music grew by putting two voices on one riddim and letting the sparks fly.

Reggae has always known how to hurt. Beneath the one drop and the warm bass, the music carries grief, exile, poverty and heartbreak, often sung so sweetly that the pain sneaks up on you halfway through the second verse.

Jamaica has always treated other people’s songs as raw material. In the sound system days, selectors hunted American R&B records and Kingston producers cut local versions to meet the demand, so the cover became part of the island’s musical DNA.

Every Jamaican wedding has a moment when the formal speeches give way to the bassline, the aunties find their feet and the groom finally loosens his tie.

A producer says he still has the original stems for the hook on “Janice STFU,” and he thinks they prove Drake took it.

Lil Baby didn’t drop a slick graphic or a cryptic teaser to announce his next album.

Masicka has never been one for long speeches, and his latest announcement keeps that streak alive.

Shaggy skipped the press rollout entirely. He went straight to social media with “BOOM BODY remix, run it up 💥,” a link, and nothing else.

Capleton isn’t waiting for anyone else to spread the word on “Heights Of Fire.” The veteran reggae and dancehall artist took to Facebook to share a write-up of the album, one that places him squarely “at the forefront of reggae music.”

The most surprising stat from Damian Marley’s big weekend might be a video chart. “Good Morning,” his new link up with dancehall artiste 450, went straight to No.