Bounty Killer has ascribed the perceived stagnancy in modern Dancehall to what he calls “fool-fool” issues, such as Obeah and lotto fraud (chopping), that rising musicians are basing their songs.
Bounty commented on the music’s inertia in an interview with I Never Knew TV, pointing out that many of the songs being published, while ‘full of lyrics,’ lack rhythms and melodies and include simply ridiculous content, which music listeners in and outside of Jamaica are not interested in listening to.
He claims that unless this issue is addressed, Dancehall will remain in the doldrums and will never achieve the acclaim it once had.
According to Bounty Killer, when comparing the work of Afrobeats artists to that of Jamaicans, while the Africans’ songs, for the most part, lack 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.
Bounty used Burna Boy’s hit song ‘Ye’ to back up his allegation, alleging that the song lacks lyrical value.
He said “Ye, ye. Dat lyrics? Dat a topic. Ye, ye, we know what Ye Ye Ye, mean… those are topic and di melody. Style melody topic. Simple!”
When it comes to the foreign market, Bounty wonders if the singers have addressed the reality that the content of their songs will only get them so far, unlike performers like Charly Black, who, while not regarded as huge in Jamaica, has sold gold in the US and has a massive abroad fanbase.
Bounty mentioned Skillibeng’s Whap Whap as an example of simplicity, saying that while it was regarded as senseless, it was catchy with simple lyrics that Westerners could readily absorb.
The Warlord cautioned that the music’s content was not even impressing Jamaicans in the Diaspora, who are unable to relate to or support the deceptive lyrics.
