In a press interview at the launch of Murder She Wrote- the 30th anniversary concert held recently at the Edward Seaga room at the Devon House, Dancehall Queen Carlene says Love & Hip Hop Star Spice has earned her title as Queen Of The Dancehall.
The 90s hit girl who has a child with King Of The Dancehall Beenie Man told WMV that Spice’s present DHQ title is a good look for dancehall while making it known that she was a trend setter for the original “Dancehall Queen” contest whcih gave her global fame.
“I put my work in, I am happy I could make my mark in, especially with the fashion. Of course I created a dance move, the ‘butterfly’, which put in all of this as a young dancer/fashion model that it would continue throughout my retirement, my not being here and so I am proud,” Carlene told WMV.
There were prevuous dancehall queens before but Carlene, real name Carlene Smith, brought the inner city Dancehall Queen competition into the spotlight when she won the title in 1992. Shortly after she became a Jamaican household name and made an appearance in the music video of the super popular version of the dancehall hit Murder She Wrote by Chaka Demus and Pliers, produced by Sly and Robbie, dancing in a blonde wig.
She can also be seen in Byron Lee and Dragonaires soca hit “Butterfly” wearing a black leather bikini bottom and top.
Her poster image and likeness was in every bar and shop across the country as she was the face of Slam Condoms.
She ironically played a role in Beenie Man’s 1996 hit “Nuff Gyal” music video as his “wife a him yard” who drove up in his “Honda Accord.”
In the meantime Spice who took the title of Dancehall Queen from Lady Saw after she entered gospel music and changedher stage name to Marion Hall has reigned uncontested due to viable contenders like Shenseea and Stefflon Don expressing that they have no interest in becoming a Dancehall Queen.
Stefflon Don, who has the song Clockwork with Spice told Anthony Miller of Entertainment Report that she does not want the title of Dancehall Queen even if her sales numbers surpass everyone.
“I would not call myself Queen of the Dancehall. Listen, Spice has that title and so be it. She deserves it. She’s been in the game a long time, from she was young, and she’s still killing it. I’m not the Queen of no Dancehall”
She continued, “I don’t just do Dancehall, I do a lot of other genres. So I do not claim that title at all – even if my numbers are more than anybody else’s.”
She might not want to be the Queen of Dancehall but Stefflon Don has the blueprint for how to make it internationally doing dancehall music in the streaming era.
Clockwork which has surpassed 6.8 million YouTube views. That achievement is light work for the U.K. native whose most viewed music video is the 2018 single ‘Calypo’ with Luis Fonsi which has surpassed 442 million streams.
With top streaming collaborations with some of the biggest stars in music, no other woman in dancehall music, past or present has as many solo or feature music videos with that many views.
Her next most streamed YouTube music video is her breakout single 16 Shots which is an ode to her mother.
The music video has over 200 million views and her top five music videos surpass a billion views.
The Boasty deejay has a total of 10 U.K. certifications, the most for any female Jamaican or descendant. She has a 6x Platinum Latin certifications by the RIAA(360,000), being on the single Bum Bum Tam Tam with Mc Fioti, Future, J Balvin, and Juan Magan. That song is also Diamond in France (250,000) and Platinum in Spain (40,000).
The 31 year old singer multi-genre artist who is yet to drop an album other top songs include Hurting Me featuring French Montana which peaked at number 7 on the U.K. singles chart. Instruction with Jax Jones
and Demi Lovato peaked at no. 3 in the U.K. Dance chart.
Stefflon Don real name Stephanie Allen is the first woman in dancehall to own her masters and get a label deal with Universal.
She has won Mobo NME Awards for best New Artist in 2017 and was nominated for a BET award in 2018 for Best International Act.
Meanwhile Spice’s sophomore album Emancipated sold 700 album units in the US in its first week and 1.1M streams according to data provided to World Music Views by Billboard sales trackers Luminate (formerly Neilson/MRC), Spice’s Emancipated total album sold during the period was Based on current streaming conversations the total album consumption rounds off to 1500 units including streaming according to our Luminate data correspondent.
