Dancehall acts have performed at the Garden before such as Buju Banton who in 2007 sold out the 5000 capacity theatre, but no dancehall artist comes to the stage anywhere in the world with more Billboard chart topping hits than Sean Paul.
Sean is the most streamed dancehall artist on Spotify of all time and his cultural fluidity allows him to cross genres with an ease only few artist enjoy. Hip Hop culture identifies him as the international face of dancehall, and his inclusion in the “Hip Hop 50” concert is a testament to the responsibility he has, to carry Jamaican culture everywhere he goes. A task he tells WMV that he takes seriously by honoring those who cleared the path for him in the 80s and 90s, but he laments that younger acts don’t always show the same respect to him, even as he tries to encourage them.
Can you share your thoughts on the electrifying atmosphere during the Hot 97 ’50 Years Of Hip-Hop’ celebration concert at Madison Square Garden?
Yow, you can’t describe them atmosphere deh, you just had to be there because 50 years of celebration, 50 years of feeling this music that really talks for us as urban people a.k.a. black people. It was an awesome thing and to be involved it was monumental for me.
What was it like performing alongside other iconic artists like Wu-Tang Clan, Mary J. Blige, Diddy, and EPMD?
Performing alongside such great artists and acts, it’s always a dream come through to be considered in the ‘rap pack’ or considered in the hit crowd, me just glad fi represent fi dancehall every time. I mean Wu-Tang Clan, Mary J Blige, Diddy, EPMD, so much greats was there and so for me to be the only billed dancehall artist it was a really special thing for me.
We saw you with P. Diddy but you’ve never collaborated with him..how come?
P. Diddy always show me nuff respect and say ‘alright bro you doing it big’, and it’s a matter of time (before we collaborate), I said it to him this time we been knowing each other for more than 20 years and we need to get with some of your acts like French Montana, so we will see if he stands up to his word. He was like ‘yo imma give you a call man’, so hopefully that will happen. I know he just released an album so big up to him. We deh yah a work, one day they will all notice my greatness.
Your Instagram post mentioned “DancehallNahStall.” How do you see dancehall’s role in the evolution of hip-hop, especially on its 50th anniversary?
Dancehall’s role in the evolution of Hip Hop is significant. I even said it on the stage. I had a post that said “One Dancehall as well with the picture of me and Teejay. Big up Teejay and his whole team. I am proud of the steps that eh is making and the vibes that he is putting out.
If I don’t endorse that it means I hate that and I am another crap in the barrel trying to drag him down. It always happens to me, when my song is on top the most people give me is a real hypocritical face and I don’t like it, especially from my own genre. They wish it was them and so at this point in time I send love to him and write ‘dancehall yah stall’ ’cause a lot of people don’t understand the amount of power dancehall as a music and culture has brought to genres like Hip Hop and Reggaeton and Afrobeats and the Pop world. So I will still be waving the flag constantly and try to bring young acts up like Chi Ching Ching, and big up all the great ones doing it one their own now like Masicka and man like Teejay. Greatness.
In what ways do you believe dancehall and hip-hop continue to influence and inspire each other?
Dancehall has always helped to influence what Hip Hop in a certain aspect has done and so has Hip Hop influenced us. It’s a symbiotic thing, it’s people talking about their likes and dislikes, about their dreams and aspirations, good times and bad times. its real music, it’s not like the ‘baby baby I love you,’ its real music talking about real life events most of the time. Yes, some of it is embellished here and there, but mostly its talking true things to each generation that comes up, so its a really heartfelt music to the people that identify with these type of lifestyles.
Can you share your perspective on the historical connection between DJ Kool Herc, the founding father of hip-hop, and Jamaica’s dancehall culture?
That’s arguable too, there are some people who don’t believe that Kool Herc started Hip Hop, it’s a whole movement. Kool Herc definitely had a great deal to do with the genesis of Hip Hop and he came from Jamaica and took the Sound System culture which was prevalent in Jamaica for a long time. There are some people who fight that and say there were a lot of other people involved but you can’t leave out the big players and lotta people try to discredit what dancehall’s impact has been on that culture. We are one of the most influential and strongest music in the world and culture. We influence from Hip Hop to reggaeton, to Afrobeats to Pop world, which other music have you seen do that, integrated in all these things and still is running 20 years later. Look at me, I am an artist that had hit songs 20 years ago and I am still streaming very strong right now, competing with some of the best artists in the world. So Dancehall Yah Stall. Never.
How do you feel about the cultural significance of Madison Square Garden as a venue for hip-hop events like this one?
For the Hip Hop 50th anniversary by a big station like Hot 97 to be held in Madison Square Garden its a huge thing. The first six years in the advent of Hip Hop lotta people didn’t give it any respect. It wasn’t even recorded, they had to do it at block parties and in the streets, and so the underdog has risen to the point where we are not the main culture on earth. Hip Hop and the associated dancehall reggae culture are the main strong cultures on earth. There are a few Hip Hop billionaires and that doesn’t happen in every genre. Especially for a minority movement like Hip Hop it’s amazing to see people like Diddy and Sean Carter become the movers that they have become. The significance of Hip Hop doing a 50th anniversary in Madison Square Garden with such a prestigious event shows that the underdog has now become the main dog. Powerful ting that.
Are there any specific artists or moments from the ’50 Years Of Hip-Hop’ celebration that left a lasting impact on you?
Biggie, being that he comes from Jamaica and was so awesome with his style, his flow was flawless, and he had a unique perspective as a Jamaican kid. Busta Rhymes another Jamaican, I was so proud to see and blaze the fire. Slick Rick, another Jamaican. Outside of Jamaicans, LL Cool J, such a suave character for the girlsthem. Method Man, Wu-Tang, I look up to in the business, I am amazed at what they have done and how they present the talk from their block to the world. Run D-M-C was a group I looked up to. The entire Wu-Tang, I saw Dutty Cup as a Wu-Tang, you had breakout people like Method Man and ODB and they came back as a group, its a brotherhood. My crew Dutty Cup is not all together, big up t Looga Man, R.I.P to chicken and R.I.P to Daddy Gon, but I saw us as that type of group, maybe the content was not the same but the sentiment of the group was.
What message or insight would you like to convey to your fans and the audience who continue to support your contributions to both hip-hop and dancehall music?
The fans, I owe it all to them or else I would be another deejay, MC as they call it just spitting rhymes on the black or in the bathroom. if it wasn’t for the people who love my music and emulate and put it on a pedestal then I am just somebody with a talent. There are many people I know with a talent but this game of being a modern day musician is not only just the talent. It has a great deal to do with your talent but also you have to be willing to go through the BS and red tape and humble yourself when you know you are better than what’s being presented out thereas great. You have to come with the certain swag and look and appeal. Songs like Deport them lotta women might take it as disrespect but, it was just pushing fun, then I have Rockabye which is empowering women and their contribution to society. I have been a versatile type of deejay or artist and I just encourage younger dancehall acts to be that way.
Who are you heroes in music?
When I look at one of my heroes on the music, Papa San, he was somebody who had funny and smart songs. Songs for five minutes and no hook and he was a very versatile deejay. The four deejays who are the nucleus of what I do is definitely Super Cat, Shabba Ranks the steps he took and walls he broke down, the among songs and riddims he chose. Papa San and Major Worries are the talent pool I emulated. There are others I can mention like Spragga Benz, Buju Banton, Sizzla Kalonji, Bounty Killer and Beenie, all of these people help to influence me by showing me the way with hit songs and hot performances. Big top Tiger and Lt. Stitchie as well. They all help me to see the way and that’s why I don’t understand young artists that don’t show respect to older ones. Even if you didn’t learn from Professor Nuts, he set the pace for other artists that you did learn from. For any other young cat or young artists weh nah show the respect to even reggae icons, I don’t see them going a far way because if you don’t respect the root, you not the truth.
