Reggae artist Sizzla is addressing his grievances with DJ Khaled for the first time, two years after he was seen burning several Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) plaques.
Speaking with The Fix podcast, the “Dry Cry” singer explained, “Honestly, there is no business issue in burning the plaque with Khaled,” dispelling popular beliefs that Khaled owes him anything.
He continued, “The principle is that I can’t see my name, with the miniature font. It was my name that you loved so much that brought you to that stage, and I can’t see my name. Sizzla is still Jamaica, and Jamaica is Sizzla. So why is it that I can see your name, but I can’t see mine?”
“People are going to say it’s that little name that got you the big name,” Sizzla added. He also mentioned that Khaled had not returned the favor by appearing on his projects. “There’s a lot to it, but we might not say everything due to what we’ve inked. Because if I do something for you, you should be doing something back for me. And you haven’t been on any records for me, and I’ve been on records for you. According to our contract, you should be doing some other stuff,” Sizzla stated.
In December 2022, Sizzla was seen burning two plaques sent to him by DJ Khaled in an early morning fire at his Judgment Yard compound.
He publicly criticized DJ Khaled, accusing him of disrespect and symbolically burning the two plaques that Khaled sent him. These plaques commemorated the Platinum certification of Khaled’s albums “Grateful” (2017) and “Father of Asahd” (2019), to which Sizzla had contributed.
During a fiery ritual at his Judgment Yard compound in Jamaica, Sizzla removed the images of Khaled’s sons from the plaques before burning them, highlighting his respect for children saying, “Children are an heritage onto the Lord and the fruit of the womb is the reward.” Following he quote of the scripture he said, “Babies are innocent, Ashad, big up yuhself.”
He accused Khaled of exploiting Jamaican artists and culture for personal gain, a sentiment echoed by many of his fans. They labeled Khaled a “culture vulture” and criticized him for prioritizing his image over the contributions of the artists.
The RIAA Gold & Platinum Program is the music industry’s premier program for celebrating artistic achievement in the marketplace. Recipients join the ranks of the most iconic recording artists, meeting rigorous standards to earn Gold, Platinum, or Diamond certifications.
The plaques given to Sizzla for his contributions to Khaled’s albums “Father Of Asahd” and “Khaled Khaled” were for sales achievements directly from the RIAA, not from DJ Khaled himself.
Khaled has played a crucial role in promoting dancehall and Jamaican culture through his music and his Instagram page, which has 28 million followers, where he frequently shares cultural elements. His last two albums were partially recorded in Jamaica, and he is a regular presence during “album mode” at the luxurious Rio Chico resort, known as ‘Holy Mountain,’ in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.
Over the years, several Jamaican artist have done collaboration with American acts who received no artist credit on the song. Agent Sasco’s collaborations with Kanye West ‘I’m In It’ and ‘Blacker The Berry’ with Kedrick Lamar finds his name missing from the title.
Kanye West Donda albums feature Shenseea on ‘Ok OK. Pt. 2,’ ‘Pure Souls’ featuring Roddy Rich and ‘Believe What I Say’ with vocals from Buju Banton. Neither artists are credit and are yet to receive plaques although the songs have sold Gold in the US.
