I DON’T NEED CONTROVERSY TO ‘BUSS’ Tall Up says her music is for everyone
Dancehall Queen Tall Up has lashed back at critics who have come out to say the entertainer is using controversy to help launch her career as a musician. In an interview with THE STAR, the dancerturned artiste said that while controversy does have the power to thrust one into the spotlight, she does not need it to get her break in the industry. The entertainer came under heavy criticism late last week after she posted a video of a man dancing to her Rocking Dolly song. Some Instagram users were disappointed in the entertainer, dubbing the video distasteful, and expressed that as an aspiring ‘dancehall’ artiste, the post was a wrong move by her. Speaking on the issue, Tall Up said that the video in question was submitted for her Rocking Dolly social media challenge. She explained that the competition asks for her fans to submit one-minute videos of themselves dancing to the song and that the competition was open to everyone — sexuality, race, and class aside. “First of all, let me just say this. I don’t need controversy to push my music. I am capable enough to get my name and my music out there using just my talent. I am a creative dancer and songwriter, and my career will take off without drama,” she said.
“With that said, I don’t try to get personal, and someone’s sexuality is their personal business. People are entitled to do whatever they want to do. A next thing, I am not doing music for just one particular set of people. Me love Jamaica and me love my people, but I am not just doing music for Jamaica and dancehall only. Me understand say we country nuh like certain things but they (homosexuals) are fans too, and, as an artiste, me can’t stop dem from support me song and dance to me song.”
PEOPLE’S SEXUALITY
The entertainer believes that sometimes Jamaicans get so caught up with people’s sexuality that they fail to see that music is universal and knows no division.
“I am not gay or bisexual, but if me can look past dem deh sup’m deh and just do music, then why others can’t do the same? We born come see it (homosexuality), and we a go dead and it a go still deh bout,” she said.
“People, and especially dancehall artiste, haffi start having a different outlook on things. We haffi start be fair and open-minded in music because is not just Jamaica we music a reach, and we also a travel and thing. Look how Shenseea and D’Angel come out wah day come say dem believe inna love, all kind of love.”
Tall Up, who has been eyeing a career in music professionally for the past two years, believes she has found her window into dancehall’s mainstream with Rocking Dolly. The single, she says, has been receiving huge support, especially on social media and in the dance, as selectors have been giving it heavy rotation.