MOBAY ARTISTES ARE TAKING OVER – PRODUCER
Since the latter part of 2017, a new sound has emerged in Jamaica, and it has changed the musical landscape on the island.
This sound, which fuses ‘trap’ that originated in Atlanta, Georgia, with dancehall, has given rise to artistes such as Rygin King and Squash, both of whom are originally from MoBay.
With their music receiving heavy rotation at parties and on the radio, Atto Wallace of Attomatic Records and Hemton Music, which has produced songs for Rygin King and Squash, believes MoBay artistes are taking over dancehall.
“I think MoBay man dem a do dem own a thing. MoBay sound right now a tek ova dancehall, and the trap thing, the way them ride the rhythm and the new type of dancehall that is coming in, it kinda a separate them a likkle bit,” he told THE STAR.
But although it is different kind of sound, Wallace argued that the foundation of dancehall is very much present in their music.
“The bass, the kick, the way it run, it’s different. Yuh hear the bass and it is a slower pace music like how yuh hear the Missed Call from Rygin, yuh hear the Lavish (by Squash),” he explained.
He also said that artistes who do trap dancehall are able to separate themselves from other acts in the industry, although the songs that they sing are still considered as dancehall.
And Wallace expects this new wave to continue, as more artistes have been using this style.
“It a go continue because basically it is a new movement. Everybody right now want to do trap dancehall. If yuh pass through Hemton right now, everybody a ask fi trap rhythm, even artiste weh used to voice pon [hard-core] dancehall rhythm,” he said, pointing out that the popularity of hip-hop has given rise to the new genre.
Meanwhile, veteran producer Gussie Clarke thinks the abundance of foreign music being played on the radio in Jamaica has led to more persons doing trap dancehall.
“Young upcoming people who have talent and making music just can’t get them music play. What they do is make something that sounds like what is being played and, hope that it will get on to the radio, and hopefully, being ambitious, it will tek on in America,” he said.