Is a Jamaican ting fi have nuff gal and gal in a bungle, and even though man a millennium gallis, this specific affair of the heart has had me in love since 1991.

I can still remember every sway of her full body as she stepped into my life. Boof… Boof… Baff. A so di Champion juss a swing har heavy bottom end. Every man had to stop and show respect and every woman had to move whenever she was present. Exaggerated by a small miggle and a lean and playful top end. Her boom boom bumper danced through the streets of the ghettos like the Pied Piper amassing a following that grew exponentially despite prejudicial resistance.

I speak to you of dancehall music. My first love. I had the privilege of being captivated by her rhythm.

Back then she was a browning but she had many a different complexions before and has had even more since then. One time she was even half chiney. Ask Elephant Man or a singer called Swade and they’ll co-sign that fact.

We, the concerned, have championed her rights tirelessly through issues of exploitation, misappropriation, objectification, misogyny, misunderstood philogyny, elitism, hate, etc, etc… the list goes on. There are times we admittedly go too far while still carrying her banner as well as the banner of our country Jamaica, but understand if you can, that that is how many of us were trained. Her champions are expected to carry an aggressive demeanour because the attacks are many and her forces are usually disorganised and unsupported by state. Yet, we must protect our queen.

We saw a time, circa 2010, where she changed her flow yet again. Maybe tired of moving at such a rapid tempo in the preceding years, she opted for a more laid-back groove, calling for more and more infusion of external energies and influences. Opening doors for a new army of supporters. Some would argue that these new fighters for dancehall were ill-equipped and failed to take the battle across the oceans and seas. Others would say “that is the new sound” and “a so di yute dem a pree now and if you don’t like it, bite it”. Whatever the case, this change left many of the old guard weary and without the foresight to impart the knowledge and keys to the successors of the legacy. As a result authentic, Jamaican dancehall took the back seat for a while. Leaving only subtle hints woven through the fabric of other genres. Hence the rise of the two competing factions 90s and trap…war.

Then… came the blessing in disguise.

It’s almost as if the shutdown caused by the pandemic was music turning her face from many of her loyal supporters who chose to fight against each other instead of forming a unified front in the face of chaos. And it has worked wonders.

In the early stages we saw musicians turn toward almost madness at the feet of social media. Some becoming pseudo-bloggers, some simply using the blog or vlog as an excuse to really ‘faas’ and cast an opinion on other peoples’ business and others just straight up losing their minds. However, dancehall stayed resolute and did not reopen her arms. Things eventually quieted down and the “intro” was now over. Once again the drum, albeit a brand new drum, is beating and calling those who understand its language, “deejay ears cock up when dem hear boom riddim”. Tried and tested warriors are joining forces with younger, more eager, more socially intuitive ones. Man and man from different walks of life and different generations are making links to create sounds of greatness and it’s a beautiful thing. The drum, albeit a brand new drum, is beating in our hearts as well as in her’s (dancehall). She wants to move again, she wants to dance again, she waaan wine and go dung deh … and come back up and buss two blank inna di air… bung bang.

The reopening of the entertainment sector and governmental support could not have come at a more opportune time. My only hopes are that they do not pollute this new breeze with the thick, wicked air of classism and elitism nor the foul stench of recklessness and disregard for order. We all have our parts to play to make this work well. I spoke of the newer, younger warriors of dancehall. You, with more socially innovative minds, with more politically aware actions and execution, with more of an understanding of the inner workings of the business of the music. Join forces with the lifeblood. With the experienced and composed under pressure giants. With the tried, tested and proven generals and take head to the beat of the drum. Albeit a brand new drum.

In prep school Craig “Craigy T” Thompson was told that he wasn’t good enough to be a part of the school choir. Since then , the disappointment of hearing ‘you’re not good enough’ has been a driving force for this artiste, and has played a major role in his musical development over the last two decades.

The passion for music fermented while attending high school at Campion College in Kingston, Jamaica, where he and his friends formed the now celebrated dancehall quartet T.O.K.

The group created history by being the first ‘uptown’ group to break into the dancehall fraternity and landed their breakthrough single Eagle Cry on the Bruk Out rhythm produced by Dave Kelly, that went number one in 1999. This was the turning point in Craigy T’s career. The group continued to release more hit singles including Guardian Angel, Footprints and Gal You a Lead. The momentum of recording hit songs continued and opened the doors for the group to start touring Europe and the Caribbean before moving on to tour Africa and especially Japan where T.O.K raked in platinum and certified gold selling albums. The group also hit the worldwide Billboard Hot 100 charts five times.

In 2016 the members of the group decided to take on solo careers, and eventually has stopped recording as a group. Craigy T took the T.O.K split as an opportunity to focus more on solo projects and his GAFJAM Records label, thus far he has seen a successful solo journey with brand new singles; new solo material for Craigy T have included controversial SHS Entertainment produced SundayAfternoon, as well as Baad a Yaad and Stop Chat. His GafJam Records Label has also released a full juggling project No Apology which features artistes including General Degree, Hawkeye, Darrio and Beenie Man.

Craigy T has also offered his expertise as a judge on the popular televised talent show Digicel Rising stars and rotates as a host on the afternoon television magazine Daytime Live.