Arguing that dancehall has become too singles-driven, Billboard-charting producer Ainsley ‘Notnice’ Morris says the industry must produce more juggling rhythms, which bring together a number of artistes on one project, if it is to regain the level of international appeal it once had.

Notnice expressed that sentiment to OBSERVER ONLINE when contacted to respond to US-based dancehall artiste Kranium urging artistes to voice on rhythms without caring which other entertainers are on the project. 

Kranium had implied that because of dancehall artistes’ inability to put their egos aside in the name of collaboration, the music has lost its essence.

“If this dancehall gonna be nice again, we all gotta voice on any riddim we like and don’t care who’s on it,” he tweeted.

NotNice partially agreed with Kranium’s school of thought. The producer who has worked with the likes of Vybz Kartel, Popcaan, Quada, NotNice says return to juggling could make dancehall ‘great again’Jahvinci and many others, said artistes have lost their fervency to voice on juggling rhythms. He expressed that while singles are important to the overall development of the industry, juggling rhythms are just as important.

“I get weh him (Kranium) a say but I don’t think that’s the statement weh we fi make. For dancehall to be great again in my opinion, we need fi start put out more juggling. Majority a di song dem weh out now innu a singles,” he said. “We affi have juggling riddims in dancehall for it to have the impact it used to. When yuh deh party and a juggling riddim play, issa different vibe, a different energy. When different songs a mix in from different artistes a one a di best things innu.”

“Singles needed to but juggling a di thing. A deh so dancehall a come from. Not one-drop and den a next single mix in yah so, and a next single mix in deh so,” he added.

The producer went on to state that he has been trying to get artistes to collaborate on one  rhythm for a number of years but says he’s had no success. He expressed that based on the lack of interest in juggling   rhythms, it’s almost as if entertainers have forgotten its importance. 

“A years mi a try put it together and it nah work.  Di artiste dem nuh deh pan da juggling ting deh. Is like some a dem nuh understand di culture. And some a dem nuh care either,” he said. “Dem nuh see how important juggling riddims are to the industry, the foundation of the music. Some a di biggest dancehall hits come off juggling riddims. Juggling is weh keep the industry going. Most a di dancehall hits weh cross over internationally, come from a juggling.”

NotNice expressed that a part of the reason certain artistes refuse to voice on  rhythms  with some of their colleagues, is fear of friendly-rivalry. 

“A nuff artiste nuh wah go pan one riddim. Dem wah know who ago deh pan it, dem wah hear di songs dem and dem nuh wah gi dis man or dat man no strength. Is like dem fraid a likkle competition,” he shared.

 “Yuh cant say yah di baddest thing and yuh fraida competition and a feel if dis artiste deh pan di riddim dem might show yuh up. If yah go voice, just voice no matter the outcome and even if yuh wah know who deh pan di riddim, just ask fi ask sake, don’t make dat decide if yuh voice pan di riddim or not.”

Juggling rhythms were a major feature during dancehall music’s heyday of the late 1980s and 1990s. Pepperseed, Playground, Showtime and Bug are among the hard-hitting dancehall tracks which spawned a number of hit songs.

-Shereita Grizzle