COME this Saturday, veteran dancehall deejay Brigadier Jerry will be recognised and celebrated for his contribution to the development of the music during a special event set for Club Amazura in Queens, New York.

Organised by US-based Caribbean media and entertainment entity, Irish and Chin, the event seeks to honour veterans of the music while they are still around. The other past honouree is the late toaster U-Roy, who was celebrated in 2019 and was one of the last major events he participated in ahead of his passing the following year.

Brigadier Jerry sat down with the Jamaica Observer and shared his thoughts on being recognised in this way as well as his outlook on the state of reggae music at this time.

The 64-year-old artiste, whose given name is Robert Russell, shared his displeasure with the current state of the dancehall music, which he noted is overrun with crime and sex.

“Reggae and dancehall gone to the dogs right now, the way me see it. Just look at the women, look what them wearing and what dem a sing ’bout. Look on people like Shenseea and Spice, when they are going on stage look what they are wearing, everything expose. And then, the man dem, so so gun and crime. Everybody and tek up them nine, 10, and 11. Then there are so many of these artistes who instead of helping the young people with education, all they are doing is use the money to buy guns and ammunition,” he said.

Brigadier Jerry is encouraging the young artistes who have a great level of influence over the youth of the day to encourage them with positive actions.

“I am always giving God the glory and I am never gonna give up with the positive music and the culture. These young artiste must realise that the young people will listen to them and if all they are talking about is gun and violence, that’s what the young people will lean towards,” he noted.

With regard to the event this weekend, Brigadier Jerry expressed his appreciation for the gesture.

“What Chin is doing is a great thing and it has taken too long to be done… should have been done a long time ago, if I must say so myself. Ah me get the thing going as a Rasta deejay. Mi neva talk slackness yet, always keep it cultural and conscious. Mi buss a whole heap a artiste and yet nobody ever do anything like this for me before now. Mi see whole heap a di man dem who me help buss a get OD (Order of Distinction) and all these things. But Rasta nuh mix up inna bangarang, so dem nuh look pon me,” said Brigadier Jerry.

“So me appreci-love this to the max. Chin don’t know what him do for me by giving me this recognition. It is like the greatest honour… The crowning of Brigadier Jerry. This is drawing me out of the pit that I have been inna recent times. I know it should help me out of the stress and distress,” he continued.

The ‘pit’ he alluded to makes reference to his recent legal wrangling, which he was clear that he would not discuss. This relates to a shooting incident at a Jamaican restaurant in Connecticut in the United States in November 2019.

Brigadier Jerry, given name is Robert Russell, is an older brother of Sister Nancy. A member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, he came to prominence in the 1980s on sound system Jah Love Muzik.

He is considered by many to be U-Roy’s greatest student; a stable which includes Ranking Joe, Josey Wales, Charlie Chaplin, U Brown.

Relocated to New York for more than two decades, Brigadier Jerry’s hits songs include Pain, Jamaica Jamaica, and Gwan A School.