Dancehall selector Boom Boom has declared himself the Greatest of All Time (GOAT). At Uptown Mondays this week, he brought a ram goat onstage to illustrate his point, as he played dancehall artiste Own Waay Iyara’s latest single, Di GOAT Get Weh.

“Ah me ah the GOAT,” the Billboard Selector declared, while he danced onstage, pulling the reluctant ram goat by a rope in his right hand. Dancers wearing devil and horned masks also danced onstage beside the popular selector.

The use of live animals in dancehall is not a new concept. In the past, Spice brought a donkey onstage at Sting for her clash with Macka Diamond, one famous dancer used free range chickens while Masicka used live crocodiles in his music videos.

“The patrons dem love it, right now, Iyara find the song, the GOAT get weh, the song ah gwaan good inna the streets, the forward massive, the people dem love the energy. Mi just want the rest of the deejay all over the world gwaan play it because yu see the impact when mi play it all over, Boom Sundays, Uptown Mondays, yu see when it play a Boasy Tuesdays and Leggo Di Streets, the GOAT get weh,” Boom Boom, whose real name is Marlon Wizard, said.

However, Pamela Lawson, managing director of the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA), was not amused at the goat gimmickry. She slammed the use of a goat at the dancehall event, calling it ‘ridiculous’ and ‘unnecessary’.

“It’s not appropriate to be honest nor does it give value or benefit to his performance. Quite a ridiculous and unnecessary part of the performance. Sorry, don’t see any reason to support the animal being involved,” Lawson said.

However, Boom Boom believes the gimmick is all about fun and games, and highlighting the GOAT status. The Boom Brand Ambassador also took time out to praise fellow selectors of his generation who he said were GOATs in their own right.

“To tell you the truth, we have to big up the deejay dem who de there before, ah dem set it because back inna the days, dem call demself dinosaur, because you know dinosaur caan turn goat, and goat caan turn dinosaur, so the legendary dem ah the dinosaur and some call dem self-crocodile, but in my generation, we ah the GOAT,” he said.

Boom Boom said he was informed of the GOAT designation through a conversation with Chi Ching.

“Mi have to big up Chi Ching, because him first look pon me and say yu a GOAT, you know the definition of GOAT, and mi say ‘no’ and him say the greatest thing, yu see it, so mi start run with the slang say mi ah the GOAT and it ah work. But big up the ones who have gone before but dem done say dem a dinosaur and GOAT cannot be a dinosaur and dinosaur caan turn GOAT,” he said.

Boom Boom bigged up a few other outstanding talents of his generation such as Flabba Dabba, Ikel Marvelus, Gugumental, DJ Lollipop, Bishop Escobar, DJ Ruxie, Harry Hype, Milo, Hotta Rice, Tom and Ravers, and Randy Rich.

Dancehall artiste Own Waay Iyara, who conceptualised the GOAT. song, is ecstatic at the buzz.

“I came up with the idea, mi no get what is rightfully mine but mi still remain present in the Game, mi is a underground GOAT in the game but mi need to move, the rope buss, mi move from underground and the GOAT get weh, Iyara is not underground anymore, mi have a solid team ah mi foot, so the rope buss,and the GOAT get weh,” he said.

“Mi see artiste rise and make a mark and rub out, but Iyara mark indelible, dem caan move me,” he said.

There are plans to shoot a video for the ‘GOAT Get Weh’ single.