Snoop, mi like yuh as a rapper, but low dancehall ting, low reggae ting, mi no like yuh as no Snoop Lion. Weh yuh get lion from?’
“They need to block Snoop,” said Lady Saw. Saw was speaking after her performance at the weekly Behind The Screens concert held at Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records recently.
Lady Saw was quizzed on what the implications of Snoop Lion entering the reggae market would be for Jamaican reggae artistes, especially those who harbour ambitions of making it to the top of the genre internationally.
The Queen of Dancehall did not approve of Snoop Dogg’s switching from rap music to reggae.
“Snoop, mi like yuh as a rapper, but low dancehall ting, low reggae ting…, mi no like yuh as no Snoop Lion. Weh yuh get lion from? Not your business, leave it alone,” said a perturbed Lady Saw.
Snoop Lion, formerly Snoop Dogg, changed his name last year and revealed that he would be pursuing a career as a reggae artiste.
Lion’s first reggae album, Reincarnated, was released on April 23 of this year, selling 21,000 copies in its first week. The album debuted at number 1 on the Reggae Billboard Chart and at number 16 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.
The album boasts hits such as Lighters Up, No Guns Allowed and La La La and features Jamaican artistes: Mavado, Popcaan and Mr Vegas, as well as popular foreign acts Drake, Akon and Miley Cyrus.
Saw claims there is much infighting in Jamaican music, but that the artistes would be better served if they realised where the real problems are and how to fix them.
“We acting like children, puss and dog, crab inna barrel ting. Yuh ain’t going nowhere with all them behaviour, wah kinda music yuh going put out?” said Saw.
“It’s best we argue with Snoop than people arguing with me,” said Saw.
The Grammy in the category of reggae music, which was first established in 1985 with Black Uhuru copping the award, was last won by Jimmy Cliff. Many Jamaicans don’t see the awards as credible, because the winners are usually not representative of popular artistes on the island.
“I see foreigners taking over the music. It’s not our music anymore,” said a concerned Saw.