Cyrus Langhorne
Singer Sean Paul has social media buzzing after singling out hip-hop stars Drake and Kanye West. The dancehall musician targeted Drizzy and Yeezy over not giving his genre credit for their chart-topping hits.
Paul explained a lot of local musicians’ feelings toward various artists including Ye and Drake amid their recent dancehall-influenced songs.
“It is a sore point when people like Drake or Bieber or other artists come and do dancehall-orientated music but don’t credit where dancehall came from and they don’t necessarily understand it,” he says, shaking his head. “A lot of people get upset, they get sour. And I know artists back in Jamaica that don’t like Major Lazer because they think they do the same thing that Drake and Kanye did – they take and take and don’t credit.” (The Guardian)
Sean noted Drake’s recent chart-topping Views album as proof of his dancehall influences.
While Paul says he’s a fan of Drake (“I love some of his songs but I don’t think he’s the best rapper”) the bashment hooks and patois phrases used in Views From The Six are seen by Paul as less of a homage to dancehall and more of an exploitation. He’s not alone. In May, respected dancehall figure Mr Vegas openly attacked Drake as a fake for not fully crediting his Jamaican influences. (The Guardian)
Earlier this year, reggae singer Mr Vegas called out Drake.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOFnKIsdK7E
Canadian singer Justin Bieber‘s dancehall-inspired “Sorry” music video blew up last fall.
