According to DancehallMag, Legendary Reggae and Dancehall superstar Barrington Levy revealed that he has rejected offers to record songs on Afrobeats riddims. Because he will always stay true to the genres in which he rose to stardom.
The artist made the statement during a Television Jamaica interview. When he made the brow-raising revelation, he was there to promote his new album and other plans for 2023.
“Right now, I am trying to focus on my new album for 2023. But I want to make it the original Reggae vibe that people love me for. These new artists are trying to move over to Afrobeats. I have had people come to me with Afrobeats (riddim) and asked if I wanted it, and I said ‘no,'” Levy told Anthony Miller.
“Why should I switch from my original Dancehall music to Afrobeats. It’s our Reggae music they copied. So, I am keeping it real with my original Reggae music,” he added.
Levy’s concerns are similar to those international
Dancehall producer Jon FX expressed in an interview last year. He said Afrobeats singers have used the Dancehall drum pattern. And that is what gave rise to Afrobeats’ popularity around the world. Jon FX said many people believe the genre coming out of the African continent is Dancehall.
Jon FX also pointed out that the 2021 Grammy winners, Virginia-based band SOJA, stuck with authentic Reggae and its one-drop drum pattern throughout their Beauty in the Silence album. Unlike the other Jamaican contenders, two of whom (Jesse Royal And Etana) infused different genres, including Afrobeats, on their albums.
According to Jon FX, Jesse Royal had described his album Royal as having “elements of hip-hop, jazz, blues, Afrobeats and Dancehall.” In contrast, Etana described her Pamoja album as a blend of Reggae with Afrobeat and Dancehall.