Selector Dynamq tired of ‘bad mind’ songs

Award-winning sound system selector Dynamq, who originally hails from South Sudan, has totally embraced reggae and dancehall music, along with the culture of Jamaica, but there is one thing that is ticking him off.

That's the overwhelming number of songs dedicated to the behaviour which Jamaicans refer to as 'bad mind'.

It would seem as if, in the dancehall in particular, a bad mind song is somehow considered a rite of passage.

From I-Octane to Alkaline to Elephant Man, they all have a bad mind song in their repertoire, and it didn't start with them.

A quick scroll through Google spits up song titles such as Bun Bad Mind, Bad Mind A Go Kill Dem, Dutty Bad Mind, Bad Mind Is Active, Allergic To Bad Mind Friend, Bad Mind Dem A Pree and Mr Bad Mind.

And, believe it or not, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Even the newly minted artiste who was a former spiritualist, RT Boss, thought it best to make his grand debut in the dancehall with a song titled Bad Mind Friends.

"I don't want to hear no more bad mind songs," Dynamq told THE STAR emphatically.

He believes that rather than focusing on bad mind, entertainers should channel their energies on "helping up your brother".

"We can't be up there at the top by ourselves and feel proud," he said. "Just a simple conversation sometimes can change things dramatically for another person. I am coming from nothing to something. My brother is the reason why I am here in America," the refugee explained. "My dubplates have the names of my brother, my son my nephew and sometimes even my nieces."

Dynamq told THE STAR that he is working with a producer to make a connection between Jamaica and South Sudan.

"I really want to connect Jamaica to Africa beyond music," he said. "It is so incredible. The people from Sierra Leone sound Jamaican. There are so many things about Jamaica and Africa that are the same," he said.