Slack performances point to self-esteem issues – Half Pint

Throughout his four-decade career, esteemed singer Half Pint has kept his music clean, even during the rise of hardcore and gangster lyrics in the 1980s.

But it does not mean he is oblivious to all that happens in the dancehall. While some artistes may defend their sexy, on-stage antics and catalogue as just entertainment, the Greetings singer said 'slack' music and performances point to identity issues.

"I take note of our performers, and I notice the females are coming on the stage as if they are in their bedroom, wearing their negligee and I'm like, damn, this is not a show, this is like you're going to the go-go club," he told THE STAR. "This is coming from a lack of self-esteem and a misunderstanding of yourself, so you don't know how to tell a story or keep a good message."

Dancehall singjay Dexta Daps is known for his sexually explicit performances, inviting female patrons on stage to have their way with him.

This has resulted in several viral videos this past year. Yanique 'Curvy' Diva recently went viral on social media after removing her panties while performing to Daps' No Underwear, later revealing it was all planned 'entertainment'.

SACRED ACTS

Referencing the Bible, Half Pint said acts of a sexual nature should be kept sacred between a man and woman, and not put on show by artistes.

"When you see the lyrics becoming more sexual, it's a matter of disrespecting the female, because when you expose a woman and speak about her like she's a shop, you leave room for disgusting terms to be thrown at her, even your own mother," he said. "If you look back at slavery days, the slave master would rape the young, black females and some of them couldn't manage it and end up jumping overboard. All the sexuality that we are now professing is not right. It's diminishing us from who we were supposed to be and shows that many artistes don't know their roots."

He encouraged his peers to not become entangled in the hype and instead create music that uplifts youth and speaks power to the black race.

"Today in the music world, if you're not doing oral sex or if you're not gay or living a certain way, DJs quick fi shelf yuh or fade yuh out of the spotlight, and some of the artistes dumb and ignorant and don't know what the real struggle is about," he said. "All of who a sing 'bout murder and a murder black people behind the scenes nah go escape because somebody must know, and most importantly, God knows. The music is to liberate us and reconcile us, or give us some form of teaching so we can uplift and know ourselves."