Ganggoolie encouraging people to support good music

Entertainer Ganggoolie says that while many music lovers are complaining about the lyrical content of songs today, "good music" is not being supported.

The artiste is gearing up for a May 3 release of Settle the Score, a song urging youth to steer clear of criminal activity.

"I hope the people dem weh a complain seh dem waan good music, sup port it and the song can be a breath a fresh air going forward," Ganggoolie told THE WEEKEND STAR.

While he said the Audiotraxx Productions record was not created to challenge the narrative of people not supporting positive music, he said he has always believed the notion to be true.

"I don't know why or if it's a deliberate move to send a negative message towards the nation at all times, but good songs always get fight cause a years mi a sing good song," he said.

"My first hit song was Please Stop the Killing in 2005. It hit all over Europe, New York, Miami, Jamaica, but Settle the Score a depict what's going on in Jamaica at this moment -- poor a kill poor, the whole a the youths weh a war a poor people dem weh a kill poor, so a time fi wi settle the score. Time fi di youths dem unite so the next generation can have a better direction."

Earlier this month, his peer Skillibeng made similar comments, telling Capital XTRA's Ras Kwame that people gravitate more to his baseless tunes like Whap Whap versus songs with more uplifting messages like Mr Universe.

Ganggoolie said another crisis facing the sector is the Americanisation of local music and radio playlists.

WRONG DIRECTION

"We need back that drum and bass, hardcore sound...," he said, calling on producers and musicians. "If you notice anytime any hip hop artiste samples dancehall, a di '90s or '80s artiste, so we need changes in the music sector... How we fi try swap culture when the world a try be like we and now, we a try be like them? It's going in the wrong direction..."

He went on to say local charts have also become American.

"The charts in Jamaica a straight hip hop chart. When mi watch the chart dem mi a wonder if a BET mi a watch when dem used to have the countdown and you see the hip hop songs and videos... It's not a dancehall chart anymore. It's a hip hop country we live inna now and mi know mi never born a foreign... That simply means we culture mash up."