‘The unity nah guh get better’ - Harry Toddler pessimistic about aspects of dancehall

Veteran dancehall artiste Harry Toddler is asserting that there is not much that can be done to bring unity into the dancehall fraternity as the disconnect has existed for many years, even before his time.

"It stay a way from Bob Marley days from the reggae and ska days. So it spill over into dancehall and to the new yutes too. It nah guh move. The unity nah guh get better. First thing, man don't even a think 'bout fi give. So me just try fi live as good as mi can and do as good as mi can," he told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Harry Toddler, whose given name is Patrick Ricardo Jackson, started his dancehall career when he was a teenager. Before pursuing a solo career, he was part of the well-known Scare Dem Crew. He has released several popular dancehall songs such as Bad Man Nuh Dress Like Girl and Don't Run In and also appeared in the 1999 Jamaican action movie Third World Cop.

According to Harry Toddler, the use of social media in the industry is also making artistes more anti-social.

"Artistes not linking up anymore. Every man have a studio at dem yaad or dem friend have a studio. Remember, music has changed. Sometimes yuh nuh affi wait pon radio fi play yuh song, they just drop it on social media. With the direction of the music now, it nah go get better because man a guh seh they don't have a need to link up with anybody cause dem a do dem own ting," he explained.

Harry Toddler, who was also good friends with late dancehall deejay Merciless, said that though there has been much talk about the lack of support his colleague received at his funeral, he is not in a position to agree with all the claims that have been made.

"I wasn't at the funeral. I was at the celebration [afterwards]. He supported my platform so it was only fair that I showed up anywhere mi coulda mek it. If mi coulda mek it to the set-up I would. If mi coulda mek it to the funeral I would but I had other engagements," he said.

He said that the support that Merciless gave him last December for his show Boom Box, that aims to unearth new lyrical talent, is something that he will never forget. Since his passing, the deejay said he tries to honour Merciless by keeping his name alive through music and other avenues.