Jamal to drop dunce wears

Encouraged by the extent to which the 'fully dunce' slang has taken off, fast-rising entertainer Jamal is getting ready to not only drop his Duncetape but also some dunce caps, among other wears.

"Me grateful how me see the dunce brand lift up in Jamaica, and since of recent I hear the slang in the Parliament, in the music, in the streets, and even in schools. A just the dunce time now," said Jamal, a native of Montego Bay, St James.

The Mr. Myers deejay has claimed paternity for the slang, which has gained rapid popularity in the dancehall space, and he is getting ready to capitalise on it.

"We have the Duncetape soon to be released, and people will soon enjoy of the fullness of the dunce brand and our branded merchandise that comes with our Puffin N Trappin Duncetape," Jamal said.

Fully dunce is among the most controversial slangs to have emerged from the dancehall space in recent times. Though embraced in some quarters, it has drawn criticisms from many thought leaders and policymakers, among them being minister with responsibility for information, Robert Morgan, who asked aloud 'When did dunce become fashionable?"

Jamal says the jargon is being misinterpreted by persons who position it as an embrace of ignorance.

The artiste said the slang is intended to create an area of inclusion of academically challenged persons.

"Me seh dunce from it was just a slang, now it's a household name," said Jamal.

The Mr. Myers deejay told THE WEEKEND STAR that he was once called 'Jamal Teacha', which came about as a result of his embrace of persons with learning difficulties. In fact, his name is related to the Jamaica Foundation For Lifelong Learning (JAMAL), an institution that was created in the 1970s to, among other things, eradicate illiteracy and improve the literacy skills of the adult population of Jamaica.

"Everybody in Jamaica knows it as the school for people who struggled with learning disabilities. It's a school for dunce people," the artiste said.

Jamal said that he has used his creative licences as an entertainer to draw attention to the plight of academically challenged persons.

"Fully dunce is a slang that represents a movement and to some extent a paradigm shift. When you look at a 'dunce' five to 10 years from now, with a protagonist like me, they will not feel nor lack opportunity because of their educational status. Jamal represents the 'dunce' proudly," the artiste said.

The fully dunce slang has been used to varying levels of success by many of dancehall's fast-rising stars. Two of Jamal's recent tracks - Sidis (Fully Dunce Freestyle) and Mr. Myers - are on heavy rotation in the dancehall space. He said that his tracks are not in response to any single that has been done by other artistes.

"My songs are a result of what happen around me and my environment. My goal is to become a fully established artiste and reap all that is to come with it, and push the dunce brand and trap-dancehall further than you expect," he said.