Edley Shine examines dancehall-reggae on ‘Grow’

Former member of Born Jamericans Edley Shine shares his lyrical perspectives on the current state of dancehall-reggae on his new single, Grow.

As the baritone deejay celebrates his 30th anniversary in the business, Edley Shine views Grow as a statement piece, which artistically separates him from the direction the culture is taking. While many artistes are going against what is traditional and bending the moral compass of Caribbean culture to garner TikTok and YouTube views, Edley Shine is presenting a brand of music he deems culturally tasteful.

"One can 'grow' without being morphed into something unrecognisable," he said. "The new song is definitely different from what the kids are embracing and promoting to the world as dancehall-reggae."

"At some point, shock value no longer has 'shock' inna it," he added. " I have always gone against the grain confidently, standing firm in my heritage as a foreigner to the culture."

Although Edley Shine is a true believer in music evolving and youth carrying the torch, he has a hard time defending some of the new images and styles in the global market, where his fan base continually asks "What is this?"

"I hope my message sparks discussion and drives creatives to reinstate moral fibre into the music," he said. "It's time to balance out the darkness ... that's all I can ask as an elder."

Edley Shine has big plans to drop a sophomore EP this fall and to continue performing on his 'Classic Meets Current Tour'.