‘It’s just entertainment’ - Teejay wants fans to have fun with dancehall clashes

Since the start of 2024, Jamaicans have been treated to a host of festivities that have kept them on the edge of their seats, wondering what will come next.

Among those keeping the fire burning is international dancehall star Teejay, whose recent lyrical confrontations have left hardcore dancehall fans nostalgic of the infamous Gaza vs Gully clash of yesteryear. For some, the musical back and forth is unhealthy for the wider society and shouldn't be supported. But for Teejay, it's harmless fun.

"Honestly, this is just entertainment and I'd like to tell my fans it is nothing serious. I wish no violence or harm to any artiste," he told THE STAR.

"I think over the years, dancehall music has been built from clashes. Even the riddims I use now are clash riddims. The most successful dancehall artistes came up under juggling. And for me, it shows you cannot and should not rewrite history," he added.

As a result, the Drift deejay has pulled on some of dancehall's most iconic instrumentals during his lyrical battles with his colleagues in the industry. Most recently, he traded shots with fellow artiste Valiant on the classic Drumline instrumental, created in 2007 by the group Black Chiney. The rhythm served as the opening battleground for Vybz Kartel and long-time rival Mavado, who clashed on the instrumental with the entries Mofraudo and Mr Palmer, respectively.

Teejay laughed as he reminisced on his time hearing those songs for the first time.

"That's what started the big fuss as a youth growing up. Those songs came out when I was in seven grade. So imagine? And now I am 29. Everything did sweet man," he said.

Nevertheless, the entertainer said that he knows how to bring things back to normalcy when they are going too far.

"It's just the type of vibe. But if I ever see things going to a place it shouldn't be going, I can always pull it back to business and keep the good times rolling," he said.

Teejay has been reaping the fruits of his hard labour as Drift continues to be an international success. He attributed a large portion of this success to his mentor Shaggy, and his time attending the Island Music Conference (IMC). The IMC has long been an island meeting of music professionals to share experiences, forge alliances and expand the participants' knowledge base.

"Yeah man, bless up IMC and Shaggy. A nuff me learn and use fi better advance myself as an artiste on the global stage. So I am inviting everybody out," Teejay said.