Ishawna coming back for dancehall - Gives Debbie Burp some spotlight

Following a seductive performance at the 450 Live in Kingston concert on Saturday, provocative dancehall diva Ishawna sent a message to current female artistes in reclaiming her position in dancehall.

The artiste, who was performing for the second time in Jamaica after a long hiatus, said she's ready to re-enter the playing field and her colleagues must brace themselves for tighter competition.

"I got a lot a things in store, not saying anything yet but just know I'm coming and these [artistes] better fear me," Ishawna told THE STAR.

The inaugural staging of the 450 Live in Kingston concert saw performances from various artistes such as Vanessa Bling, Aidonia, Valiant, Bayka and Marcy Chin. Ishawna, who was the second performer of the night, had a staggering start as the crowd was still warming up to the elements of a stage show, after being sucked in to the 'antics' and approximately five hours of juggling by various selectors. However, she managed to hold the crowd's attention long enough to wine them into the groove of her mostly raunchy and explicitly seductive selections.

"It was so amazing, it was refreshing, long time mi nuh perform inna Kingston suh yuh know mi enjoy miself wid mi fans dem. Mi nuh really get down inna it because it was 450 in concert, a neva Ishawna in concert. But it was a great experience; I enjoyed myself [and] I was happy to see my fans," she said.

"It's been a long time since I performed in Jamaica but 450's team contacted my team and they said, 'We need you at this event' and I was like 'Okay, say no more' [because] dem know di dolly ago deliver and dat is what your girl came to do. The feedback was amazing and that's crazy because I didn't do any of my new songs; everything that I did was from 2019 and before," she added.

Midway her set, she brought out Internet sensation Debbie Burp. The crowd erupted into cheers and laughter, before they started to croon the controversial lyrics to Burp's popular song, Time Too Hard. Ishawna said that she has loved Burp for a few years.

"Then I realised she went viral on social media and everybody, other female artistes, selectors going out on stage singing her songs and they are not actually booking her for these events," she said. "This is somebody who is naturally talented and just buss - there's no gimmicks, no prank but she's still not enjoying the success monetarily."

"So I said I'm gonna bring her and let her perform on stage for the first time and she did amazing. I just like her and the story of her and I like that she just always be herself and at dis age, she come and she hot. Di doll anuh prank, di doll is a star," an excited Ishawna added.

Burp also revealed to THE STAR that going forward, she will be working closely with Ishawna and Skatta Burrell of Downsound Records.

"She let di cat out di bag?" Ishawna laughed. "I support her 100 per cent. I love a success story and I'm happy I could make her day because this is her first time performing," she reiterated.

Ishawna last performed in Jamaica two months ago at the Image, in Port Antonio, Portland. This event marked the ground-breaking return of the artiste on Jamaican soil after a few years of mainly focusing on international deals, which birthed a collaboration with music superstar Ed Sheeran, for the remix of her popular hit song, Equal Rights.