Sean Paul wants youngsters to ‘embrace back reggae’

Sean Paul has grown weary of the current trajectory of the local musical landscape and urges the Gen Z individuals in the industry to "step up their game" to ensure longevity.

He told THE STAR that since the introduction of "new trap-dancehall" music more than 10 years ago, he sees where the music is going down a different path.

"Most of those artistes don't have longevity. I don't see it; they don't have songs that pass our culture and go out and people are loving to hear dem and sing dem out back. Because it already sounds too close to a genre that already exists. That is huge and have its own support and people [who are] doing it who understand what dem talking about. I'm not saying stop trap-dancehall [or] clash [but] less of those things in that direction will make you a better artiste. Suh if yuh want be a better artiste you gotta step that game up," Sean Paul stated.

"Nowadays, weh yuh have me as an elder, looking towards the younger youths dem, I've been saying, we've all been saying - di music needs likkle bit a substance. It's a bit much weh unu a deal wid likkle young youths. Mi a 51-year-old and mi still a trod di world and still a mash up di place, and my opinion valid. Suh when mi seh 'Mi don't like clash', I'm not just talking 'clash' [in itself] but di content of what yuh putting in the songs," he continued.

He advised the "younger generation" to eliminate some of what they compose in their musical content while "embracing back reggae music".

"I'm not saying don't speak about it because much of it is the present reality that we live in. But wi waah hear some more conscious things too pon some different type a riddim. Because a lot of what you're doing as the genre progresses is our children rebelling against the [reggae] sound that we have - the sound that work all over the world, internationally," he said. Though he made it clear that he "understands" why some of these Gen Z artistes are "rebellious against reggae", he assured them that trying this tip will generate more timeless, marketable music.

"Wi (his generation) neva dash weh reggae. What we did was incorporate what we thought needed to happen in reggae and that's what the younger generation need fi do. Wi need fi embrace back some reggae and some riddims dat can be considered different with different topics too," he advised.

Sean Paul said that his generation took the criticism as an upliftment and many artistes from his era who are now successful, are those who never left the "soul of the music", meaning reggae.

He continued, "Dancehall music has been the most powerful and prolific genre that has come out of our culture that's been going since the late 70's and it still a guh. All when the early enthusiasts were doing their thing and the 'reggae grassroot people' a seh 'Is slackness music' certain artiste like Shabba [Ranks], step up and prove demself," he said while noting that the legend's 1990 hit single, Just Reality, was where he successfully crossed over to a more 'polished' version of roots reggae music.

"He and others stepped up to the plate and did reality songs and songs that were not only about the same thing. And he listened and him put him foot to di pedal and he made the genre even greater," said Sean Paul.

The internationally acclaimed artiste is currently on an extensive US tour, which is set to culminate on June 16.