6 months ago
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Spragga Benz “came, saw and conquered” definitely sounds clichéd , but that’s exactly what the veteran dancehall entertainer and actor did when he performed at the Guinness Sounds of Greatness event on Thursday at Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records.
It was his birthday, and with friends, fans and family waiting for his performance, the Machine Gun Kelly artiste was in no long talking. Looking fresh in a green head wrap, a red polo shirt with white under-shirt, his trademark handkerchief tied around his neck, and sweat pants with one pants’ leg rolled up – as he never fails to do – Spragga fully represented for dancehall.
Of course, during his set he had to ask the all-important question, which has more than a passing cultural significance in dancehall, but which was deemed inappropriate and is a reason for disqualification for the sound systems representing for dancehall in the Guinness Sounds of Greatness competition.
“All a di man dem who straight mek mi see oonu hand!!!” Spragga Benz shouted and by the time the word ‘straight’ dropped out of his mouth, every man, and quite a few women as well, “shub” both hands in the air and roared in acknowledgement. Perhaps there was some defiance as well, a direct response to earlier in the night when two sounds were “cautioned” for infractions along those same lines – one for playing Chi Chi Man and the other for telling the audience, “All who know oonu straight put up oonu hand”.
The sounds had to play by the rules, and quite rightly so, since that’s the level of “greatness” they signed up for, but independent spirit Spragga was Uncommonly Smooth and he turned up the energy inside Tracks and Records till it buck.
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With a catalogue replete with girls chune, bad man chune, message music and everything in between, Spragga touched them all, taking patrons back to the glorious days when riddim such as Joyride, ruled the dancehall. Speaking to his female fans as only he can, Spragga complimented the girls with songs like Body Good, How You Look Sexy So and also reminded of the things [We] Nuh Like, such as “hypocrite and parasite” and other hard-hitting lyrics.
He took it up a notch – if possible – when Things A Gwaan entered the space. The women were so caught up that they even pressed pause on video-taping with their phones to get totally involved.
Tings ah gwaan, yuh ah gold/Mi nah tell nuh lie/Yuh full ah man control/Sexy body gyal/Tings ah gwaan yuh ah gold/So nuh fraid fi bawl it out brave and bold, baby, Spragga deejayed and bawl it out they did.
It was the same energy when he deejay How yuh look sexy so every lickle deejay alive want to know. Yuh use Nadinola or Ambi? [“No!”] “Yuh tek cosmetic surgery?” [“No!”]
His friends in the music industry were there to cheer on Spragga and he jumped off the stage to embrace Tanya Stephens and then took her to cenrestage to perform a one song. Sasco also showed up and did a few songs, much to the delights of the audience, and so too did Lalee.
Earlier in the night there was the six-sound Guinness Sounds of Greatness First Play-offs, which had varying levels of energy from the sounds inside Tracks and Records. The competition is now in its 16th year and has a top prize of $1.5 million. Up-and-coming deejays are given the opportunity to showcase their talents and creativity to win not only the prize money, but also the championship title.
Many felt that Juggling Sensation understood the assignment and at the end of the night, was one of four sounds making it to the next round.
English (US) ·