Ele Left Dancer Ice Out In The Cold

Wednesday, August 27 - Although the spotlight is now focused heavily on the creators of the dance moves done by Usain Bolt at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it is not enough to resolve a burning issue that one dancer has with deejay Elephant Man.
Dancer Ice, whose real name is David Alexander Smith, told THE STAR in an exclusive interview that he had not received what was fairly due to him for his creation of the 'Gully Creepa' dance, even while Elephant Man has profited from the massive hit song.

Ice says while deejay Elephant Man, who made a song of the same name as the popular dance, has been reaping much success and fortune, he has been left to fend on his own.

"Mi don't get no share out a it. Nutt'n. Album launch, video mek an no money mi nuh si. I've been waiting an mi still nuh si nutt'n till all people a sey 'Ice money buy Range'. Mi get US$450 when mi guh a Antigua guh perform pon two show wid dem (Elephant Man) bout two months a back... fair share is all mi want, give unto Caesar what's due," Ice said.

'Dat a madness' According to Ice: "If wi not dancing, dat wha deejay a do not selling." However, when contacted, Elephant Man disagreed that artistes were obligated to give dancers a cut of the profits. ,p> "Dat a madness, dat cyan work. A we (artiste) a endorse dem (dancer), a nuh dem a endorse we. If you do a dance an we come deejay bout it, you haffi step up your own ting. Dem (dancers) need fi get dem manager fi do dem ting suh when promota call dem, dem can guh do dem ting, dem haffi mek dem owna money," Elephant Man said. He also added: "Look how much dance out deh an dem nuh buss till when mi put pen to papa. Keiva have a store out a it - memba a me sey Log On." According to Elephant Man, dancers dance to make money while artistes sing and deejay, so the profits should not be split down the middle. "Me a nuh dancer, so a promota nah guh call me fi come a one show come dance, suh di dancer dem do dem ting fi mek dem money, suh fi dem money a fi dem," Elephant Man said.

In the meantime, Elephant Man says because of the exposure that Usain Bolt has brought to the Jamaican culture, specifically in doing the dance moves, there is a new craze about the dance and songs that go with them.

"Di song dem a get more airplay right now, it come in like it just do. DiSweep, di Nuh Linga an di Gully Creepa, is like dem jus do, fresh out there again," Elephant Man said.