Veteran selector Ricky Trooper is upset that some selectors are being hypocritical when they make a public stance that they are not aligned with particular artistes in dancehall.
"Certain selectors, especially clash selectors, form loyalties with particular artistes because it makes it cheaper and easier for them to get dubplates to compete at sound clashes, ah de so the ting de, back in the day, Pink Panther used to align himself to Fifth Element, is just a reality," he explained to one876entertainment.com today.
"So when Boom Boom and Jigsy ah go come say dem no align to anybody, ah lie dem a tell. Ah pure Alliance tune dem a play and stifle the business, all Sky Juice ah Alliance too. Earlier this week on Monday night, ah pure Alliance song a play and when Little Richie go play a Vybz Kartel song, Bounty walk out."
Trooper was making reference to a story published in today's STAR newspaper where several selectors denied being a part of the Alliance.
"Ah lie dem a tell, dem a tek Bounty money and nah play certain artistes and nothing no wrong wid dat, but when dem try stop other people from play now, dem a go too far. Some bwoy fi know say dem music only stop at the Caribbean Sea, my ting global, mi play Europe, Australia, everywhere," the man who was instrumental in keeping Beenie Man's career alive in the mid 1990s said.
Trooper said that at Firelinks session in the Asylum on Monday night, predominantly Alliance songs are being played.
"Killa run Asylum, when the selectors dem see Killa in the place, dem mek sure play his songs. And in most of the venues around Kingston, ah Alliance selectors alone play and him go to all the parties fi create this illusion but people not buying it. If yu go country, ah Vybz Kartel yu hear a play nuff because him have more variety of songs dan dem."
Trooper said that a core group of selectors had conspired to lock certain artistes out of the business.
"Dem shut out Munga, Capleton and even Sizzla out of the business," the winner of many sound clashes including a famous victory at Death Before Dishonour in 2006, said.
Trooper admitted that he had aligned himself to Vybz Kartel and the Empire, and had helped to strengthen Kartel after he left the Alliance in 2006.
"Dem fi just tell the true, dem ah Alliance selector," he said.
Trooper also appeared to be peeved that Alliance selectors Foota Hype and Boom Boom had stepped to Richie Feelings in such a disrespectful manner.
"Why dem step to Richie Feelings that way? Because dem know say him a weak fence, dem nah go step to me dem ways de, ah Spanish Town me grow, when dem find say dem can mess wid you, dem do it, but mi hear say Foota Hype diss me and call up mi name at Uptown Mondays and when mi go back the following week, him no come, but him fi easy himself.'
Trooper said that although he has been villified as one of the selectors who preached violence in dancehall, he said that there was a clear line between reality and fantasy.
"Mi know it, but mi preach violence as part of my job, part of my personality but mi never go jail yet, dem never yet hold me wid a gun, I have formed my own youth club, mi work with the police dem, so I am no criminal. But some selectors waan come mash up what Duke Reid and Coxsone Dodd build fi decades and mi no hear Stone Love or JFF ah say nothing. Dem really a go allow a few people fi come mash up this music that feed so much people?" he asked incredulously.
Dancehall has been taking a tremendous PR beating in recent years on a number of fronts. The gays led the initial assault, causing several concerts to be cancelled and millions of US dollars in lost revenue. Then came the backlash to the violent content of the music that has caused several Caribbean islands to ban Mavado from entering their countries. That list includes The Bahamas, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Bounty Killer was also banned in Guyana as well. Finally, the onset of what is expected to be a worldwide recession is already affecting attendance at once successful stage shows. The recent staging of ICM Fest a.k.a Obama Fest was a big flop where promoters racked up thousands of US dollars in losses, and the recent staging of Millennium Countdown, headlined by the Alliance, in The Bahamas was a major disappointment as well.
"Dem need fi understand that dem a mash up the business with this garrison behaviour of preventing other people from playing who they want to, It nuh right, rasta!" he concluded.
Trooper can be contacted at 776-5109
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