The dancehall OG locked up wants to teach these kids how to clash. In a new letter, Jamaican artist Ninjaman, who turns sixty soon, called for a prison release to school current stars on the art of lyrical battle. He tackled the weak state of clashing in the genre and gave his view on its king, Vybz Kartel.
Ninjaman argued that stage clashes are fundamental to dancehall culture. He said new artists avoid proper long-form competition, opting for petty personal attacks instead, which kills song output. He dismissed Masicka for challenging Kartel without matching his achievements, stating that respect for greatness is gone. Ninjaman credited Kartel with raising the bar for the whole genre from behind bars. He closed by saying dancehall needs a fresh duppy, or ghost, and that he would plead guilty to the lyrical massacre if freed for his birthday.
Ninjaman argued that stage clashes are fundamental to dancehall culture. He said new artists avoid proper long-form competition, opting for petty personal attacks instead, which kills song output. He dismissed Masicka for challenging Kartel without matching his achievements, stating that respect for greatness is gone. Ninjaman credited Kartel with raising the bar for the whole genre from behind bars. He closed by saying dancehall needs a fresh duppy, or ghost, and that he would plead guilty to the lyrical massacre if freed for his birthday.
