Jabba on Best Of The Best 2014: “Reggae and Hip-Hop Come In Like Oil & Vinegar”

Just before the big reggae and soca show Memorial Day weekend in Miami, Reshma B caught up with Jabba to chat about how he’s “learned from his mistakes” and made BOTB 2014 a 100% Caribbean festival with reggae and dancehall and soca but NO hip-hop. “Me get back to my roots,” say Jabba. “This year we involve more soca into the show more than just keep mixing the hip-hop and the reggae, because it come in like oil and water. We notice it’s eight years going in. When I first begun I just, you know, coming from a big urban radio station, I feel like hip-hop is part of my culture as well. Because you done know is a Jamaican man who started hip-hop in the Bronx—Kool Herc big up yourself anywhere you deh. So I felt like I can take that mission to a next level and just know say, Hear wah gwan now, let me mix up hip-hop onto reggae on the next level like it’s never been done before. And big respect to all the rappers, but it come in like the worst idea we coulda ever do. But you learn from your mistakes. Because when you come to a Caribbean culture festival, nobody no wan’ hear say “Yo, turn the motherfuckin mic up!” and “Where’s my niggas at?” You understand? It kinda hurt me for two years. But now me build it back and me get back to my roots. And me know myself. And you always learn by your mistakes. So the hip-hop acts I used to use, I kinda shove them to the side and say bring in some soca. So that’s the reason for Bunji—to replace the-hip-hop acts I used to put—and we get the Destra, the Edwin Yearwood, and so much more. So we’re just planning and we’re growing, and I just hope to see that one day my children can take it over when me retire and know say Best of the Best, the 35th Annual, and know say the youths have it under full control.”