Several selector have been abused in the past, whether artiste or there entourages. The lastest victim was selector Richie Feelings who was hit with a bottle in his forehead, allegedly by a member of the Alliance, at the last Hot Mondays. This reportedly occurred because Richie Feelings did not play the artiste’s songs.
This is not the first incident with Richie Feelings as he was involved in a verbal confrontation with Boom Boom and Foota Hype at a 2008 staging of Bembe Thursdays for playing too many Vybz Kartel songs.
He is not the first to suffer this fate. In 2007, Jigsy said he was hit in the head by Vybz Kartel who denied it. There are also other reports of other selectors like Rolexx and Biggy being attacked for their musical selection.
This level of assault is detested by selectors and industry players.
“Yuh have to tek a stem pon dem thing deh ’cause one thing can lead to another,” said Stampede, who does promotions for many artistes, upcoming and established.
“Di selector thing a get out a hand because what happen the other night shouldn’t even happen ’cause a selector must caan play weh him feel fi play.”
He said incidents like this will make people refrain from going to dances and might even encourage other artistes and their entourages to treat selectors in a similar manner.
Stampede also said this kind of behaviour is also linked to the fact that there are many persons becoming artistes and trying to breakthrough into the industry.
“As a man have a one song, him have 40 man behind him. Sometimes, a not even the artistes weh a cause the problem, a him entourage weh a try prove to him,” Stampede said
“That’s why the business get so stagnant ’cause a one set a artistes a rotate and a stifle the new artistes. That’s why the music nah nice again,” Stampede said, while noting that incidents of this nature never happened in the past.
Veteran selector Sky Juice said that in his more than 30 years of playing music , he never heard of selectors being abused until these cases, which started in 2007.
“Man used to fling lyrics but dem neva used to fight but dem a tek it too far now,” Sky Juice said.
While he is not sure of what happened with Richie Feelings at Hot Mondays, Sky Juice said: “Mi nuh mix up myself. I don’t tek sides. I respect every deejay and selector. One thing mi a beg the artistes and selector dem fi do is live inna love and unity and live as family.”
Although he is a known Alliance selector, Boom Boom said he does not take sides when he is playing.
“Boom Boom seh Alliance but mi play every artistes. Yuh caan play fi please yourself nor yuh friend dem, yuh haffi please everybody,” he said, while noting that he will play any ‘gaza’ song as long as the song is good and it does not disrespect any of the Alliance members.
And, although he has differences with Richie Feelings, Boom Boom said he does not support what happened.
“Yuh have some artistes weh come inna di peak a yuh juggling and give yuh CD fi play and yuh tell dem seh yuh caan’t play it ’cause yuh nuh know weh it bout and it ’cause certain ‘preements’,” Boom Boom said.
Selector Jigsy has had his share of assault and was saddened by the latest incident.
“Dem thing deh weh dem youth deh a do a idiot thing. Somebody need fi put a stopping to it. Mi nuh support that ’cause it could happen to anyone of us,” Jigsy said, while noting that Richie Feelings usually plays everybody’s song.
“Dem thing yah neva used to gwaan inna di 80s. Now, this come in like a world war in music. Some people need fi put a stopping to this whether by law or by force.”
He also said that once an artiste’s song is good enough, he will not have to pay or beat anyone to play his song.
Jigsy argued that some radio disc jocks accept payola to play songs but there are no known attacks on them.
“Yuh ever hear a radio man get diss yet. Dem have unity and dem ago lock yuh off from the station if yuh diss dem. But we need more unity inna di dancehall.”
Source: Jamiaca star
