Entertainment

Singing Deejays

( left - right )Yellow Man, Ninjaman, Bounty Killer, and Wayne Wonder - file photos

THE VOCAL STYLE of a dancehall artiste is much like any rap artist: limited melody and energetic delivery.

Traditionally, when dancehall artistes come out, they define themselves as either deejays or a singers. It is now quite evident that these lines have been blurred beyond recognition, as deejays now sing, and singers deejay.

It seemed to have begun in the '70s when fans of popular artiste Yellow Man first heard their deejay soften his delivery, and sing a soft ballad, Blueberry Hill.

Though a stretch from his usual style, the deejay garnered strong response from the single, leading him to release a second song as a vocalist, Three Nights A Week. Yellow man's success proved that a deejay, without vocal skills, could succeed as a singer.

For over a decade, scarcely a deejay attempted to re-enact the cross over, until Ninja Man hit the airwaves with Bad Man, describing that though he was a 'bad man' he was able to be affectionate to women. Just like Yellow Man's feat, Ninja's single got such positive feedback that a video for the song was shot.

"I was in foreign watching country music television when it came to me:Every day man a deejay, so mi tink fi lik dem wit something different," stated Ninja.

The self-described performance artiste cited that he took no voice training, as he was born with the gift of music within him. The artiste said that he had found a great love for the melodious style, explaining that he was able to express himself better to his female fans.

Inspiration

"When a artiste deejay, yuh nuh listen to words as well as if u sing dem slow to a melody," the performance artiste explained.

While Ninja cited his inspiration of singing from a newly-found relationship that has curbed his appetite for war and violence, other deejays have also been inspired to follow the trend of cross-over, including popular deejay Bounty Killer

The Killer's fans heard the deejay's first attempt at singing, on the Drop Leaf rhythm, with his single, It's Ok. The single stood firm among the string of hits on the rhythm, leading the dancehall icon to recently release other vocal tracks.

Fellow alliance member Vybz Kartel, has also crossed the vocal borders recently on his new single, Never Love Another on a rhythm built for him by producer Don Corleone. Kartel described that when he first heard the beat, it had inspired him to sing on it.

"The piano on the beat jus' gave me an R&B vibe, and I jus went with it," reminisced the deejay.

Flipping the script

Just like other deejays, Kartel refrained from formal voice training, but attested that he had prepared for the recording by listening to a few tracks from dancehall vocalist, Wayne Marshall.

"Di tune mash up Bling Dawg Summer Jam in Portland, and HOT 97 bash in Miami ... Di girls dem see di video, an dem feel like dem closer to Kartel," stated Vybz Kartel.

Flipping the script, Jamaican singer Wayne Wonder has released a few tracks with a new dancehall deejay called DJ Surprise. The surprise is that Wayne Wonder and DJ Surprise are actually the same person. Much like the cross-over deejays, Wayne has taken the guise of a deejay, and featured himself on many of his new tracks, including his new hit single, 'I Still Believe.'

Whatever their motives, it is quite evident that crossing over their style of delivery has actually developed into a trend in dancehall today. These artistes view singingas a way of better expressing their softer emotions, and use that delivery as a means to accomplish this effect.

With the new release from Kartel and Bounty Killer getting regular airplay, it is quite evident that in dancehall, the key formula for a hit ballad is not vocal prowess, but popularity.