Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

The lyrical Assassin.

It is true that the inspiration for writing a song may come in different shapes and forms. But for some artistes, it is always better to draw these ideas from the streets as it is the everyday issues that people will identify with the most.

Oneil from Voicemail says "the people can identify with it more that way, because is a day to day ting suh whether is a gun ting or girl ting."

He continued, "when mi guh dancehall mi find a whole heap a ideas, cause even di song Gangalee, di whole idea nuh come from the tape wid di Rising Star yute wey a bathe wid di dread, cause yuh know di 'Gangalee' dem a real gyalis. Even yesterday mi get inspired fi write one song, cause mi si some girl a pass an mi get di idea. Me is a yute wey always in the streets, always going out an ting, suh me wi always be getting ideas."

DANCEHALL IDEAS

Oneil says there are countless songs that Voicemail has done that came from ideas in the street or dancehall.

"Bembe is one of them, Get Down On It wey di girls always a wine up dem self inna di dance an a drop fast and Bring Yuh Body Come," are songs which Oniel says is inspired by the street and the dancehall.

He continued, "even a new one wey wi have wid Richie Feelings, Gone A Lead, dat is directly one a dem song deh wey wi get from di streetsÉwhole heap a ray an ting inna it. A day to day ting dat inna di dancehall. But some man can stay inna dem yard an get inspiration, others can guh a road guh find it, but all a our song dem come in different shape an form," Oneil said.

Elephant Man, another artiste who is known for doing songs about the hottest dances and slangs in dancehall, agrees that people will identify with it more, but that the artiste has to put it together the right way.

"Dem identify wid it more, cause when yuh guh inna di dancehall an hear like a slang an do a song, a straight number one, cause di people dem done a say it already from dem time deh, suh when dem hear we write it an put it together di right way, it a guh mad," Ele said.

WARNING

Elephant Man

Ele, however, warned, "yuh cyan jus tek di slang an put inna one song jus because it hot a road, yuh haffi use it di right way."

"Yuh have like Boom, Nuh Linga, Calm Dem Down, Gully Creeper, Boasy Bounce, suh yuh find sey di whole a dem slang dey a jus mad ting. From di people dem hear it, dem know sey yea, hear di slang dey wey wi mek, or wey Jungle a sey, or Portmore," he said.

Ele even recalls one of his biggest hits which was created in this way. He said Pon Di River "a one slang wey did mek down a Fire Links dance, an mi jus write a song fi it cause yuh haffi write it di correct way, mek it connect put di right set a words to it an yuh good to go."

Another artiste, Assassin who has done popular songs such as Sissy and Don't Mek Mi Hol' Yuh says, "any song at all wey yuh put together, yuh want di people dem can relate to it, understand it and connect wid it and di more dem connect wid it, the more successful it will be."

He says for a song like Eediat Ting, "a sum'n wey wi grow up an hear people a talk, suh once yuh put di words round it di right way, it gone."

"A tune like Wah Do Dem Guy Deh, is a next part a di dancehall culture wey di brethren dem guh a dance an nah look nuh gyal, it exist inna di dancehall, suh we waan know a wah do dem guy dem?," Assassin said.

However, Assassin also pointed out that not all lyrical content had to be derived from the streets or dancehall in order for people to love and identify with it.

"Yuh have a next aspect like songs of a flossing type, because a what people would like to be or have ... they share that dream with you and can identify as well. So even if you a talk bout your life story, people can interpret it in their own way. Suh like mi sey, 'everywhere mi go a jus bare gyal a run mi down', even if it nuh guh suh, or is not like that for another man, dem woulda still want dat," he said.

Voicemail