Roach Upset with Busy Signal

Star Jamaica: Dancehall artiste Busy Signal has come under fire from producer Patrick 'Roach' Samuels, who claims the artiste is playing hypocrite for his song titled Artiste, in which Busy Signal argues that the music industry is plagued with impersonators.
Roach also believes that a section of the song was directed at him as a producer who sometimes deejays.

The section in Busy's song to which Roach refers says, "From wah day lizard wah tun artiste, roach wah tun artiste, ants wah tun artiste wah diss? The flag man all di man wey a wash the van wah tun artiste".



"Mi nuh know wey Busy a deal wid, mi feel a mi Busy a talk, but Busy used to select sound and be a conductor suh a turn him turn artiste wi nuh know bout no ants nor lizard wey duh music, but everybody know Roach, suh a me him a talk and a try distract the people by speaking of lizard and ants," Roach said.

The Jamaican music industry currently has several recording artistes who are professionals in other fields. Including media personality Amelia 'Milk' Sewell who released a song called Girl Boss, television host Pepita who has a song called Luv Luv Me, disc jockey ZJ Liquid who has recorded songs for several producers and even MC Miss Kitty, among others. According to Roach, everybody with talent deserves a chance.

"If a man feel sey him have a song wey can tek dancehall to another level he must have the chance. Nobody don't know where the next big star is coming from. DJ Liquid was a deejay first, but food haffi eat so he became a selector. Some a di youth dem just decide to go both ways so that they can survive because music don't have a 9-5 system for them to live off until they get the big break," Roach explained.


poor and meaningless


Patrick 'Roach' Samuels

However, as it relates to Busy's single, Roach criticized it saying, "the concept of the song is very poor and meaningless. If him did sey everybody waah turn runner now that would be different because running is a scarce talent, but Jamaica is a nation of deejays and singers; all mi madda a deejay. Busy Signal was a conductor and a selector suh a tun him tun artiste," Roach said.

Busy Signal's manager, Shane Brown, sought to clarify the situation, stating that the artiste was merely highlighting that access to technology and certain resources have created recording artistes who are not musicians based on merit or talent.

"The point is that Busy Signal had to prove himself five, six, seven years, to be on top of his craft. But now with technology, everybody use a computer and become an artiste; that's why, the song says all lizard turn artiste," Brown said.

The manager also believes many industry players are just as concerned as Busy Signal, but are reluctant to speak on the issue.


subliminal message

"The music business wants a facelift and cleanse, a lot of people are not as bold as Busy to make that cleanse. We are not saying that some dancers and so forth can't become artistes but some people are just hypocritical and won't say it as it is. Some people have talent but it's not everybody that has the talent to be an artiste. There is a subliminal message in the song because Busy was a conductor but he had to harness his talent. Some people are just too shallow and don't understand the subliminal message," he said.

Both Roach and Shane Brown also claimed that the local media gives more attention to the acts with less talent than real musicians.

"Some people pay for their songs to be played and it's played so often that it becomes a hit, so the industry has lost its values anybody can be an artiste but not everybody is made to be an artiste. There is a lot of gimmicks in the industry and that is why people will say the industry is dying," Brown said.

The single, Artiste, has received both negative and positive comments on YouTube.com, some fans in agreement with Busy Signal, while others have condemned the song, in the process branding the artiste as a hypocrite.

Roach and Justus, producers at JA Productions are currently basking in the international success of the Overtime rhythm and Cham's single, Lawless, while Busy Signal is expected to continue his Reggae Music Again tour.