Dancehall artists are reacting to the death of DMX.
Rapper DMX has died at 50 years old after being on life support for the past week. X was hospitalized after a heart attack on Friday night. TMZ reported that it was caused by a drug overdose. The rapper had been battling drug addiction for most of his life, as he once admitted that he was first exposed to substances as a teenager by someone he looked up to. DMX was really trying to turn his life around in recent years, and even though he relapsed at times, he became an even bigger inspiration in recent times when he began to openly discuss his faith, his desire to fulfill his purpose and educate the youth on the dangers of substance abuse.
The rapper’s family said a statement today that he loved his family very much, and they will cherish the moments they spent with him. “We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, passed away at 50-years-old at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past few days,” the family’s statement began. “Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end. He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him.”
On social media, tributes are pouring in from fans and industry players who are disheartened by the loss of this rap legend. Dancehall artists are also reacting to DMX’s unfortunate passing on Instagram. Sean Paul shared a photo of the departed rapper writing, “R.I.P BIG G. TNX U 4 ALL U HAVE GIVEN US. CONDOLENCES 2 UR FAM FRENZ AN FANZ. U ARE MISSED. @dmx.” Mavado shared a similar post captioning DMX’s photo, “RIP to a real dog.”
Beenie Man’s tribute appeared emotional as he had to say goodbye to a longtime friend. Alongside a recent photo of X, the dancehall veteran wrote, “My Brother, this one is hefty, but we are going to stay strong. Blessings for the impact, the hard work the friendship, and GREAT MUSIC. Rest up @dmx.”
There’s an outpouring of condemnation from the dancehall community as yet another gruesome murder of a young Jamaican woman rocks the island. The hopes of many were high that 20-year-old Khanice Jackson would be found alive after the family reported that she had been missing since Tuesday after she left home.
Her mother on a TV news report said the last time she saw her daughter was Tuesday when she left for work. She said she later told that Khanice did not turn up for work, and neither did she call in sick by concerned co-workers who noted her punctual presence.
On Friday, all hopes were dashed as police reported that the body of a young woman later identified as Ms. Jackson’s was found bound at the neck, and she was half-naked, raising suspicions that she was raped before killed. One newspaper reported that the body was in an advanced state of decomposition.
As police comb leads and announced, the arrest of a suspect, many male artists took to social media to condemn the violence against women. Aidonia called for the protection of women. “PROTECT THE WOMEN!!!! Doesn’t have to be someone you’re related to or know JUST PROTECT THEM! ALL OF THM!!!” he said on Twitter.
PROTECT THE WOMEN!!!!!! Doesn't have to be someone you're related to or know JUST PROTECT THEM! ALL OF THEM!!!
Romeich Major, Shenseea’s manager, and friend also expressed his disgust at the manner in which Ms. Jackson was killed. “Violence on a hold [sic] is wrong but to rape a female is so bad and then after that you kill her listen me no matter what is going on this killing and abuse against woman need to stop and stop now!” Major posted on his Instagram page.
He addressed the criminals directly saying, “the don them or friend them for them boy yah weh a do dem things yah uno need fi make them know a nuh badness this a madness!!!! It need to stop,” he said as he posted a crying emoji, “me a beg uno stop!!!!”
Shenseea also expressed anger as she posted, “ SICK SICK SICK smh big fxcry!! We need to find that man!”
Dancehall artiste Teejay also shared his experience in which his father deserted him and his mother because she decided to leave the relationship. He said he was always taught by his mother that “no woman belongs to a man,” even as he was grateful to his father for not reacting to violence and killing his mother.
He added, “aunh fi yuh vagina that bredda, yuh have penis, don’t kill the woman them, stop kill the woman them, it hurt we now, a serious something man, gi the oman dem a bly man,” he said as he noted the struggles women face with childbirth and singlehandedly raising children.
“Just lowe the woman make dem flourisnh, look pan the beautiful woman, if ah no ah no,” he said. The Deejay said he wanted a world where he can have his daughter walk about safely freely from school “where she alright and nobody nah go trouble her. Stop the violence against women,” he said.
I-Octane also added his voice on his platform where he called out men who felt it was ok to abuse and kill women. “uno out deh a murder the ppl dem gal pikney…. who tell yuh say yuh own woman my yute….mi nuh rate no bad boy who say the a bad man and them a kill woman and pickey and grandmother and dem sumtin deh, yuh a gun bad yuh nuh bad man. Some of yuh out deh a kill off the woman…some of you own car, dresser, remote, yuh own watch, yuh own chain, you nuh own human beings….not even the pickney yuh have u own,” the “L.O.V.E Y.O.U” deejay said.
He added, “Bredda stop kill the woman fi them front… yuh no own woman, the man dem a walk around and prey on the woman, yuh ah idiot boy!”
Popcaan also shared his disappointment as he called out therapists who he says feels they like women, but in truth, they hate women. “all ah uno likkle b****hole rapists, mi ah line up mi own squad fi hunt uno. Mi find out say uno nuh love woman enuh,” the OVO superstar said.
He called on the government to re-introduce hanging to deal with gruesome crimes against women. “mi did ask the government previously to heng some a uno on the big clock a Half Way Tree enuh, and set an example outta some a uno stinking boy, uno feel say the pussy weh God birth them wid a fi unu fi hold down and tek,” he said in reference to the entitled mindset that rapists operate with.
The artiste lamented the constant wave of violence against women. “U know how much girl uno tek way bout ya and rape and nothing nuh come outta it. How long this ago go on for,” he asked.
“How much longer it ago go longer for, right now me and my artiste bredda fi call a meeting, yeah man, cah dem ting yah a joke bum****at ting man, who ago protect the women. Who ago protect the woman a Jamaica and across the world weh some man just see and tek what they want for them,” Popcaan angrily said.
He added that the maximum harsh treatment ought to be meted out to rapists – “rapists fi get R.I.P- rest in pieces, a dat dem pu**y deh deserve- chop dem up fine. Ah mi a tell my government respectfully start heng dem bun****at right now.”
Among the others who condemned the rape and killing of Khanice Jackson includes Beenie Man, who said, “We are not ok!!! Our hearts are bleeding, our children & women are not safe! This nuh right Iyah this nuh right We need justice and a that we need #JusticeforKhaniceJackson,” he said on his Twitter account.
Meanwhile, the Minister of National Security of Jamaica, Horace Chang, condemned the killing of Ms. Jackson. In a statement on Friday afternoon, the Minister called her death “vicious” and a tragedy. He said it was disturbing that a young woman is preyed upon and killed. “Recovering the soul of our nation requires that a strong message is sent to those who prey on our citizens, including women and children that they will be met with the full force of the law and will be brought to justice.”
So far, police have arrested one suspect in the murder even as Jamaicans express disgust and sadness at the violence against women.
Beenie Man might have a future son-in-law in the Uncle Demon.
Science has long attempted to explain just why women love bad boys. Even women who consider themselves “good girls” are unable to express just why they are attracted to someone society says they shouldn’t. Beenie Man’s daughter Ikyra was on Instagram LIVE with her cousin when they both revealed that now incarcerated dancehall artiste Tommy Lee Sparta is definitely on their romantic radar.
The session also covered just about everything from hair, lips, being a spitting image of her dad, and questions surrounding Beenie Man’s topsy-turvy love life. The veteran deejay and Krystal Tomlinson called it quits just days ago, leaving many to figure out how something so “perfect” could crumble. Ikyra decided to use the platform to silence all questions being directed to her surrounding her father’s now-defunct relationship. The conversation quickly transitioned to her own love life, which she confirms is going pretty well at the moment. Her followers wanted to know more about the main man in her life, querying if the fellow is a celebrity.
“I don’t think I would ever date someone famous,” she said before directing the question to her cousin, who after a brief hesitation said, “But me like Tommy Lee though.”
A bright smile crept across Kayla’s face while expressing that she also has a liking for the Guzu Musiq frontrunner. “Tommy Lee nice enuh,” she said.
“Me just like that demon supm de,” her cousin shot back, leading the King Of Dancehall’s daughter to support the argument. “A that me just a say … like me like Tommy Lee for all of the wrong reasons.” She continued her lustful monologue with a comment about his baritone like voice. “When him voice get deep and him say uncle demon them supm de just…” she said in addition to gesticulating the bevy of emotional explosions that happens when she hears his voice.
“Me nah go tell no lie, Tommy Lee just…him have tha sex appeal de bout him,” she said. Sadly, it became clear that there may be a major factor standing in the way of this hookup when her cousin interjected, “too bad him inna jailhouse.”
Others wanted to know if she wanted a rich man, something she didn’t seem too sold on. “I want someone I can build with.”
“Them wa take liberty with you,” said her cousin, prompting Ikyra to remind the masses, “me feisty, and me dutty, so me know how me stay, me we poison him.”
Fans were curious to know if her dad’s inability to properly settle and find love influenced her decision as it relates to dating a wealthy chap.
“It’s not because I’m watching my father’s relationship that I say I want to be with someone [like that]. That’s my own goal,” she mentioned.
Both echoed that their take on love is a little “new school” in comparison to their dad and uncle. “Me spirit take you for a while… and when it done it done.”
The conversation steered to her decision to cut her hair, recounting that she first made the big chop in high school. She also spoke about her desire to learn another language.
Beenie Man says that he is dumb founded why he was attacked by Spice and her fans for calling her the “designated” queen of dancehall.
The dancehall legend did an interview with Winford Williams on OnStage last weekend where he spoke about Spice crowning herself the new queen of dancehall. “Well the queen of dancehall baptized now,” Beenie said in reference to Lady Saw being baptized and is now a devote Christian. The deejay then said Spice will have to do as much work as Lady Saw did to elevate her status to the queen of the genre, but for now she is the designated queen.
Spice hit back at Beenie Man hard calling him “badmind” and even suggesting that Vybz Kartel is the real king of dancehall. “D Rasta man [Beenie Man] vex true mi say a Kartel a the king a dancehall,” Spice said. “Nothing is wrong with your sentence “The Queen got baptized” we all know that, but you also do know that the king is incarcerated right.”
In his defense, Beenie Man said in a video clip posted on Instagram that he didn’t said anything negative in his statement. “What I heard about Spice saying this about my interview and I heard about what her fans have to say,” the Doc said. “I have to wonder, everybody have wifi but is not everybody wisdom listen to what am saying, when somebody say you’re the designated queen that means you get a post to be someone but you’re not voted for by the mass. When you become the queen elect then that means that you’re voted for by the mass and now all you need is a crown to put on your head to become that queen. Now if you get anything negative from that?”
A post shared by King Beenie Man (@kingbeenieman) on Oct 30, 2017 at 4:08pm PDT
“Bwoy me still a wonder how people take a compliment and turn it into criticism and conflict,” Beenie wrote on IG. “It mek yuh wonder who have a “Bad” mind. Unnu nuh have some lef over Sunday dinner fi go warm up later? Go find supm do and enjoy life man.”
