Sean Paul And Friends Ignite BBC 1Xtra
Sean Paul and his compatriots Chi Ching Ching, Kemar Highcon, Farenizzi, Ras Ajai, Fambo, and Sukuwad, brought high energy to BBC Radio 1Xtra during a pre-recorded live performance, which was premiered two nights ago on the radio station’s YouTube channel.
The performance dubbed Dutty Rock Freestyle, was shot for 1Xtra disc jockey Seani B at the Dutty Rock studios, in Kingston back in February, lasted just over 22 minutes and started with a warning about strong language and adult content.
Sean Paul reeled off some of his hits including Babygirl, Gimme di Light, Body and Infiltrate pausing between songs to give his friends a good portion of the limelight.
His generosity in allowing some of the lesser-known artistes to share the stage with him, had fans making glowing remarks about the show of unity amongst the men, while some praised them for the coordination of the set.
“This is what dancehall is all about, togetherness and vybz and a variety of topics,” one fan Docu_B remarked, while in lauding Sean Paul, another fan noted: “Sean Paul’s voice is tuned to perfection!! Every man on this set was shelling.”
A few persons though, were critical of the artistes and the nature of some of the lyrics they used during their performance.
“Chi Ching need to tighten him rhymes; him too loud,” Jamaican Wilson said, while Sway Gaza remarked: “No real message. Sound like they are disrespectful to the woman dem,”
Chatting to Seani B at the end of the set, Sean Paul expressed his thanks, and said he was now going to relax and chill with his colleagues.
“Wi full up di camera likkle bit now, and wi just waan do di regular reasoning wha gwaan a di studio, yuh nuh, drink an smoke and gwaan duh wi ting till wi build some more chune,” he told Seani B, who said very few people could get Sean Paul to do what he did that night.
“Some bwoy can’t draw out Sean Paul fi duh d ting. A 20-odd years a friendship dis,” he said.
The team at BBC Radio 1Xtra is undoubtedly huge fans of the Grammy award-winning deejay who has performed multiple times for the media house. Last September, the UK-based radio station also created a 50 minute documentary about the artiste’s life and career titled Sean Paul: A life in Riddims.
The film saw BBC reporter Yasmin Evans following the 45 year old across Kingston as well as sections of the UK, and highlighted his days of representing Jamaica in water polo, and traced how his first international hit Gimme the Light was made, and how it propelled him to global stardom.
Owned and operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC Radio 1Xtra is a digital radio station which focuses on urban, contemporary black music.
The station was officially launched in the summer of 2002, as the sister station to BBC Radio 1. With its core audience being between 15 and 30, the media outlet specializes in playing mainly British, North American, African and Caribbean music such as Hip Hop, Grime, Dancehall, Soca, Reggae, Soul and R&B.
Since the station was established, its disc jockeys, chief among them Seani B, have visited Jamaica multiple times to record live studio presentations and interviews with numerous reggae and dancehall stars.
A week ago Seani B featured Quada who put on a scintillating performance which was shot at the Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston. On International Women’s Day in March they visited Protoje’s Habitat Studios in Kingston where female artistes, Naomi Cowan, Lila Iké, Sevana and Jaz Elise gave a sizzling rendition of songs on their Rock & Groove Riddim.
Others who have been featured on Seani B’s show include Chronixx, Koffee, Beenie Man, Busy Signal, I-Octane, Konshens, Christopher Martin, and Jahvillani.