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Lila Iké Responds To ‘Too Hype’ Critics After Saying She Will Not Do Collabs With Some Upcoming Artists

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Lila Iké (INSTAGRAM/@lilaike)

If you’re an up and coming artiste, you need to get your levels up before thinking about a collaboration with Reggae/Dancehall singer Lila Iké.

The Solitude singer has responded to critics on social media after she said in an interview that she’s not interested in working with upcoming artistes who haven’t yet put in the work.

During the interview aired on TVJ’s Entertainment Report on June 26, journalist Anthony Miller asked Iké if she has been getting offers for collaborations and whether she’s turning down any.

Lila revealed that some of the offers she receives are not on her level.

“For sure, tons and tons of people a reach for collab, some a them I’m really like, you just nuh deh desso yet fi deh pon a song with Lila Ike, to be honest,” she said.

Iké says most upcoming artistes reaching out to her are trying to use her platform but they have to put in work for such opportunities. “I feel like most of the people reaching out to me right now are upcoming artistes that are seeking a way to get themself known or get into the business, and I am not really, in support of that, mi really feel if you want something you have to work for it.”

Besides her obvious talent, the requests might be flooding in for Iké, because the singer had called for more collabs between Dancehall and Reggae artistes during her takeover of the Clarks Original’s Instagram account on May 28.

She said then that Jamaican music would have a greater impact worldwide if it weren’t for the fact that “that Reggae over ya so and Dancehall ova ya so.”

Fans and critics alike have jumped at the comments made by the sultry songstress, who recently released her first EP, The Experience, as well as a new video for one of its singles, Forget Me, yesterday.

“So the hype get to Lila Ike already smh uni listen to the fvckry weh she a seh. My ratings for you dip my girl swear,” @filodeen tweeted with a clip of the interview.

https://twitter.com/filodeen/status/1279096880031358976

You can watch the entire interview below.

Another critic analyzed the clip and suggested that Iké herself was an upcoming artiste who was put on (“buss”) by another major artiste.  “Nuh Protoje buss yuh?,” asked @tennz_antonia.

Lila is signed to Protoje’s In.Digg.Nation Collective where she gained massive support and success since her first hit single Second Chance. Earlier this year, In.Digg signed a deal with RCA Records and Six Course which would see Lila and her labelmate Sevana producing music under the new partnership.

Meanwhile, the singer came to her own defense and said that her comments were taken out of context.   The TVJ interview did not include her caveat where she noted that she was ready with work with anyone once they’re talented and have a good work ethic.

“Posting about this and commenting so people can understand how quick we are to judge. Here is the rest of the interview where I clearly say ‘once it is that you’re great at what you do and have work ethic,” she said.

Iké added, “continue as you were that’s why me say me like me Solitude.”

https://twitter.com/LilaIkeJa/status/1279138502366593025

 

In the full interview, Iké added to the previous comments “personally mi kinda focus on my thing, if I have to do a collab it would have to change my life.”

She goes on to say that being who she is and the label she’s signed to, anything she wants goes, “ with the label now, anything is possible, I can be in studio with Alicia Keys, with her, I just have to say who I want to work with and it happen.”

Several fans also jumped to Lila’s defense as they felt the artiste said nothing wrong.

https://twitter.com/abii_abz/status/1279116996110581760

https://twitter.com/StillNita/status/1279100937039216641

https://twitter.com/javheer/status/1279129289527607296

https://twitter.com/justinswvnk/status/1279114964846985218

Watch the full TVJ Entertainment Report interview.