Intence’s Upcoming ‘Wounded’ EP Will Feature Something For Everyone 

Four years after he set foot on the Dancehall scene, Intence is ready to drop his debut EP. The 5 track project entitled Wounded is “a critical collection that explores themes of inner conflict, love, and loyalty.” Continuing the momentum from his just-released Public Enemy No. 1 Mixtape (March 27), the deejay turned to industry giants VP Records for distribution and already has visuals lined up for three of the singles.

Intence has been a talking point since he first emerged, yet despite successful singles and even Dancehall beefs, the Dream Life deejay remains as mysterious as ever, living up to his ‘antisocial’ motto. The Wounded EP ambitiously attempts to showcase his growth and his many sides, from Tashawn Gabiddon through to the streetwise Yeng Boss.

There’s no better illustration of that concept than the song Tashawn vs Intence. Proving he’s as gifted as he is guarded, the deejay pens a sonic conversation between his two personas, vividly following up on his previous rhymes “keep wi self to wi self, nuh inna everybody yaad.” (Antisocial)

“Reason wid miself enuh, more like Tashawn an’ Intence ah talk:

Tashawn: Dawg, mah hear yuh, nuh bodda change fi nobody stay same suh,
people ah p—y an ah suh di game go, if yuh neva mek it dem wouldn’t care enuh..
Intence: Den again fam yuh know ah real talk, dem deven know yuh life dem only see di sweet part, ah mussi tru yuh get big an change yuh features, ah like dem forget ah grung yuh used to sleep pon..

Tashawn: ‘Tence, mi jus ah gwaan hol my own, if mi medz it too deep dem gone home, yo yuh deven know how mi feel, jah know, if me hungry an nuh have it dem cyaan know/

Intence: Dawg jus gwaan hol it memba yah di stronger version and mi nah worry… “

Unphased by Dancehall’s distractions, Intence spits about being his own biggest supporter and source of strength. Though his songwriting has previously covered more touchy subjects such as scamming, his pensive output in a party-centric genre sets the introverted deejay apart. Add to that his distinct image – both in dress and on-screen, and there’s arguably no comparison with any other deejay in the entire dancehall industry.

It’s a point that Natasha Von Castle, VP’s Director of Corporate Communications and Intence’s Road Manager, Imran Passard, agreed upon. The record execs told DancehallMag that he’s a one-of-a-kind act whose “workhorse” mentality keeps him grounded against the industry’s relentless spotlight. Not one to rest on his success, nor the praises of others, Intence said as much long before he started dropping albums.

“Mi a focus pon my career yuh zeet. Mi a build me right now. Now a nuh the time fi clash and first ting a neva clash or competition mi use and buss yuh zeet”, Intence has told journalists in the past, echoing the ‘cash over clash’ sentiments of one of his most recent collaborators, Grammy award winner Sean Paul.

Another song on the EP, Who Knows, mirrors his conscious musings and will leave fans pleasantly surprised. Stepping out in a rarely seen rootsy light, the deejay invokes “Capleton’s” virtuous bars, preaching to the ‘youths gone astray’ on a one-drop riddim.

Producer Okino ‘Wav’ Thomas (Cure Pain Riddim, Never Die-Squash, Greatness– Masicka), told DancehallMag that a personal ordeal inspired the deejay’s pensive lyrics. The track is both pointed and universal, moving away from the one-dimensional perception of the deejay and will only stretch his fanbase once it hits rotation.

The track was co-produced by the Go Hard deejay’s father, Stephen “Axe” Gabbidon, who also dabbled in the industry as an artist and owner of a sound system, Category 5. Owing to that, Intence’s forte is at the intersection of his ferocious drive and the desire to entertain, and the EP’s three remaining tracks take up that charge.

Watcha Watcha, is a standout among them, and is the suite’s must-have “gyalis tune”. The sexually explicit track is similar to previous efforts like Ride and Nuh Behaviour, breaking down the art of seduction from the Yeng Boss’ point of view.

Passard confirmed that, despite the deejay’s love/ hate stance on the media and appearances, Intence will be doing interviews to push the project in the coming weeks. It’s a small price to pay for Mr. Antisocial as the entertainment sector remains affected by lockdown conditions.

Intence’s creative takes on his reality on Wounded are engaging on all levels, pushing the envelope as only he can in the EP’s short span.

Tashawn vs Intence drops tomorrow, April 16, and fans can look out for the lit 4/20 video premiere.

Wounded will be released in May, 2021 and will be available on all platforms.