Silk Boss Clips ‘Last Nation’, While Jahshii Paints ‘Bigger Picture’ In Their Feud

Just a day ago, it seems that Jahshii’s flip-flopping on his stance to solely pursue ‘conscious’ music was destined to continue when his rival, Silk Boss, released a scathing diss track that all but ensured a continued heated exchange between the two. Surprisingly – or not, Jahshii seems to have turned the other cheek, dousing the flames left in the wake of Silk Boss’s Last Nation diss track with a rebuttal of his own, titled Bigger Picture.

While both tracks are curtain closers in their own right, appealing to two separate fan bases and Dancehall appetites, both artists impressively managed to keep their reputations – Silk Boss, an underestimated lyrical juggernaut, and Jahshii, a versatile hit-maker – intact.

Last Nation is a fiery track, produced by Iced Queen Records, Pearce Dem Records and Am Music, that sums up what happens when wit, charisma, and focus are applied to the art form known as Dancehall. In the two minutes and thirty-seven seconds shots-filled track, Silk Boss mocked, dissed, obviously, and taunted Jahshii into a domain many might argue he firmly had control of at that point. He begins the song with: “Trashii start war and him a run from it, see seh dem shaky like ol’ smaddy, di ghost tek one month fi ansa mi…”

From there, the song descends into an absolute web of disses and jeers, making use of the characteristic Dancehall imagery of gunning down a rival in a flashy, over-the-top manner, all while driving home the fact that they stood no chance in the first place. While an overplayed trope in the genre, Silk Boss rids it of monotony by not only masking its use behind a captivating cadence, but also, at points, intentionally mimicking Jahshii’s flow to deliver his punchlines. He refutes Jahshii’s claims in Miggle Day, that he had lost traction, telling him, ‘Mi neva cold up’, before reminding the Grants Pen artist that though he might think himself invincible (‘P@#$y t’ink seh him a Man of Steel’), he isn’t (and him a robot), adding, ‘When di rifle dem a clap him face lif’ off like when toe buck.’

The song was well-received by fans who have been clamoring for a clash between the two artists. According to one viewer, “Best song in this supposed ‘clash’. This is how you do – lyrics, personal attacks and genius puns. Well done Silk.”

Another posted: “Silk Boss never fails to entertain his fans.”

As Silk Boss’s Last Nation loudly fanned the flames of a possible Sting meetup in December, Jahshii took notice of it and, in an unpredictable move, subverted the expectations of many of his fans and Dancehall fanatics alike.

Bigger Picture serves as Jahshii’s public recommitment to his mission for conscious music, all while pacifying the fears of his fans that he may not have been up for the fight against Silk Boss. He proves the contrary in the music video, where he is seen in a hotel room lying in a bed, spliff in one hand and his phone in the next, watching Silk Boss’s video for Last Nation.

He takes the video in for a while, laughs, and sets about reminding his fan base, as much as himself, that he is now focused on the ‘bigger picture’, yet again, dismissing Silk Boss’s clear call for a full-blown lyrical match.

He begins the song with a direct response to Silk Boss:

“Fuss Nation,
Never run nuh race and mi still a winner,
Stamp mi name inna di game and mi been a relax,
A money pon mi brain a di bigger picture,
Dem cyaa compare, soft like pillow”

The song initially dances between lyrics best summed up as gentle slaps on the wrist aimed at Silk Boss, and reaffirmations for himself and his wondering fans about his ability to compete with Silk Boss on equal, violent footing – if he chose to. He sings:

“A sleep pon mi name, go buy yuh mada mattress,
Just some likkle licky bwoy, mi mek dem swallow copper,
Hitch up inna house and all dem watch a Shottas,
Deep inna dem heart mi know dem want a collab.”

The rest of the song feels more like an introspection the audience is made privy to, as Jahshii ponders the dangers of the current state of Dancehall music and how there desperately needs to be change.

He shares, “Too much youth dat a bury, yeah di future a perish, Mek we embrace di truth, too much trap and medley,” before ultimately solidifying the extent of his ambitions with the lines, “And sing some lifetime chune like pappa Beres”, referring to Reggae legend and icon, Beres Hammond. In the video, he is seen watching a television as Beres is on-screen as he sings those lines. He does fire a few more shots in Silk Boss’s direction, telling viewers he was a pretender, before hinting that he may be willing to take up the lyrical challenge at Sting (”Lef dat to Boxing Day a December”).

Bigger Picture, while in the context of Jahshii and Silk Boss’s exchange so far, is a little mild, fans may be mistaken if they take it as a direct response to Last Nation. It’s more of a status flex, and maybe the last we hear from Jahshii on this feud until December at Sting.