Tarrus Riley, Foota Hype Clash Over Association With Shenseea
Tarrus Riley and Foota Hype had a showdown on Instagram over the weekend, after the Dancehall music selector castigated the Lion Paw artist for openly supporting Shenseea, in spite of her admitting to participating in taboo sex acts.
Foota’s criticisms of Tarrus began on Friday, when he shared a post on Instagram pointing out how ashamed he was of Riley, for ‘keeping company’ with Shenseea following their performance of Lighter, at the Mecca Trinidad Carnival on Thursday night.
“Everytime mi si Tarris Riley mi bredrin perform wid Shenseea mi shame. When mi si Protoje and Kabaka Pyramid perform wid Koffee or Lila Iké, mi shame. Is like Rasta nuh have no standard or boundaries. It is sooo, embasrrassing. Dem show di world seh a demon life dem a live and Rasta still a work wid dem. This is a bloodcl@@t joke,” Foota had written.
Tagging Tarrus, Kabaka, and Protoje, he then added: “Supm nuh right eno supm nuh blutclaaat right mi cant stand it… unu plz mi beg unu explain to mi wah gwaan so mi can overs cause right now mi confuse”.
In response to a follower’s query as to “what’s wrong with [Tarrus] performing with Shenseea,” Foota referenced her ‘Lip Service with Angela Yee’ interview in March 2022.
“She said, not me, say she a batti gal and a sex inna batti she a deal wid so wah rasta a do pon stage wid she?” Foota explained. “When u a RASTA certain things don’t fly… wi can’t mek the flesh rule wi. She can’t a promote demon life and rasta a endorse her him affi choose the emperor or the devil”.
A day later, Foota took his anti-Shenseea campaign up a notch when Tarrus posted photos of himself and the Lick artist, following her performance in Trinidad, and expressed his love for her whilst wishing her “guidance and protection.”
“The rasta and the batti girl OH GOSH!” Foota commented under Tarrus’ post in supposed astonishment.
A rattled Tarrus’ responded swiftly, accusing the Dark Knight producer of being disrespectful and told him to take his comments elsewhere.
“Foota hype, do ur work…flogs/blogs youtube an all u want nuh badda wit it ova ya suh… ya disrespect me…my page..an rasta brawling we neva have no issue n will not annuh my style!!!..annuh di tracing cusscuss suck madda argue page dis…u free fi talk anyting..low my page wit it doh g…. ez foota …nuh ova yah suh…..simple…,” Riley said.
However, Foota, having attracted Tarrus’ attention, told him that he wanted him to give an explanation as to why he was endorsing debauchery.
“I never disrespect u inna life yet, but unu just nuh like the truth mi nuh trace mi want a discussion with u publicly to enlighten mi as to how as a rasta u a embrace homosexuality that’s all?” the Cassava Piece native said.
But Tarrus, denied any endorsement of ontoward behaviour, and told Foota to confront Shenseea with his queries instead.
“u been a mek sum speech n sum likkle ting n me kmt…ya o.d…ute…mi a say this page is not for that… u a talk bout truth…u alone nuh wul truth inna u pocket…u a play blind to ur truth u also a try push a narrative on me an a disrespect dat!!!!!!!!!!!!….n u knw mi n u nuh inna it!!!!!….link shenseea bout her n sex life it concerns u big big big time….maybe u even have a crush…idk…wtf u get sex argument n batti talk from da pic ya?” he asked
“u medz look way…fisherman talk bout fish…music man talk bout music….low mi n my page with certain talk….mi not having any public discussion with u on nooo platform…u coulda dealid it respectfully if u did wan reason ah back n forth u want inna…mi ah enlighten u doh mi nuh inna di bangarang……ez foota jus ez,” he added.
As the war of words continued, Foota pressed the singer yet again, telling him to “man up” and engage him in a live discussion to explain whether his Rastafari faith allows him to intermingle with persons who engage in certain sexual practices.
“Tarrus, u say u nah trace but a type and trace let’s go live and have a proper reasoning about u being a RASTAMAN and she being openly gay. And u can enlighten mi as to how ur faith and her lifestyle go together simple as that. If u can’t do that mi bun u to ashes cause u a go against wah rasta stand for a just the truth and mi still nuh diss u all now so man up,” Foota ordered.
However, Tarrus replied that the discussion was finished, and he had nothing more to say: “Me sey we mi sey n mi done now….Ez Foota,” he said.
Hours later, Foota pronounced on his Instagram page that he would continue to ‘dare to be a Daniel’ in the music industry.
“It look like mi soon have no friend inna music. Everybody shaky. But oh well, the fire still have to burn…. A me alone born so me allright,” he stated.
Addressing Tarrus in another video, he said that the artiste had fully ‘submitted.’
“That’s what you call submission. Yuh caan guh roun it; a di truth. Yuh caan seh yuh a Rasta an yuh a pour energy into a battigyal. Yuh a cross-tread righteousness… Mi nuh fear losing some people enuh. If Tarrus now teck it to heart and decide seh inna him mind, him want put Foota ova enemy side an nuh deal wid mi fi di rest a him life, dat a pan him enuh. Dat naw guh stop me fram live and dat naw guh stop him from live,” he said.
As for performing with Shenseea and strengthening her, Foota said there were other upcoming artists, including the singer’s own brother, who needed his support.
“Shenseea fi guh oneside guh perform by herself,” he said.