Tanya Stephens Says 450, Masicka And Shane O Are ‘Amazing Songwriters’ With ‘A Lot to Teach’
Singer Tanya Stephens has never shied away from supporting new-gen artists, and is encouraging her contemporaries to do the same.
There’s been much criticism from some veteran acts on the content and trap dancehall sonic of today’s generation, but Stephens believes there’s much to learn from them.
“What if I told you most of the older folks in music who condemn the youths don’t listen to them?” she asked her Instagram followers on Monday. “450, Masicka, Shane O (not new but current), a some amazing writers weh dip inna emotions weh most older heads never even know how fi articulate! Listen to the youths. Dem have a lot fi teach!”
Her post accompanied an endorsement of 450’s latest release Cold Streets, a story about a lawful inner city youth who’s making strides, but meets his demise after joining criminality to protect his life. The music video is trending at number two on YouTube following its premiere on Sunday, and has been viewed more than 200,000 times.
450 made his music debut four years ago and got his big break in 2021 with Imperfection. The track deviates from cliché gyal-gun-ganja lyrics by giving an intimate account of his wrongdoings and flaws, enough to make him one to watch from dancehall’s newest crop. He has followed up with tracks like Journey, 2 Face, Know Weh Ya Do and Live n’ Learn, attracting millions of streams and a tour schedule spanning The States, UK, Canada and the Caribbean.
Masicka and Shane O are brilliant storytellers in their own right. Since making his entry as a teenager, Masicka has maintained his position as one of the most prolific deejays of his time, chronicling personal stories with those of the streets on anthems like They Don’t Know, Everything Mi Want and his latest rocker Tyrant, his come-up story and vow to build generational wealth for his family, while cleverly saluting dancing icon Gerald ‘Mr. Wacky’ Levy.
Masicka‘s versatility has kept him original, steering clear of the lyrical “guzu” and “choppa” trend while winning with releases like Pieces, Moments, Love Story and Darkest Times.
As for Shane O, he got his big break almost 20 years ago with Lightning Flash, the first in a line of hits that punch a catchy hook. It’s a formula he’s replicated on tracks like Pardna Draw, Mill Fi Share, Last Days and his 2022 hit Dark Room. The latter captures the slows and stills of life which can imbue hopelessness, which resonated with the streets and transcended national borders with endorsements from figures like DJ Khaled and rapper Offset.
Shane O is also the pen-master behind some of dancehall’s most beloved tunes, from Mavado’s Touch Di Road (2008) to Yanique ‘Curvy’ Diva’s Lifestyle.
Stephens’ endorsement of the artists was mostly commended by fans, though some said such talents don’t receive the same support as those promoting explicitness.
“The youth dem with the real messages in their music don’t get the spotlight like the ones glorifying certain things and activities,” one user said. “Sad reality; they push certain things more.”
Stephens responded, “Whoever ‘they’ is, the audience outnumbers them. Play it… listen to it. Share it.”
Her remarks were the same when she shared Jada Kingdom’s new single Those Days, yesterday. The track, produced by Stephen ‘Di’ Genius, speaks to navigating the ups and downs of life, aced with a sample of Just One of Those Days, a classic from Sizzla Kalonji’s repertoire.