Anthony B On Jada Kingdom, Stefflon Don’s Feud: ‘Mi Never Hear Taylor Swift A War Lady Gaga’
Reggae and dancehall artist Anthony B says Dancehall doesn’t need any contention between women, as is currently the case between Jada Kingdom and Stefflon Don.
On Wha Dat – his contribution to Rvssian’s Dutty Money riddim – Anthony B posits that their lyrical feud is a poor reflection of dancehall’s offering and a further letdown to the black race.
Mi never hear Taylor Swift a war Lady Gaga
Mi never hear Maria a war Madonna
So why we always a set up black woman fi war each other?
What’s wrong with Stefflon Don and Jada Kingdom?
Mi nuh love it when a black woman get bring down…
Dancehall nuh waan that kind of syndrome
The ladies’ history with afrobeats star Burna Boy is argued to have started the beef, though Stefflon has since said her attack on Kingdom was due to posts the latter made on Instagram. Across four diss tracks, the women have hurled wild claims surrounding the sexual history and family members of the other.
For Anthony B, it’s a case of “pot a cuss kettle, and kettle a cuss pot”.
Mi nah pick no side, the message is clear
Mi nuh matter who come from where
Woman a fight over man, dat mi hear
I don’t know and I don’t care
Look how much man a share, so no woman mussi fight round here
In the YouTube description of the track (which premiered on Wednesday), the singer echoed Sean Paul’s sentiment that such feuds negatively impact Jamaican culture and youth.
“This song is a message to all dancehall artists, male and female, kings and queens. War n fighting each other is not a good thing for our culture or the younger minds that will be influance by our music and follow our words and put actions an meaning that leads to violences. MUSIC HAS A STRONG INFULANCE UES IT WITH A POSITIVE SENSE.”
He expanded on this message in an Instagram Live today, days before kickstarting his ‘World A Love’ tour in India.
“Reggae is the only music that chant about consciousness, chant about love of the people coming together…cya lose the essence of that,” he said. “Done have a wull heap a music in the world weh sing bout gun and murder and sex and all kind of thing. We haffi keep the authenticity inna Jamaica.”
“There’s no one else doing it like Jamaican reggae and dancehall artists so we have to wake up to the consciousness and stop being unconscious. Stop being excited over stupidity. Stop laugh after our brother and sister when dem become mockery of each other…when dem fighting to kill each other.”
His contemporaries, including deejay Mr. Lexx and popular personalities Foota Hype and MC Nuffy Don, beg to differ, citing the dust-up as part of dancehall’s ritualistic passage.