I-Wayne urges industry to clean up act

July 20th, 2012 | By

I-Wayne continues to voice his disgust with the current structure of the music industry in Jamaica.  The artist blames the entertainers who continue to promote and produce ‘filthy music.’

The singer has expressed his concerns with the direction the industry has been heading in the past and is now insisting that corruption within the local system is one of the main causes for the epic low the industry has reached.

“The system just promoting pure negativity. Memba di music is life because a that it reflect, and wah them a promote now nah help wah gwaan inna di society. Once di meditation nuh right ,di people nah go right. As soon as dis filthy system end, all this crap will stop,” I-Wayne told the  STAR.

One clear example is the controversial payola or “money pull up” system currently employed by disc jocks throughout the country.  The  artist says that too many entertainment personalities have made conscious decisions to promote songs lacking positive content and messages.

“Di ones dem just decide seh a freak dem a promote! Mi realise seh dem jus a fight what is good and a promote pure filth. Probably me nuh have enough money as the filthy one dem, that’s why mi a get the fight,” he said.

I-Wayne highlighted a diluted crop of talent as another reason for the industry’s lack of quality.

“That a one a di main reason why dem nuh see I-Wayne. Dem just promoting filth an a try stifle di goodness. Yuh have some hungry-belly people inna Jamaica who will tek yuh things, but overseas people who have dem money will run dem weh and seh ‘Yuh caan buy mi out. But mi deh yah same way. Mi nuh run out, mi nuh gone nuh weh,” he said.

I-Wayne is known for prolific and successful albums like Lava Ground and Book Of Life.  His latest effort entitled Life’s Teachings  was released last year on VP and has become both an underground and commercial hit internationally.

If dem fair, tell dem fi play di righteous, good music as much as dem a play di filth and see if di good nuh overthrow wah dem a play now. Dem up to dem neck in filth and it soon reach dem mouth. Every day dem get up an a sing ’bout car rims and tyre,”

The artist says he continues to give away copies of his material to fans while on stage as he sees this as the most efficient way to reach out to fans.

“Mi still a give out CDs when mi guh stage shows. Before di media know mi, a dat mi use to do, but now di man dem just decide seh a filth dem a give the nation.”