File photos
(1) Ras Ghandi says his excellent recording 'Tears Are Not Gonna Go In Vain' is not being promoted by the producer.
(2) Deejay Fambo says the producers work with who is hot at any particular moment.
(3) Boswell 'Stampede' Lammie says he has been offered money by an artiste to not work with another.
(4) Vegas says there are artistes who will not record songs on a rhythm if he is also on it.

Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

Many artistes have become quite bitter over the injustice that they say is being meted out to them by producers who simply shelve the songs they record.

According to these artistes, either some producers have their own personal favourites or it's all about money.

Ras Ghandi says this is something that he has had to face on a consistent basis.

"A nuh jus' now dis a reach mi, any promotion me get a Nuffy haffi get up an guh mek a link. Mi would a like fi ask, what have I done to deserve this?" he demanded. He added that "dem (producers) show less interest towards my tunes, when dem si sey my song a guh bigga dan fi dem artiste wey dem have a personal interest inna. Cause me voice one a di baddest song pon one producer riddim, mi nah call nuh name. Di song name Tears Are Not Gonna Go In Vain and dem nah gi it nuhpush."

Although deejay Fambo says "a something dis wey reach every artiste, whether big or small", he does not allow it to set him back as it's just the nature of the business that one has to understand and accept.

"Di producer dem work wid something called 'man a di moment' an a dah tune deh dem a guh try put out first. Dem wi all name di riddim afta di person song sometimes to. One time a did who fah song hot or bad, but now a di Mavado, Munga, Fambo, Killa, Aidonia, Tarrus Riley an dem man deh a producer a guh try guh fah di most yah now," he said.

According to Fambo, it's all about the right timing, because "five year ago, yuh neva did a hear no Fambo, but Fambo drop Drunken Dance and Fambo Man an everybody want a piece a Fambo yah now, a jus suh it guh. Right now mi book out right back."

However, one producer who preferred not to be named says, "Di pressure deh pon we as producer sometimes too, because sometimes a di artiste dem a fight 'gainst each other."

According to this producer, "Artistes come fi voice pon my riddim already an dem hear sey a nex man fi voice, or voice already, an either dem drop money an sey nuh bodda work wid dah artiste tune or dem sey dem nah bodda voice, suh we are forced to choose." He added, "And obviously wi going to choose the artiste weh hot an can mek di riddim sell off."

Ghandi, however, takes it personally as he says, "In a sense, it mek mi feel down at one point, but it only mek mi guh two time harder, suh as long as me keep pounding on the door it haffi open di right way. Cause a nuh like sey wi nuh get a break yet, but a jus fi get it di right kind a way. What if me shoulda win di lotto tomorrow, would I still get the same amount of fight or would doors be opened to me?"

Given a fight

Vegas has also found himself in similar situations where he has been 'given a fight', especially where other artistes are concerned. He recalls that "mi a di third artiste voice pon di 'Diwalli' riddim", but yet hardly anyone even knew he was even on that popular rhythm, known for Wayne Marshall's Overcome and Bounty Killer's Sufferer, among others.

But Vegas says, "To be fair to everybody, some a di time yuh might voice pon a riddim an yuh song nuh good, or yuh might voice an a nex artiste come sey dem nah voice if mi deh pon di riddim. Suh di producer now a guh voice di artiste wey a guh sell more."

However, Vegas says such a move by the producer has now backfired, "because records nah really sell again, a singles. But mi know prominent artiste wey tell producer sey dem nah voice if me deh pon di riddim".

"Mi know of that. A ting wey happen all di while, but a only artiste wey have a big name or inna demand can do dat," Boswell 'Stampede' Lammie, another producer said. "Yuh have some producer wey have talk same like di artiste dem, suh some producer can still get di artiste dem fi voice just because a di respect wey dem have.

"A man come to me already an a sey me a work wid such a artiste suh den nah guh do nuh work wid me an dem all offer me money fi nuh work wid da nex artiste deh," Stampede said. "A jus suh di business a run; one set a producer waan have it, one set a artiste waan have it, cause yuh all have producer wey tell selecta an sound man don't play certain tune. But more time di artiste dem have dem personal differences, suh dem a spite him ting. A man wi do anything fi yuh guh rock bottom suh him can always have a laugh."

However, both artistes and producers agree that there is no changing the course, as this is an ongoing trend that everyone is involved in at some point or the other.