Jugglings then & now

More than two decades into his career, Spragga Benz still speaks about music with the same excitement as an emerging artiste discovering a hit beat for the first time.

Whether he’s reflecting on the current generation of dancehall stars, crafting new material, or debating the state of juggling rhythms, the veteran deejay remains deeply invested in the culture that made him a household name.

Currently, he is focused on expanding his latest album Endeavors, this time through a remix project that brings together a line-up of artistes he genuinely admires and respects.

“I recently released an album called Endeavors, and I’m doing the remix of that album right now where I’m putting artistes on the original songs; man like Agent Sasco, Stonebwoy, Bugle, Sean Paul, I Wayne. And me a try get JC Lodge involved as well. That’s the next thing I’m coming out with, and it’s with people who mi really respect,” he shared.

The collaborative direction of the project mirrors the artiste’s wider outlook on today’s dancehall scene.

While conversations around generational divides often dominate the industry, Spragga says he has managed to maintain mutual respect.

“I guess I’m the in-between generation, because me have love fi everybody and me respect everybody. Mi nah try disrespect nobody a road, and me walk weh from it as well so mi nuh haffi face it. Mi nuh have a problem with the youths dem when me see dem. And, hopefully, dem nuh have a problem wid me when dem see me. Everything good and dats my outlook on that. Mi ready fi make some music wid dem,” he shared.

That openness has also allowed him to closely follow and appreciate several acts leading dancehall’s new era. Among the younger names making an impression on him is Skeng, whose presence and energy he believes transcends traditional deejaying.

“Mi like Skeng energy! Skeng thing different ennu man. Mi nuh know if him see it yet enno, but Skeng things anuh just a deejay thing, Skeng is a rock star; and in the new generation of artistes Skeng in a different class by himself.”

He also pointed to Masicka and Jashii among the younger acts he ‘rates’, while highlighting emerging talent closer to home.

“Mi like Masicka music as well, Jashii mi rate, and inna my Red Square crew — Bittah So Sicka is a likkle singer yute weh me rate a lot.”

Still, despite evolving sounds and changing trends, Spragga Benz said the foundation of his passion for music has never changed. According to the deejay, inspiration can strike instantly once the right rhythm finds him.

“Mi love music and mi always ago get excited about a bad rhythm. Every time mi hear a beat weh me like and the groove different or unfamiliar to me, mi ago wah write a song. Whether me sing it or not, mi ago still create something because this is my work and my hobby,” shared the artiste.

One modern production currently catching his attention is the popular Hill and Gully Ride-inspired sound dominating sections of dancehall.

“Me love the Hill an’ Gully. Me would shell it. Mi tell Stephen [McGregor] fi send it, but him nuh send dat, him send a different one…it have a vibe like the Powercut (rhythm), so I guess him ago more inna our era,” he said.

Even so, Spragga Benz admits he misses an element of dancehall culture he believes has slowly faded — true juggling rhythms that allow multiple artistes to bring different perspectives and stories to the same production.

“The way beats are, there’s not many out there weh a jugglings and everybody can go on it, is more single rhythms,” he explained. “Mi prefer juggling rhythms because everybody can get involved and tell dem own story… What I don’t like is when everybody a sing about the same topics and a dat a happen on a lot of the juggling rhythms; it’s a who can sing the same thing better competition,” he added. “Mi just wah some more creativity inna di topics dem.”

For Spragga Benz, the mission remains the same: Continue creating, continue evolving, and continue contributing meaningfully to dancehall culture — whether through collaborations with respected peers or championing the next generation of stars.