Spragga Benz urges stronger mentorship culture in dancehall

Dancehall veteran Spragga Benz is urging artistes to embrace mentorship and team up more often, insisting that looking out for one another is what keeps the genre strong both at home and abroad.

The deejay shared his views at the recent media launch for the Journey to Kingston event, where he traced his own come-up and the senior acts who opened doors for him along the way. He singled out Wayne Wonder as the first established name to take a chance on him.

"When everyone was saying I sounded off key, Wayne Wonder was the first artiste to see the potential and collaborate with me -- and he was huge at the time. That was him taking a big gamble, but that's how we've remained relevant even today. We uplifted each other then, and we still do," Spragga Benz said.

With a run that stretches past three decades, Spragga Benz is treated as one of the architects of modern dancehall. Since the early 1990s he has been a constant presence in the genre, linking eras with a long list of hits and a delivery built on authenticity, social commentary and street-level storytelling. His footprint has reached fashion, film and the wider international image of Jamaican culture, helping push dancehall further into the global mainstream.

For Spragga, the lesson is that real support, given without any expectation of a quick payback, is something the current generation needs to take on board.

"Everything was genuine from the start of our careers. We were youths coming up in a time when it wasn't easy, so if one of us got a break, we'd call the next one and say, 'There's an opening over here.' That's how we grew," he added.

That sense of unity will be the theme of the Journey to Kingston Birthday Celebration on May 30, where Spragga Benz is set to perform alongside Agent Sasco, Don Yute, Ky-Mani Marley and Wayne Wonder. The show, presented by the Miramar Cultural Center and hosted by Commissioner Maxwell B. Chambers, is built around the lasting friendships, collaboration and cultural reach that the organisers say define dancehall at its peak.