Sean Paul: Drake and Justin Bieber Don't Understand Dancehall
How does Sean Paul feel about pop stars emulating dancehall music? The Jamaican superstar is sounding off with his disapproval.
During an interview with The Guardian, the “Get Busy” hitmaker opened up about how artists like Drake and Justin Bieber are viewed when they borrow from his country’s sounds.
“It is a sore point when people like Drake or Bieber or other artists come and do dancehall-orientated music but don’t credit where dancehall came from and they don’t necessarily understand it,” said Paul. “A lot of people get upset, they get sour. And I know artists back in Jamaica that don’t like Major Lazer because they think they do the same thing that Drake and Kanye did—they take and take and don’t credit.”
That’s not all Paul said regarding Drake. “I love some of his songs,” he added. “But I don’t think he’s the best rapper.”
Paul, who topped the charts with Sia on “Cheap Thrills,” added that he hopes his new music will bridge the gap between mainstream music and the traditional dancehall he knows and loves.
“Dancehall is back but this time it’s also infused with Afrobeat, with hip-hop, with trap, and that’s fine with me,” he explained. “Sure, I would like what we do in Jamaica, that authentic dancehall, to be on top, but it simply isn’t. So I want this album to bridge that gap.”
Recently, Sean Paul collaborated with Drake foe Tory Lanez on the remix to “Luv” and announced a multi-album deal with Island Records.