Dancehall

Agent Sasco Addresses Fans Criticism Of Name Change From Assassin

Agent Sasco
Agent Sasco / Courtesy

Agent Sasco answers a fan’s criticism on why he changed his name from Assassin.

For one hardcore dancehall fan, it was as if the potency of his lyrics became diluted after he underwent his name change hence the claim that Agent Sasco, formerly known as Assassin, is not as ‘bad’ as he used to be under his former name. This simple post by someone who claims to be a fan sparked much debate to the point that the artiste himself weighed in and explained why there was a transition and why the transition also led to a much-needed mental paradigm shift.

The comment, which quickly went viral, seems to suggest that what the “Banks of the Hope” artiste is producing currently or under his current name is watered down and that when he was simply ‘Assassin’ he was more hungry and had a more lyrical killer instinct that was almost unrivaled. Agent Sasco, 39, whose real name is Jeffrey Campbell, has been in the game for more than 22 years. In the late 2000s, he changed his stage name to ‘Sasco’ as it bore an overall more positive ring to it, and he has been trading on it ever since.

Though the name of the individual who originally commented was scratched out, the sentiment, however, was left for all to see as it expressed, “Personally I think Assassin just badder than Agent Sasco…the rebrand wasn’t it for true Assassin fans like myself.”

This got people debating the veracity of the statement as they shared the comment so much that the “Winning Right Now” entertainer decided to explain what led to the name change.

Agent Sasco reposted the fan’s opinion on his Instagram page and, under it, commented, “Newsflash! Assassin to Agent Sasco was not merely ‘rebranding’. It was a mental revamp. I decided my work should reflect my values and beliefs. So if you expect me to produce material from a 19-year-old assassin perspective …good luck with that. Oh btw…don’t expect me to release songs promoting murder nor anything to further social decay either.”

Some fans have pretty much expressed that they love both personas, while others say that Sasco has the edge because it demonstrated the overall growth of an individual moving from an eager boy to a mature man.

One fan gushed, “Cannot fight personal growth, morals, and principles. That’s maturity and that’s why you’ll forever be loved and admired in this biz”, while another commented, “The most consistent, socially responsible, lyrically inclined artist. Music with more than substance. Music that positively impacts.”