Eek-A-Mouse throw his support behind trap dancehall and is urging artists to stay away from anti-gay and gun lyrics.
The emerging subset of dancehall called trap dancehall has been given a huge endorsement from a veteran in the game. Renowned entertainer Eek-A-Mouse has said he is satisfied with youth in dancehall trying to innovate and create new hits, but he does have a problem with the number of gun tunes. The veteran artist also does not endorse the number of derogatory lyrics geared towards women. Eek-A-Mouse is well-known for his eclectic brand of reggae.
He made the comments while speaking to the Jamaica Star. Another problem he identified with the music was the use of lyrics that encourage homophobia. He admitted that he does love the new beats that some of the artists in the genre are coming up with. He’s also happy that it is keeping the younger people interested in dancehall.
The artist, real name Ripton Joseph Hylton, is now based in Sweden but has continued to take an interest in dancehall music and Jamaican affairs. His advice for if the music is to grow is to let go of the gun lyrics. However, this may be difficult for artists in trap dancehall who often sing about a type of lifestyle that often involves both guns and women.
He argued that too many Jamaican artists had turned down a dark path and were now incarcerated. The “Rude Boy Jamaican” singer added that artists need to focus more on building their career and not on using drugs or becoming a “badman.”
Eek-A-Mouse has lost some of his popularity after videos, which he posted, emerged showed him posing with a rainbow flag and wearing lipstick. He, however, does not apologize for the video or sharing it. He did explain his actions a bit, though. The incident came about because a concert was supposed to take place in Europe, and he was aware that a particular gay group hated Buju Banton and was planning a protest.
In response to this hatred, the “Long Time Ago” singer decided to put on a wig and some lipstick to bring the group into the venue instead of having them protest outside. “But the same day of the concert it was cancelled. And now, di man dem a yaad seh ‘Mouse a men’ and ‘Mouse gay’ and all kind of things,” he continued. The people who have criticized his action are too homophobic, he added.
He seems to have a different take on how to approach getting dancehall out to the world. He added a question: “How yuh fi seh yuh a go bun down Rome?” His opinion is that it is better to use compromise to encourage everyone to get along rather than choosing to oppress a sect or religious group.
That being said, he also confirmed that he is not gay but loves women of all colors, sizes, and shapes. The veteran entertainer also said that he respects women even though he described some women as being too “crafty.” He also scandalously shared his love of white women as he added:” I like three types of white girls, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella.”
The 63-year-old is still rocking the stage and has a pretty active musical career. He recently rejoined VP Records and has released two singles, “Dem A Parasite” and “Still Smuggling,” a reference to his mega-hit back “Ganja Smuggling” back in 1981.
That’s quite the achievement for the reggae star, whose first hit was in a track called “Wah Do Dem” in 1980 and whose now been singing for at least four decades.
