Skeng’s performance at last weekend’s New Rules event put on by Alkaline has put the artist in the spotlight as many marveled at his stage presence as a young artist.
Coming on for a quick 20-minute set, Skeng was described as the “head-turner” of the show as he delivered banger after banger from his music catalog with hits like “Protocol” that sent fans wild. Skeng was also one of the few artists who abided by the festival’s ‘no expletives’ rule.
Skeng was not the only one who captivated the audience as his drummer Andre Kryss Ras Barnes has also gone viral for his excitement during the performance and led fans to speculate that he might have used a drug called “Molly.”
Kryss Ras is a well-known celebrity drummer known for working with many prominent artists and is associated with his group called Tower Band. A video from Skeng’s performance shows the drummer beating the drums wildly before throwing the sticks into the air. Still, he appeared to try to catch them and ended up falling into the drum equipment and also used his hand to push down parts of the set before getting up and walking off at the end of Skeng’s set.
Social media users have reacted to the now-viral video, with at least one blog claiming that the drummer was on “molly,” a drug Skeng has sung about in his song, “Protocol.”
However, the drummer on Monday addressed the incident in a statement denying that any drugs were used.
“I am not sure why they would say that if it’s because I was playing for Skeng. I was not high on Molly or any other drug,” the drummer said as he addressed the wild claims.
“It was just a musical high based on the energy Tower Band was putting in the show, and the energy Skeng came with, so together, the force had that impact.”
“As a drummer and the bander leader, I love music, and it comes from a natural place. Playing Skeng’s music, I think dancehall never expected his live show to sound like that based on how Tower Band creatively arranged the set. Many would have noticed we also came with an image, energy and presentation; therefore, we are demonstrating that once you book Tower Band, we bring all the elements, not just entertainment,” Barnes said.
Another band member also denied that any of the members had used Molly.
“Drum set perfectly fine, ntn no wreck. The same kit got played right after…2. No one took Molly or nothing of that nature, just pure vibez on stage,” the band member said.
He also added that had it been international musicians who did the same thing, they would be praised by Jamaicans instead of having rumors made up about them.
Skeng, who was recently banned from performing on a public stage in Guyana, has not reacted to the rumors online. The deejay has caught flack for his lyrics promoting the use of Molly by other artists and industry insiders.
Alkaline was also pulled off stage by fans during his performance as his security and police officers rush in to help him get back on stage.
