Pre-Recording In The Dancehall

Ever imagined the world of cutting a dancehall record to be one where an artist walks into the studio through a cloud of ganja smoke, the producer runs his hot new rhythm through the speakers, the artist hears it, has a think, then steps up and drops 3 minutes of slackness? The reality is that some of the biggest songs around could have been sat on a shelf for weeks at a time, waiting for a producer to match the lyrics to a riddim.

The Jamaica Star quotes Flexx from TOK, amongst other artists, as saying "... If wi hear a riddim weh wi like an' feel it have potential, wi voice pon it an' sometimes wi all write songs and medley an' have every ting put down till wi find di right riddim to fit it".

The article also talks about how artists maintain a steady presence in the sometimes flash-in-the-pan world of dancehall by recording several songs to be played on radio whilst they are on tour. Or in QQ's case when he has homework.

Read the full piece, titled "Forget-Me-Not Songs" here.