Spragga Benz celebrates legacy with Journey to Kingston - Salutes dancehall’s next generation putting in the work

There are few names in dancehall as recognisable as Spragga Benz. More than three decades after entering the music arena, the veteran deejay continues to command attention, with fans still drawn to the lyrical sharpness and commanding stage presence that helped cement his place in dancehall.

As he prepares to celebrate his 57th birthday at the end of May, Spragga Benz is gearing up for a major musical showcase dubbed Journey to Kingston, set for Saturday, May 30, at the Miramar Cultural Center in Florida. The event will feature appearances from some of his longtime musical friends, including Wayne Wonder, Tanya Stephens, Stephen Marley, and Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley.

“Journey to Kingston will feature myself and me bredden dem: Wayne Wonder, Agent Sasco, with a whole lot of other people ago passing through. We a go mek a real classical presentation with a choreographed show, a live orchestra, and the Ruff Kut Band. It will be a really great experience,” Spragga Benz told The Gleaner. 

Even after decades in the business, the veteran deejay still keeps a close watch on the younger generation of artistes emerging in dancehall. He says several of them have caught his attention because of the work they continue to put in.

 “I like how a lot of younger artistes a work. Me like Masicka’s vibes, and while me nuh get a chance to listen to a lot of Alkaline, me like his energy. I definitely like Skeng’s energy as well, and me like Jahshii’s voice. A nuff a di youth dem out there can carve dem name inna dancehall.”

For Spragga Benz, staying relevant in music comes down to consistency and discipline. One of the greatest lessons life and the industry have taught him, he said, is that complacency can quickly cost an artiste their edge.

“You have to deal with it like it’s your woman. If you nah pay attention to your woman, she gonna leave you or you get bun,” he shared. “If you stop go studio, you gonna get bun because other artistes will put in the hours if you get lazy, so a bun dat the music start give you right deh so. You have to continue to be creative in the process. It’s like a muscle. If you don’t exercise it, you will lose it.”

That mindset, he explained, was shaped by the realities of his upbringing.

“Growing up in the garrison, you know what to expect from people and how to navigate this world and be aware. You can hope for the best but expect anything.” 

Beyond music, Spragga Benz has also expanded his storytelling abilities through acting, with films such as Shottas adding another layer to his entertainment career. According to the deejay, acting sharpened the way he visualises music and narratives.

“I was doing storytelling before me start act, so it makes me visualise the songs a little more because acting is like an extended music video that we shoot from different angles, and it is done over a series of days or weeks,” Spragga Benz shared. 

As to when he will return to the big screen, he assured fans that projects are in the works. “I do have upcoming film projects, but I can’t broadcast too much information as yet. We are working with Top Notch Vision with Cleon James, who originates from Montego Bay. Trust and believe Cleon already has it written and put down. Me nuh really waa jump the thing, but there is a project named Ruthless, which is more action-packed, and Ky-Mani (Marley) has read it and say him interested. Then you have others that are more family-oriented, where your grandmother can sit down and watch it without the bag of violence and swearing,” said Spragga Benz.

While he admires many younger artistes, Spragga Benz also acknowledges the frustrations many of them face navigating industry politics and so-called gatekeepers. According to him, these challenges are nothing new.

“It has always been like that. If is not a producer, is a radio man or a selector who feel like him is the s***. There is always someone who feels like you need their approval for everything, but the youngster dem nuffi listen because at the end of the day dem simply bad-minded. Many people used to say me nuh sound good inna the beginning, and I’m still here thirty-plus years later,” he shared. “Plenty of the gatekeepers them who said me nah go mek it turn roun a run me down afterwards and try voice me and me nuh work with dem cuz dem figet seh dem say me nah nuh talent. Or if me work wid dem, dem haffi pay triple times the rate cuz dem fi pay fi dem mistakes. It’s a business at the end of the day, so them haffi do business under my terms. So me nuh rate nuh no gatekeeper and the youth dem fi just go roun dem. If one nuh waa work wid you, just find someone else who will, because at the end of the day, creativity cannot be stifled.”  

nicola.cunningham@gleanerjm.com