Spice released her highly anticipated new song, “Queen of Dancehall,” with a colorful visual dishing out history lessons for dancehall fans.
The Queen Of Dancehall has been on a roll since returning to music earlier this year, some months after having a medical emergency. “Queen of the Dancehall” is her third single since the start of the year after releasing “God A Bless Me” and the soulful reggae joint “Spice Marley.”
Spice returns to her hardcore dancehall roots for “Queen of the Dancehall,” giving us pure 90s dancehall vibe.
“Welcome to dancehall inna Jamaica/ Batty rider mesh mareena/ Big gold chain and mi choperata/ Queen a dancehall mi deh back up in yah/ Diamond socks big up every skanka/ Weed a crush up in a palm wid five finger/ Magnum in a mi hand wid mi hair bright color,” Spice deejays over a classic dancehall beat while dishing on some cultural aspect of dancehall culture.
The BlingBlang-directed cut also saw dancers wearing diamond socks and mesh mareena, the Jamaican patois for wife beater. In another scene, Spice wears a gold crown and her signature blue hair while singing the chorus, “Mi a di queen a di dancehall.”
Spice had taken on the Queen of Dancehall title since around the mid-2010s when former Queen Lady Saw, now Minister Marion Hall, announced her retirement from dancehall to become a gospel artist and a Christian minister. It wasn’t until 2022 that Spice was officially crowned at Reggae Sumfest, cementing her place at the top of the genre.
In 2017, Beenie Man, who was also crowned the King of Dancehall at reggae Sumfest, argued that Spice is not the queen of the genre despite Lady Saw hanging up her mic.
“Well the queen of dancehall baptized now… Marion Hall [Lady Saw], the queen of dancehall baptized,” Beenie said. “So I am here to see the next queen to come. She is the one that stepped up to the plate but that’s not how you become the queen.”
“Because if you’re going to take Lady Saw crown then you have to do what Lady Saw did like no disrespect, you can’t do less work and [want to be the queen],” Beenie added. “Becomes that artist that you know… she is Spice in Jamaica, she is Spice everywhere Jamaicans is, she is Spice everywhere Caribbean people is, she needs to be Spice where American and British people meet.”
Beenie Man has not commented on the Queen of Dancehall title publicly since then. Spice also responded to Beenie Man, saying that the King of Dancehall was incarcerated, referring to Vybz Kartel.
“D Rasta man [Beenie Man] vex true mi say a Kartel a the king a dancehall,” she said. “Smh Veterans want to be praised for paving the way but still never want to let go or embrace the New artiste. You crowned yourself king when yellow man was really the king and then over the years you were found fit after repeatedly self proclaiming it.”
Spice is now stamping her authority as the Queen of Dancehall. Only time will tell whether or not anyone will step up and challenge her for the crown. Nevertheless, Shenseea, who is currently one of the top female artists in Jamaica, says she has no interest in being queen of the genre.
