Image Is Everything - More And More Dancehall Artistes Use Their Bodies As Canvas

Curtis Campbell, Gleaner Writer

In the 1990s, tattooing was just as taboo in dancehall as was skin bleaching. That is now a thing of the past as recording artistes are pushing boundaries, using some of the most precious parts of their skin as a canvas.

Dancehall artiste Alkaline in 2013 claimed to have tattooed the sclera of his eyes because he wanted attention, that claim has since been refuted by several dancehall artistes including Radijah who accuses the deejay of wearing contact lens.

Radijah has also pushed the boundaries by tattooing an image over his right eye called the Eye of Providence or the all-seeing eye.

The all-seeing eye is sometimes interpreted as representing the eye of God watching over humans. However, conspiracy theorists have argued that the eye is a symbol associated with devil worship and in some instances endorses the existence of the Illuminati.

While Radijah was very vague about the meaning of the tattoo, he does claim it is of great significance to him.

"It is one of the most powerful symbols, some of the most powerful people use it," was all he put across about the controversial tattoo.

The artiste revealed that he is already receiving backlash from critics who subscribe to conspiracy theories.

Those critics, he says, accuse him of selling his soul.

"People have been saying I am the devil and I have sold my soul, while some say it's a good sign because it is a pyramid," Radijah said.

The recording artiste also said his tattoo is necessary because artistes need to have a particular image in order to make their brand unique.

"If you are an artiste and don't have an image, people don't recognise you, no matter how yu song big. A lot of people seh mi shouldn't duh it but a my life and mi know why mi duh it and mi nuh duh it just for music. Mi nah follow Alkaline because him eye don't tattoo for real, mi know dat and him know dat tuh," the 19-year-old artiste said.

Recording artiste Tommy Lee Sparta is no stranger to tattoos. However, recently he went a step further by allowing his artist to inscribe the image of a sizable scorpion on his forehead. His business associate, the director of Guzu Musiq, Keona Williams, says image is everything in the entertainment industry.

"Artistes are products. They are selling to consumers, so your brand has to be unique in order for you to stand out in the marketplace. Tommy Lee's tattoo has never been an issue for business, most international artistes have tattoos. Lil Wayne is a good example of that. Tattoos gives them a type of energy and is a part of their swag (style)," she said.

Williams also rubbished stereotypical perspectives that tattoos are demonic, citing that she has a tattoo of an elephant on her chest, however, that doesn't't make her a bad person.

"The views on tattoos are similar to religion because people will always have their own opinions. You might lose somebody special and you put on a tattoo to remember them, so they are sentimental as well," Williams said.

Unlike Williams and Radijah, overseas-based reggae artiste/businessman, Dr Love, is disgusted by tattoos.

Dr Love says artistes are simply desperate for attention and are not making money or developing a respectable following with their tattooing antics.

"I think tattoos are waste of time. You don't have to put on tattoos to make money, and we don't want other young artistes getting influenced and following just to get a hype because there is nothing else behind it," he said.

The artiste also lashed out against 20-year-old Alkaline who now has multiple tattoos on his body.

"Alkaline is the corruption and we need to chop him down to size before it is too late. People will start losing their eyes following these artistes because they are influential," he said.

Dr Love operates three businesses in the United States, and vows never to employ persons with tattoos.

"If somebody comes to me for a job and he has tattoo, I wouldn't even give him a minute of my time. I don't believe in tattoos and that guy, Radijah, will have a hard time getting a visa with that tattoo. He is following that clown, Alkaline. These artistes will start walking naked to get a hype," he said.

WORK PERMIT PREVENTION

It is uncertain if tattoos have prevented any recording artistes from getting work permits in the United States or other countries. Lil Wayne has performed in Jamaica without any objection from Jamaican authorities and he has multiple tattoos.

American rapper Wiz Khalifa is also booked to perform at this year's Reggae Sumfest and he is covered in tattoos.

Rappers Gucci Mane and The Game have tattoos on their faces, a trend that may speak to the similarities in the cultures associated with hip hop and dancehall.

The boundaries that once separated the two are rapidly being eroded with the examples of artistes like J Amsterdam and Alkaline coming to mind readily.

Amsterdam was the first dancehall artiste to admit to performing oral sex in a song, while Alkaline sang about being stimulated by a woman's tongue in a place other artistes shy away from mentioning.

source-http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20140330/ent/ent1.html