Spragga Benz marks 57th birthday with Florida concert and reflections on dancehall

Spragga Benz will celebrate his 57th birthday on May 30 with a Florida event titled Journey to Kingston, even though the show is being staged in Miramar. The dancehall veteran said the production is being built with a full band, an orchestra element and a lineup that includes Wayne Wonder.

He also said a Jamaica edition is being considered with Beenie Man. Spragga said the staging, setting and overall presentation have to be carefully handled, because his audience now includes longtime fans as well as younger listeners who want to see the artiste behind the 1990s catalogue.

Speaking about today’s influencer culture, Spragga said consistency matters, but he would not open up his private life simply for attention. He had no issue with IShowSpeed or Kai Cenat, but said any publicity he seeks should support his music or productions, not his home life.

The entertainer also reflected on changing access to cultural spaces such as the Bob Marley Museum, saying attitudes and business models have shifted. On younger deejays recording songs about scamming and guns, he said artistes should not only feed demand but also offer what people need to hear.

Spragga linked some older dancehall themes to “badness” and said his generation also learned hard lessons. He said he misses the Jamaica of earlier years, when there was more love, more order in some communities, more parties and more creativity feeding dancehall.

On crime, he criticised heavy-handed policing and said Jamaica has become numb to killings, whether by gunmen or the state. He argued that justice does not move quickly enough, while violence operates with disturbing efficiency.

Spragga said new Jamaican music still reaches overseas audiences, though not with the same force as in earlier eras. He blamed selfishness and gatekeeping around playlists, radio, influencers and trends, while saying he remains focused on delivering his own message.

The artiste said he does not send anyone to hell, but he is not limited to a simple one-love slogan either. He described his smartest career move as avoiding being swallowed by the industry, said he grew up a Michael Jackson fan, and said Rastafari helped him slow down from the pace of stardom. His message now, he said, is love, with fire when necessary. After Miramar, Spragga Benz is also listed for Baltimore on June 15.