SUMMER IS heating up, and so, too, is the dancehall and the talks of who is hot and who's not. According to the charts, last year this time, deejay Zebra was the talk of the town with several hit singles, including Unfair Yu Know and Everybody. Vegas, too, was like hot cross bun off the shelves with Sucky Ducky, a tune which virtually stuck on the charts for several weeks.
The warlord Bounty Killer seems to have everyone calling for his single Request.
Some people keep swearing that Richie B's I Swear was one of his best singles and Serial Kid got her biggest break with her first number one, Little Shotta.
Other artistes on the hot tracks were Beenie Man with
Battery Dolly, Burro Banton with Boom Wha Dis, Goofy's Normal, Capleton's Critics, Buju Banton's Pull It Up and TOK with When Eagles Cry, to name a few.
Checks with popular charts also revealed a number of these artistes began last year in a good position. January 1999 had Vegas well ahead of the pack with Sucky Ducky. Zebra, too, was another early starter, and so too was Beenie Man, Baby Cham, Bounti Killer, Capleton , Lexxus and Professor Nuts and Madd Anju.
And, what do show promoters and radio dsjockeys use to measure who is hot from who is not, one might ask?
They usually watch the chart-busters, both here and abroad, as well as entertainers who may not have a hit but who are excellent performers on stage. And, although there appears to be a leaning towards singers, like Junior Kelly, Ghost, Morgan's Heritage and Singing Melody, the deejays are still on the most favoured list.
For popular disc jockey, Richie B, a veteran in music, the hot list for the summer includes Baby Cham, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Capleton, and Vegas. The RJR dis-jockey told Showbiz, "Baby Cham's album soon to be released is taking music to another level. I have listened to one of his tracks and it is something to talk about. He (Baby Cham) is creative."
Richie B added that "Elephant Man is moving in the right direction. Crissy D will be coming strong. Lady Saw doesn't need a hit song, once people can tolerate her. She too will be in the reckoning."
Summer sizzling
Richie B has also included in his summer sizzling list, Danny English whose single, Bun, is hot. Sean Paul, who along with Vegas made Hot Gal Today a number on the R and B Billboard. Hawkeye and Junior Kelly are also among those favoured by the disc jockey.
Words form Linval Gibbons, show promoter for some 20 years is that his hot performers are not necessarily those with several hit singles, as stage performance is important.
Gibbons' top five artistes includes Beenie Man, Vegas, Elephant Man, Baby Cham and Beres Hammond. He chooses Beenie man as the hottest this summer because, "Beenie Man has so many hits and, with so large a variety of hits, one can look for something good from this artistes each time he comes on stage.
"Baby Cham has the potential to burst big time. He has this new CD coming out which shows a different Baby Cham. This might be the big break he is waiting for."
Gibbons, the Teens Splash promoter, talks of Vegas as one with a good track record overseas. A MOBE awards winner for his song Heads High, and with his recent achievement - Got Gal Today on the Billboard charts - he is one to watch.
Gibbons feels Elephant Man is likely to be the new sensation for summer. "He (Elephant Man) is like a Beenie Man. Elephant Man does not have a barrage of hit songs, but he is a dynamic performer."
Also featured on Gibbon's list are Tanto Metro and Devonte, Professor Nuts, Danny English and Hawkeye. He adds, "We will not have much of a new package this summer for the old artistes are coming back again.
If that is the case, which young crew is likely to bear a name?
On his list is the Potental Crew with deejays Western Ranks, Lt. Brooksie and Singing Crystal who he describes as someone who reminds him of Michael Jackson.
Ron Burke, spokesperson at Celestial Sound Recording Studio who describes himself as "a show promoter" emphasises that Bounty Killer, Lexxus, and Baby Cham will do well at any stage show. "Capleton is hot because he has the most tunes on the charts. His topics are also controversial because these are happening in Jamaica."
Also hot in the summer spotlight, according to Burke are Elephant Man, Danny English Vegas and Hawkeye. He says, "Elephant is on every single ryhthm out there, Danny English has this English tone of voice which Jamaicans seem to love, Vegas is like Beenie Man. He is different being able to sing and deejay while Hawkeye has this hip-hop reggae combination."
Talk to the average dancehall fans and their lists runs almost similar to those which have been mentioned. Fans say it's too early to see Junior Kelly as a hot number with one hit, Love So Nice.
They see Beenie Man as one who maan with a seemingly endless string of hits; Mr Lexxus with his charismatic personality, Bounty Killer as heavy hardcore and 'waspy' with Baby Cham looking good for the future, and Mr. Vegas striving for a Grammy.
Eugene Pitter
