Dancehall artiste Shenseea has found herself in the middle of a controversy after comments she made about independent artistes were perceived as subliminal shots at Queen of Dancehall Spice. The remarks were during a TikTok livestream while she spoke about her recent departure from Rich Immigrants and Interscope Records.
The Grammy-nominated singer expressed that her split with the label was amicable without hard feelings. When she previously revealed she had been operating as an independent artiste since November, she indicated that she welcomed the change and it may reignite her passion for music. During the recent candid livestream, she said that while she is enjoying her independence, she will not remain this way for long.
She also called the drive for independence in the music industry a “broke mindset” for artistes.
“Anybody weh tell you say it’s fun doing it alone, a lie them a tell, and let me tell you this: come out of that broke mindset,” she urged. “If you don’t have to do it alone, don’t do it alone. You just a waste of energy, you just a waste of time. You can get so much more done when you put so many people on different projects.”
The 28-year-old went on to express that bragging about being independent was “straight-up dumb”. She continued by saying, “That’s not something to brag about; brag about people actually wanting to work with you. Only do it alone if you have to; if you don’t have to do it alone, please don’t do it alone.”
She emphasised that no superstar or billionaire has reached such heights without the collaborative effort of others. Regarding her career, Shenseea added that she is currently weighing her options, as she has been presented with many deals.
Following her remarks, viewers have speculated that she took a jab at Spice, who has always prided herself on being an independent artiste. The comments have resulted in Shenseea facing criticism, as fans called her out and highlighted highly successful independent artists like Spice and Vybz Kartel.
When World Music Views published a report on the live stream, Shenseea took a less controversial approach. She called out the article’s headline as “misleading” and expressed that she was only encouraging artists not to strive for independence because “no man achieves success on their own.”
