Following Billboard Magazine snubbing Beenie Man and Bounty Killer for their Verzuz cover, Dancehall entertainers have created the #TimeNow movement.
The #TimeNow movement which has since been shared by Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Jada Kingdom, Noami Cowan and many others, is calling for respect from digital streaming platforms, international media, and award shows.
“No need for a history lesson, #Reggae and #Dancehall have been beating the drum and bass loudly for decades and had you all nodding heads and whining waists. We birthed Hip Hop, Reggaeton, spawned Dance music genres and influenced countless sub-cultures that all went through gates that remain closed to us. You continue to ignore the source,” the message read.
“Prominence and priority is given to derivatives of our music, yet we are mostly excluded from premium pages of the major streaming services. Two pillars of our music – Beenie Man and Bounty Killer, raised and set the bar for Verzuz (an idea based on our sound system culture.) Their streams went up 216% (2nd highest of all Verzuz battle participants). You continue to make the argument that our music doesn’t sell or stream well but who is going to listen to what they can’t find?”
