Industry Players React To Nicki Minaj New Dancehall Song

Nicki Minaj is currently blazing the charts with her brand new Dancehall-inspired track titled “Megatron.”

The Trinidadian rapper gave life to Haldane ‘Danny’ Browne’s 1997’s “Filthy Riddim.” The Main Street record label project features songs like Lady G’s “Breeze Off”, Mr Vegas with “Heads High”, and General Degree’s “Traffic Blocking.”

Browne who is now a Christian producer is yet to listen to “Megatron” but said he gave clearance for Nicki Minaj to use his work and is credited as co-writer.

He says the “Filthy Riddim” and others like it are immortal because of their embodiment of dancehall, “It’s not every day you make tracks like that. There are just some tracks that are captivating, and a track like that represents what dancehall is,” Browne told The Star.

“Dancehall music is a joyous music. It feels like sunshine. It just feels like Jamaica and has a particular type of beat which is fun, happy, and makes you want to dance. What is being made today sounds dark and almost like something from overseas. It doesn’t sound tropical. When you have music like this which foreigners hear as being very Jamaican, it will get highlighted forever. These old tracks are the standards by which they’ve accepted our genre, and can be played on the radio at any time on any day.”

Nicki Minaj’s “Megatron” has racked up over 28 million views since its release on June 20. Dancehall industry players says the sample is a great look for the genre.

“We can only win when international superstars like Nicki Minaj, Drake, Rihanna, Chris Brown and others sample our music,” a producer said. “It brings more attention to Dancehall and once the entertainers and producers are being credited its good business all together.”