Spice: "I'm Not Watering Down My Culture for Anybody" | Funky Friday

Spice's rise to fame in dancehall was not through traditional means but through relentless self-promotion and challenging male artists. She would attend dancehall events, beg to perform, and freestyle battle men, remixing their songs to make a name for herself. She also personally distributed CDs and ensured her songs were played by DJs.

Spice recalls going to dancehall events, sitting and begging somebody to call her on stage to showcase her talent, even battling against men in the business. She became famous before having a hit song by remixing male artists' songs and challenging them. She also gave out CDs to taxi drivers and bus drivers and stood by selectors until they played her music.

Spice asserts that dancehall music is the foundational genre that birthed hip-hop. She credits DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican immigrant, with bringing the sound system culture and mixing techniques from Jamaica to New York, which then evolved into hip-hop.

Spice states, 'Dancehall birthed hip-hop.' Cam Newton verifies this with a Rolling Stone article: 'DJ Kool Herc was born in Trench Town, Kingston and lived there until he immigrated to the Bronx at the age of 12. Herc brought the Jamaican sound system style to New York combining it with American soul and funk to create the blueprint as we call hip-hop.'

Spice argues that colorism is a significant barrier for dark-skinned Black women in various aspects of life, particularly in entertainment. She believes society and even Black men often prioritize lighter, 'Eurocentric' looks, making it harder for dark-skinned women to achieve success or be seen as desirable.

Spice states, 'I feel like it's more difficult for a dark skin black woman.' She recounts her 2018 'colorism' social experiment where she appeared lighter to gain attention. She notes that in music videos, lighter-skinned girls are often chosen over darker-skinned girls, and that some artists' complexions visibly changed over time. She also mentions that in Jamaica, 'browning' (lighter-skinned women) are seen as a 'bigger prize.'

Spice highlights a stark cultural contrast between Jamaican dancehall and American norms regarding public displays of affection and interaction, especially in relationships. What might be considered disrespectful in American culture (like 'whining' on stage with a male artist) is an accepted part of dancehall culture.

When asked about 'whining' on Vybz Kartel on stage while his fiancée watched, Spice explains, 'She know the culture. And that's the difference when you're dating a dancehall artist. You have to know the difference, you have to know the culture.' She adds, 'On stage, I am Spice. I am the queen of the dancehall. There's no way I'm going to go on stage but because, you know, he's in a relationship, I just stand there.'