Just as election campaign dubs were beginning to get tiring, Ishawna and Andrew Holness gave us the collab that has changed minds.
The dub, released today (August 16) and set to Ishawna’s popular Equal Rights, quickly became a favourite on social media where it sent the artiste’s name trending on Twitter.
There have been numerous dubs released since Jamaica’s general elections were announced for September 3 last week, some better than others (kudos to Lisa Hanna and Spice). Holness himself has already released two prior to this, one featuring up and coming artiste Skillibeng and Sure, Sure with Shenseea.
But we must say, this is his best and perhaps, the best of the season so far.
Featuring a good blend of cheerfulness, accomplishments and less than subtle shots at the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), the track is simply sublime.
Ishawna croons that the Prime Minister is just beginning the nation’s transformation with:
Andrew just got started, what you think one term can do?
Bell a ring ina dem farrid, dem a nuh nuh match fi Andrew
The artiste then segues into a direct hit at the PNP with:
BroGad a clean up the place, five years ago it was a disgrace,
Come September 3 him a go remind dem how defeat taste
And just to show that it’s all in good fun, Ishawna references schools’ sports days with this dig:
We over green house not a thing can stress we,
Dem fi know green a prosperity
Orange nuh have nuh use, sufferation nuh cute,
If a dem we cyan buy bag juice.
It’s the altered lyrics to the song’s refrain about mutual oral sex among partners that really gets us when she sings:
The people want equal rights and justice, nuff socialist people ago cuss dis
We naw switch cuz the road dem just fix, buss the head cuz dem wutliss
The song continues with a cavalier attitude towards how members of the PNP would respond to the song, all while reminding everyone of Holness’ wife and fellow Member of Parliament, Juliet, saying his body is “tight and trim”.
The JLP nuh fraid a nobody, naw tek nuh talk from nuh PNP
Great leader with a good body, when Andrew talk nuh tek him lightly
However, there are some who question the legitimacy of the dub as it hasn’t been shared by any of the party’s official accounts, or by Holness.
With less than three weeks to go before the nation heads to the polls, it will be a sprint to the finish to see if the incumbent Jamaica Labour Party will win another term or if the PNP will rise to power once more.
