Words by Emily Shapiro—
Jamaican dancehall artist Konshens has been receiving recognition internationally in places like Japan and Europe for years and now, in 2012, he has finally hit home with the release of his new album Mental Maintenance, which collects many of his previous hits and premieres some new big tunes on his own Subkonshus label.
In addition to his music, Konshens has been making waves with his videos. His documentary-style clip for “Do Sum’n” bust right before the new year and reinforced the song’s message by giving voice to some well-known Jamaican dancers to speak on the exploitation of dancers in the entertainment industry. The buzz continued with his “Gyal a Bubble” video, which tells the story of a man getting tipped to a very special place where you can get your car washed AND check some scantily clad ladies head topping all at the same time.
Konshens’ latest video, for “Jamaican Dance” (featuring Elephant Man) plays less like a softcore porn and more like a cross-marketing deal with Just Dance 3, a video game for Xbox 360, Wii and Play Station3 on which “Jamaican Dance” was included alongside songs from mainstream acts like Katy Perry and Cee-Lo. The video depicts kids following along to the game at parties and on the streets of Jamaica, highlighting a particular dance move that appears in the game as it’s spread around via Youtube and Jamaican youth. While we can see the crossover style of the tune and video leading to big things for Konshens, they also leave us longing for Konshens’ edgier side. We hope to see more bikinis and Badda waves in future videos. Check the video below and ketch di dance: