Bugle Seh Him Raada Be ‘Underrated Dan Overrated’
Dancehall and Reggae may soon see one a it most conscious and talented voice dem returned to prominence, wid a recent announcement indicating dat Bugle, di famed ‘Nuh Compatible’ singer, is set to release him fourth studio album inna October.
Bugle, who fah real name a Roy Thompson, last released an album call Picture Perfect inna 2019, and following di massive success of a whole heap a him singles, fans expect di Portland, Jamaica native fi ascend to di ranks of di likes of Buju Banton and Sizzla Kalonji – Dancehall and Reggae icons him was being compared to – but Bugle never did quite get him due, as weh him confirmed inna a recent interview wid The Star.
“Di ting wid music is dat when yuh nuh inna di passa passa and di mix-up most a di times,” he shared, “is like yuh nuh exist nuh matter how great your work is. Music itself is like a battlefield. Yuh affi a fight all the time. But I don’t make nothing bother me because mi know me a do weh mi supposed to do. Once me a put in the work, mi make it speak for itself. It has been doing that because my fans know what I am about.”
Furda pondering him status inna di Reggae and Dancehall arena, Bugle said dat dere were times him wonda wedda him exclusion from certain shows/events by organizers was a personal affront. Him tell The Star, “When yuh see a show yuh know yuh should be a part of based on the line-up, yuh start to wonder if it’s a personal thing. I have a solid catalogue, mi always a do a great job when it comes to performances; so why am I not on certain shows?”
Di My Life singer, however, remains undaunted inna him pursuit of musical greatness, despite feeling as douh him is being constantly underrated – a position him nuh seem fi quite mind. “I rather be underrated than overrated,” him explain.
Revealing dat being underrated is simply a result of people not acknowledging yuh greatness, while being overrated is a matter of people overestimating yuh abilities, Bugle believes him is right where him can make di most impact. “When you overrated, yuh nuh have no weh fi go but down because people rate yuh too much and when yuh nuh live up to expectations, dem ago drop yuh. When yuh underrated is because yuh great and people nah gi yuh weh due to yuh. But dere is always di chance to earn people’s respect as long as you maintain your standards,” him seh.
To dat end, Bugle refuse fi compromise pon him worth, explaining to The Star dat wedda or not him is ‘hot’, di work him have suh far invested inna him career is sufficient fi him not to be treated any less dan dem who have reaped similar success.
“If yuh want acknowledge me, yuh acknowledge me, if you don’t want to, yuh alright,” him continued. “Mi acknowledge myself and mi have a solid fan base and dats why me nah tek less dan me deserve, hot or not.”
Him upcoming album, him believe, will furda accentuate dat value.
WHAT FANS CAN EXPECT
Having never shied away from social issues, fans can expect Bugle fi live up to dat reputation in di possibly 14-track album, weh feature heavy hittas such as Bounty Killa, Julian Marley, Jesse Royal, Kabaka Pyramid, Jahmiel, and the up-and-coming talent, Nation Boss.
Inna a interview wid di Jamaica Gleaner, Bugle shared, “The album will be a mixture of everything. I have maybe about 14 songs on the project, and seven of those are reggae, and then the rest is dancehall vibes. But, of course, it will be my kind of dancehall, because we nah go less than the Bugle standard.”
Di standard Bugle reffa to a heavily based pon di comparisons him first album, “Anointed”, draw een inna 2014 to dat of Til Shiloh (by Buju Banton) and Da Real Thing (Sizzla Kalonji). Bugle find dem comparisons deh humbling and “unbelievable”, as dem two albums deh represented, fi him, di pinnacle of musical creativity and greatness.
Bugle – Anointed
Him share inna di interview, “… Those two albums are two of the greatest albums from my time and fi hear people mek da comparison deh, it make me kinda put the thing pan a level weh mi can’t drop it, so mi affi always maintain that standard.”
Despite initially intending not to release an album suh soon afta him 2019 drop, Bugle shared dat because of di pandemic, all him have was time inna di studio, suh he thought, “Why not?”
Now, having commissioned “some of di island’s most talented artistes fi voice pon di record”, him anticipating success.
“The album a go wicked…The intro alone a go speak volumes because there is no music, just melodies, and that’s where I have Tony Gold and Adena Myrie, and if you know them, you know they are some extremely talented vocalists. So, with those great voices coming together, it a go set a standard from the get-go,” him relayed to di Gleaner.
Di highly anticipated album, set fi arrive inna October, according to Bugle, “will have something for everyone”.
Source: dancehallmag.com | Michael Nattoo
