Reggae Sumfest is back and the Grammy-nominated Queen of Dancehall Spice says the organizers DownSound Entertainment (DSE) ought to double her performance fee, which was agreed upon for the 2020 staging which was canceled due to the pandemic.
The Go Down Deh singer was speaking during a recent Instagram Live, where she asserted that her price has indeed gone up, and recounted her negotiations with DSE CEO, Joe Bogdanovich.
“Suh yuh see when 2022 come now, I said Joe, the price gone up!” she said in a sing-song manner before blurting out a laugh. “Yuh gotta give me more money, Joe! Every ting raise Joe. Mi seh all gas high high, Joe. Yuh nuh see everyting raise. Mi seh Joe between me and yuh, the money double. Memba dat was two years who. That was then, and this is now.”
Spice, whose given name is Grace Hamilton, was slated to be officially crowned “Queen Of Dancehall” in 2020 at Sumfest. She had performed more than 10 times at the show, and has arguably been the top female dancehall entertainer for most of her two decades in the business. Her debut album 10 was nominated for Best Reggae Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
It is uncertain the exact amount DownSound dishes out each year to have the in-demand entertainer at Jamaica’s biggest night in music, but in a 2019 interview with the Gleaner, Spice noted that the majority of her earnings were invested back into her performance.
