Since stepping out onto the dancehall scene in 2003, Busy Signal's undeniable talent and lyrical dexterity has taken him quickly to the front of the pack. Busy's breakout hit single - "Step Out" - was one of dancehall's hottest songs for 2005 and with a thugged-out video to match, it signalled the arrival of dancehall's next superstar.
Busy Signal, an alias given to him by a friend because of his constantly busy persona, has always approached his craft from a different perspective, not trodding the usual road of trying to voice on every rhythm out there to try and catch a break. Instead, Busy chose to record songs with concepts attached to them on purpose-built rhythms. The first such track to catch the attention of a wider audience was "Born and Raised", a song in which Busy Signal reps his birthplace and narrates the gritty realities of Jamaica.
"Even though I was an unknown artist and there was no-one else on the riddim," says Busy, "the track got good airtime which encouraged me to keep doing what I was doing. Producers don't want to give young artists a break more time, so young artists can get stifled. I just work hard on putting creative flows and melodies together and so far people have been feeling it." Already with a big following worldwide, Busy doesn't see his music as stopping in Jamaica. A slew of Busy Signal mix CDs flooded the streets from Halfway Tree to Brixton to Flatbush and beyond, creating and spreading the hype that lead to Busy being the strongest young artist to emerge from 2005.
Busy's self-production and businesslike approach to the industry has seen him already launch his own label, Network Records. The first releases, "Tell Santa Dis" and "Where I'm From" are distributed worldwide and are selling well.
Although Busy didn't rely on familiar rhythms and producers for a break, he has no problem recording for other labels, such as Renaissance, for whom Busy recorded "Not Going Down," showcasing his singing and deejaying abilities. Other tracks from Busy include "Because of You," with Tami Chin on the Throwback Giggy beat, "That Bad," and "Pharmacy" for Don Corleon, "Fade Away" for John John and "Too Much Gun," which sees Busy in explosive form, delivering rapid fire lyrics atop the reworked Man Fi Dead (Petty Thief) soundbed.
The end of 2005 saw Busy Signal garner immense critical success from show-stealing appearances on all the major stage shows across Jamaica, including the Smirnoff Experience alongside Sean Paul, Bobby Valentino and others, as well as Island Explosion, Camp Fire and West Kingston Jamboree. And of course there was the already-legendary debut appearance at 6.45am on the toughest stage in the world - the infamous Sting reggae concert. Busy stepped out in the rising sun adorned in full black and underlined why he is here to stay.
2006 has seen no ease up in Busy's momentum, with a headline grabbing performance at Reggae Sumfest 2006, where he performed solo on Dancehall Night and was also called up by G Unit on International Night. With successful tours of the UK, the Caribbean and Japan already knocked down and with Step Out breaking new ground on the esteemed Billboard chart, Busy is already being heralded as a new icon in the business.
Jail
Busy Signal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Free up! (Busy) From captivity - Sound it
All who cut off the f**king bracelet - watch it
All who dead from the leash - refugee
Busy!
[Chorus:]
Seh wi nah go a jail again - oh no!
Like a ship wi ago sail again - oh oh!
You would a never see mi call mi friend fi bail again
Nah see mi a court house no more - oh no!
Nuh praise get up inna house no more - oh no!
Mi step out and hold mi own fi sure - oh oh!
Real hustlers a road a mek money galore.
[Verse 1:]
So mi seh if you never been to jail before,
You affi keep a eye open even if you snore,
Wha mount a card board some man a beat it pon di floor,
Tired fi mark X and hear the state doors a roar - plus di warder dem,
If you ever been behind the bars,
All though some innocent dem of to live with the scars,
You can't snitch cause any day you come a road a war,
You can weak because man wi dip in a you cookie jar
[Chorus:]
Seh wi nah go a jail again - oh no!
And wi never going fail again - oh no!
Like a ship wi ago sail again - oh oh!
You would a never see mi call mi friend fi bail again
Nah see mi a court house no more - oh no!
Nuh praise get up inna house no more - oh no!
Mi step out and hold mi own fi sure - oh oh!
Real hustlers a road a mek money galore
[Verse 2:]
Mi seh thugs deh pon dah side yah and the spliff di pon di otha,
Caan diss nuh man weh a do life in a dem yard,
Get beatin from the warden if you go round di order,
You caan drop no soap pon di border like she-ba-da
You caan - have a next man a plait you hair,
You caan - have a next man a spot you rear,
Caan - have so much money and food pon you promissory
And a gwaan like you no waan share.
[Chorus:]
Seh wi nah go a jail again - oh no!
And wi never going fail again - oh no!
Like a ship wi ago sail again - oh oh!
You would a never see mi call mi friend fi bail again
Nah see mi a court house no more - oh no!
Nuh praise get up inna house no more - oh no!
Mi step out and hold mi own fi sure - oh oh!
Real hustlers a road a mek money galore.
[Verse 1]
The song "Jail" by Busy Signal is about the rapper's determination to never end up in prison again. Busy Signal starts the song by calling for all those who have been released from prison to celebrate their freedom. He highlights the difficulties that come with serving time in jail, such as the brutality of the wardens and the need to always be on guard. The rapper asserts that being a "real hustler" is about making money on the streets and not by relying on bailouts from friends.
In the first verse, Busy Signal gives advice to those who have never been to jail before. He warns that prison life is harsh and oppressive, and urges people to be careful not to end up incarcerated. He also touches on the issue of snitching, emphasizing the importance of keeping quiet and not betraying your fellow inmates. Throughout the song, Busy Signal celebrates the freedom and independence that come with staying out of jail.
Overall, "Jail" is a powerful statement against the prison industrial complex and the deprivations that come with incarceration. Busy Signal uses his platform as an artist to speak out against the forces that seek to oppress the marginalized and underprivileged. The song is a call to action for all those who have been impacted by the criminal justice system, urging them to resist and fight for their own liberation.
Line by Line Meaning
So mi seh if you never been to jail before,
I am saying that if you have never been to jail before,
You affi keep a eye open even if you snore,
you have to keep an eye open even if you are sleeping,
Wha mount a card board some man a beat it pon di floor,
Some men are beating a cardboard box on the floor,
Tired fi mark X and hear the state doors a roar - plus di warder dem,
I am tired of marking X and hearing the doors of the state roar – plus the wardens,
If you ever been behind the bars,
If you have ever been behind the bars,
All though some innocent dem of to live with the scars,
Although some innocent people have to live with the scars,
You can't snitch cause any day you come a road a war,
You cannot snitch because any day you come out there could be a war,
You can weak because man wi dip in a you cookie jar
You cannot be weak because someone will take advantage of you
Mi seh thugs deh pon dah side yah and the spliff di pon di otha,
I am saying that thugs are on one side and the spliff is on the other,
Caan diss nuh man weh a do life in a dem yard,
You cannot disrespect a man who is doing life in prison,
Get beatin from the warden if you go round di order,
You will get beaten by the warden if you go against the rules,
You caan drop no soap pon di border like she-ba-da
You cannot drop the soap like in prison,
You caan - have a next man a plait you hair,
You cannot have another man braid your hair,
You caan - have a next man a spot you rear,
You cannot have another man watch your back,
Caan - have so much money and food pon you promissory
You cannot have too much money and food on your promise,
And a gwaan like you no waan share.
And act like you do not want to share,
Seh wi nah go a jail again - oh no!
We are saying that we will not go to jail again - oh no!,
And wi never going fail again - oh no!
And we are never going to fail again - oh no!,
Like a ship wi ago sail again - oh oh!
We are going to sail like a ship again - oh oh!,
You would a never see mi call mi friend fi bail again
You would never see me call my friend for bail again
Nah see mi a court house no more - oh no!
You will not see me at the courthouse anymore - oh no!,
Nuh praise get up inna house no more - oh no!
I will not get up to pray at home anymore - oh no!,
Mi step out and hold mi own fi sure - oh oh!
I step out and hold my own for sure - oh oh!,
Real hustlers a road a mek money galore.
Real hustlers are making a lot of money on the street.
Contributed by Daniel N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@shaniquemills9423
this song was 14 years ahead of its time.
@madjinou
So true
@addictedtobass3222
2019 and still killed it!!!! Greetings from Croatia ♡
@tenixionmsolin221
Mi all tym love bizzy signal
@mikedouglas1531
@@tenixionmsolin221 =
@knobleblacktv5175
One love dread
@shaneomanutd2196
2022
@wachirajustine9242
2022 and still killing it!!!!!Greetings from Kenya
@cliffbonchizi9225
2019 still banging on the track... Hit like if you're with me
@bornalone4435
🤦🤦 Life without parole now. The visual of this song deep😞💯💯