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.
What If
Busy Signal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mi did a step back?
What if mi never smoke weed
And a smoke crack?
What if mi never master mi graph
Business lock
Wonder how dem gyal yah would a react
What if mi did a bleach fi turn brown caw mi black?
What if mi wi the type a person fi murder mi friend?
Because him barrow mi strap and nuh bring it back?
What if mi did a grab purse and a broke shop?
Police pull mi over and mi vehicle full a strap?
Big shoot out yo hear seh turf skull crack?
Simple mean a wouldn't me this pon the microphone a chat
What if wi never have selectors and distract?
Yo probably would a never hear this track
What if when mi seh watch out fi this?
Yo never watch out fi that
Mi get the blessing from the father up a top
You never know
What if your best friend turn your foe?
What if tomorrow morning Jamaica start si snow?
What if that's how the story go?
You never know
What if wa day dem never sell mi out to the cops?
What if mi never get six months and come back?
What if the thing set the next way
And the bwoy weh dis Konshens dead the next day?
What if mi stop DJ and talk bout mi war app?
What if mi follow some a dem fool yah chat crap?
What if tomorrow Ishawna find out seh her career it a go flop
And then a Foota Hype shi haffi link back?
What if jamaica never owed the IMF tax?
What if the whole place crime-free
And the violence stop?
What if JPS bill dem stop kill wi wid shock
And everybody get a raiser pay top up dem likkle cash?
What if tomorrow morning everybody stop smoke and drink
Nuh club, nuh party, nuh fun, what you think?
God a come, God a come fast as you wink
Dutty heart and wicked a go sink
You never know
What if your best friend turn your foe?
What if tomorrow morning Jamaica start si snow?
What if that's how the story go?
You never know
In "What If?" Busy Signal imagines alternative scenarios to his life and poses questions about the potential outcomes. He starts off by wondering what would happen if he stepped back instead of forward, or if he chose to smoke crack instead of weed. He also ponders what would happen if he didn't become successful in the music industry and how women would react to it. These questions are followed by more serious concerns such as what would happen if he murdered his friend for not returning his weapon or if he had committed crimes such as robbery or murder.
Overall, the song explores the idea of how one small decision can greatly impact a person's life and the possibilities that come with it. The use of rhetorical questions allow the audience to think about what if scenarios and relate them to their own life experiences. He ends the song with a message of hope and faith that God will intervene in the world's troubles and bring about a change.
Line by Line Meaning
What if when mi seh step out
Mi did a step back?
Imagine if, when I said 'step out', I actually stepped back instead.
What if mi never smoke weed
And a smoke crack?
What if I had never smoked weed but instead turned to smoking crack?
What if mi never master mi graph
Business lock?
What if I had never become skilled in my profession, and my business failed as a result?
Wonder how dem gyal yah would a react
I wonder how the women I know would react to these hypothetical scenarios.
What if mi did a bleach fi turn brown caw mi black?
What if I had bleached my skin to become brown, simply because I was born black?
What if mi tattoo mi eye, mi face, mi neck, hand and back?
What if I had heavily tattooed my eye, face, neck, hands, and back?
What if mi wi the type a person fi murder mi friend?
Because him barrow mi strap and nuh bring it back?
What if I were the type of person to murder my own friend for not returning a borrowed item, such as a gun?
What if mi did a grab purse and a broke shop?
Police pull mi over and mi vehicle full a strap?
Imagine if I had robbed a store and the police pulled me over on the way with a car full of guns.
Big shoot out yo hear seh turf skull crack?
Simple mean a wouldn't me this pon the microphone a chat
If there was a big shootout resulting in someone's death, I wouldn't be able to rap on this microphone right now.
What if wi never have selectors and distract?
Yo probably would a never hear this track
If we never had selectors to promote our music, you probably wouldn't be hearing this track.
What if when mi seh watch out fi this?
Yo never watch out fi that
Imagine if I had warned you about something and you didn't listen, resulting in negative consequences.
Mi get the blessing from the father up a top
I feel blessed by God.
What if your best friend turn your foe?
What if someone you trusted and cared for suddenly turned against you?
What if tomorrow morning Jamaica start si snow?
What if Jamaica experienced a weather phenomenon that it never has before?
What if that's how the story go?
You never know
These types of hypothetical scenarios are unpredictable and anything could happen, hence you never know.
What if wa day dem never sell mi out to the cops?
What if mi never get six months and come back?
What if I had never been snitched on and I never went to prison for six months?
What if the thing set the next way
And the bwoy weh dis Konshens dead the next day?
Imagine if things escalated and someone who disrespected Konshens ended up getting killed.
What if mi stop DJ and talk bout mi war app?
What if mi follow some a dem fool yah chat crap?
What if I stopped singing and started talking about my problems and what if I followed some of those foolish people who talk nonsense?
What if tomorrow Ishawna find out seh her career it a go flop
And then a Foota Hype shi haffi link back?
Imagine if Ishawna suddenly found out her career was failing and had to call Foota Hype for help.
What if jamaica never owed the IMF tax?
What if the whole place crime-free
And the violence stop?
What if Jamaica didn't owe any money to the International Monetary Fund, and what if there was no crime and violence?
What if JPS bill dem stop kill wi wid shock
And everybody get a raiser pay top up dem likkle cash?
Imagine if Jamaica Public Service stopped overcharging us and if everyone received a raise to help with their finances.
What if tomorrow morning everybody stop smoke and drink
Nuh club, nuh party, nuh fun, what you think?
What if everyone stopped smoking and drinking, and there were no clubs or parties - this would be a very boring world - what do you think?
God a come, God a come fast as you wink
Dutty heart and wicked a go sink
God is coming and it will happen quickly - those with wicked hearts will drown in their own guilt.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Reanno Gordon, Josh Hobbs
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jamesk426
7yrs later and am still flowing with the vibe .... listening to this jam.
@mzryan9134
Frr
@chrissyali5866
🔥🔥🔥🔥
@jordainbannister
0 i
@cissembaye1174
yes the stret !!
@oloratounaludomokgosi5683
Wow❤I like the song 🎵 and ur voice oh my God
@bowattanga
this tune is massive ,busy signal never disappoints .the delivery is awesome ,bless up
@tommyjenkins9659
He never disappoints me
@cissembaye1174
VAMOS CHRONIXXX §§
@BigBleedinSteve
He's done so many wicked tunes but this is his best. Amazing!