I Wayne was raised by his aunt and her husband Ansell Collins, a renowned keyboard player. This young artist has been refining his craft since age seven. Coming from a musical family, I Wayne had first made his venture into performance as a student at Greater Portmore High School, joining a local group Vibes Machine. The group, consisting of singers and DJs, used to perform at afterwork parties at popular clubs like Cactus and Asylum. One night, the artiste was forced to perform alone due to the fact that his bandmates were running extremely late. The response was tremendous, and I Wayne was motivated to perfect his solo act.
In the Summer of 2004, Wayne released Can't Satisfy Her, in the new wave of reggae. The track was reportedly the first roots reggae song to be added to the playlist of Hot 97, the influential hip-hop radio station in New York City.
In November of 2004, I Wayne signed a record deal with VP Records to release his debut album, Lava Ground. Lava Ground was praised for returning to reggae's "essential roots" in contrast to popular reggae artists who induce listeners to "dance and groove to their carefree music".
I Wayne’s first week sales from his sophmore album Book of Life (Nov. 6, 2007) walked him straight to the top of the Billboard charts at the #4 spot in the reggae category.
Bleacher
I Wayne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still wid di guns and bling bling
Nuh love demselves so dem bleach dem skin
Lightenin, see it clear dem werent brought up properly
Dem come out from hill, inna dem lane and dem alley
Bwoy bleach out fi look like girl and girl waan look like dolly
Lava splash, from hill to di valley, HOTTA!!!!!!
Skin a peel, caan touch di street again
Dem weak, and now dem gone unda heat again
I Wayne a dash a fire pon di bleacha dem, I warned Keisha, Paul, and Peter dem
Skin a peel, dem caan touch di street again
Dem get so weak and now dem gone unda heat, hot!!!!
Dem seh anyting weh black neva meet
So dem start seh a brown skinm a dweet
Now a pharmacy outside dem all a reach right (?)
Dem bun outside demself wid di bleach
Dem same one a seh dem nah tek nuh speech
Some a tell I bout dem growin deep
And when dem sighted dem play hide and seek
Flesh get devoured by di worm and leech, I bun a freak
Jah dash a fire pon di bleacha dem, I warned dem nuh bleach and dem go dweet again
Skin a peel, caan touch di street again
Dem weak, and now dem gone unda heat again
I Wayne a dash a fire pon di bleacha dem, I warned Keisha, Paul, and Peter dem
Skin a peel, dem caan touch di street again
Dem get so weak and now dem gone unda heat
Dem seh dem betta than di (?) and di drancro
Worse than dog yet they stoop low
Haile Selassie we ain't 'gon keep dem to listen
Gone a stray dem self they don't know
Dem have life yet dem nah give nuh dun
Scar full a mek dim (?) dem nuh flourish and go
Look what happens when di elders dem bleach out
When di children now I stand and may show di road
Neva bleach patchy like di bleacha dem, I warned dem nuh bleach and dem go dweet again
Skin a peel, caan touch di street again
Dem weak, and now dem gone unda heat again
I Wayne a dash a fire pon di bleacha dem, I warned Keisha, Paul, and Peter dem
Skin a peel, dem caan touch di street again
Dem get so weak and now dem gone unda heat, hot!!!!
The song "Bleacher" by I Wayne is a commentary on the controversial practice of skin bleaching. The artist disapproves of those who bleach their skin and encourages them to embrace their natural skin color. The lyrics talk about the negative effects of skin bleaching and how it reflects poorly on people's self-esteem and cultural identity.
The first verse highlights the fact that some people feel trapped in the system and have resorted to skin bleaching as a solution. The artist questions why people feel the need to bleach their skin when they could be embracing their unique features. The chorus reinforces the dangers of skin bleaching, as well as the warning to abstain from it. I Wayne asserts that skin bleaching causes the skin to weaken and peel, making it unable to withstand the heat of the sun.
The second verse of the song points to the hypocrisy of those who bleach their skin. Many people who bleach their skin claim to be proud of their African roots, but they're engaging in a practice that contradicts this. The artist also mentions the practice of buying lightening creams at the pharmacy, giving the impression that skin bleaching has become socially acceptable. However, I Wayne remains critical of this and emphasizes the importance of embracing one's natural skin color.
Overall, "Bleacher" is a message of self-love, cultural pride, and a condemnation of skin bleaching. Through his lyrics, I Wayne encourages listeners to celebrate their uniqueness and warns them of the dangers of trying to fit into beauty standards that don't suit them.
Line by Line Meaning
Nuff get caught within di system, bleach nuff for shade nuff a start trend
Many people are caught up in the societal pitfalls and resort to skin bleaching to blend in, which becomes a popular trend among the masses.
Still wid di guns and bling bling
Despite the bleaching trend, many still cling to material possessions associated with gangster culture like guns and flashy jewelry.
Nuh love demselves so dem bleach dem skin
People who lack self-love resort to skin bleaching as a means of feeling accepted in society.
Lightenin, see it clear dem werent brought up properly
The light of truth exposes that those who bleach their skin weren't raised with proper values, morals, or self-love.
Dem come out from hill, inna dem lane and dem alley
People who bleach their skin come from all walks of life, be it lower-income housing (the hills) or the city (alleyways).
Bwoy bleach out fi look like girl and girl waan look like dolly
Men bleach their skin to appear more feminine, while women bleach to look like dolls, instead of embracing their natural beauty.
Lava splash, from hill to di valley, HOTTA!!!!!!
A powerful and fiery message that bleaching one's skin has consequences that spread throughout society.
Should dash a fire pon di bleacha dem, I warned dem nuh bleach and dem go dweet again
The singer urges that skin bleachers need to be held accountable, and he has warned them before not to bleach their skin, yet they still did.
Skin a peel, caan touch di street again
Dem weak, and now dem gone unda heat again
The skin of the bleachers can no longer handle the heat, and their physical and emotional bodies are eroding.
Dem seh anyting weh black neva meet
So dem start seh a brown skinm a dweet
Many believe that black anything won't be successful, so they lighten their skin to be more socially acceptable, even though brown isn't a guarantee of success either.
Now a pharmacy outside dem all a reach right (?)
Dem bun outside demself wid di bleach
People who bleach their skin start to experience health problems as they resort to different pharmacies to alleviate the damage they're causing to their bodies.
Dem same one a seh dem nah tek nuh speech
Some a tell I bout dem growin deep
And when dem sighted dem play hide and seek
Flesh get devoured by di worm and leech, I bun a freak
Bleachers refuse to listen to those who speak out against it, but they're often the same people who seek guidance from those they claim to disregard. Refusing to acknowledge the damage they're causing to their flesh turns them into a freak, attracting parasites that can consume them whole.
Dem seh dem betta than di (?) and di drancro
Worse than dog yet they stoop low
Bleachers who put others down are worse than animals who are true to their nature.
Haile Selassie we ain't 'gon keep dem to listen
Gone a stray dem self they don't know
The message of Haile Selassie, a Jamaican icon, is lost on those who bleach their skin; they don't know the right path to take.
Dem have life yet dem nah give nuh dun
Scar full a mek dim (?) dem nuh flourish and go
Bleachers have life, but they refuse to live it to the fullest. Their scars prevent them from blossoming and thriving.
Look what happens when di elders dem bleach out
When di children now I stand and may show di road
The negative impact that bleachers have on society is evident in the younger generation, who also succumb to the same pitfalls. Elderly figures should lead by example and show the right path to the youth.
Neva bleach patchy like di bleacha dem, I warned dem nuh bleach and dem go dweet again
Skin bleaching shouldn't be done patchy like the bleachers do, as the singer had warned them previously not to, but they still did it anyway.
Skin a peel, caan touch di street again
Dem weak, and now dem gone unda heat again
Bleachers' skin is peeling, and they're in agony that they can't bear to walk on the streets under the scorching heat of the sun anymore.
I Wayne a dash a fire pon di bleacha dem, I warned Keisha, Paul, and Peter dem
Skin a peel, dem caan touch di street again
Dem get so weak and now dem gone unda heat, hot!!!!
The singer still holds the bleachers accountable and is screaming from the rooftops that he had warned Keisha, Paul, and Peter not to bleach their skin before. Now they can't stand the heat and can't walk on the streets without unbearable pain anymore.
Writer(s): Patrick Henry, Paul Crossdale, C. Taylor, Donald Dennis, Melbourne Miller
Contributed by Liliana V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.