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IN CONVERSATION WITH

DAHVID SLUR


Introducing Dahvid Slur, a new wave roots artist born out of the same birthplace as reggae music, Trench Town, Jamaica. His sounds are prominent throughout Kingston and wider Jamaica, including his fan favourite track with the late Jo Merca Marley titled, “Cyah Kill Rasta”. We discuss the current sounds of reggae music and the value of knowing its history.
Text by Tyrell MacLennan
Photography by Saemouhl
DEH’YA
DAHVID SLUR

The sounds of roots and reggae have evolved tremendously since its birth. As a new wave roots artist, how would you describe the new wave sound, and being from trench town, what types of influences contribute to that sound?
   Me for one as someone who’s grown up in Trench Town in and around the culture… well personally for me it's a pleasure. I see it as an advantage in my artistry because that essence is really there. Even now in this time when the elders have passed on and moved on, there is still friends and cousins of them that are there to still tell that story. The same livity yuh know? The feeling may not be the exact same as back then, when socially things were a bit more violent, but now the essence and livity, going through the struggles, how we fight the oppression, how we bare it…same wailing soul yuh know? That is still there. I am a very observant person so I take in a lot of that and it tells in my music. Some of the old time songs, the flows, the messages… they should be the same. Even if the sound of the music changes, that feeling should still be there. 
How important is it to you to research and study the reggae legends that came before you? Who were some of those influences?
Influences, you dun know Bob (Marley) is there of course, man like Gregory Isaacs, Alton Ellis, Peter (Tosh), Bunny Wailer himself… Bunny Wailer is a very spiritual artist himself yuh know, I didn’t get to meet him in the flesh but I met him in music and I can tell you that man is very spiritual yuh know? Researching these legends kind of shows you where you fit in and understand some of the stuff we’re facing now even as Rastafari, zeen? I think that obstacles and struggles that they face, how they did it, how they overcame it, still is relevant in how we approach certain tings. I don’t think any new artist coming up now is going to face anything that one of these guys haven’t faced before, no matter whether it be contracts or shows or whatsoever, someone has done it before, so it’s good to have that knowledge.
Do you feel any weight or responsibility to carry the sound forward? What do you see for the future of the sound?
Well personally for me - and I say for me because not to brag or boast, but people really receive my music and it speaks to deh soul. I think being someone with that talent, there is some responsibility of carrying on that essence yuh know, because the people look up to it… when they see it, they expect it of you… you can’t disappoint in some sense. It’s a part of our culture. What the elders have done before is what inspired us, so continuing it is what's going to inspire youtes inna next generation. I think it’s every artist's responsibility to carry forward that for the next generation to come. If we were to just soak it up like a sponge and not release it, it stays here and it's dead.
In that next generation, are there currently any other upcoming new wave roots artists you admire or that we should look out for?
Yeah definitely. Myself, Dahvid Slur. My brudduh from Trench Town again, wicked, wicked artists I ah tell you… 2024 to 2025 J Written. I’m telling you Dahvid Slur, J Written… we’re gonna come heavy. There’s lots more artists from trench town. There’s a collaboration of artists on First Street that the whole Marley family supports. There's a lot to name, I don’t want to leave out anyone so I’ll just say Trench Town overall, but look out for a lot more man, trust me.
And for yourself, are there any upcoming projects or work you’ve done recently we should look out for?
Yeah definitely. My latest project release was a song called “Give It Your All”. That's a really personal song to me where I’m saying sometimes we feel down like we’re really drowning yuh know and we need to just stay afloat to stay alive. Sometimes we feel like we’ve given all of our energy and there’s only 2% left. This song’s about saying recharge and come again. Don’t give up. Sometimes the next try might be the one that is successful, you know what I mean. Keep on going and give it your all.
       
        










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