Inner Circle co-founder Ian Lewis believes the growing tension between reggae and dancehall could be eased by taking the two genres out of direct competition at the Grammy Awards. Speaking with Anthony Miller on Entertainment Report, the veteran bassist called for separate Grammy categories for Best Reggae Album and Best Dancehall Album, arguing that the genres are fundamentally different and should be judged on their own merits. For Lewis, the separation is not about diminishing either musical form, but recognising both as distinct Jamaican art forms and, in his words, allowing the industry to “stop comparing them.”
Lewis, who has spent decades performing reggae on the international stage with Inner Circle, maintained that reggae and dancehall differ in their musical construction, performance styles and messaging. “Dancehall is not like reggae music,” he said, pointing to differences in the bass lines, flow and rhythmic patterns. He also argued that reggae’s traditional live-band instrumentation remains central to its identity, noting the importance of drums, bass and the various musical elements that give the genre its distinctive sound. By contrast, he observed that contemporary dancehall performers can often take the stage without a live band and still deliver an effective performance.
The proposed Grammy split comes amid broader conversations about the relationship between Jamaica’s older reggae tradition and the global rise of contemporary dancehall. Lewis believes the solution is not to determine which genre is superior, but to give each its own space. “The dancehall and the reggae men should get together and lobby the Grammy committee and let them separate the genres,” he said. “Best dancehall album, best reggae album.” He compared the approach to the way other musical traditions are divided into distinct categories, arguing that both genres can be celebrated without being constantly placed against each other.
Lewis also used the discussion to defend reggae’s enduring international influence while acknowledging the achievements of today’s dancehall generation, including Vybz Kartel and Popcaan. He stressed that contemporary artists are benefiting from doors opened by earlier pioneers such as Bob Marley, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Pat Kelly and Slim Smith. “Respect to Kartel, respect to Popcaan, all the new guys,” Lewis said, while maintaining that the contribution of the pioneers must not be overlooked.
His proposal ultimately shifts the debate away from reggae versus dancehall and towards recognition of two Jamaican genres with different identities but a shared origin. Whether the Recording Academy embraces Lewis’s call for separate Grammy categories remains to be seen, but his argument has added fresh fuel to one of Jamaican music’s most persistent conversations.
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