Controversial, raw, and eerily prophetic – Jamaican dancehall star Squash’s latest album explores the dark price of fame. Could Hate Being Famous Win Best Reggae Album at the 2026 GRAMMYs?”
When Squash released Hate Being Famous, few could’ve predicted how prophetic that title would become. The Montego Bay native, known to fans worldwide as the “6ix Boss,” has lived a story that many only sing about. Fame, fast money, loyalty, and the violent grip of the streets aren’t just lyrics for him; they’re life.
Now, in the wake of controversial U.S. investigations, indictments, whispers of plea deals, and years of alleged surveillance, Squash’s latest album, Hate Being Famous, feels less like entertainment and more like self-documentation. It’s part confession, part prophecy, part cautionary tale, and yes, a serious contender for the 2026 GRAMMY Award for Best Reggae Album.
With Fame, Fear, and Forewarning, at face value, Hate Being Famous delivers a heavy, emotionally charged dancehall experience. But beyond the beats lies a man weighed down by the cost of notoriety. Squash doesn’t glorify success; he warns against it.
Tracks like “Still A Bleed” and “Paranoid” feel eerily prescient, especially when viewed through the lens of his later legal struggles. The album dropped long before any public talk of a plea agreement, yet the themes of betrayal, surveillance, and pressure—both from the streets and law enforcement echo through every bar.
“Dem seh mi change, but mi cyaan sleep pon fame / Enemies deh ‘round, mi haffi watch mi lane”, a quote from his single, is a powerful revelation of one not ego but instead, a vocalized exhaustion. Its trauma translated into melody. And it’s rare to hear a dancehall artist this vulnerable without losing edge or authenticity.
It’s the intro track that sets the stage masterfully. A powerful anthem, vocalizing not just the power of the local Jamaican movement that has now become global, but also a prayer between men, a testament, and a motivation that fuels the ghetto youth everywhere.
A Life Caught Between Two Worlds
As his life moved between the mic and the madness, Squash moved from the troubled lanes of Salt Spring and Montego Bay to global recognition. His journey has always been one of contrast. Success gave him a stage, but it also put him under a microscope. By 2025, reports surfaced linking him to alleged transnational criminal activity, followed by speculation of a federal plea deal.
That same duality of glory versus danger, truth versus survival, runs through Hate Being Famous. It’s not a record about fame; it’s a record about the price of it. And that tension is what gives the project its depth, grit, and gravity.
For all its darkness, Hate Being Famous is musically elegant. Squash moves effortlessly between modern dancehall, trap, reggae, and soulful R&B textures, weaving pain into rhythm. He artistically showcases sound, soul, and substance. He’s not chasing charts, he’s crafting atmosphere. The production remains sharp yet restrained, allowing his voice to carry the emotion. Every track ties into the central message: fame doesn’t always mean freedom.
On Spotify, he holds steady with around 286,000 monthly listeners, a number that places him shoulder-to-shoulder with some of dancehall’s most respected names. His presence isn’t limited to streams on Apple Music; Hate Being Famous has charted across the Caribbean, hitting top positions in Jamaica, Barbados, and Anguilla, proving his reach extends far beyond his hometown of Montego Bay.
On YouTube, Squash is a force to be reckoned with as well. Tracks like Burn and Get Up have stormed the Jamaican charts, with “Burn” debuting at No. 1 and racking up hundreds of thousands of views in its opening week. His consistency across these platforms shows more than popularity; it shows strategic growth, solidifying his position as one of the genre’s most influential voices today. Squash isn’t just competing with peers; he’s setting the pace.
A Grammy-Worthy Album
The Grammys’ Best Reggae Album category has long recognized projects that merge authenticity with artistry. Squash’s album, Hate Being Famous, does precisely that. Yes, Squash’s controversies might raise eyebrows, but it doesn’t negate his talent and place in the genre.
Reggae and Dancehall legacy is built on raw truth and rebellion. From Buju Banton to Vybz Kartel, the genre has always celebrated voices that reflect Jamaica’s unfiltered reality. Squash’s story, messy as it is, belongs in that lineage. He’s not running from chaos; he’s turning it into testimony. And that’s what the Academy has rewarded before: music that means something.
At its heart, Hate Being Famous plays like a diary set to riddim. It captures fear, fame, and fatigue, the emotional toll of being known by everyone yet understood by no one. Even if the GRAMMYs don’t call his name next year, this album has already carved its place in modern dancehall history. Because long before headlines or plea deals, Squash already told us where this road was heading. We just didn’t believe him.
🎧 The prophecy still speaks.
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