In dancehall, everybody wants a hit. But first, everybody wants the ‘bread’, the ‘moola’, the ‘cheese’, the ‘paper’.
They want the kind of fresh, crisp cash that changes the conversation when you walk into the room, and Quick Cook believes he has found the perfect soundtrack for that eternal hustle with New Money. The single has been steadily making its way into dances across the Corporate Area, giving Quick Cook what could become the biggest record of his career.
“Everybody wants ‘new money’. If yu nuh have money, gwaan home, nobody nu waah see yu,” said Quick Cook, whose given name is Damion Lumley. The artiste is making capitalism sound this hilarious. For years, the deejay has carved out his own corner of Jamaican pop culture with bizarre one-liners, street expressions and spontaneous catchphrases. Now he has taken the one thing almost everybody can agree they need more of – money – and wrapped it around a dancehall beat.
“The song ah get major rotation on all radio stations. It’s a great look. Everywhere mi go, people ah shout ‘bread’ and ‘new money’,” he said. New Money has become a favourite at dances including Uptown Mondays, Boasy Tuesdays and Leggo Di Street Wednesdays – the kind of spaces where records can either catch fire or disappear before sunrise. This one appears to be sticking.
But while New Money is putting his voice back at the centre of the conversation, Quick Cook has also been making money moves behind the boards. For the past two years, the entertainer has quietly expanded into production, building his home-based Bread Organisation imprint. The philosophy behind the label is fittingly simple: instead of waiting for somebody else to butter the bread, bake your own.
And Quick Cook has already attracted some serious names into his kitchen. Bread Organisation has produced and released tracks featuring Ding Dong, Bugle, Serani, I-Octane and Frisco Kid on its ‘Money Ah Di Target’ rhythm project. He has also stretched beyond hardcore dancehall, producing reggae material for acts including Money Don Red.
For Quick Cook, however, Bread Organisation represents more than another business venture. It is his attempt to take greater control of a career that has repeatedly delivered unexpected viral moments without always giving him ownership of the spotlight.
