Veteran Dancehall artiste Demarco appears ready to inject himself into the current wave of lyrical warfare after challenging a major artiste to a clash and subsequently releasing a new track titled “STEPPA.”

The release comes as Dancehall continues to watch the developing lyrical exchange involving Skillibeng and Masicka, with Intence also entering the conversation.

Skillibeng recently responded with “Zapper,” a diss track aimed at Masicka and Intence, adding more fuel to the growing musical confrontation.

Demarco Calls Out the “Big Artistes”

Demarco began teasing his own involvement several days before releasing Steppa.

In a post on Instagram, the artiste wrote: “a big artiste diss mi nuh plz mek mi show unnu how this is done.”

He followed up with another message that appeared to challenge the bigger names in Dancehall to step forward.

“a bet yuh any money say none a dem big artiste yah nah step DEM FRAID,” Demarco wrote, suggesting that the artistes he was calling out would be reluctant to engage him lyrically.

The posts immediately raised speculation about whether Demarco was preparing a diss track and, if so, which artiste would be his primary target.

On August 29 at 3:00 p.m. Jamaica time, Demarco delivered his response entitled “Steppa,” released on YouTube.

While Skillibeng appears to be one of the main targets of the song, Demarco did not limit his lyrical shots to one artiste.

The veteran also calls out several other well-known names in the Dancehall space, including Intence, Iwaata, Jamal and Malie Don.

By mentioning multiple artistes, Demarco appears to be positioning Steppa as more than a single-target diss. The track presents him as being willing to take on anyone who wants to answer his challenge.

Skillibeng and Masicka Clash Sets the Stage

Demarco’s move comes at a time when lyrical competition has once again become a major talking point in Jamaican Dancehall.

The current tension between Skillibeng and Masicka began with subliminal shots that fans interpreted as being directed at each other. The situation started with Masicka allegedly throwing shade at Skillibeng in his track Honor Roll featuring Kraff on the Forever Reign album.

Skillibeng reacted to the shade with Zapper and was immediately called out by Intence afterwards.

Intence and Skillibeng have had a years-long beef, with some saying one of Skillibeng’s biggest hit songs, Crocodile Teeth, released in 2020, was a diss to Intence.

Dancehall has a long tradition of artistes using songs to challenge their peers, and the latest wave has generated renewed discussion about whether the genre is entering another period of intense lyrical competition.

With Steppa, Demarco appears to be making it clear that he is not interested in watching the action from the sidelines.

Rather than choosing only one opponent, he has used the track to address multiple artistes, creating the possibility of several responses if any of those targeted decide to answer.

Whether the song develops into a sustained clash or remains a one-off lyrical statement will likely depend on how the artistes mentioned respond.

For now, Demarco has made his position clear: he believes he is ready for the challenge and wants the bigger names in Dancehall to step forward.

Will Anyone Respond?

The biggest question is whether Skillibeng, Intence, or any of the other artistes mentioned will answer Demarco with music of their own.

With Skillibeng already engaged in a lyrical exchange with Masicka and Intence, another response could add an entirely new layer to an already active Dancehall feud.

For Demarco, however, the first move has already been made.

Steppa is out, the names have been called, and Dancehall now has to wait and see who is willing to step up.