Jamaican Dancehall And US Rap Are Not The Same!!!

Don't let the Subject title fool you...

Yeah, I'm about to rant. If I ran a widely read blog, this would go there. But, since I don't...

First off, I'm a fan of Clipse and the entire G.O.O.D. Music group. That said; no disrespect to Pusha T (1 half of Clipse and member of G.O.O.D. Music team now, who just shot a video in Kingston for a tune that he got Popcaan on the hook of- 'Blocka'), but I hope that US rappers don't start making a habit of going to Jamaica to shoot video's and get dancehall artists to sing the hooks on their singles. Pusha's video got guns, booties and masked men; and not much else. Lyrically, no substance at all. Some cocaine talk, some gun talk, some b**ch talk, some n**ga talk, some ho talk...
Pusha T- 'Welcome to my blocka, all we got is choppas, all you hear is choppas, all we see is choppas...'
And Popcaan with the line, 'none a dem have the guts to bust the SK'.

Drake shot a video in Jamaica ('Find Your Love') that featured Mavado a few years back. Drake's video depicted Mavado as a heartless gunman and gang leader, that ends up having Drake killed over a woman. Killed by the woman herself.

Jamaica, musically, has always been a trend setter. The Jamaican people have never been ones to jump on a bandwagon just cause so and so is hot at the moment. Till now. They will jump on this opportunity to make some US $ from wealthy US rappers, cause, well, it's some real $. And, not enough people are speaking out against it.

Many Jamaican, dancehall video's have already gone the way of most US hiphop video's. Money, asses, daggering, guns, violence and so on. Usually situated around an outdoor pool.

US rappers- please don't shoot video's in Jamaica anymore. Don't dilute the very same culture that hiphop originated from; remember DJ Kool Herc?

Respect And Manners,
A Concerned Human

1. 'The Jamaican people have never been ones to jump on a bandwagon...' Really?? News to me...

2. This has been going on (off-and-on) for quite a bit----look to the early 90s for full-blown examples; back in the 80s you started hearing
dancehall DJs of that era emulating or borrowing certain flourishes from the first generation of American rappers.

3. The hip hop-ization of JA youth music is well known...after all, it was JA music where I first heard vocalists who actually didn't need auto- tune in the studio having it on their rekkuds 'cause it WAS the style & fashion.

Not trying to start any argument, but seems to me this horse has left that gate some time ago, regarding fertilization(or 'exploitation', if that's yor take) between the two musical camps.

Papa Ray-

This thread is based on my opinion, and mine alone. I don't agree with you, but I don't need to. Not to play the, 'I've been going to Jamaica since...'.

BUT, I've been going to JA since 1995. I just got back a month ago from my first time there in 11 years, since my last trip in 2001. Yes, 11 years is a long time. Many things have changed. But, never before this last trip had I heard US hiphop/rap/pop music everywhere I traveled to in JA. Let me rephrase- up until this most recent trip, I had literally never heard anything but Reggae/Dancehall music in Jamaica. I remember in 2001, everyone from the 5 yr. old youth to the 90 year old Dada were swaying their body to Beres Hammond, 'Rock Away'. This trip, from Kingston to Santa Cruz to Montego Bay to Black River- Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne was what I heard. It's on a next level right now.

So, I disagree with you. This is not a Capleton and Method Man 'Wings Of The Morning' situation. This is no Supercat and Heavy D 'Dem No Worry We'. This is no Erick Sermon and Sean Paul 'Feel It'.

In my most humble opinion, it needs to be revisited and not supported.

Peace.

Wheels keep spinning and the world keeps turning. Some will do it "right" and some will do it "wrong". I have faith that as long as humans have freedom of expression there will always be choices.
A few of my picks









I am a Sizzla fan but don't care for this



I love Anthony B but this is pretty forgettable






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/2012 10:40PM by nahikuroots.

Well said.

There's probably a bandwagon of songs about the different bandwagons

Music--it's all ear candy,
& we get to pick choose & refuse.

AND, as far as the pop/hip-hop acendency on the isle, yes indeed it has accelerated in the past 5 years GREATLY.

That's why so often when any of us hear something contemporary carrying the coordinates of reggae, all of us want to promote it along....

"There's probably a bandwagon of songs about the different bandwagons"

Plenty of horrible collabs for years...kind of audacious to tell people not to shoot videos in Jamaica...yes drake sucks and that video was retarded...but for you to dictate mans food is even more retarded

Strikkly-
Ok, call me audacious and retarded then. Wait, you already did.

I by no means am dictating mans food.

You'r words have been read; for whatever that's worth.

Manners and respect.