star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

[jah_yout]

heard star from the star and bucwild morning radio show this morning state that...

he also went into a diatribe against movado...when someone suggested he is the hottest dancehall star around right now...he ridiculed his name (named after a watch- nuff said)...he said dancehall hasn't broken any new ground in at least 7 years...and that it's getting played out like gangsta rap did with all the thug talk..
a j'can woman called up and basically agreed;
luckily she also pointed out that some of the good artists who sing conscious music get no light from the media;

but i have to agree that dancehall has been stagnating...

some new life is needed...

soon come...

[rudemonk]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

not for nothing JY, but when Troi Torain aka Dj Star gets involved in something like this, then I'll give his opinion some weight. Until such time, people just talk, a few do.

http://www.neetja.com/

of course a lot of good music never hits the air, that is because DJs don't play or choose the music anymore, computers do and execs.

for that you have to go to college or pirate radio, or internet.

[Cimaron1765]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

years ago Barry Gordon's excuse was that he was only playing what the people wanted, saying that they were playing only what the people were asking for. But that was just a pile of shaving cream because, unless you were somebody who went to the dance on weekend, you had no idea that some of these songs were around.

Those days the majority of people never went to dance because parents were in charge then, so you only knew what you heard on the radio (except circumstances where your friend had a copy of the tape).

But Barry and others like him needed an excuse at the time. Then, even more than now, the more conscious songs got no air-play (Pablo Moses, Spear, Aswad); you had to listen JBC-FM at certain times to hear them.

Same thing is happening now; If you're not talking about whom you're going to kill, or whose mother is going to cry, then no airplay for you. Unfortunately, here I'm being an hypocrite because in most instances I'll listen to the 'gun' song over the 'righteous' song.

Of course, later I'll turn around and say F... dance-hall; everyday a di same ting; nothing new. Same beat, same topic; no creativity. Then I'll stop listening to dance-hall for a few months, when really what I should be doing is supporting the man who's trying to up-lift Ja.

A friend of mine (who has the same argument that I do) made this little example for me: whenever we watched World Cup or FA cup, the minute it was over all the guys in Westport (Portmore) would head for the car park and everybody would be out there trying out some of the plays or tricks that we had seen. When we went to watch a 'kickers' at Carib or State, soon as you come out you would see guys clearing the fence with ease, or guys doing spin kicks, something hype. Well, same with same with dance-hall: when you left dance yu wan show man seh yu a wicked man, cause di vibes dedeh!!

It kinda logical!

Guess I have to clean up my own before I encourage others to do the same!

But it is true: No break-through nor advancement in over 7 years. REALITY!!

[kingy]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

What should dancehall be? what WAS dancehall in the past?

[jah_yout]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: monk</div><div class="ubbcode-body">not for nothing JY, but when Troi Torain aka Dj Star gets involved in something like this, then I'll give his opinion some weight. Until such time, people just talk, a few do.

http://www.neetja.com/

of course a lot of good music never hits the air, that is because DJs don't play or choose the music anymore, computers do and execs.

for that you have to go to college or pirate radio, or internet. </div></div>

it's tempting to throw out the message because of the messenger but for a guy who i wouldn't consider an expert on dancehall/reggae music i was somewhat taken aback at the accuracy of his statement...
the '70s of course was the foundation of dancehall music (some can arue that the '60s was but i consider the '70s becauswe that's when dj music came of age)...
the 80s saw many strides including the computer age with the sleng teng riddim...the 90s was a dynamic time for dancehall i believe when a new blood of djs like buju &amp; capleton &amp; singers like garnet silk &amp; luciano burst on the scene...
the early 2000s saw some great music from sizzla, sean paul, elephant man and others...
yes there are some good records still being made but i consider that the exception rather than the rule...how many more songs telling you of a new dance can we take from elephant man?
the biggest crossover hits lately have been mostly dance tunes ('bad man forward', 'dutty wine', etc)...
he evn mentioned collie budz as a guy who brought more energy into the game than established dancehall artistes with 'finally the ----- come around'...and i can't disagree with him; that song had a harder rawer sound (sampling beres' riddim a good ting) than the computerized sounds favored by the dancehall now...
dx21 brought up a good point on the show that the one-drop movement a few years back brought a lot of consciousness back...
but all in all i agree that the genre is vey stagnant right now; they're not taking any chances musically or breaking any new ground...

[jah_yout]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kingaling</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What should dancehall be? what WAS dancehall in the past? </div></div>

dancehall is the everyday music of the people and the music of the dance halls...simple as that;
what it WAS is the same thing but with less overtly sexual and violent lyrics in the past...sure dj's used to do their thing in the dancehall but it was rare for them to record the vulgar tunes that you hear all the time now...
a good example is general echo (killed 1980)...was known as the slack dj---which he was, but his records were not the same as his live performance; he toned down the slackness when recording...same thing with king yellowman...echo's biggest hit was probably 'arlene'...a song like that would not even be listened to today...
something changed between the time echo sang 'arlene' to nowadays when one of the favorite tunes of women in the dancehall was 'kill the b---h'

[kingy]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

Dancehall is the ghetto peoples music where the artist sing about whats going on in their community. Dancehall was never a music to please the world. Just a musical picture of whats going on in their hood.

So when I hear people complain about how its not the same, it cant be. The community is not the same. The technology is not the same and then mindset is not the same. We may grew up listening to certain things but we cant expect it to be the same. Jamaica has different music for different people.

[jah_yout]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

i hear you but i think the music is the worse for it...

you right jamaica not the same- it's worse; along with the dancehall music...

i guess it goes hand in hand;

technology is greater yet the music is worse (or is it because of it? with the computer nuff producers don't NEED to learn music theory or play any instruments anymore)...
also ok to display public lewdness; ok to sing about how much you love to shoot and kill people in a country where crime is a major problem...
maybe the music reflects our attitude that 'a juss soh';

or mi juss a get ole

[kingy]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

Thats how it is. The music follow whats going on around us...not whats going on around us follow the music.

The production of the chunes also follows the technology.
Remember in africa i used to be drum only and other equipments made from anomals and wood? well when quitar and piano and dem tings come to play..those were being implemented. now its the computer and premade sounds. just a different ting.

I like some of the new chunes and beats. I like some of the old chunes and beats.

[julie*mango]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

Dancehall is dead...to dis day mi have cassette a play inna mi car from 1996-1997

[kingy]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

I think for the 21st century, so far the music produced in and around the time bogle died was the best music to listen to.

[rudemonk]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

but wouldn't you agree that probably the biggest breakout song in recent time that had an edge was ghetto story, not dutty wine or an non crossed over ele dance song like all the coolie dance stuff. that tune ghetto story saw 2 major remixes, akon and alicia, and alicia was the one who hunted down Cham to do it...similar to J scoring a few verses over Vado's On the Rock. It's been some time since the flow was reversed so to speak, and Jamaica is the source of hip hop so I think it's good to get recognition that way.

I mean trust me, I've said it before and will again, I don't care how hot the girl is, monks don't scoobay, so I definitely feel what you are saying about the computer voices and all the dances driving songs and vice versa but dances always went with songs pretty much. But everyone on the computer voice flanger that is just a phase kinda thing, I'm sure it will burn out, and when used judiciously it can be kinda cool as a layer in a song. I like some of the structures and phrasing coming out whch have dropped within the last couple of months, like the shoot out, gangwar with sizz and gong- gong's tune is lyrically tremendous...like all things technology is a blessing and a curse. we always long for the good ol days but really think about the tunes Shabba et al used to drop, plenty of big tunes had zero ambiguity as to what was being discussed lol, I mean you had songs with titles that I don't think you could get away with now back in the 90s...on the flip side sometimes people just want to dance and nobody really cares what kind of foolishness is in the lyric, it's just meant for people to get down and blow off some steam. I always tell the story of one night I remember I was playing in the club and I dropped the needle on El General's &quot;Pun Tun&quot;, from the point where he goes &quot;signoooooorrrrrrra&quot; the place just fuçking erupted and maybe 3 people in the place knew what the hell he was saying or what the song was even about. Then like on cue Rosario Dawson walked in right then.

Which leads me to what I feel is a super important issue and that is if there is one issue which I think needs to be seriously addressed, it is the over sexualization of young kids especially young girls, adults need to do a better job of making sure adult themes and concepts and entertainment don't get filtered down to the little kids.

[jah_yout]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

to me the biggest breakout tune was sizzla's 'solid as a rock'...
the yankee market loved the remix on the 'i ain't never scared' beat...but it was an underground banger- no video, no promotion and it still burned up the street...
better message than 'ghetto story' which is basically a gun tune, but the record biz of course would rather push the gun tune

[Cimaron1765]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kingaling</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

I like some of the new chunes and beats. I like some of the old chunes and beats. </div></div>

There is no new chunes and beats; the lyrics (and there are quite a few good lyrics being made) might be new but the chunes and beats are the same ones from back in di 70s with a few computerized additions, (modifications or upgrades) if you will.

I have all the old stuff from back then to support the above statement (unless someone thinks the old music was imitating di new music).

[kingy]

Re: star: dancehall the worst i've ever seen it

There ARE some beats derived from old beats but there are PLENTY of new beats.