irony dat is Ja..even as di debate ova Romping continues

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dancehall artistes Vybz Kartel and his Rompin' Shop co-owner, Spice, last night walked away with the highly-coveted Male and Female Deejay of the Year awards at the Excellence in Music and Entertainment Awards, held in the Gardens of the Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston.

The duo, who has generated controversy with the popular track, took top honours in the individual categories, each edging out some of the other big names in the music industry.

</div></div>

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Re: irony dat is Ja..even as di debate ova Romping continues

'Rampin Shop' fuss continues
Published: Friday | February 6, 2009



WESTERN BUREAU:

Western Jamaica personalities are adding their voices of concern over the lewd lyrical content of the popular song Rampin Shop by Vybz Kartel and Spice, which is now the subject of much debate.


Dr Beverley Scott,child and family therapist

I am sure this song was not made for children, but parents need to protect and monitor what their children are listening to and watching in the media. Children learn by modelling and this type of song heightens a child's sexual behaviour. I understand that this song is mostly being played on public transportation and I think that songs like these must be banned from public transportation.


O'Dave Allen,community activist

I believe that the laws are not being enforced when it comes to these types of offences. There needs to be a greater level of enforcement by the authorities when it comes to these matters. There is a general breakdown in values and attitudes in the country and all of us will need to play our part. We, as adults, must set a good example for our children to follow.


Lloyd B. Smith, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce

I don't think that the State is doing enough with regard to enforcement. I am all for the freedom of speech, but there needs to be certain restrictions and sanctions on such lyrics. The State has failed in education and enforcement and parents (especially the younger ones) have failed to properly monitor what their children listen to.


Dennis Seivwright,president of the Trelawny Chamber of Commerce

I don't support these types of lewd lyrics, it is disrespecting to women and these are the types of songs that contribute to the disorder in our society. If we are serious about moving towards a civilised society, the Government needs to take serious actions against these things. It is getting out of control and parents, too, have to play their part in this.

[jah_yout]

Re: irony dat is Ja..even as di debate ova Romping continues

tek b---y gyal yu tink mi easy

-that's entertainment

in the new millenium

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KIDS DEEP IN 'RAMPIN' SHOP'



Just seven-years-old, Terika* knows almost all the lyrics to Spice and Kartel's controversial hit, Rampin' Shop. This includes all the expletives and sexually explicit lines.

The song, which has been a fixture on local charts for weeks and can be heard on almost all local radio stations, has come under heat recently from scholars and critics who believe that songs such as this only contribute to a further decay of values and morals in the society.


Most of the children with whom THE STAR spoke, and whose ages ranged from four to 10, admitted knowing the song. Some were also very willing to sing it and Terika was only one of them. Children as young as five knew the lyrics to a song that is very graphic in its references to the act of intercourse.

Terika, who lives in Waterhouse, told THE STAR that she heard the song on the radio and likes it very much. She, however, admitted that she did not know what the song was about. Another of her companions said she, too, knew the song but was afraid to sing it.

One 10-year-old from the Crescent Road, St Andrew, was a natural when she was prompted to sing the sexually charged song. The words rolled off the her tongue like a boulder down a steep hill. &quot;Mi two phone a ring but mi nah ansa none, 'cause mi affi whine pon ... like this...., deal wid yuh breast like mi crushing Irish...,&quot; the youngster sang carefully omitting the foul language from the lyrics.

She ran through the song's introduction, verses and chorus without any reserve. &quot;Mi like the song,&quot; she said. When asked if she knew what the song was talking about, the youngster said &quot;no&quot;.


Three five-year-olds were only able to sing the chorus of the song. One said she, too, heard it on the radio, while another, who hails from St Catherine, said she heard a relative singing it. Alhough it seems most of the children did not fully understand the lyrics of the song, it seems some had an idea that it was a song they should not be singing. When THE STAR contacted one household, a five-year-old girl refused to sing the song because her mother was around. An eight-year-old who was nearby, however, was not as shy. He sang most of it for THE STAR.

One mother from August Town <span style="font-weight: bold">said whenever her four-year-old son sings the song and suddenly looks around and realises she is listening, he responds, &quot;Mi nah sing the bad part mommy.&quot; &quot;He will sing the song when he is by himself but he mostly does it if he hears it playing nearby,&quot; she said. Although the youngster mumbled through some parts and stopped at the expletive points, it was clear that he was very familiar with the song. </span>

Popular psychiatrist Dr Leachim Semaj, while being happy about the discussion taking place about the song and its impact on children, said he could not place the blame on the artistes. He said entertainers were free to record whatever they wanted, but it is up to the various agents of socialisation to shield children from harmful material.

He told THE STAR, &quot;There is a lack of regulation. Dancehall is an adult thing, so songs like these have their place and adults can consent to anything they wish. However, society has a responsibility to protect our children from these entities until they're old enough to make certain decisions.&quot;

He said the society was failing children and pointed fingers at the Broadcasting Commission and certain radio stations for not doing enough to regulate the music that is allowed to play on air. He also blamed the public-transport system which often forced lewd content on to passengers, including children, without concern.

He added, &quot;A dance should be held in an area where those who do not wish to participate are not offended. In some communities, whether you are a quarter mile away, you are still subjected to the nastiness that is being played.&quot;

Dr Semaj also pointed out the important role parents should play in shielding and protecting their children and said parents need to monitor more closely the activities their children engage in. &quot;The social agents are failing our children and young people are being socialised to have no regards for their body or sexuality. Some songs should not be played at all.&quot;

Attempts to contact a representative from the Broadcasting Commission were unsuccessful.


* Names changed on request.

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Spice defends 'Rampin' Shop' - Intellects, forum argue

<span style="font-weight: bold">negative impact of song </span>


Days after a stop order was placed on the Ne-Yo-influenced Rampin' Shop, the song has come under more fire with a debate as to whether the minds of the youth should be allowed to enter the 'rampin' shop.'

However, DJ Spice has come forward in defence of the song, saying that parents should take responsiblity for what their children are exposed to.

She said, &quot;You know how Jamaicans stay, people gonna talk about it, every kid singing the song no matter the age, but I like the whole idea that Kartel came up with, which is the idea of the 'Rampin' Shop'. The word or idea 'Rampin' Shop' replaces the word sex and di whole bedroom vibes. People think it's still raunchy but I don't think it's misleading the kids, the song is just straight get to the point.&quot;

<span style="font-weight: bold">As a mother, for Spice, she can't stop her child from listening to Rampin' Shop</span>, but encourages parents to teach their children about sex and that they should have safe sex when they are old enough to do so. &quot;That's why we have di daggerin' condoms as well, yuh can't stop your children from having sex but yuh should teach them and teach about safe sex,&quot; Spice said.

An article written by Ardenne High School principal Esther Tyson, titled 'Rampin' Shop' - musical poison' and published in The Sunday Gleaner on February 1, described Rampin' Shop as being &quot;lewd and disgusting.&quot; The article has since sparked the ever-revolving debate about the nature of dancehall music, its sexually explicit lyrics, its effects on the youth, and the song Rampin' Shopby deejays Vybz Kartel and Spice.


Tyson advocates that the Government should take a more active role in censoring the entertainment, or &quot;filth&quot;, coming out of the dancehall. According to her, the slackness of songs such as Rampin' Shop is only damaging the youth and promoting &quot;unbridled sexual expression, violence, the debasement of women and disrespect for authority&quot;. Tyson expressed, &quot;We must work together to stop enriching people like Vybz Kartel who create filth and are then paid when they release it on the public ... Vybz Kartel needs to have his children listen to his songs and analyse them and give him their feedback.&quot;

In yesterday's Gleaner, the discussion was carried further in a Gleaner Editor's Forum which canvassed the views of several educators and analysts. Generally, the consensus from the panel suggested that the song was not much different from other sexually explicit dancehall songs, and that parents should be responsible for what their children are listening to.

In the article by from Tyson, deejay Spice also came under pressure for her part in the song, with comments that Spice was a &quot;disgrace as a woman&quot; and that she is not setting a good example for her child and for persons who look up to her.

Writer and lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Dr Donna Hope, explained that Rampin' Shop is no worse than other dancehall songs that have been released before, and the fact that it is sung by two controversial deejays, Vybz Kartel and Spice, only makes the song more popular.

Dr Hope said, &quot;Rampin'Shop falls into the sub-genre of dancehall songs of a man and woman talking about sex. It's special because it's both a man and woman when a lot of dialogue like this is usually from the males and a few raunchy females.&quot;

For Dr Hope, the song should still be played on radio but at times more suitable for adult content. As for the impact on the youth, she told the STAR that there are lot more avenues, such as cable television, the Internet and cellular phones, that have a more negative impact on the youth.

She said, &quot;The young people are exposed to a huge volume of information from everywhere, you don't have to listen to Rampin' Shop, you can go on the Internet and listen far worse ... it's a lot of ado about something insignificant in the larger spectrum of cultural products that are being consumed.&quot; The responsibility, said Hope, should fall in to the laps of the parents who should be monitoring their children.