B
BOOMSHAK
New member
I am in my early 30’s, born in Jamaica and a diehard Reggae/Dancehall fan. I just want to clear up a few misconceptions, mis-information and give some history about Reggae/ Dancehall to you young ones.
First thing I want to say is this: Do not make Dancehall/ Reggae get swallowed up by or get grouped as Hip Hop. Let’s Keep our identity separate.
1. Dancehall Reggae is not new. Dancehall is a term used from back in the 60’s referring to the place or halls where the big sound systems use to play Ska, Rocksteady and later Reggae music, since we did not have big bands or concerts to go to. This was poor people entertainment. Dancehall music also refer to the live cassettes from 70's and 80's recorded in the Dance on the sound system with artist performing. They were clashes or battles and beefs between sound systems and Artist back then as it is now.
2. Dancehall is not Hip Hop. It is older than Hip Hop, 10-15 yrs. Almost everything, every trend, rap styles (speed rap to the rapper/ singer like Jah Rule) has been done 5 to 10 yrs before in reggae. Back to the topic, From back in the 60’s, the DJ’s on these sound systems, started talking over the music, making there own little rhymes until they became known as the artists. That is why you will hear Jamaicans refer to our MC’s (Bounty Killa, Capleton or Sean Paul) as DJ’s and the person who plays the music is the Selector. Each Sound system had a name (Downbeat, Coxsone, Killamanjaro etc…) and had there own crew of DJ’s or MC’s and atleast 1 singer that travel with the system.
3. Dancehall Reggae in the 70’s. In the Dancehall, the selector play a 45” record with the singer (ex: Barrington Levy or Dennis Brown) on the A-side, then he flip it over and play the B-side, which is only the instrumental with more emphasis on the drum and bass. The MC’s or Dj’s would come in on the B-side and start toasting or rapping and singing. One after the other, lyrics after lyrics. These MC’s get their practice live in the dance, then eventually start making records of their own. This is why in Dancehall you will have a lot of songs on the same beat, because from back in the days, these MC’s all make lyrics to the same beats in the dance.
4. Dancehall in the 80’s. (the golden era or the Dancehall tape) By the late 70’s, most of the big sound system in Jamaica had about 3 or 4 MC’s and 1 singer. For example in the early 80’s, Killamanjaro Sound system had MC’s Early B, Super Cat, Jim Kelly and Puddy Roots. A dance hall cassette is usually a live cassette recorded in the Dance or hall, sometimes with foul language, explicit content or violent lyrics so our parents did not really want to play around the kids. These sound systems use to battle each other occasionally. MC’s against MC’s. Check out www.dancehallmix.com for old dancehall tapes from 70’s, 80’s and now.
5. Late 80’s Dancehall (Dubplates and Special took over). In the mid to late 80’s, the beats start to speed up and become more simple and the focus become more about the lyrical content and delivery. The MC’s or DJ’s stop following the sound systems and started making records on their own. So now the sound systems (Stone Love, Body Guard and Bass Oddessy) have to start paying these artists like Shabba, Ninja Man, Beenie Man and Tonto Metro to record Dub Plates or specials ( a song made especially for that sound system, boasting how good that sound is or dissing another sound in a battle) for their sounds. Regular albums and 45’s just didn’t cut it anymore in the dance. The late 80’s was the end of the original Dancehall era or the golden years.
More to come…. Gotta get back to work.
Just remember that before Sean Paul 1997, before Shaggy 1991 and Shabba 1986, before Super Cat 1982 and Shinehead 1983, before Yellowman 1979, there were the God fathers: Daddy U-roy, King stitch, Big Youth, Iroy, and many more from the 60’s and 70’s who pioneer dancehall reggae and even laid foundation for what is to become hip hop. Some call Cool Herc, the father of Hip Hop. Did you know he is Jamaican?
First thing I want to say is this: Do not make Dancehall/ Reggae get swallowed up by or get grouped as Hip Hop. Let’s Keep our identity separate.
1. Dancehall Reggae is not new. Dancehall is a term used from back in the 60’s referring to the place or halls where the big sound systems use to play Ska, Rocksteady and later Reggae music, since we did not have big bands or concerts to go to. This was poor people entertainment. Dancehall music also refer to the live cassettes from 70's and 80's recorded in the Dance on the sound system with artist performing. They were clashes or battles and beefs between sound systems and Artist back then as it is now.
2. Dancehall is not Hip Hop. It is older than Hip Hop, 10-15 yrs. Almost everything, every trend, rap styles (speed rap to the rapper/ singer like Jah Rule) has been done 5 to 10 yrs before in reggae. Back to the topic, From back in the 60’s, the DJ’s on these sound systems, started talking over the music, making there own little rhymes until they became known as the artists. That is why you will hear Jamaicans refer to our MC’s (Bounty Killa, Capleton or Sean Paul) as DJ’s and the person who plays the music is the Selector. Each Sound system had a name (Downbeat, Coxsone, Killamanjaro etc…) and had there own crew of DJ’s or MC’s and atleast 1 singer that travel with the system.
3. Dancehall Reggae in the 70’s. In the Dancehall, the selector play a 45” record with the singer (ex: Barrington Levy or Dennis Brown) on the A-side, then he flip it over and play the B-side, which is only the instrumental with more emphasis on the drum and bass. The MC’s or Dj’s would come in on the B-side and start toasting or rapping and singing. One after the other, lyrics after lyrics. These MC’s get their practice live in the dance, then eventually start making records of their own. This is why in Dancehall you will have a lot of songs on the same beat, because from back in the days, these MC’s all make lyrics to the same beats in the dance.
4. Dancehall in the 80’s. (the golden era or the Dancehall tape) By the late 70’s, most of the big sound system in Jamaica had about 3 or 4 MC’s and 1 singer. For example in the early 80’s, Killamanjaro Sound system had MC’s Early B, Super Cat, Jim Kelly and Puddy Roots. A dance hall cassette is usually a live cassette recorded in the Dance or hall, sometimes with foul language, explicit content or violent lyrics so our parents did not really want to play around the kids. These sound systems use to battle each other occasionally. MC’s against MC’s. Check out www.dancehallmix.com for old dancehall tapes from 70’s, 80’s and now.
5. Late 80’s Dancehall (Dubplates and Special took over). In the mid to late 80’s, the beats start to speed up and become more simple and the focus become more about the lyrical content and delivery. The MC’s or DJ’s stop following the sound systems and started making records on their own. So now the sound systems (Stone Love, Body Guard and Bass Oddessy) have to start paying these artists like Shabba, Ninja Man, Beenie Man and Tonto Metro to record Dub Plates or specials ( a song made especially for that sound system, boasting how good that sound is or dissing another sound in a battle) for their sounds. Regular albums and 45’s just didn’t cut it anymore in the dance. The late 80’s was the end of the original Dancehall era or the golden years.
More to come…. Gotta get back to work.
Just remember that before Sean Paul 1997, before Shaggy 1991 and Shabba 1986, before Super Cat 1982 and Shinehead 1983, before Yellowman 1979, there were the God fathers: Daddy U-roy, King stitch, Big Youth, Iroy, and many more from the 60’s and 70’s who pioneer dancehall reggae and even laid foundation for what is to become hip hop. Some call Cool Herc, the father of Hip Hop. Did you know he is Jamaican?