Jamaican Music

[Guest BottleRocket]

It seems to me that the incredible influence that one small island has had on popular music has been largely overlooked by both music fans and critics alike.

 

Many seem to dismiss Jamaican sounds as merely gimmicked pot-smoking music made by Bob Marley and favored by college freshmen, rastafarians, and burnt out hippies.

 

In reality, the first three home-grown genres from Jamaica (ska, rocksteady, and reggae) have had considerable influence on a wide range of artists.

 

The Clash, the Police, the Bad Brains, Rancid, and Fugazi all have incorporated elements of these genres into their work.

 

The Beatles recorded a ska number for "The White Album" ("Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da"), Eric Clapton covered Bob Marley ("I Shot The Sheriff"), and Paul Simon went to Jamaica to record "Mother And Child Reunion" for his self-titled release.

 

That's even counting the entire second and third wave ska movements that gained popularity in the early 80's and mid-to-late 90's.

 

Artists like the Specials, Madness, Sublime, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Save Ferris, Smash Mouth, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones all registered some degree of pop success mining Jamaican genres.

 

Even Jamaican deejays like Super Cat, Bounty Killer, and Lady Saw have guested on hits by Sugar Ray ("Fly") and No Doubt ("Hey Baby" and "Underneath It All").

 

Hip-hop, in particular, owes much of its inception to the sounds and traditions of Jamaica. Jamaican born Kool Herc introduced New Yorkers to both the Jamaican style of cutting and the dancehall tradition of toasting over top of the music. Halfway through the seventies, Jamaican producers were already releasing limited numbers of dubplates that deejays toasted over in order to excite the crowds at the soundsystems on the island.

 

That's not even mentioning the use of Jamaican basslines and syncopation in today's hip-hop (see nearly every Miss Elliots/Timbaland beat) and artists like Busta Rhymes (of Jamaican decent) whose over-the-top style is heavily influenced by the dancehall growlers of past. In addition, many modern Jamaican deejays have made cameo appearances with American emcees and vice-versa.

 

Finally, a large portion of the electronic music made today can thank producers like Lee Perry and King Tubby for their pioneering efforts in dub. Jamaicans were the first to use the studio to create versions of songs that would keep crowds dancing longer by fading in and out on different instruments and by making multitrack copies of certain tracks. In addition, the soundsystem culture on the island is a forefather to today's rave scene.

[Guest mesepher]

basically, when MTV tells the masses it's cool, it will be accepted worldwide.

 

 

 

and favored by college freshmen

untill they become sophmores and become assimiliated into the popculture of college

[Guest BottleRocket]

basically, when MTV tells the masses it's cool, it will be accepted worldwide.

 

 

 

and favored by college freshmen

untill they become sophmores and become assimiliated into the popculture of college

I'm not sure I understand your post. Are you saying that the influence that Jamaican music has had worldwide will become better accepted by music fans and critics once MTV says that its cool?

 

I don't think MTV has ever had much to do with spotlighting pioneering artists or pointing out the influence specific genres have had on the music that followed it. MTV is much more focused on the here and now of modern music than providing any sort of historical perspective.

 

And I certain don't expect music critics to start respecting the influence of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, and dancehall because of an MTV special.

 

The fact remains that Jamaican styles and traditions have had a great impact not only on rock music from the 60's through today, but also helped birth what has become the number one form of popular music: hip-hop.

 

As for the second comment, in reality, the popculture of college is probably more in tune with the influence than the rest of mainstream society. Nearly every college radio station has at least one show spotlighting either reggae or ska and many college hipsters are interested in pioneering producers like Lee 'Scratch" Perry, if only for his crazed behavior and strange work habits.

[Guest redbaron51]

i don't mind Jamacian or any tropical nation's music, i usually like it

 

but Bob Marley he's cool

[Guest ant_7000]

Im a fan of Jamaican music I like the fast paced stuff more, Like when I go to clubs they play dancehall music it has good rhythm to vibe to.