Seaga - Excellent Music Commentary!

[Rudi]

I've asked time and again, how many soca songs you know of need editing or has gone as far as our dancehall artistes? By the way, what was wrong with Fattie Fattie?

I am not in the banning crew and as a matter of fact I rather liked Fattie-Fattie.
But 'See it deh, see it deh fattie, IN DEH, IN DeH fattie, how you like it? I know it would a sweet you" You just made my point we like our slackness the way we like it. I never considered Fattie-Fattie per se, I like the melody and the lyrics but every school kid knew what was being sung about. Plus I'm a Leroy Sibbles fan anyway. You coming from the crew that says soca song are better because they use double-entendre so 'every woman deserves a good buddy" is OK because it's not bleeped. Like I said you guys should think this through all that's showing is your bias.

[Lazie]

I am not in the banning crew and as a matter of fact I rather liked Fattie-Fattie.
But 'See it deh, see it deh fattie, IN DEH, IN DeH fattie, how you like it? I know it would a sweet you" You just made my point we like our slackness the way we like it. I never considered Fattie-Fattie per se, I like the melody and the lyrics but every school kid knew what was being sung about. Plus I'm a Leroy Sibbles fan anyway. You coming from the crew that says soca song are better because they use double-entendre so 'every woman deserves a good buddy" is OK because it's not bleeped. Like I said you guys should think this through all that's showing is your bias.

My bias really now? In being defensive people simply choose to miss it. How many meaning buddy have? How many meanings eat have? People simply pointing to songs from other genre instead of willingly addressing the issue with dancehall. There was nothing wrong with buddy, furthermore the very next line said, "A real good friend" suh find a next song.

Nothing wrong with fattie .... the singer said "it" .. what is "it"?

[Don1]

The Gospel according to Ninja Man?

With respect to Carolyn Cooper, why do people even bother to continue to pay attention to her? A great part of Jamaica’s problem, I feel, stems from sections of the so-called intelligentsia!! In the same way that an institution like the UWI has largely made itself irrelevant through a single-minded focus on black history and other historical theoretical issues over science and technology, in the same way people like Cooper seek popularity by pandering to the lowest common denominator of our society!

I will never forget Ninja Man’s greater show of an intellectual grasp of Jamaica’s social problems at that UWI-sponsored presentation (I posted that news article here several months ago). Ninja Man showed Jamaica who has a greater grasp of issues and in the process put Carolyn Cooper in her place that night!

To hell with what she thinks!

UWI like all educational institutions in Jamaica has its limitations and follies.... but a "single minded focus on black history"?? Where do you get that from?
UWI has departments/schools of natural sciences, economics, tourism, computing, business, medicine, social sciences etc ... and graduates serving in all those fields and more. The Dept of History is tiny.

Does UWI need to be reoriented towards engineering, science, agriculture and the like....YES!!.... but a focus on "black history" per se is not the problem... it's more a focus on social as opposed to natural sciences and research.

I guess based on your sentiments we should elevate Ninja Man to perhaps... Vice Chancellor??

[Assasin]

But there are times when the dj have no choice but to bleep. Have you heard some a those songs?

Do you advocate these songs are been played on prime time and in the presence of young children? Once only in a rum bar or at a dance you could get these song but now every show you go a the same thing and every minivan a play it, every radio station. Are you advocating there be no controls?

[Historian]

Just For You, Don1

I guess based on your sentiments we should elevate Ninja Man to perhaps... Vice Chancellor??

Just for you, Don1:

Ninja Man defies 'Borders'
Basil Walters, Observer staff reporter waltersb@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, February 25, 2008



NINJA MAN... anything weh too violent, mi kinda refrain mi self from it

In a stunning retreat of his long-standing rude boy image, controversial dancehall artiste, Ninja Man refused Professor Carolyn Cooper's invitation to perform his defining 1990 hit song Border Clash.

The deejay's refusal came during the closing ceremony of the Global Reggae Conference, held at the University of the West Indies Assembly Hall on Friday.

This defiant stand by the self-professed "the-gold-teeth-gun-pon-teeth Don Gorgon," could be interpreted as a vindication of the critiques, particularly leading dancehall critic and columnist Ian Boyne, who often chides the genres violent lyrical content - much to the consternation of Professor Cooper and other leading dancehall apologists.

Boyne who did not attend the function, had in one of his recent controversial pieces entitled, From Bob Marley to Mavado, challenged the conference to examine the negative features of dancehall.

"February has been officially proclaimed Reggae Month; there is much hype over its celebration and a major reggae conference opens. at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus. But will anyone have the courage to speak the truth about the state of the music today?," asks Boyne in the aforementioned column.

Interestingly, little did the 'Don Gorgon' realise that he somewhat, not only spoke according to his conscience, but entered a space where an intellectual "clash" was taking place. A clash with the mores of dancehall culture - in which Ninja Man has played a key role - at its core.

Before Professor Cooper's lengthy introduction of Ninja Man, she ended her closing remarks of the week-long conference with a quotation from Bob Marley.

"What is marginal, what is peripheral?" Dr Cooper asked rhetorically before explaining. "Marginalisation is indeed often a sight of enpowering with resistance to and radical transformation of hegemonic institutions. In the words of Bob Marley - We refused to be what they wanted us to be, we are what we are, that's the way it's going to be/ You can't educate I for no equal opportunity, talking about my freedom, people's freedom and liberty, yeah/ We've been trodding on the winepress for much too long, rebel. As we close this historic conference on Global Reggae, it gives me great pleasure to invite Ninja Man to perform his Border Clash classic."

Added Professor Cooper: "Ninja Man's 1990 composition, Border Clash, is the classic articulation of the recurrent motif in Jamaican dancehall culture that demarcate contestation for power in a wide range of phases of interest. In its narrowest sense the dancehall clash denotes the on stage competition between rival deejays and sound systems contending for mastery before a discriminating audience.

More broadly, the clash is not just a performance event, but becomes a trenchant metaphor for the hostile interfacing for the warring zones in Jamaican society where for example, rival politicians, area dons, community leaders and their followers, contend for the control of territory both literal and symbolic."

Now for the surprise of the day, nay, the entire conference. Ninja Man refused to perform Border Clash.

Dressed in his signature dapper style, the Don Gorgon addressed the audience: "Right now, some a oonu a go disappointed. Right now mi take a very serious aim inna di country, and anything weh too violent, mi kinda refrain mi self from it," Ninja Man said and the Assembly Hall on the UWI, Mona campus erupted in a way it never did for the duration of the conference. Everyone, including Cooper, applauded long and hard.

"When yu use dis term Border Clash most of the time, a man feel like yu a deal wid, like sey fi hold borders and boundaries. Well, right now mi cut off all border line, all boundaries and a one God, one aim, one unity, one umbrella we a say inna Jamaica," he added to perhaps the biggest shouts of approval and applause he ever got in his whole career from what must have been the smallest crowd.

Ninja Man was not finished. "And," he goes on, "we waan bring all the youths dem weh inna di fighting inna Jamaica, weh inna di politics ting, di ghetto confusion, di every day gang rival, we waan cut dem outta di violence and bring dem inna one unity. And di only way fi do dat is use the music, and if the music is a thing weh a tell yu sey kill dem and murda dem, border clash, and di yute dem a listen and a shoot after one another, lets refrain from border clash and dem tune deh and do songs like these."

For third time, from resounding applause, the Assemble Hall was shaking like it was experiencing earth tremors before he performed the tune he suggested.

The song Ninja Man eventually did, goes in part:
" Yes it hurts me fi hear di gun dem bark and it makes me happy when ghetto youths a talk, and that's a powerful decision that I want you fi know oh oh oh oh oh...
University oh, mi see some dangerous tools in di hands of the fool
And mi beg di ghetto youths dem fi cool before yu give book and pencil and send dem to school yu give dem a big forty-five dat dem fi rule....
Oh mr politician yu come inna di ghetto with yu guns and amunition
Everyday yu get up yu start issue out weapon people start dead by the minute and second
Dis why I'm on a mission fi tek di ghetto yute dem from di guns dem and amunition..."

[Gamma]

historian....bob marley's eulogy as read by seaga was prepared by one garth (g) white...my uncle in law. i have been begging pleading accusing threatening...all kinda "ings" with him to put his knowledge of jamaican popular music during that creative period from the 60's onward....

i think we might have made some progress....g white...jc old boy btw...

[Rudi]

My bias really now? In being defensive people simply choose to miss it. How many meaning buddy have? How many meanings eat have? People simply pointing to songs from other genre instead of willingly addressing the issue with dancehall. There was nothing wrong with buddy, furthermore the very next line said, "A real good friend" suh find a next song.

Nothing wrong with fattie .... the singer said "it" .. what is "it"?

I really hope you joking. ' How many meaning Buddy have? a real good friend?'. You just made my point like many you like your slackness with double meaning nothing wrong with that. Many find that cute and funny rather than the in your face of dancehall. The point is Romping shop (edited) should not be banned if we are being consisitent. If you and the oyhers were to be honest you prefer your version of slackness cause that's what you are comfortable with.

[Jangle]

Bob Marley sang a bout "lick samba". What was he talking about?

[Rudi]

Bob Marley sang a bout "lick samba". What was he talking about?

Whatever he was talking about him say fi lick it in the morning noon and night.
Same thing with stir it up. One could say the double meaning shows more talent and creativity but do we ban people for having little talent or do something to finally teach and elevate our music instead of supporting double standards. Long time reggae and music in general should have been taught in schools.

[Lazie]

I really hope you joking. ' How many meaning Buddy have? a real good friend?'. You just made my point like many you like your slackness with double meaning nothing wrong with that. Many find that cute and funny rather than the in your face of dancehall. The point is Romping shop (edited) should not be banned if we are being consisitent. If you and the oyhers were to be honest you prefer your version of slackness cause that's what you are comfortable with.

LOL!!!! suh wait ... Fab 5's "Buddy" is slack? As mi say b4, its time ppl stop pointing fingers at soca and other genre and deal with the problems in dancehall. At the rate unuh going, unuh soon find fault with gospel tunes tuh.

[Don1]

Just for you, Don1:

Ninja Man defies 'Borders'
Basil Walters, Observer staff reporter waltersb@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, February 25, 2008



NINJA MAN... anything weh too violent, mi kinda refrain mi self from it

In a stunning retreat of his long-standing rude boy image, controversial dancehall artiste, Ninja Man refused Professor Carolyn Cooper's invitation to perform his defining 1990 hit song Border Clash.

The deejay's refusal came during the closing ceremony of the Global Reggae Conference, held at the University of the West Indies Assembly Hall on Friday.

This defiant stand by the self-professed "the-gold-teeth-gun-pon-teeth Don Gorgon," could be interpreted as a vindication of the critiques, particularly leading dancehall critic and columnist Ian Boyne, who often chides the genres violent lyrical content - much to the consternation of Professor Cooper and other leading dancehall apologists.

Boyne who did not attend the function, had in one of his recent controversial pieces entitled, From Bob Marley to Mavado, challenged the conference to examine the negative features of dancehall.

"February has been officially proclaimed Reggae Month; there is much hype over its celebration and a major reggae conference opens. at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus. But will anyone have the courage to speak the truth about the state of the music today?," asks Boyne in the aforementioned column.

Interestingly, little did the 'Don Gorgon' realise that he somewhat, not only spoke according to his conscience, but entered a space where an intellectual "clash" was taking place. A clash with the mores of dancehall culture - in which Ninja Man has played a key role - at its core.

Before Professor Cooper's lengthy introduction of Ninja Man, she ended her closing remarks of the week-long conference with a quotation from Bob Marley.

"What is marginal, what is peripheral?" Dr Cooper asked rhetorically before explaining. "Marginalisation is indeed often a sight of enpowering with resistance to and radical transformation of hegemonic institutions. In the words of Bob Marley - We refused to be what they wanted us to be, we are what we are, that's the way it's going to be/ You can't educate I for no equal opportunity, talking about my freedom, people's freedom and liberty, yeah/ We've been trodding on the winepress for much too long, rebel. As we close this historic conference on Global Reggae, it gives me great pleasure to invite Ninja Man to perform his Border Clash classic."

Added Professor Cooper: "Ninja Man's 1990 composition, Border Clash, is the classic articulation of the recurrent motif in Jamaican dancehall culture that demarcate contestation for power in a wide range of phases of interest. In its narrowest sense the dancehall clash denotes the on stage competition between rival deejays and sound systems contending for mastery before a discriminating audience.

More broadly, the clash is not just a performance event, but becomes a trenchant metaphor for the hostile interfacing for the warring zones in Jamaican society where for example, rival politicians, area dons, community leaders and their followers, contend for the control of territory both literal and symbolic."

Now for the surprise of the day, nay, the entire conference. Ninja Man refused to perform Border Clash.

Dressed in his signature dapper style, the Don Gorgon addressed the audience: "Right now, some a oonu a go disappointed. Right now mi take a very serious aim inna di country, and anything weh too violent, mi kinda refrain mi self from it," Ninja Man said and the Assembly Hall on the UWI, Mona campus erupted in a way it never did for the duration of the conference. Everyone, including Cooper, applauded long and hard.

"When yu use dis term Border Clash most of the time, a man feel like yu a deal wid, like sey fi hold borders and boundaries. Well, right now mi cut off all border line, all boundaries and a one God, one aim, one unity, one umbrella we a say inna Jamaica," he added to perhaps the biggest shouts of approval and applause he ever got in his whole career from what must have been the smallest crowd.

Ninja Man was not finished. "And," he goes on, "we waan bring all the youths dem weh inna di fighting inna Jamaica, weh inna di politics ting, di ghetto confusion, di every day gang rival, we waan cut dem outta di violence and bring dem inna one unity. And di only way fi do dat is use the music, and if the music is a thing weh a tell yu sey kill dem and murda dem, border clash, and di yute dem a listen and a shoot after one another, lets refrain from border clash and dem tune deh and do songs like these."

For third time, from resounding applause, the Assemble Hall was shaking like it was experiencing earth tremors before he performed the tune he suggested.

The song Ninja Man eventually did, goes in part:
" Yes it hurts me fi hear di gun dem bark and it makes me happy when ghetto youths a talk, and that's a powerful decision that I want you fi know oh oh oh oh oh...
University oh, mi see some dangerous tools in di hands of the fool
And mi beg di ghetto youths dem fi cool before yu give book and pencil and send dem to school yu give dem a big forty-five dat dem fi rule....
Oh mr politician yu come inna di ghetto with yu guns and amunition
Everyday yu get up yu start issue out weapon people start dead by the minute and second
Dis why I'm on a mission fi tek di ghetto yute dem from di guns dem and amunition..."

Ninja Man is talented... but acts like a cartoon character.

[Gamma]

same thing with "nice time" samething with "kaya".....

[Bricktop]

LOL!!!! suh wait ... Fab 5's "Buddy" is slack? As mi say b4, its time ppl stop pointing fingers at soca and other genre and deal with the problems in dancehall. At the rate unuh going, unuh soon find fault with gospel tunes tuh.

How many meaning daggering and chi chi have? You talking out a two side a yuh mouth now

[Bricktop]

The word daggering has been banned from the radio. What is slack or vulgar about the word daggering?

[Willi]

Guava Jelly...what is that he rubbing on his belly?