Wow! I did not know that LMFAO were son and grandson

[Islandman]

Hence the idea that education level has anything to do with the popularity of dancehall music whether it be in Tokyo, Bridgetown or Kingston is nonsense.

Agreed?

[Exile]

I must be getting old(er)...can't recall posting them...remember the video though..

[Exile]

True..in all kinds of music forms.....Reggae included..Rebel Music...

'Why can't we roam..this open country...why can't we be, what we wanna be..we want to free....3 O'clock...road block...."
- Bob

[Historian]

I Understand

Lol. BTW - have you ever heard about Earl May? Left handed Jazz bassist - who I recently learnt is my cousin....

I'm not sensitive that much..but there is a huge misconception out there that Soca music is an annual thing in TT. It is basically Carnival Music best accompanied by some alcohol beverage and its sounds better as the time goes on....better yet if there is beautiful woman close by...in fact the youth of TT PREFER dancehall which is played more on radio etc....
The older heads like reggae, ska etc....

I understand what you are saying about the misconception held by many outsiders about Trinidadians and soca. Based on what I have heard, your statement about the common misunderstanding is true.

And nope, I’ve never heard of Earl May, unfortunately. However, I would love to hear him play.

I still sometimes think of those Korean kids whose guitar genius was shown in those YouTube videos you introduced to us on this forum. Those youngsters are truly amazing!!

[Historian]

Easy Question to Answer!

Its really amusing to see this attempt to draw a correlation between popular music and education levels.

Rap music started out in the black inner cities of the US where the education level has always been among the lowest in the country. I wonder why white middle class kids started to like it and made it a mainstream form of music. The literacy rate in the white suburbs must be falling off a cliff??

One word: “Rebellion”!

Rebellion, that is, against what these young whites see as the conservative values of their parents and of older folk. So, turning to music that, to them, seems different and radical is their means of making a statement to the previous generation and to the white elites in general. This happens in virtually every generation.

[Me]

Yeh, but it is concealed in your demand. In Japan, among dancehall enthusissts, probably lower than the general population, if I were to hazard a guess.

You guess? Sounds like you don't know at all.

[Islandman]

Its really amusing to see this attempt to draw a correlation between popular music and education levels.

Rap music started out in the black inner cities of the US where the education level has always been among the lowest in the country. I wonder why white middle class kids started to like it and made it a mainstream form of music. The literacy rate in the white suburbs must be falling off a cliff??

[Bricktop]

In Japan, among dancehall enthusissts, probably lower than the general population, if I were to hazard a guess.

[Reggaedoc]

Yeh, but it is concealed in your demand. In Japan, among dancehall enthusissts, probably lower than the general population, if I were to hazard a guess.

[Me]

There is no common error. I have asked you to put the deejays that I mentioned into one of two quality buckets. I have not made any mention of their quality.

What is the literacy situation like in Japan?

[Reggaedoc]

Me, you are making a common error by equating popularity with quality. The use of skin bleaching compounds is popular in Jamaica, but does using these chemicals make quality dermatological sense. Also, because dancehall is popular among pockets of populations outside of Jamaica does not, in and of itself, justify labeling it as good quality music. After all, the rest of the world is suffering from declining literacy, and increasing ignorance among youths, just as we are, the only difference is that it is more pronounced in Jamaica than most other parts of the world, that is if we exclude the most backward parts of central, and west Africa. Furthermore, the cherry-picking of some artistes and their occasional good works, and using those works as the metric for determining the acceptability of dancehall as a quality music genre is fundamentally flawed, because there exists an overwhelming body of nonsense dancehall music which better represents the genre, to make those nonsense the rule rather than the exception. Remember, Me, even a broken clock will tell the correct time twice a day, so if Kartel makes a good song tommorow, so what, that still does not change anything.

[Bricktop]

Like Beenie deejays on exclusive riddims or something. He rides the same "talentless" riddims that everbody else rides...his lyrics are not too far off from the others...yet Historian likes Beenie Man's music...confusion...

[Exile]

Lol. BTW - have you ever heard about Earl May? Left handed Jazz bassist - who I recently learnt is my cousin....

I'm not sensitive that much..but there is a huge misconception out there that Soca music is an annual thing in TT. It is basically Carnival Music best accompanied by some alcohol beverage and its sounds better as the time goes on....better yet if there is beautiful woman close by...in fact the youth of TT PREFER dancehall which is played more on radio etc....
The older heads like reggae, ska etc....

[Me]

Ok. So Beenie Man is set aside.

What about Shabba, Buju, TOK, Sean Paul, Shaggy, Elephant Man, Busy Signal, Cobra, Super Cat and Baby Cham? They are all acts that are popular outside of Jamaica.

Which ones fall into the Beenie Man category and which ones fall into the "vast majority of gutter-gas purveyors" category?

[Historian]

Much Respect, Reggaedoc!

Well said 'Storian. I think the paradox can be easily explained if one appreciates the fact that Jamaica's rate of illiteracy and aliteracy is the highest it has been in the last 3 decades.
I realy do appreciate the fact that some dancehall artistes, like Beenie Man, should be distinguished from the vast majority of gutter-gas purveyors. The criticism of Gordy, and Clem Dodd is also well placed. I think you should also include Chris Blackwell, who may not only be a good businessman, but also a thief.

Reggaedoc, thank you once again for your very insightful and, in my view, accurate comments!

In fact, the increasing literacy levels, poor social attitudes and other shortcomings in our Jamaican society today (and even amongst some Jamaicans residing in North America, Europe, etc.) almost certainly have direct linkages to the state and content of our cultural output! Many educators have commented on this as well, but does anyone seem to care? Talk about a frightening loss of spirituality among our people!

As usual, boss, I have the highest respect for the relevance of your viewpoints, regardless of topic.