The complaint coming from Dancehall artistes such as Mr. Vegas and Sean Paul in recent times is that Dancehall is not getting its just due on the international market scene. Other international acts are dabbling in the genre by using samples and features without giving credit to the people and the culture. Sean Paul, in an interview with The Guardian, said the use of Dancehall in pop music is not viewed by him as paying homage but as exploitation. Mr. Vegas blatantly said ‘Drake is a Fake’ for using Dancehall on his album without giving credit.
Is Pop Culture pimping Dancehall?
A Wall Street Journal article described Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean?” as “pioneering the ‘Caribbean, beach-party vibe’ of tropical house in the mainstream”. Note the use of the words “pioneer”, “beach party vibe” and “tropical house”. Tropical house is the name many North American newspapers use to describe Dancehall music done by mainstream acts. In saying Justin pioneered anything resembling the Dancehall genre, is to disregard the barriers broken by Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Sean Paul and many others for over 20 years.
Give an ear to songs like ‘Bum Bum’ by Kat Deluna ft. Trey Songz; ‘Luv’ by Tori Lanez; Tyga’s ‘1 on 1’; Fifth Harmony’s ‘All in my head’ or ‘Gonna get better’; Beyoncé’s ‘Hold up’; and not to mention an onslaught of references by Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, who, although of Caribbean descent, tend to stick to Jamaican sound in their music. The Dancehall genre is being treated like a side chick for the ecstasy of euphoric pleasure; but no official acknowledgement is being given nor are doors being opened for the artistes and the people from whom the genre came, so the music can fairly compete and survive on its own.
Dancehall (and “dancehallers”), being no stranger to ‘side-chick’ culture, know all too well when it is being sidelined. However, many of the behind the scenes practitioners in pop culture are of Caribbean descent. There are many pop culture influencers such as Jay-Z whose late father is Jamaican; Sean “puffy” Combs who has Jamaican connections; his biggest artiste, the late Biggie Smalls, was the son of a Jamaican. Video Director Little X and Cultural Artiste Karen Civil are also of Caribbean descent. So why the complaints?
I am sure everyone in Dancehall would be ok if the markets were fair game for Jamaicans living on the island, not just for those living in North America. People generally complain when they don’t feel as if they are treated fairly. The North Americans have more resources and bigger budgets so they are able to reach further. It costs them more than we are willing to pay to work a record through promotional strategies. Do they have an obligation to share their platforms, their artistic influence and their money, if they choose to fuse Dancehall with their music? Or do we have an obligation to develop ourselves, with our art and culture and put it out on our platforms?
Valuing Dancehall
Pop acts have an obligation to preserve their value. It took many years to build the music industry to the billion dollar industry it is now. The gatekeepers understand that the granting of access to new players in Dancehall equals economic empowerment for the Dancehall culture and by extension, Jamaica. Power concedes nothing, it must be taken. We, who have an interest in Dancehall’s development must position ourselves where we can earn and grow instead of complain about northerners who appropriate and pimp the culture.
Bashing drake and others won’t stop them from singing what they want. Music in general is being dumbed down to the hustle game and everyone is doing what they can to get attention. So, whatever is hot and golden will be used by the top pop acts to fill their baskets. Artistes like Sean Paul and Shaggy who earned their way into international success probably have the power of experience and reach to run labels that will take authentic dancehall artistes straight from the islands and promote them to the world. It is good that Sean Paul used his voice and platform to speak on the issue, but mere talk is not enough.
We need a few more Dancehall specialists brave enough to do the ground work required to gain knowledge on breaking records; more Jamaican artistes could get airplay on the mainstream stations. Jamaica’s independent artistes probably cannot compete with the big budgets and international label connections required to break a record, but Jamaicans have the energy, the art, the culture, and not to mention the spirit of the people; that is power. Organizing that power will lure the big labels with the budgets here in search of the next Dancehall King (or queen).
Lobbying
Musical specialists assert that the line is long to break a record in North America, especially for non-resident artistes. Currently, artistes in Jamaica and the Caribbean, are unable to participate in the purchase of their own records, unless they have an American or European account on iTunes or Spotify. Such stores are simply not available in our geographical location. This is where organisation comes in. Neither the artistes nor the governing representatives have made steps to correct this exclusion. Enquiring minds would like a reason. Is it because of Jamaica’s exclusion from the international copywriter’s agreements such as the Madrid Protocol?
Dancehall is the hot thing now on the billboard charts and is selling millions of records regardless of the name they choose to give it; so now is the time to get the major program directors, record company executives, bloggers, journalists, governing bodies and artistes to get the language right when they speak about dancehall. If they get the language right now, dancehall will get its proverbial forty acres and a mule.