Is there to much hip hop in dancehall, some say dancehall isn’t authentic anymore
Although music evolves over time, some artistes and producers are saying that dancehall and reggae rhythms are now sounding too much like hip-hop ones.
On his recent trek to the Caribbean islands like Guadeloupe, Dominica, Barbados and Antigua, producer Mafia McKoy, also known as Blaqk Sheep, said he received numerous complaints from disc jocks who said the music coming from Jamaica sounds too much like hip-hop hybrids.
“Weh dem really a seh is that from 2001 to now the groove dem sound more like hip hop than dancehall. Every day music release inna Jamaica and hype here but dem nah play dem ova dey (other Caribbean countries). Dem seh the music better inna the 90s,” the producer told THE STAR, noting that he hears mostly the hard-core dancehall rhythms being played at the clubs and events in those islands.
McKoy said he has also received many emails from people in Europe and Canada asking what has caused the change in the sound of the rhythms.
“When everybody totally go hip hop, it change the genre. It really have a domino effect, one fool mek many. That is why ‘one day’ hit ’cause Seanizzle come with an authentic dancehall sound,” he said.
Seanizzle supported McKoy’s point, as he believes people longed for a rhythm with a sound of that nature.
“I agree 100 per cent. When the music leaves the airport and go overseas the people have it as fake. It lose that flavour that people used to from long time. Mi nah seh you caan put a thing to the music but you caan go too far from what the people like,” he said.
In a recent conversation with Busta Rhymes, Seanizzle said the rapper described most of the rhythms as ‘mockery’ and ‘mediocre’. Therefore, in an effort to save his music, he says he is willing to fight for it.
“Mi really feel like the major players fi go back to the roots and me willing fi fight fi that,” Seanizzle said.
Dancehall artiste Konshens is also on a campaign to save the genre. As an artiste who is on the road regularly, Konshens said, “the common feedback I’m getting around the world is that reggae is dying and it’s dying from the root which is Jamaica.”
He added, “I’m not asking anyone in the biz including myself to stop anything but just to add some more reggae to di ting. It doesn’t have to be the same old vintage roots but just music that has our signature sound and feel. Reggae music cannot be seen as just a trend that has passed with a new generation, there is too much history, legacy and prestige to it. How many music genres in the world have actually offset a religion? Not a cult, a religion.”
With this addition, he said the music will become only healthier; leading to more shows and greater reggae/dancehall music sales around the world.
After learning to play the guitar last year while his leg was broken, dancehall artiste Assassin pledged that he will not be recording on rhythms that sound like hip hop.
“Me a one a di man dem weh nah sing pon nutten weh have any hip-hop snare inna it. I don’t knock variety but when we start losing our identity, there is a problem. For now, I only want authentic reggae and dancehall rhythms to work on,” he told THE STAR in an interview late last year.
Renigade from the duo RDX also voiced his concern on the social networking website, Twitter.
“Who want vex! Jamaica need more dancehall/reggae coming from we shores and less of dem knock off hip hop deh,” he said.
Article courtesy of: TheStar
Nothing wrong with hip hop, really, provided the original dances that defined the beauty and grace of it all is maintained. There has to be a balance of both and even possibly a merging of both dances – ballroom and hip hop.