This year marks the 25th anniversary of VP Records' flagship Reggae Gold series. While compilations of recent music seem like an antiquated idea, I think it actually suits genres like Dancehall and Reggae, where so much music is released every year, and where so much of it can, in honesty, be discarded. Sure, the same can be some for probably most genres, but the Dancehall scene has the tendency to churn out a ridiculous amount of music, more so than in any other genre I've encountered. And for a genre that has always been singles-focused (more so in the last 20 years), a compilation can serve as an entry point into what people are listening, and as an introduction to new names in the scene that one might have missed. VP Records are not only an influential label, but they're also regarded as fine selectors.
Now, maybe's it's because I'm beginning to be out of touch with the current tastes in the Reggae world, but I felt like this year's Reggae Gold entry to be underwhelming. Though, it's not without its high points. Hoodcelebrityy's hit, Walking Trophy, is as catchy and charming as it is earnest. And so is Dovey Magnum's Bawl Out (although in a more hyper-sexual manner). Estelle's Better is as good as any modern R'n'B number from the likes of Rihanna, Drake, or any of your favourite US-based artists. And lastly, Sheensea's Nothing Dem Nuh Have Ova Me is a perfect example of why she's one of my favourite current singers in Dancehall
I feel like the rest of the release is filled with mediocre Roots Reggae and Pop Reggae fluff. A problem with modern Dancehall is in how much a lot of it has crossover'd with Mainstream/US Pop music. I don't remember on which forum or Youtube comment section I saw this, but I recall seeing Dancehall being described as "turning into pop music with patois accents". I won't dare to dictate what Jamaican music should like, nor will I pretend to be an expert, but I do somewhat agree with that sentiment, in that it expresses a loss of modern Dancehall's "uniqueness", or "Jamaican character", at least when it comes to its instrumentation.
For the most part, this 25th anniversary entry does not disprove that. I understand that Jamaican music has always had an extremely close relationship with American Rnb (and Hip Hop) music throughout the decades, but some Dancehall artists' (especially producers) mainstream aspirations bring them to imitate their American counterparts too closely, instead of innovating and coming up with new sounds of their own.
Now, maybe's it's because I'm beginning to be out of touch with the current tastes in the Reggae world, but I felt like this year's Reggae Gold entry to be underwhelming. Though, it's not without its high points. Hoodcelebrityy's hit, Walking Trophy, is as catchy and charming as it is earnest. And so is Dovey Magnum's Bawl Out (although in a more hyper-sexual manner). Estelle's Better is as good as any modern R'n'B number from the likes of Rihanna, Drake, or any of your favourite US-based artists. And lastly, Sheensea's Nothing Dem Nuh Have Ova Me is a perfect example of why she's one of my favourite current singers in Dancehall
I feel like the rest of the release is filled with mediocre Roots Reggae and Pop Reggae fluff. A problem with modern Dancehall is in how much a lot of it has crossover'd with Mainstream/US Pop music. I don't remember on which forum or Youtube comment section I saw this, but I recall seeing Dancehall being described as "turning into pop music with patois accents". I won't dare to dictate what Jamaican music should like, nor will I pretend to be an expert, but I do somewhat agree with that sentiment, in that it expresses a loss of modern Dancehall's "uniqueness", or "Jamaican character", at least when it comes to its instrumentation.
For the most part, this 25th anniversary entry does not disprove that. I understand that Jamaican music has always had an extremely close relationship with American Rnb (and Hip Hop) music throughout the decades, but some Dancehall artists' (especially producers) mainstream aspirations bring them to imitate their American counterparts too closely, instead of innovating and coming up with new sounds of their own.
♪
Don't get it twisted, Dancehall still has a lot to offer. To say the contrary would be too narrow-minded. And, to be honest, most of Dancehall still sounds, to my ears, characteristically "Jamaican", taking cues from all kinds of modern music, but still following in the footsteps of King Jammy, Rude Boy Kelly, and the like. And so, "why not make a Dancehall playlist/compilation that I'd want to listen?", I asked myself. And I did.
Ragga Ragga Ragga, the other big compilation series, saw its last entry in 2014, which was disappointing, since it was my favourite series of the two. It focused more on the "sound system"/ club side of Dancehall, and did away with the cheesy modern Roots stuff that Reggae Gold will sometimes include. So that's exactly what I will do. A playlist of back to back sound system business, that I'll name, Pat's Ragga Song Spesh 2018.
1. Stylo G - Yu Zimme
2. K More - Washing Machine
3. Ishawna - Mi Belly [Under Wata Riddim]
4. Mavado - Enemies
5. Shenseea - Position [Bashment Time Riddim]
6. Charly Black - Tan Tuddy [Bashment Time Riddim]
7. Mr. Lexx - More Than You [Boom Riddim]
8. Ce'Cile - Indie Gyal [Boom Riddim]
9. The Heatwave feat. Sylo G - Closer to Me
10. Pamputtae - Champion Jockey [Champion Jockey Riddim]
11. Danielle Di - Round A Back
12. Stefflon Don - Senseless
13. NSG feat. Geko - Yo Darlin'
14. Konshens - Bassline
15. Shenseea - Subrosa
16. Shokryme - Selfish [Tropical Bounce Riddim]
The playlist includes tracks from 2017 and 2018. The cutoff point for last year's music is June, when Reggae Gold 2017 came out, which is when Ragga 2017 would also have come out had it not been discontinued. Pat's Ragga Song Spesh 2018 is my favourite Dancehall from that point to now.
One thing you might notice is the proliferation of UK-based artists: Stylo G, K More, Stefflon Don, The Heatwave, NSG. More could have been included, which is not surprising. I feel, through listening to internet radio, as if the UK (London, especially) has been a point of convergence for modern "Afro" music - Jamaica's Dancehall, West Africa's Afrobeats, London's own Afroswing and, to a certain extent, South Africa's Gqom - for some time now. Artists like Stylo G and The Heatwave are veterans at this point, the latter taking a crack at production again these last couple of years, creating one of the best Dem Bow tracks in his and Stylo G's Closer to Me. NSG offers a taste of London in his Afroswing track, Yo Darlin'. The rest ranges from 90s throwback stuff, to club jams, to slower tracks.
So get your RSS (Ragga Song Spesh) feed right here, through the embedded Youtube playlist, Spotify, or Google Play. And turn up the volume knob, please.
Terror Fabulous perfoming on one of my favourite riddims, from the 90s
Ragga Ragga Ragga, the other big compilation series, saw its last entry in 2014, which was disappointing, since it was my favourite series of the two. It focused more on the "sound system"/ club side of Dancehall, and did away with the cheesy modern Roots stuff that Reggae Gold will sometimes include. So that's exactly what I will do. A playlist of back to back sound system business, that I'll name, Pat's Ragga Song Spesh 2018.
1. Stylo G - Yu Zimme
2. K More - Washing Machine
3. Ishawna - Mi Belly [Under Wata Riddim]
4. Mavado - Enemies
5. Shenseea - Position [Bashment Time Riddim]
6. Charly Black - Tan Tuddy [Bashment Time Riddim]
7. Mr. Lexx - More Than You [Boom Riddim]
8. Ce'Cile - Indie Gyal [Boom Riddim]
9. The Heatwave feat. Sylo G - Closer to Me
10. Pamputtae - Champion Jockey [Champion Jockey Riddim]
11. Danielle Di - Round A Back
12. Stefflon Don - Senseless
13. NSG feat. Geko - Yo Darlin'
14. Konshens - Bassline
15. Shenseea - Subrosa
16. Shokryme - Selfish [Tropical Bounce Riddim]
The playlist includes tracks from 2017 and 2018. The cutoff point for last year's music is June, when Reggae Gold 2017 came out, which is when Ragga 2017 would also have come out had it not been discontinued. Pat's Ragga Song Spesh 2018 is my favourite Dancehall from that point to now.
One thing you might notice is the proliferation of UK-based artists: Stylo G, K More, Stefflon Don, The Heatwave, NSG. More could have been included, which is not surprising. I feel, through listening to internet radio, as if the UK (London, especially) has been a point of convergence for modern "Afro" music - Jamaica's Dancehall, West Africa's Afrobeats, London's own Afroswing and, to a certain extent, South Africa's Gqom - for some time now. Artists like Stylo G and The Heatwave are veterans at this point, the latter taking a crack at production again these last couple of years, creating one of the best Dem Bow tracks in his and Stylo G's Closer to Me. NSG offers a taste of London in his Afroswing track, Yo Darlin'. The rest ranges from 90s throwback stuff, to club jams, to slower tracks.
So get your RSS (Ragga Song Spesh) feed right here, through the embedded Youtube playlist, Spotify, or Google Play. And turn up the volume knob, please.
No comments:
Post a Comment