Explicit or not at all - Artistes feel hard-core music drives genre internationally

Curtis Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Following the Broadcasting Commission's move to make it illegal to cover over explicit lyrics of any kind with bleeps on radio in 2010, dancehall artistes have been forced to find less hard-core methods of telling their stories. But aside from cleaning up the music, does the effort also help to erase that hard-core element in dancehall?

According to some artistes the genre core is being compromised.

Dancehall artiste Curly Lox of the Twin of Twins duo, believes dancehall's culture is being gravely compromised by the stance taken by the Broadcasting Commission.

According to the deejay, using too many metaphors to tell stories is less effective in getting the point across and does not represent what dancehall stands for.

"In my view, it limits the artiste because we can't effectively communicate what needs to be communicated. Therefore, it minimises the message the song is supposed to send. Based on the nature of dancehall and its roots, it's like our culture speaks Spanish and now the music is using a different language. So it's watered down to the extreme," Curly Lox said.

Culture-crippling decision

The artiste not only views the banning of bleeps on radio as a culture-crippling decision, but as an outright fight against dancehall.

He also highlighted that certain classic dancehall social commentaries that are etched in dancehall history would not have made any impact under the strict rules now enforced on the music industry players.

"Dancehall was the voice of the downtrodden youth and it was communicated in their language. Bounty Killer's Anytime was one of those songs that made people understand the psyche of a ghetto youth, and he was able to reach important ears because of the manner in which the story was told. But if Anytime were to be produced now, it would have no impact, because he could not say 'Anytime mi hungry again yu a guh see mi nine'. He would have to say something frivolous like 'Anytime mi hungry again, mi a guh spray yu with tin spray'," Curly Lox said.

To support the view that dancehall is being fought, Curly Lox pointed out that even though radio stations were bleep-free, persons were still complaining.

Curly Lox made specific reference to Minister of Security Peter Bunting's recent decision to criminalise artistes who endorse criminal elements in their music.

This, Curly Lox sees as an indication that some critics simply want to see the genre's demise. He, has, therefore, called for the industry to unite in order to defend itself.

Dancehall artiste Grace 'Spice' Hamilton, in a
Gleaner interview, took a similar
stance.

The controversial female deejay believes dancehall as a
genre has lost its venom. She also revealed that international dancehall
markets prefer dancehall music in its hard-core
form.

Hamilton, who recently returned from a European
tour revealed that the Jamaican music enthusiasts in Europe are adamant
that the music is too diluted.

The Ramping
Shop deejay says international supporters of dancehall music
are not happy with the content and is urging them to return to authentic
hard-core elements of the genre.

She says unlike
Jamaica where hard-core dancehall is seldom played on the radio anymore,
European radio stations play hard-core dancehall music
extensively.

Hamilton admitted to watering down her
own lyrics in order to co-exist with the no-bleep rule, but says,
internationally those songs don't make a
connection.

"I was watering down my style and lyrics
to please and fit in, but overseas people are asking for the hard-core
songs. I can't be tricked by the Jamaican market. I have to go back to
the authentic dancehall music. If we can go back to the authenticity, we
can start having some more Billboard hits." She
said.

Up-and-coming dancehall/reggae artiste
Melloquence drew comparisons between the content and success rate of
dancehall and soca/calypso music. The young artiste feels the
international success of calypso/soca does not mirror that of dancehall
music because the lyrical content of soca is too simple and does not
accurately connect with the westernised world.

"Sure
we want to seh comparing sex to pipes and water and hose etc is being
creative. But is the rest of the world following? No they are not
because the lyrics seem basic and not serious. Sure yuh have artistes
like Machel Montano. But has he ever sold any units comparable to any
successful dancehall artiste? Again, the answer is 'no'. The world wants
reality and not some bag juice lyrics as some people call it. Dancehall
without being hard-core is a different genre a weaker one," he
said.

Jamaican record producer Matthew 'Esco' Thompson
sings a different tune from his colleages. He thinks dancehall can
still maintain its hard-core elements with the anti-bleep rule. However,
artistes will have to be skilful. In support of the anti-bleep system,
the producer also compelled artistes to record two different versions of
their songs if they want to maintain the explicitly hard-core dancehall
culture.

In the meantime, the Broadcasting Commission
is standing firm in its stance to block bleeped content from local
radio. Hopeton Dunn, chairman of the commission, is not prepared to
comment on the changes that dancehall's culture will undergo, however,
he has said his organisation will continue to protect listeners from
content that is deemed as being vulgar, irrespective of the genre,
whether it may be rap, soca, reggae or dancehall.

Some
internationally successful hard-core dancehall songs which might not
have had much success had the anti-bleep rule been active at the time of
their release, are Press Trigger and Girl's
Flex by Mad Cobra, Tony Matterhorn's Dutty Wine, Mavado's
Weh Dem A Duh and I'm So Special,
and Vybz Kartel's Ramping
Shop.