M-16 in instrument and lyric

Mel Cooke, Entertainment Writer

Last week, we looked at a few examples of how the famed AK-47 rifle has made its way into Jamaican popular music. However, it is as impossible to disassociate the Russian rifle from the M-16, of United States make, as it is to split Bounty Killer and Beenie Man when discussing dancehall rivalries. So, today, we give the M-16 its musical due.

The M-16 rifle is synonymous with the United States armed forces - as it should, after being first utilised by Uncle Sam's boys in the definitive Vietnam War during the early 1960s.

But like so many weapons, it unfortunately became so popular in Jamaica (and not only through use by the security forces) that the M-16 has made its way into song.

AUDIO AND VISUALS

Unlike the AK-47, the M-16 has been included, not only in Jamaican popular music's sound, but also its visuals.

Peter Toss was famed for his M-16 shaped guitar and Kingston Town deejay Alborosie also has one, which he made himself.

Tosh's was a gift. In a November 2006 Gleaner article, Tosh's former manager, Copeland Forbes, spoke about the origins of the M-16 Stratocaster. He said it was brought to the Franklyn Plaza Suite Hotel in Los Angeles in 1983, when Toss and the Word Sound and Power band were on the Mama Africa World Tour.

A young fan carried the guitar, which he had made specifically for Toss, whom he considered a freedom fighter.

Forbes, fan and guitar went to Toss, who was immediately taken with the instrument. Forbes said he had to insist that the instrument's maker accept payment.

On the other hand, in a September 2011 story, Alborosie said he made his black M-16 shaped instrument in honour of Toss.

INTERNET USE

Not having access to the original, Alborosie (who also counts Blessing with Etana among his popular songs) utilised the Internet in crafting his instrument.

The twinning of the rifles representing once-opposed world powers is seen in Sammy Dread's M-16.

For although the title of the song is the US-made weapon, in the lyrics it is the counterpoint to the Russian rifle. Sammy Dread sings:

Bad bway a fire M-16

Police a fire AK-47...

However, he gets the then rifle of choice for the Jamaica Defence Force, the SLR (for a self-loading rifle), wrong as he sings "soldier man, dem a fire LSR".

In Mr Nine, Buju Banton's song naming many guns which have found infamy in Jamaica, the M-16 makes the chorus (as does the AK-47). Buju deejays:

Mr Nine, say to Mr 45

M-16 an' Magnum nah live too right ...

One of the more recent deployments of the M-16 in dancehall is Popcaan's Party Shot, in which he couples current terminology for an outstanding occurrence with the firearm's power. Popcaan deejays:

Party shot like one M-16

Dem call mi de raving king

Of course, in the same song he also uses shot in another sense, saying "party shot like one STD/Di gal dem a wine pon me".