The Rise & Fall Of Dancehall

[@56postoffice]

In the late 70s, Henry "Junjo" Lawes' collaboration with Barrington Levy, Yellowman and the sound system Stereophonic, led by the late, great General Echo, helped give rise to the modern dancehall era. Plus, Studio One riddims came back on the sound systems in a big way around this time thanks to the likes of Sugar Minott, Johnny Osbourne, Freddie McGregor and Lone Ranger. How many sounds dropped Studio One selections on their sets during the 80s? Too many to mention.

[@blackwolverine1]

Dancehall can never fall, it's just in a specific phase. Remember how the Digital phase or age of Dancehall came into fruition and other phases such as the Slackness rise ( i.e. General Echo, Yellowman then Shabba Ranks) and the Rasta Renaissance (i.e. Garnet Silk, Sizzla, Capelton, Luciano). Give it some time and you will see a rise in Artists who are the opposites of their contemporaries. From my mouth to God's ears. 👍🏾

[@sir_evergreen]

Facts 👏🏿

[@coleyounger6498]

Exactly! DanceHall is garbage now. The Beenie and Bounty wars was long and drawn out, daggering is sickening to watch and the bleaching was the final straw.

[@imanal2543]

Beenie man and bounty is dancehall without them dancehall would not be this big and that era was the nicest,yes kartel era is thrash

[@sound.simple]

Reggae. Appreciation. Society. Every element of your name is worth its place. You take us through the music and what it does to society as well as what the society is doing to it. This episode encapsulates all you stand for. We love the work you do.

[@ReggaeAppreciationSociety]

Wow thank you very much. This means a lot. Jah bless ❤️💛💚

[@heerollie7797]

There are a lot of artists who seem to effortlessly have been part of the different periods in reggae and ragga, like Coco T, Gregory Isaacs, Horace Andy and so on. They not only adapted new music styles but truly are the long time bearers of Jamaican music. Great to see that new artist like Chronixx now keep up the good vibes with classy quality chunes ❤

[@beistrong8635]

Ill never forget Capleton came to Toronto in the late 80s with African star when I was in high school released Bumbo red in 1990 and is still mashing up the place just took Sting 2023

[@MsWildberry1]

Excellent content teaching and reminding us of the journey dancehall has taken. I am so grateful that some artist want cleaner lyrics. I believe that the decline in conscious lyrics crippled dancehall from growing and being more globally accepted and embraced, just as beautiful reggae is . Blessed love Reggae Appreciation Society ❤💛💚🖤

[@Uplift3704]

No one listens to Dancehall for strictly conscious lyrics. Listen to reggae if that's what you want.

[@MsWildberry1]

@@Uplift3704 🤣🤣🤣

[@iriereggaevibes1553]

There is always ah rise and fall ..?in everything?..😎🎼🎼🙏🙏🎤🎤🎶🎵📖😎😎📖🎤🎶🎵

[@drawingdownthestars]

Great video! I believe the colour photo you posted of Count Machuki is actually Jackie Mittoo. It's included in the Keyboard King at Studio One album that was released by Soul Jazz Records. I'm not sure why it comes up on google when you search Machuki. Honest mistake.

[@ReggaeAppreciationSociety]

Thanks for the correction

[@hughhoilett7875]

wrong

[@lawrencenjawe9875]

Great to see a monument of the pre-UROY era, Count Manchuki highlighted on this video...He along with unmentioned greats like King Stitt, King Sporty and Lord Comic deserve credit for setting up the furnace which would later be lit with fire🔥 by U-Roy, Al Capone, I-Roy and Big Youth ......

[@Ranymo]

I'm a fan of your page, and I love many of the videos you do. Now, as an artist and a Jamaican myself, it hurts every bone in me; watching and listening to this video. But what can I say when you only speak the truth, You're only wrong at the end when you say "however there's still glimpses of light" and pointed to a few artists, those few are all mix up in the dirty lifestyle which helps to bring down the music by taking away working permits and visas from our top dancehall artists who's helping to push our music. Now, the music is handed over to the dirty lifestyle people both on the radio and as artists to sink it like the titanic ship.

[@imanal2543]

So true,like dutty koffe protoje is a curse that bring down our music

[@Ranymo]

@@imanal2543 they'll never get my support as long as I live.

[@imanal2543]

@@Ranymo we soon get rid of them mon,you no see say from koffe do music with dmsam smith she disappear?

[@user-ze3nl2kc2f]

Another top video!! Nice

[@claudefrancis9128]

Thanks for this video bro teaching us about the history of the music jah bless you

[@burrob78]

Mid 80s to early 90s. Best era of dancehall

[@basilmartin7271]

Is there any chance u can explore the link between dancehall and rap. I think it needs to be highlighted especially when u discuss these 3 djs and the origins of their craft which started in the 60s and 70s with the original toasters. The notion is out there but it's not a well know fact that rap originated from early dancehall. Luv dis video btw.

[@ReggaeAppreciationSociety]

Excellent suggestion 👍 Will work on it and put it out soon.

[@basilmartin7271]

Ty sir but tek ur time and keep up the good work

[@MsWildberry1]

@@ReggaeAppreciationSociety RAS

[@gregoryspevack2263]

Well done my friend !

[@ReggaeAppreciationSociety]

Many thanks Ras Gregory G ✌️

[@Narcissist-d6g]

​@@ReggaeAppreciationSocietyI WOULD'NT EXPECT THIS NONSENSICAL REASONING FROM YOU . I THINK YOU FAIL TO UNDERSTAND THAT JAMAICA WAS JUST LUCKY TO HAVE ITS MUSIC BEING CROSSED OVER INTO MAJOR MARKETS .IT DOESN'T MEAN THE MUSIC IS "DEAD" BECAUSE ITS NOT BEING HEAVILY CONSUMED IN AMERICA.I EVEN THINK YOUR VIDEO IS RUDE AND PRESUMPTUOUS.HOW IS DANCEHALL DEAD WHEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST SONGS CURRENTLY IS DANCEHALL FROM AN ISLAND OF LESS THAN 3 MILLION.?

[@nellieworld8909]

As someone who has loved reggae for years, I love this channel!! Plz don’t stop what you do!

[@ReggaeAppreciationSociety]

Wow thank you so much ❤️💚💛 There's plenty more to come

[@zygeekmusic]

Thanks for this video!

[@amegwuabel563]

Massive,keep blazing

[@ArtisticLogic]

Cannot judge dancehall by european success and dancehall is the life and living experience of the dispossessed yute in Jamaica and the content is representative of everyday life at the mature level but today's problem is that the recording artistes leading the genre are being supported by almost 100% youngsters who are more likely to turn up at a live event rather than buy the records hence a current lull in sales numbers.

[@stuckintha90s]

It almost seems as if the slacker Dancehall got the worse it sounded. To me it's not even ragga anymore. Just hip hop with Jamaican accents

[@freedomisoutside]

Because the same thing that happened to hip-hop/rap happened to dancehall. Corporate runs it. Labels control it. Although it reflects a reality, both genres have been purposely oversaturated with social engineering influenced music to bring about an increase in self destructive behaviors in the target audiences (Indigenous Americans/Jamaicans).

[@stuckintha90s]

@@freedomisoutside 💯 I noticed it began to get out of hand when big US labels started signing JA artists like Shabba and Patra

[@lawrencenjawe9875]

I couldn't agree with you more.... And I'm not hiding my disdain...

[@loveheals6184]

@@freedomisoutside Give Thanks. I appreciate this cogent, succinct explanation. The hip-hop/rap distinction is also important because it's like making a statement about reggae as a whole when one's actually referencing a subset of ragga. As a sister who loves both genres it's been wild to see how much damage corporate/antiBlack agendas have done to our people and music.

[@heerollie7797]

​@@stuckintha90sTrue, and those productions all lacked the real authentic vibe

[@Jay-hr3rh]

I never thought that I would have been saying this. Dancehall is in the abyss.

[@smhunney8266]

from the thumbnail they would have you believe the SuperCat era was the peak.. Actually it was still rising. All now it still rising. Man like Kartel, Aidonia, Poppy, Masicka, Alkaline, Valiant and a host of new and established artists still dropping hot new tunes. The best era of Dancehall was the late 90's early 2000's when a new riddim with fully established songs were being dropped almost every week. Sound systems..i not even going to go into that subtopic of dancehall because that is a whole other vibes. Dancehall still up. not falling

[@fiyahchiefofficial8747]

Dancehall is not dead. It is the ones who cling on to nostalgia that claim that it is. Take note

[@imanal2543]

Kmt

[@imanal2543]

This trap jamaican music is thrash,real dancehall is hardly been made ,you do realize that billboard done with dancehall right? That should tell u everything

[@chikebunch3119]

What they play these days are not dancehall though they call it dancehall.

[@nickarth669]

The riddims of modern dancehall sound like elevator music. The music and the videos are all about killing people and sex as some kind of athletic performance. The only thing Jamaican is the cadence of the deejay. It’s nothing compared to the 80s and 90s. Or even the early 2000s.

[@imanal2543]

@@chikebunch3119 true

[@omarwesj743]

Bro I have missed out on a whole era of dancehall

[@terrymartin8160]

11/11/2023 How about Prince Buster's "Wreck a Pum-Pum, also Wreck a Buddy by the Soul Sisters??? B🇬🇧itJ🇯🇲M DR🍺🍻NK BAASSTIDD 1W🌍RLD 1L❤VE 1P🤴🤴🏽PLE

[@noelgaynor783]

What makes dancehall/reggae music is the BASS guitar thats in the rhythm it was sold to the world and the world appreciate it these dancehall nowadays dj are selling out the bass guitar infusion for a rap or pop beat that is not reggae

[@dsloyalty7775]

The slackness fe done off. Regea is about consciousness & upliftment not destruction.

[@kingsleyblair1952]

True de Count Machuki the main reason is the B side the Version or part 2 begins with Studio1 you have the great Jackie Mittoo,Scratch Perry King Tuby under heavy drum and bass yes when rasta and roots black controsness was the bottom line

[@ehiggins360]

Dancehall is alive and as well as ever today. The genre has been the soundtrack of my life for the past 35 years.

[@freedomsong9747]

Dancehall died with kartel. Dancehall is a sub genre of reggae music, what we been having since the mavado/kartel era is pure hip hop

[@matttheking1655]

King Yellow man & Billy Boyo Legends

[@delonthomas5049]

Vybz kartel 2000 to present freedom to the artist vybz kartel dancehall only fall maybe since kartel go jailed 2011 he went to jailed with dancehall 😮😮😮tony matheron also came with a vibes to dancehall which is phenominal respect the legends

[@wighatsuperreggie]

Dancehall lost what the Rastas brought to Jamaican music, which was a positive vibrational answer to an incredibly challenging history and society. It was sadly a lesson never learned in American hip hop, but when dancehall went fell for the lure of the victim culture there was no excuse. At least we still have the recordings of those earlier sweeter sounds.

[@chemsiesmall2162]

😂the fall of dancehall wow!

[@Narcissist-d6g]

😂😂😂😂 DANCEHALL IS THE ONLY GENRE THAT GETS CONSTANT PREDICTION OF DYING YET IT FINDS A WAY TO STAY ALIVE AND RELEVANT 😂😂.#DANCEHALLCANTSTALL.

[@Tallman89]

When are you doing one about Capleton haven't seen you do anything him on your channel. I see Sizzla Anthony B Buju Garnet no Capleton wha gwaan ?

[@kingsleyblair1952]

Some of the artists not only hip hop but heavily influenced by hard rock and heavy metal that includes Capleton and other

[@Breamar_sounds]

Dance hall style by horace andy is a great album

[@d3dd440]

Dark skin Chinese man 00:03 let’s. Get him look 👀 like my grandfather

[@blakebrown84]

My problem with dancehall right now is these beats sound too popish and doesn’t stand in the test of time. These Afrobeats is taking over the genre, which has lost its favor for dancehall music in the past. Dancehall itself has became a huge problem with the youth with all of the sexual pervert ways and daggering dances as well. I’m glad they ban the daggering nationwide.

[@wsmaga]

Yuup. After the mid 2000’s dancehall went downhill just like hiphop did after 2004. Both have never recovered lyrically and talently.

[@ennz2798]

Seems like a personal hit piece 🤔

[@kingterrence]

No Sure how you missed Beenie Man Contributions

[@byrondixon4653]

Rise is when reggae was free, peak is when they start making money, fall is when they were getting rich and understanding the value of reggae, thats when other people come in and trick the reggae artist...

[@MickSupper]

What it is is that Babylon is infliltrating every genre of music and taking them over and inserting their phony counterfeits. Culture is being stripped from us and people don't even realize that they are falling for a pseudo culture that actually is not their own. They've been slowly at it for decades and as of recent are ramping it up. I love dancehall music and its downfall is pretty blatantly obvious. Like I said, that goes for pretty much every genre of music.

[@bigtreesproduction44]

Get your facts right, dancehall cannot fall, dancehall influence so much different Genres of Music, even hip hop Game out of dancehall, a who you a try fool, when you listen to reggaeton, Afro beats etc you hear dancehall, plus many of dancehall artists are still touring, so what the hell this man is talking about, nonsense

[@benja303]

smh. Slackness and rawness is a part of dancehall. Not saying it has to be 100% slack but you clearly don't understand what dancehall at it's core is. You sound like you read a book on dancehall and are speaking on it without experiencing it

[@stuckintha90s]

Dancehall is supposed to be raw or real but what we have today is just crazy.

[@ReggaeAppreciationSociety]

Buju Banton seems to agree with me though 🤔

[@heerollie7797]

Slackness may be a part of JA culture and music, but that doesn't justify the complete braindamaged idiotic pornography shit on utterly soul-less riddims though

[@loveheals6184]

Supercat would disagree vehemently with you and he's a heavyweight in the genre. Plus he's an oral historian. E.g. the interviews where he explains how the term came about as Brother RAS has stated here. To your point about "slackness and rawness" and "dancehall at its core", you sound like someone who wasn't alive at the time referenced or old enough to be participating because it encompassed waaaaaaaay more than slackness. You yourself say it "is a part" then say it doesn't have to be "100% slack". In Jamaica, across the Caribbean, Africa, U.S., England and Canada dancehall had vigorous support and covered various topics. The aforementioned Supercat had gun tunes, love songs and Rasta livity. Your commentary has given me schadenfreude aka vicarious embarrassment because it purpose to be authoritative yet offers only a specious argument plus a bit of bigotry because Br Ras has a nonJamaican accent. Some of our people have invested time, research, communication and connection with other Black/Africana people worldwide not just a myopic existence of a sliver of a subset of their own specific ethnic/national origins.

[@Ayinde65]

@@loveheals6184 Yes, slackness, or smutty lyrics go back to calypsos, mento, and even folk tunes, but creative lyrics were often used to hide the true meaning of the songs. This wasn't always true though, and more the explicit songs were banned from the airways (I remember max Romeo's "wet dream" being banned when I was a child). However, the explicit and pornographic lyrics (coupled with easy ascess to porn and violence from US media) is alarming.

[@Infinitebrandon]

Ya sean paul is the lowest. A lot of news will come out soon nuff. Bless RAS family

[@MickSupper]

I watched some live performances of Sean Paul online and most of the voice was prerecorded with him only saying the minimum amount to make it appear that he was actually performing.

[@KeithKazamaFlick]

everybaady

[@ReggaeAppreciationSociety]

😆

[@michaelthomas3851]

In my opinion you are wrong about Dancehall you didn’t even mention King Stith and Reggae was inspiring other music and still is listening to the charts Afrobeat hip hop etc I don’t know what you’re listening to but the evidence is there. There is also a lot of violence in other music gangster rap Latino gangster rap etc why is it so important to kill reggae off when we embrace so much other music in our culture

[@IamwayTofazfou-ep6yx]

Vybz cartel is a skin bleacher mon....Michael jackson a dat😢

[@freedomsong9747]

Dancehall died with Kartel

[@francoiscarlier2439]

You're talking about rub a dub and raggamuffin. It is reggae not dancehall. Dancehall is jamaican hip hop started in the 90's. But slackness existed and was popular in Ja. way before even ska and reggae in the blues soundsystems and calypso events. In the times of early reggae there was Lloyd Charmers singing "sh*tting on the dock of the bay" for example.

[@Ayinde65]

It was dancehall way before the 90s.

[@loveheals6184]

This is where things can get tricky for all of us. The existence or popularity of slackness is a straw man argument because at no point in this clip or in any of Brother RAS's videos does he claim that it didn't exist or wasn't popular. You're 100% correct about sexuality in Jamaican music before reggae as well as in Calypso. I love many a calypso around well before my birth that I STILL won't play around my parents. LOL. The point was the degree to which it devolved. I can point out certain rap I find crude but that's not denigrating hip-hop. Even if a friend then said, music recorded by African-Americans/Black Americans has historically had songs with sexual elements. I'd agree then mention "Till the cows come home" by Lucille Bogan from 1934. However, my comment about the rap song by the man or woman would remain valid. Incidentally, the Lloyd Charmers/Lloydie & the Lowbites song is actually a parody of a poignant song by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper, "Sitting on the dock of the bay". Many African-Americans who were part of The Great Migration still encountered racism and difficulty in finding jobs in their new homes. It's akin to if someone had made a crude, "humorous" song using Dennis Brown's "Sitting and Watching".

[@francoiscarlier2439]

​@@Ayinde65 Dancehall was the place where music was played, then it started to name the event itself. It was only in the 90's that the name applied to the music style. Nowadays it is not often that you hear dancehall style in the sound systems and you still hear a lot of reggae, rub a dub and raggamufin so some of the the youth think it's dancehall.

[@francoiscarlier2439]

@@loveheals6184 Jamaican slackness never go without humour. I didn't say that the link between slackness and dancehall was made by RAS it was made in the comment. What I said about the video i they call u Roy and Yellowman dancehall artists and that's anachronistic.

[@loveheals6184]

@@francoiscarlier2439 now you're sidestepping the point you made. You were suggesting Dancehall was primarily about slackness. Many, including Jamaican elders took issue with the degree to which it went. But you have an issue with Br Ras saying it. Again I say strawman argument because can you point to where I said slackness didn't have humor? You're changing the topic because you can't stand on what you said or are purposely acting like you don't get what I'm saying. Furthermore humor has existed in various forms of Jamaican music as well as other genres. The point made here is the same one that has been made about perreo in the AfroLatin sector or some forms of ploge in Haitian konpa. Beautiful, sensual movements and enjoyable music, but with some critique about when it's viewed as carried to the extreme. That said, I engage in discussions in good faith that the other is doing the same. That isn't the case so I'm ending the dialogue on my end.

[@imanal2543]

Brother you can't talk about dancehall and don't mention bounty killer and beenie man

[@chatterbox6562]

Nobody knows anything about it anyway. Between CUNY city tech vs Kingsborough and the Naples town name confusions. Alot of tabloid gossip social circles will get in and out of any mini-era with choice status socialites for a decent entry - what does it take bartender mixology school - high school reunion parties which 90's album do we rerun.. let's rip apart someones favorite AJretro with a work blade and video camera and get some answers out of somebody!!

[@tonycardona1177]

World boss one of the worst things ever happen to reggae... When the face of your movement is in prison for murder. Not a good look.

[@nickarth669]

And he has no spiritually uplifting songs. Yellowman sung about sex but he had spiritually uplifting songs. Like I Roy.

[@blackwolverine1]

It's me again, is it me or are we seeing all across the board regardless of Musical Genre. Be it Hip Hop, Pop or R&B. An uprise in filthiness, decadence and Demonic energy? This cannot be a mistake, but this had to be by design. Time for the real music fans to stand up and demand good music from these Music Artists or they have to GET OUT!!

[@waynesmith733]

Yahushua the messiah son of Yahweh is the ONLY hope of salvation

[@raptorspostgametalk]

Dancehall will rise again and this foolish trap beat hall will vanish most of these producers have drifted away from the original roots of dancehall riddims

[@Ayplus]

Reggae isn't dancehall

[@matttheking1655]

King Yellow man & Billy Boyo Legends

[@nickarth669]

They are hardly equal. ;-)