Grange Urged To Establish Programs That Promote “Good, Clean” Dancehall Music

The matter of many upcoming, and established Jamaican artists’ unfettered use of violent and sexually degrading lyrics in their songs, has resurfaced for much discussion in recent times.

Among the issues contended is that these very artists are automatically denying themselves radio airplay, and perhaps preventing the genre from obtaining, among other things, the distinction of having a month of celebrations for itself, similarly to Reggae Month.

A former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lloyd B. Smith, has recommended that Minister of Entertainment Olivia “Babsy” Grange, establishes programmes and projects that promote good, clean music, which can inspire the youth and “help make Jamaica a better place”.

Lloyd B Smith, who also served as Member of Parliament for St. James Central in the past, made his comments in an article examining, among other things, why the Government has not established a “Dancehall Month”, similarly to Reggae Month albeit the Dancehall evolving into a full-fledged a genre of its own.

In his musings, the former Deputy Speaker pointed to early Dancehall compositions which he described as having “impressive lyrical mastery” covering a wide range of social, cultural, and political issues, and not only focused on love, but also “rebellion and revolution against the forces which helped to generate poverty, racism, injustice, and government oppression”.

“But, alas, Jamaican dancehall, which initially influenced American hip hop, has made an about-face, moving from wholesome lyrics, for the most part, to gun lyrics and songs laced with expletives, as well as sexually explicit material as Jamaican artistes crossed over to the black American subculture, exemplified by skimpily dressed women with bouncing breasts and men with their underpants on full display…,” Smith lamented.

Smith reasoned that even as Jamaican music enthusiasts continue to lament the decline in the quality of songs being produced on the “Reggae front line”, a much greater concern was that Dancehall has not only lost its way, but, whether wittingly or unwittingly, may well be a major contributor to the high levels of crime and violence in Jamaica.

“While it is not prudent for any Government to ban lyrics that promote sexual promiscuity or gun violence as this may well turn out to be a constitutional matter based on the principle of freedom of expression, it behoves the ministry responsible for entertainment, led by the indefatigable Babsy Grange,” Smith noted in a recent article in the Jamaica Observer.

“Frankly, much of what passes as Jamaica’s popular music should be dubbed underground music and treated as such,” he added.

Smith, who is also a newspaper publisher, in expressing his concern about the music, fingered members of the media fraternity whom he said, along with some music  producers “who are just looking at their bottom line”, were, among the main co-conspirators in what he described as “this degrading descent in Dancehall music”, and have been “appealing to the lowest common multiple in order to get high ratings and readership”.

“Since the legendary Barbara Gloudon allegedly had to part company with a certain afternoon tabloid that had insisted on publishing half-naked women in its centrefold, we are yet to see entertainment writers and purveyors of our popular music taking a stand against music that should not be allowed to see the light of day,” Smith noted.

“It is also well-known that payola has played a pivotal role in promoting what can truly be described by any self-respecting musician as rubbish,” he added.

Smith, also known as The Governor, called on the  Broadcasting Commission to ‘pull up its socks’ as the regulatory agency has fallen short on numerous occasions in carrying out its mandate, as a watchdog.

“Because what now passes as wholesome content is offensive and undermines the values and attitudes we seek to engender in our society,” he argued.

The former Deputy Speaker said that as a consequence of the actions of those who ought to know better,  young Dancehall artists who are seeking a “buss”, now erroneously, in their minds, believe that “based on what the market now portends, it is slackness and gun lyrics emboldened by ‘badmanism’ that rule the roost and make them drive a Benz and ‘frass’”.

“If this scenario continues unabated, then this country will continue to go down a slippery slope and gradually a descent into the abyss,” he argued.

“The island’s frightening murder rate has been a wake-up call that is beginning to seep into the Dancehall culture, so hopefully there will be meaningful and lasting change, but don’t hold your breath because in the minds of so many performers and dancehall hopefuls, it is expedient and more profitable to sell out than to take the high road and sell off,” he added.

The matter of artists continuing to release songs which are unfit for radio airplay, also came up for discussion several weeks ago, during Television Jamaica’s The Entertainment Report.

At the time, Disc Jockey and Dancehall music producer Kurt Riley pointed out that many of the island’s most promising, creative artistes have not been making versions of their songs which are radio-friendly, to their own detriment.

“I can hear di creativity inna dem brain.  A lot of them really and truly, their songs cannot play on radio.  And mi understand dat, but if you are fair to dem, and look at the creativity part a dem man deh, the artistry dat dem have and di way dem choose to put dem words togedda, yuh know seh dem bad!” he exclaimed.

In response to host Anthony Miller’s question as to whether “it make sense to be making music that has to be edited to get radio play, the Party Animal producer said that these songs would have mass popularity if the creators recorded fit-for-airplay versions.

“All di songs dem weh a run road, if they were radio-friendly versions of the music, they get more traction,” Riley told Miller.

“I am not sure if a lot a di producers and artistes are aware a dis: a lot of songs cannot be played between 5:00am and 9:00pm, because of Broadcast Commission (rules) something called watershed.   So, if the content is a bit too graphic, we can’t touch it.  And it is sad, because di song dem bad,” he said.

“And some of us will go ahead and re-edit dem ourselves and get creative wid it and may get away wid it because our bosses don’t really ketch up she wi a do dat still, and di boss don’t really know di original version, suh dem wi seh yeh man everything criss.  But what happen when dem catch up on it?” he added.

When Miler pointed out that “all some people are interested in is social media”, Riley said that radio was not glowing out of style and as a consequence, opportunities for national radio airplay should be grasped.

“Yeah I mean, I don’t think they care.  Maybe to them radio is not important.  Radio may not have its value, but it still has its place.  Because if it neva have its place, it woulda end.  Digicel wouldn’t use radio;  Supreme Ventures  wouldn’t use  radio; Grace Kennedy wouldn’t use radio; Sandals wouldn’t use radio.  That means it has its place,” he argued.

“We need to teck advantage a it.  And if you want to take advantage a it, make radio-friendly versions a yuh music and watch the change,” he added.