Hello bloglings, by way of introduction my name is Jesse, and I'll be filling in for Brian this week while he endures hour upon hour of soul-sapping servitude and suffering. Good luck to Brain!
Today's song goes out to a genre that has been around for decades, and is currently experiencing a sort of renaissance. Dancehall music was borne out of the dub movement from Jamaica in the '60s and '70s. The rise of electronic production techniques brought about new forms of the traditionally-slow genre, beginning with Wayne Smith's massive track Under Me Sleng Teng, which was the first dancehall track to use an electronic beat. Dancehall effectively blends ragga vocals with a bumping dance rhythm and, when done well, is thoroughly drenched with production effects (and sex).
From there, the music grew to become central to Jamaican dancehall culture, as well as its gang-life underbelly. Dancehall music became the platform for the most intense "beef" in music history. The ongoing war of words (and occasional gun shots) fired between Movado and Vybz Kartel took this otherwise peaceful genre down a long and dark road.
However, in a flurry of reggae horn and ironic gun shots, dancehall has made massive steps to the foreground in recent years thanks in large part to artists like Major Lazer from the Mad Decent label. Pumping out hot interpretations of popular genres and plain filthy beats, dancehall has introduced the world to daggering and brought enough excitement back to the dancefloor.
The movement has a full head of steam in the UK as well, with artists like Toddla T and Dj Q taking the genre in new directions. Check out either of Toddla T's two BBC essentials mixes for a great sampling of that genre.
However, today's song of the day nod goes to homegrown Canadian talent:
These guys have been throwing bumping jams in and around Ontario for the past few months, and with a little luck may be coming to a town near you! No, not you...YOU (in the back). So, find a girl to dutty wine, say a little prayer for Brain tonight, and Jah bless.
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