Dancehall Nice again!

'Run come up in a me magnum bwoy!'

Went to a bashment to celebrate the "earth strong" (birthday) of one of my good bredren a few weekends ago.

'When wifey come out dem a bush to de bone
we nuh worry bout man cause them ave fe dem own
matie come out an a gwan like she hot
kiss me neck she in a dhashiki frock'

We were all supposed to get dressed up and show up looking as if we were going to a real dancehall session. Since I don't have no clothing like this gentleman on the right (See me no favor shabba!) I just had to go as my super casual self but some of the ladies at the session really went to some lengths with the colorful hair and the outfits to match. Something like this other photo! Lawd a mercy! Oh by the way I find dem pictures online I don't know these people lol.

So serious session went down in the basement bashment! Ya ever been to a basement bashment in summer? Dem things duz get heated!

'me wanta juk offa jacqueline but
me ave fe draw fa my rubbers for my rubbers
sex nice but the aids thing a mek ya die like flowers, die out like flowers'


I had a good time. The DJ's threw down some tunes. Everything from old Sanchez, Beres and Barrington Levy stuff to the new Ele and Vybez flavas and I was able to see the latest and the greatest new dances. Mind you I duz dance to the rhythm in my head cause I aint got all dat sorta coordination to do no chaka chaka nor sesame street or anything so.

Was going to write about dancehall for a while now but just got sidetracked until tonight when I threw on this wicked old school dancehall cd that I picked up this weekend.

'I'm in a factory working hustling on the side
see the informers lurking trying to break my stride'

Anyway it was a wicked bashment. The djs could have been a bit better especially at the start with their mixing but I cant fault their selection of tracks. Think I man should go into the dj business cause nowadays it seem like all you need is to have the music and you can call yourself a selector.

"The gal dem ova dey a flex like cellular"

rewind!

'Seccle Mr cat because you come fe mash it up
anyway ya go it a fe haul and pull up
lissen Mr cat because I'm well dangerous
me say mud up it a lik, an it a lik, an it a lik!'

Big tune dat!

Oh as an aside since I'm on dancehall today I heard that I-Wayne of 'One man cant satisfy her' fame was in Trinidad saying that Calypso music was the devil's music. Cha! Big chupse to that foolishness and here I thought this was man with some sense. Too much weed like it addle his brain. If ya don't know what to say I say keep ya mout shut.

'Me holla big it
gal in a ya batty rider, murder! ya musse want the dj charge fa'

'Some woman a gi' bun
and a get back bun
an a nuttin dat call it bun fe bun'

Oh by the way if I havent linked you guys yet you should check out Dj Xquizzyt1 old school dancehall mix from a few weeks ago over at ej flavors. Nuff big tunes like Limb by Limb, Hot this year, Cabin Stabbin, Kuff and other favorites from back in the day. Big up to Xquizzyt1

'cause we nuh ina dem funny guy thing
bad man nuh wear g string'

I'm just rambling today but with a dancehall theme as you can see. Anyway I went to the flea market the other day to hook up some cds. I'm not big on hip hop mix cds unless its like Doo Wop or Tony Touch but dancehall on the other hand is the ish. Got to hook up the latest mix cd to hear what the latest rhythms are out of Jamaica. A good dancehall cd can really get a certain vibe going like I've got going as I write this Just bring back memories or make you just want to get up and start dancing.

'moggle pun ya one time man
cause im cant tek back wha im dun did gi you
pose pun ya one time man
ya find a good man and ya kno im a tek care a you'

lik wood mean forward de gunshot mean rewind!
so my selector wont you please rewind and come again!

'gal from ya born ya nuh walk wid muh mouldy arm
when ya come on the street ya always smelling sweet'

Actually, to tell the truth there were a few years in the 90s when I first came here and I was in school where I was really starved for any sort of real Caribbean music aside from the two soca songs and couple of dancehall tracks the dj would put on at every hip hop/rnb jam I went to. It was actually really funny for certain reasons like they would always play this one bajan song by this calypsonian who was basically laughed at back home where we considered it a joke calypso (cant remember his name at all) but for some reason dude's song was a big hit up here. Go figure!

It was actually a rather depressing time for me regarding reggae actually. Aside from getting tapes when I went to Barbados in the summer all I had was the occasional Ron Nelson show on radio when I could figure out what time he was on. But that all changed when I discovered my domino crew around the time when tunes like 'Peanut Punch', 'Kette Drum' and 'Mavis' were the big tunes.

The way them gal ya look so pretty,full a witty
Them no gritty me hafi put them pon me bookshelf, yes

Anyway so I go to this cd spot in the flea market, not my usual spot but I like to check to see what this particular spot has before I check my usual spot. So they're playing this nice cd with Jr Gong's 'Welcome to Jamrock' hitting hard and I ask what cd it is. Now I'm expecting the little yout I see standing around to answer me but no the weirdest thing (to my mind) happens. This white woman answers me, whoa she runs the stall? Now don't get me wrong I know Jamaicans and Caribbean people come in all colors and I also know that reggae music is universal these days but still it was just suprising to be having a conversation about dancehall mix tape djs with someone not either black or with a Caribbean accent. This clearly Canadian born, 905 ( read suburb) bred woman was giving me reggae suggestions telling me to link up the DJ Rondon or the DJ Loudmouth because they are good. LOL. Now that was strange in my opinion. I guess that thought me a lesson though. Oh well!

A talk bout car man a rush dem but
Bashment gal nuh drive inna putt putt
Some gal a talk an dem nuh reckon
Dem never hear bout Dolce & Gabbano
Hot gal nuh dress inna skettel name brand
Moschino and Versace a get too common


Mi naw guh run, mi naw guh hide
Mi naw guh flee
Mi naw guh thief mi nah guh tun no refugee
Mi naw guh fraid a you cause you nuh fraid a me
But mi wi tek on yuh whole family, bwoy
Ya think mi simple but nuh tek man fi stool
Ya want a ride guh get a donkey or a mule
Ya waan fi war when yuh nuh own yuh owna tool
Man a dis an man a dat but yuh a fool
A yah mi born, a yah mi live an mi a stay
An from mi little bit a yasso mi dey play
An mi nuh see nuh bwoi fi mek mi run away


woman you a lead
by 20 furlongs they cant catch ya speed
you the man want an you de man need
true ya hotta dan 21 pepperseed

ok I've rambled enough, I get the feeling this week's going to be a lot of rambling.