Tuesday, June 28, 2005

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'

Image hosted by Photobucket.comWe 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! Image hosted by Photobucket.com 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.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know much about dancehall, so if I wanted to start listening, what CD would you suggest I start with. As a matter of fact, give me three. I got a check coming, and I want to get some new music.

EJ Flavors said...

JDid - thanks for the shoutout. I do believe we have a part II coming through next week. Music in my mind is all over the place and Dancehall was something I wasn't exposed to enough. X did it for me.

Anonymous said...

Man, you sound like you under some serious juice and sexy body gyal vibes when you posted dis! :-)

PON BED, PON FLOOR, AGAINST WALL.....!!!! ;-) Tek it easy 'till I get back. Dr. D.

Abeni said...

Now you talking my language.Long time I eh hear that Super Cat tune but it wikkid.

Urban Sista said...

this post hurt my head, boysie. I had to read... re-read... and re-read again to understand some parts.

Need to start hanging out with some Jamaicans :)

Campfyah said...

good ole basement bashments...I had muh share back in de 80's inna NYC.

It's good to pick up the remixes of dancehall music...nice riddims

Dee said...

re I-Wayne and the big chupse--it's just hearsay right. But still wha no go so, go near so.

Amadeo said...

Ah the memories I'm having...I hate when good spots shut down...especially ones that were "off the record".

Jdid said...

@saf - You cant go wrong with Buju's Til Shiloh or Bounty Killa's My Xperience in my opinion. If you're looking for a variety of artists the Strictly the Best or Reggae Gold series are pretty good as well but I'd stay away from Strictly the BEst 31 cause its pure crap. Actually best advice is probably find a bootleg cd guy or a mom and pop store and just get a dancehall mix cd with some old stuff to get you going. Then we can work yu up to the later stuff and you'll be doing the online, log on, chaka chaka summer bounce and the 100,000 other dances in no time.
@ej - no problem man
@big N - indeed
@Dr D - i think the music was mekkin me high lol
@gunner - I'm waiting for these toronto stories
@sunshine - yea nuff old tunes bring back memories
@abeni - yea mud up is a classic tune
@urban sis - its not that dissimiliar to bajan all in all
@camp - yea nice music all together
@god's child - well it seems to be more than hearsay because a calypsonian made a response tune to him.
@amadeo - everyone has reggae memories it seems lol
@4panist - culture stuff? naa man ya need to get into the slacknes aspect lol, culture overrated.

dalia said...

ok... you just took me back to days of highschool basement parties and de bangin' of de fuhnace (now get di hell outta mi house! out!)

super cat? bun fi bun? choooooooooooooooooooooooon!

"cause im cant tek back wha im dun did gi you"

you forgot the best part of that song... "eh-eh eh-eh!" : )

"lick wood means forward, gun shot means rewind... you requested it, so weeeeeeeee rewind..."

and what? no "wiiiiiife! you are de wife... wiiiiiiiiiife! man fuss choice. wiiiiiiife! you wear de ring. wiiiiiiiiife! you ah get everyting!"

LOL

thanks for the trip down memory lane. i'm about to drag out my old school reggae tapes (tapes!) and do some listening...

MG

Ananse's Web said...

Damn a basement bashment.....I am too scared to go to one these days. The last one I went to ended in gunshots...hmm not a good look

Mad Bull said...

Hmmm... it look like plenty of your readers have Caribbean backgrounds, or is it that Reggae music really buss out so much?

Oh... tell me that I-Wayne never so mad as to do that! What a crazy mofo! So, him escape without a beating? Me sure he at least heard 'bout his mudder scunt? ;-)

chrome said...

yes rudie. that must 'ave been ah tuff bashment.

ej and x do the mix business so heavy justice.

1

Anonymous said...

man i here with a lighter in de air and rollin a spliff. Jokey joke...you know I love the oldies, I have this one cd with 82 tracks that is my clean up music. My youte tell me I am nasty when i put that cd on. she lucky that is how she got here. ROFLMAO

I must say I have ruined about a dozen of blouses and skirts at dancehall parties. Color come right off from rubba dub dubin pon de walls. Lawd only if mi mudda knew. schuuppsseee....

Anonymous said...

Just passed tru the website, and when i was reading this post it made me feel sweet.
Im from a small town in England and trus' mi, if dem cudda play dem deh tune inna club, it wudda ram.
Bless!

Hyps said...

*Jealous*