The Story of Reggae – Dancehall

Dancehall represented a new generation of reggae’s primary audience    reclaiming the music for themselves after ten years of Roots’n’Culture that: A)   had not done a great deal to change the way they lived; and B) it had been       adopted so thoroughly by the international mainstream it didn’t seem like       "theirs" any more. This was a new wave’s way of reacting to the             harshness of their environment and drew on Hip Hop’s            brashness to express themselves with an impatience not seen in Roots Reggae. It needed a radical approach to shake Reggae    out of its seeming complacency and dancehall opted for the      apparently obnoxious to satisfy nobody beyond the sound         system crowds. Producers like Henry "Junjo" Lawes and        King Jammy’s made deejay records that were as raw as those   audiences wanted, with deejays like Yellow Man, Josey Wales, Lone Ranger, Eek-A-Mouse and Brigadier Jerry. Not that it was all deejays, but singers such as Barrington Levy, Little John,    Cocoa Tea and Frankie Paul had to struggle to be  heard.         Of course the rapidly developing studio technology played a   big part as it meant records could be made quicker and             cheaper, with it becoming far easier to version a rhythm once it was made. This in turn allowed a flood of new talent into the    business ensuring that dancehall reggae would continue to stay fresh for years to come.