MTV and Reggae

[RootsDem]

'Reggae music is even frowned upon in some circles who associate it with drugs, guns and rebellion.'

So what about Hip Hop, Sex Pistols and all the other so called rebel music!

I think if MTV could market Reggae to the youth and make a profit of it they would be in there hand and foot. But the music is to strong for them to handle. Most Reggae artist ain't in it for rewards, cash or pussy, therefore ain't nothing really to offer artist to perform on they ediot channels.

They hate on Reggae because they can't get artist to sell out to demonisation, so they shun it, cool though who wants to see a 50 cent in a dance being mixed down by Akon.

They ban shabba from England for his views on Battyman, they invite M&M back to England for his views on Battyman. Next ting M&M making tracks with Elton John.

[tingjunkie]

Most Reggae artist ain't in it for rewards, cash or pussy, therefore ain't nothing really to offer artist to perform on they ediot channels.

Sorry, but I don't think you know reggae artists as well as you think you do.

[bwoyrough]

I think we can dismiss those conspiracy theories about the cancer being given to him in his food!

I'm also disagreeing with some of the comments that say that reggae artists these days aren't in it for the money, i disagree with that, this could be said 30yrs ago but things have changed alot scince then, most of the reggae artists i see today will do anything to promote themselves and alot are in it purely for money i'd say. When people talk of reggae, to me reggae is ska, dub, roots, 80's dancehall but what we get from the 90's+ i don't class as reggae, even though people call it reggae, to me this is dancehall, might have come from roots reggae but the whole culture is different if u ask me.
And let me ask this, Who Are Babylon?

I'd say most of u are babylon, if we live in babylon system(Western World) and take part in it, work in it, live in it, enjoy all the things it brings, TV, Computers, internet, we are part of the economy then we are it, althought we can still live in it and not like it and try to help change it which is the case for most reggae fans, i think we need to introduce a new word here to describe such people (Reggae Warriors?)

[leggo rocker]

I think we can dismiss those conspiracy theories about the cancer being given to him in his food!
(Reggae Warriors?)

Actually the version of that conspiracy theory that I once read suggested the CIA had been beaming some kind of ray at him while he was on stage.

Yep, I thought it was pretty ridiculous too, but then some people go into big time denial when someone great (and perhaps seemingly immortal) is taken from them.

[bwoyrough]

Beaming rays at him!! lol, i wouldn't put it past them tho, theres a guy making a film about a conspiracy theory on how bob died via someone spiking his food i think, u can read more at www.whokilledbobmarley.com think thats the adress anyway, not to be confused with the US show/film by the same name.

(If u have a read on his website tho u will see how he seems to have taken cedella bookers words out of context and used them to support his theories, and whats with the letter he put on his website, i didn;t get that!, if u see a picturte of the guy making that film u will get a better idea of things!! theres one on my website on the new releases list)

[hiya]

Your points are well taken,very astute commentary.tahanks


I wonder if all the reggae artists feel they are in a sub culture or just doing music for a small market,hoping to make it global??

Leg,would you view the rasta faith as a sub culture?

[leggo rocker]

Yes, I believe that the Rasta faith could be seen as a sub culture.

That is not to belittle it in any way at all.

In fact, I would argue that RasTafari follows the bible much more closely in the pure and original meaning and context than almost any 'popular' form of Christianity.

[backyard movements]

Maybe if REGGAE was created by white people in a 1st world country where there's no poverty,where little boys & girls with rich families could approach famous producers & record companies,yes REGGAE would be on the mtv!!!

[leggo rocker]

Maybe if REGGAE was created by white people in a 1st world country where there's no poverty,where little boys & girls with rich families could approach famous producers & record companies,yes REGGAE would be on the mtv!!!

Exactly!

[Sir Marvin]

Well, I'm white (but from 2nd world country-good point for me) and absolutely disagree with backyard. First-there is some reggae on the mtv-as I can remember, I saw there Aswad, Inner Circle, Maxi Priest, Jimmy Cliff, Wayne Wonder, Dawn Penn, Ini Kamoze, Shabba, Shaggy, Damian Marley, Bounty Killer, Lady Saw, Beenie Man, Chaka Demus&Pliers and maybe also Tiken Jah Fakoly (but I'm not sure about it).
There were also some breaks into mainstream back in '60s and '70s. For example, Max Romeo scored 2nd place in the UK chart with Wet Dream (number one was The Beatles-Get Back to Where You Once Belonged isn't it nice:)). Desmond Dekker, Jimmy Cliff and others, all of them scored in pop charts.
So it's not true, that Mtv in particular and massmedia in general overlook reggae. It also seems to me, that many reggae artists wasted their chance. Discipline is the name of the game. If you cancel your shows without serious reason, if you are not safe to deal with, you cannot be star. Ask any multigenre promoter, reggae artists, especially west indians (I resist to say black), are known for it.