Dancehall

Dancehall music is a descendant of roots reggae music. When people speak of dancehall music today, they are generally referring to the digital equivalent of raggamuffin reggae mixed with modern hip hop (which reggae influenced in previous decades).

Dancehall reggae tracks are usually based on a fast, danceable instrumental riddim (usually with a distinctly digital sound) track, with a deejay singing, rapping, or toasting over it.

Dancehall deejays are traditionally males who sing and rap with smokey masculine voices. Dancehall lyrics are infamous for their content, which are often violent, sexist, and homophobic. Dancehall deejay feuds are a popular aspect of the genre’s history, sometimes going beyond dueling lyrics to include real physical violence.

However, recent trends have reversed this tradition in 2 new ways: first, singjays such as Mavado have become increasingly popular, with voices and melodies that are more reminiscent of R&B crooners than hiphop rappers. Second, the dancehall lyrical content is continuing to grow, with female and conscious male deejays becoming increasingly popular on the dancehall scene.

Read more about the history of dancehall music, from it’s roots reggae beginnings to it’s electronic ragga forms and conscious dancehall today.

VP Records are the leading dancehall music label (and they often post content and special offers here on Dub & Reggae). As of this writing, Sean Paul, Elephant Man, and Buju Banton have all signed with VP Records. VP also works with popular record labels to build dancehall artists’ distribution internationally.

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Discussion

9 comments for “Dancehall”

  1. [...] Sumfest was originally founded to promote reggae music and has grown to include dancehall as well, generally using a 3-day formula that involves 1 night of dancehall music performances and [...]

    Posted by Reggae Sumfest 2009 dates, tickets, and lineup | Dub and Reggae | June 25, 2009, 1:32 am
  2. [...] Lynn first broke onto the electro dancehall scene with her aggressively hip Kingstonlogic 2.0 album. Inspired by her rough upbringing in [...]

    Posted by Free download of Terry Lynn and Radioclit/Johan Hugo’s It Was Written | Dub and Reggae | June 25, 2009, 9:50 pm
  3. [...] to showcase the Reggae Rising 2009 lineup. The 2009 Reggae Rising roster includes reggae and dancehall superstars and local [...]

    Posted by Reggae Rising 2009 returns to Piercy, California | Dub and Reggae | June 26, 2009, 1:31 am
  4. [...] in NYC at 830am By dubman ⋅ July 21, 2009 July 24, 20098:30 amto9:30 amSean Paul, the dancehall star famous for his hit singles We Be Burnin’ and Temperature (both from his 2005 dancehall [...]

    Posted by Free Sean Paul performance, July 24th in NYC at 830am | Dub and Reggae | July 21, 2009, 11:19 pm
  5. [...] as Sean Paul created 60 tracks for the album, cutting the list down to the final 19. Many top dancehall producers handled tracks on Sean Paul’s Imperial Blaze but the biggest presence is Stephen [...]

    Posted by Sean Paul So Fine free download, lyrics, review, and video | Dub and Reggae | July 23, 2009, 9:42 pm
  6. [...] you want to know the secret of how top-quality graphic designers design dancehall, reggae, and dub logos and album covers for musicians, sound systems, artistes, producers, labels, [...]

    Posted by How to design a reggae logo, symbol, or album cover, from concept to completion | Dub and Reggae | September 9, 2009, 10:10 am
  7. [...] University of the West Indies study has determined that Vybz Kartel AKA Gaza and Mavado the Gully God are the most popular dancehall artistes amongst young Jamaicans, topping out Beenie [...]

    Posted by Vybz Kartel and Mavado best dancehall artistes in 2009 | Dub and Reggae | September 18, 2009, 5:38 am
  8. [...] Switch recorded it at Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica. Keep It Goin’ Louder is more Diplo/Switch dancehall derivative something or other, featuring Nina Sky and Ricky Blaze. The music video was directed by [...]

    Posted by Major Lazer – Keep It Goin’ Louder (featuring Nina Sky and Ricky Blaze) | Dub and Reggae | October 13, 2009, 2:59 pm
  9. [...] 36, has homes in both Jamaica and Florida. He was one of the leading Jamaican dancehall stars in the 90s. More recently, his music has focused on roots reggae and was most recently [...]

    Posted by Buju Banton drug arrest: dancehall reggae star buys cocaine from undercover cops | Dub and Reggae | January 27, 2010, 4:44 pm

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Featured Lovers Rock Reggae Artiste

This month's featured reggae artiste is Beres Hammond, the king of lovers rock. Beres Hammond is a reggae original who has remained relevant in the changing reggae world by staying in touch with new dancehall reggae trends while constantly releasing new lovers rock albums that showcase his smooth voice. Read more.

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