Poem

Bringing to awareness

what society really is like to prepare young adults for the future,

an effective advocate against political oppression, where the youths

are the diffuser,

dancehall music, a positive and negative influencer

is a major part of the lives of teenagers.

Created to dance along, sing along, move along and just have fun

ironically, became a broadcaster for teenagers to take drugs!

For marijuana never left the system of the so-called “thugs”.

Dancehall music is a trend everybody wants to be a part of.

If the artist sings jump, the crowd shouts “how high?”

It creates role models for teenagers.

Ah mean- are these really the people we look up to?

singing about the bleaching of the skin

where in fact, a lot of teens had to be sent home for.

The tight fitted pants and short tunics

were the ways in which they broke the dress code.

For what reason though?

to be apart of the trend?

to feel accepted?

Degrading Females is acceptable in the dancehall culture.

Women are seen as salacious figures of sexuality

to keep the means company

mothers and caretakers of those men

which causes sexism, misogyny and violence.

it also causes young girls to groom in the acceptable ways of women

a way that of submission.

When your role models talk about doing something

you do it too? right?

singing about sexual behaviour every day

no wonder why these youths minds are at stray

young adults engaging in these acts sometimes caught in the

bathroom in a sexual act.

It also promotes promiscuous behaviour

which is having more than one sexual partners

Promoting crime and violence is by far the biggest effects of

dancehall

well, when I think of dancehall that's what I think of

influencing youths to bring to school all sorts of weapons and to

form in school all sorts of gangs.

Imagine, if dancehall was against crime and violence as how it is

against man on man and women on woman

the world would be a better place then youths won't have to pree evil
for they want to be a part of the trend
but on the bright side dancehall has its light

With motivational songs pushing youths to work hard

I myself have listened to an ironic song

where after Vybz Kartel sang about killing he gave a speech at the
end telling youths to focus on schooling

motivating youths to work hard and make money

are positive effects of the dancehall music

promoting endurance never giving up and big-dreaming are also

positive effects of the dancehall music

acting as a relief of stress for the youths that are depressed

promoting peace with peace dances influence youths to settle their

differences

informing youths of what to expect from society

whether it is how society treats the lower class

or how politicians try to oppress citizens

it prepares them for the future

no wonder why they listen to these songs.

written by: Christina Allen

Essay

Dancehall Music is a popular genre of Jamaican music. It is composed of

‘riddims’, fast upbeat rhythms than the traditional reggae music. Dancehall
music has become a symbol of explicit sexual imagery and violence.
Despite the positive effects Dancehall music might have on our young
people, it has become more a pathway for moral degradation with our
young people. Dancehall lyrics are found to be crude as it promotes sexual
behaviors, sexual imagery and violence. It is expected that the youth of
society are going to follow the message that is being portrayed in these
songs, as some of these artists are role models
According to C.J. Cooper, in July 2000 “Jamaican dancehall culture is
commonly disparaged as a homophobic, homicidal, misogynist discourse
that reduces both men and women to bare essentials: skeletal remain”.
Most of the dancehall lyrics that promote violence impacts our youth of
Jamaica as the lyrics makes it seem as though it is acceptable to just kill or
hurt anyone without showing any remorse. Some of our dancehall artistes
are even committing crimes themselves. An example of this can be seen in
a song by popular dancehall artist Vybz Kartel- Broad daylight.
“ Mi murda people inna broad daylight, six pants mi walk walk wid cause
di AK light”
According a study done on The effects of Dancehall genre on adolescent
sexual and violent behavior in Jamaica: A public health concern “19%
male and 13% females demonstrated violence in schools, in their
communities, and/or in their homes – 7% females and 9% males were
taken to the Principal’s office; 3% females and 5% males suspended”.
Sexual behavior in public and Promiscuity are also rising factors in the
Jamaican society among our youths as it has contributed to increasing
level of Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Transmitted Diseases. Dancehall
also has influence on this as it promotes sexual immoral acts. An example
of this can be seen in a song by popular dancehall artist Lady Saw- Stab
out the meat.
“Mi hear yu can grind good and yu can fuck sweet
Stab out mi meat, stab out mi meat”
According a study done on The effects of Dancehall genre on adolescent
sexual and violent behavior in Jamaica: A public health concern by A.D.
Crawford, 2010 ‘Of the 100 respondents, 52% males and 58% females
claimed to be sexually active’ In a study also done by Crawford 2010“out
of 238 cases of 9-17 year olds, 10.1% male and 3.4% female were sexually
influenced by dancehall genre. 42% respondents (18.5% male, 23.5%
female) contracted STIs/HIV”
In article written by E. Tyson entitled ‘Slackness and more slackness’
published April 6, 2008, it the fact that parents and guardians introduce
their children to the dancehall lifestyle ruining their innocence.
“There are parents who are indulging in this dancehall lifestyle and who,
therefore, cannot guide their children to lead moral, self-disciplined lives.
The children and the parents are now both indulging in the dancehall
slackness. We see the effect of this in our schools. We see it when little
children are taken to Passa Passa and adults delight in watching them
wining and grinding their undeveloped hips in imitation of their slackness.
Before these children can begin to know what innocence is, they have lost
it. Their innocence has been aborted. This exposure to unbridled slackness
from an early age has ensured that we produce a generation whose
morality has been warped from the beginning. They will now believe that
this slack and loose behaviour is the norm.”

In an interview conducted by E. Tyson in the article entitled ‘Slackness

and more slackness’ published April 6, 2008 with teenagers about the
effects of dancehall music the responses were as follows.
"It makes me break out of my little shell. I am an innocent girl and
dancehall music breaks that barrier."
"It makes you feel all gangsterish and cool. And the music teaches you
how to dress."
"The lyrics are influential. They tell you to walk roun', smoke weed and
buss gun. Many people, children in particular, look up to some of the
artistes who feature these lyrics in their songs and they actually do some of
these things because they feel that if their favourite artiste is doing it and
they are 'hip' and admired, then why not do it too. Hence, dancehall music
is influential, not only to me, but to the wider society."
"I have stopped listening to dancehall music now and that's good because
it had such a negative influence on me. At one point, I found myself acting
in the way that the songs portray a 'hot girl' should be."

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_72fOJLuW7w