What Happened to Reggae Music?
@teamfreak16 (43421)
Denver, Colorado
May 19, 2017 7:54pm CST
On my near-daily walks to either the convenience store or liquor store, I pass a pizza place that blasts music for the passers-by, and with Manitou being a laid back, hippie sort of town, they often jam some reggae. And as a reggae fan, I pay attention.
My question is, what, exactly, happened to reggae music? All I am hearing is pop-oriented love songs. This is not roots reggae, and there are no dub elements. No, this stuff is pure pop reggae. Love songs?
Sure, Bob Marley pulled off the odd love song, but he was primarily a protest singer. Peter Tosh? An extreme protest singer, especially as an advocate for marijuana legalization and equal rights. Black Uhuru? A protest band. Same with Steel Pulse, "Rollerskates" aside. Even the so called "reggae light" bands such as Third World managed to get a point across every now and then.
Sure, modern day bands such as the instrumental 10 Ft. Ganja Plant are keeping roots reggae alive, but I'm hearing way too many pop songs. And none of them can pull it off in the way Maxi Priest can. Too many love songs, and not nearly enough protest songs.
What happened?
11 people like this
10 responses
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
20 May 17
I am pretty sure I've heard Chronix. That sounds very familiar.
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (53679)
•
20 May 17
@teamfreak16 Mavado did a collaboration with Nicki Minaj which I really like. he drew a crowd of over 50,000 at a concert in zambia recently.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215346)
• Chile
20 May 17
I have become aware that this is not a generation of people with ideals as we were. The younger generation is more into the verb "to have" than on the verb "to be".
2 people like this
@msiduri (5687)
• United States
21 May 17
@marguicha Interesting insight. One is defined by one's possessions?
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
20 May 17
You should look and see if you can find a song by Judge Dread called Big Five..that was so far back in the day..remember listening to it in London way way back Scott. Not sure if it is even findable. It was hilarious. Not the real reggae though.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
20 May 17
@teamfreak16 It is so old Scott and was considered a crazy filthy song back then lol
Guess I should go see it myself, havent heard it in years. Oh my I found all of his stuff..dirty sod lol
Guess I should go see it myself, havent heard it in years. Oh my I found all of his stuff..dirty sod lol1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
20 May 17
No, I found it. Fun song. The girls dancing behind him in bikinis in the video was a nice touch!
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
20 May 17
@TiarasOceanView - Yeah, it came across as a pretty dirty song. I definitely wouldn't link to it here.
1 person likes this
@cmoneyspinner (9221)
• Austin, Texas
20 May 17
What happened? The "spiritual vibe" left, mon! Dare iz no spiritual energy!!
For real. That's what happened. These artists like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, were oozing lyrics out of their pores, based on their life experience. The young artists can't do that. So you don't pick up the same vibe.
That's my baseless unfounded theory and I'm sticking to it! 
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
20 May 17
You are 100% correct. It's like that spiritual vibe just disappeared.
1 person likes this
@msiduri (5687)
• United States
21 May 17
@teamfreak16 Nor am I. Beyond reggae. In general, much music has become so processed, it doesn't sound like music anymore. I know how old fogey that sounds. Excuse me while I go chase some g*d*amn kids off my lawn.
1 person likes this
@msiduri (5687)
• United States
22 May 17
@teamfreak16 Amen, brother. You can listen to things that I can't. But then, when I write, I usually put on Gregorian chants or Renaissance music. I dislike the heavily electronic stuff and heavily processed voice because it sounds so distanced from a human being.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
21 May 17
The genre has adapted to this generation? Possibly. I'm just not liking what I'm hearing, I know that.
1 person likes this
@chrissbergstrom (10767)
• Banks, Oregon
20 May 17
Shaggy and Bennie Man, i think so many of the Reggae Musicans they have lyrics that are so awful some people are afraid to play there stuff, but i love dancehall music, and there are many others i have bought few compilatios there still around.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
20 May 17
Shaggy, Yellowman, Shabba Ranks, all great dancehall artists. And I don't even like dancehall that much.
1 person likes this
@chrissbergstrom (10767)
• Banks, Oregon
20 May 17
@teamfreak16 There is even some great female Reggae artists to like Lady Saw
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62096)
• United States
20 May 17
And now you understand why I hate modern country music.
The issue is the same: water it down for the masses until they think they "love" reggae (or country), when they'd puke if they heard the real thing.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
20 May 17
I have the same opinion about modern country.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
20 May 17
Protest songs will never go out of style, even if nobody listens anymore.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
20 May 17
There used to be a couple reggae radio shows here. KROQ had Reggae Revolution and a local college channel had a show devoted to vintage 60s 70s reggae. I used to listen to them. Both long gone.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
20 May 17
Knowing what I know of KROQ, I bet it rocked.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
20 May 17
This generation cares nothing for reggae or jazz. Too bad, they are missing out.
