Jamaican Slang EditorialTHE Blog for Jamaican Slang, Patois, Reggae, Rastafari, Real T’ing dem and Jamaica

Have you ever noticed urban hair trends? In the beginning of this 21st Century, cornrows were the rave of urban hair styles. Now cornrows are on the way out and now, dreadlocks seem to be the latest and greatest trend in urban hair styles. I just left the grocery store where I saw a couple with blonde and red dreads. I see dreadlocks in Rap Videos, at the book store, supermarket, airport and many more places. So, are dreadlocks going to be the next corn rows or mohawk? Here today, gone tomorrow…

No way! Dreadlocks, an element of Rastafari, have been around for thousands and thousands of years.  Yes, Bob Marley and Rastafarians made dreadlocks famous, but dreadlocks have been worn by more people than Rastafarians in Jamaica, Africans or Hippies. The Ancient Celts, John the Baptist, the Vikings, and many other people in history wore dreadlocks. Dreadlocks are embraced by various cultures because they represent a natural way of wearing your hair. Dreadlocks are not just for people of African descent, they are for all different hair types.

Rastafarians, specifically, use their hair in dreadlocks because of Leviticus 21:5 in the Bible. The verse says the following:

They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cutings in their flesh.

The important thing to realize is that you do not have to wear dreadlocks to be a Rasta and many of the people you see around with dreadlocks are not Rastas. As far as mainstream culture goes, dreadlocks might not be here for long, but dreadlocks are much more than a trend.

(This is a classic reggae song by Morgan Heritage - Don’t Haffi Dread)

P.S. - You might only know dreadlocks as a hairstyle, but it is also the name of a very important group of people in Jamaican history and culture! Stay tuned.

P.P.S. - To read more about dreadlocks and how to care for them check out Abagond!

The question is rhetorical for me and could be for anyone that speaks Jamaican. Have you ever heard an album and it just touches you in a way that you cannot describe? Well, I have and it is a true classic as far as reggae is concerned and really music. No need to hold back, the album is called Da Real Things and the artist/deejay is Sizzla Kolanji! Before, I breakdown why this album is a true classic in all ways, shapes and forms, it’s important to know who is Sizzla Kolanji.

Sizzla, born Miguel Orlando Collins, is the most prolific deejay (Deejays are the artists or singers in reggae while selectas are the disc jockeys) of recent years. It is rare that you will hear a riddim that is not blessed with his presence. Sizzla, a Bobo Dread, started to get recognition in the late 90s for his unique style and conscious lyrics. Always a versatile deejay, Sizzla can be heard on roots tracks as well as dancehall (ragga) tracks. Presently, Sizzla has more than 45 solo albums and it would be a lie to say that all are classic, but several are classics such as Black Woman and Child, Praise Ye Jah and Royal Son of Ethiopia. Some of the albums have very similar sounds and one would have to question the detail each album is given before being pressed. For many of the albums, debate and discussion is warranted, but for Da Real Things…there is NO DEBATE!

Da Real Things is the best of the best from sizzla, reggae and all genres of music. It is one of those albums that you can put on play and not need to skip through any song. The album has an overall roots theme and it really gets to the core of who Sizzla is…a talented deejay that is a rastafarian and loves women especially his Mama. Speaking of Mama, Thank You Mama is arguably the best song on the album, if not the best. The lyrics paint real imagery and touch the heart of any mother. Have doubts? Play this song for your mother and watch the tears come down the side of her face. But, the hits do not stop there. Solid as Rock is just one of those songs that can be applied to any adversity you face in life. I was living in the Caribbean when I first heard this song. The bus that I was on was packed and there were several rastas on the bus. Everyone was smiling with a face of amazement. The riddim of this song seems like it was made especially for Sizzla even though other artists recorded tracks to it, none were as good as Sizzla. Another song that stands out is Woman I Need You. This song is the essence of Sizzla. He changes his voice multiple times in the song to compliment the melody and really pours his heart into the song. This a positive, upbeat tribute to women done in a masterful manner.

I tried to write about a few of the songs without spoiling the album. This album holds special meaning in my life because I remember where I was and what I was doing when I first heard it and then subsequently heard it 100 times after that…yea, I might be a fan. I had always been a fan of Sizzla Kolanji, but this put him up there with the elite in reggae music. Get this album, listen to it, learn to speak Jamaican and get into the vibes of this classic album. This is the definition of classic.

Praises to the Most High and Thank you Sizzla for your masterful sound/music,

Ras Zuke