Here is a new video that my man Scally Ranks recently worked on in effort to show people how to speak Jamaican….and it does a pretty good job. Check it out. More goodies like this on the way!!!
How to Speak Jamaican in YouTube!!!
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Tag Archives: Jamaican Slang
Children of Reggae Pt.1 – Reggaeton
Jamaican music as a whole has influenced so many genres and cultures around the world. You can find reggae in Israel, South Africa, Brazil, Holland, Germany and many other countries. We can certainly thank Bob Marley and his legendary music for being the ambassador of reggae music around the world, but the story of Reggaeton has its own twist.
The origin of reggaeton is always a matter of debate between people that believe it originated in Panama versus people that believe that it originated in Puerto Rico. Both places are valid candidates for being the birthplace of reggaeton. Puerto Rico is a logical birth place due to its proximity to Jamaica and Panama could also be the spot due to its large West Indian population who went to Panama in the early 20th Century to work on the canal. Many afro-Panamanians can trace their roots back to Jamaica and other islands in the Carribean. Often, they speak English as well as Spanish, some even speak old school Jamaican Slang!
So here is the thing, if you listen to the Panamanian Reggaeton from back in the day (like in the 1970s), it sounds like people rapping in Spanish or English over merengue and bachata. There are a few songs like El General’s Pu Tun Tun that are in Spanish with a traditional dancehall riddim, but for the most part the original reggaeton was really different from what we hear now. Early on, in Panama, artists would hear Jamaican reggae and dancehall tracks and translate them into Spanish. Some of the pioneers include El General, Nando Boom, Chico Man and several other Panamanian artists. Once the music started to become successful in Panama, it spread across the Caribbean and Spanish speaking world. Simultaneously, hip-hop and reggae were being introduced in Puerto Rico.
I remember a few years back I went to Puerto Rico and when we jumped into the cab, I thought I was going to hear Sean Paul over the bookshelf riddim, but no, it was some local artist “chatting” in Spanish over the bookshelf riddim. It was fyah! In the late 80s and 90s, Puerto Ricans were producing their own riddims with influences from hip hop and other styles of music such as salsa, reggae, dancehall. These riddims became the foundation for the modern day reggaeton track. Unfortunately, the larger Puerto Rican society was not ready for reggaeton or Reggae Rap in Spanish. The police aka Babylon, often raided underground rap events, defaming artists on the radio and the distribution of reggaeton tapes. By trying to hold back the underground reggae/rap movement in Puerto Rico, the police helped fuel the fire that would result in what we know today as reggaeton. It was in the underground music scene that famous artists like Daddy Yankee and Don Omar.
In recent years, reggaeton has become bigger than life. Reggaeton albums continue to outsell other genres of music at a time when album sales are down overall. The success of reggaeton can be directly linked the Spanish speaking immigrants and their children in the United States and the internet. Reggaeton artists tour all over the Americas, often selling out stadiums.
Although, reggaeton has influences from various styles of music, there are still some similarities to reggae and more specifically dancehall. Lyrically, most reggaeton songs are about slackness. The beats are different, but there is a certain rhythm to a reggaeton track just like in dancehall. Don’t expect to learn any jamaican patois when listening to most reggaeton, but please feel free to shake your bottom!
Here are some reggaeton tracks to help you get familiar:
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Tego Calderon – Cuando Baila Reggaeton
Daddy Yankee – Lo Que Paso, Paso
My Mother is Better Than Yours!!! (A Jamaican Slang Comparison of 3 Reggae Songs Dedicated to Mamas!!)
Everyone’s mother holds a special place in this world and it might not be even really a comparison, but we are going to do it. Over the past few years, a handful of classic reggae tracks have come out that are dedicated to all the mothers out there. Each one is great in its own special way, but I always think…who really made the best and most classic song! So here are the contenders: Sizzla Kolanji, Gyptian and Vybz Kartel.
Each one of the songs has a video associated with it because without a doubt, each artist put their heart into the song, but who made the best song???? Watch the videos and then see what we think!
Sizzla – Thank You Mama
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=5760489
Gyptian – Mama
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=3867413
Vybz Kartel – Mamma
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=52789253
Okay, so hopefully you listened to each one of these special tracks, now let’s break this down to get to a #1!
Riddim/Beat Selection:
1) Sizzla (One to One Riddim)
2) Gyptian (Triumphant Riddim)
3) Vybz Kartel (Story Tella Riddim)
This might be the hardest part of the competition because every riddim used is great, but the credit goes to the producers. Basically, everyone who made a song on the One to One Riddim and Triumphant Riddims made classic. Don’t get me wrong, Story Tella is great too, but it is hard to top One to One or Triumphant.
Emotion:
1) Gyptian
2) Sizzla
3) Vybz Kartel
Gyptain wins in this category by a few steps because it just seems so authentic and divine when singing this song. And for Vybz Kartel to make a track dedicated to his Mamma when at the same time he has alot of tracks dedicated to punnani damages the credibility. It might be a ploy to clean up his image of constant slackness.
Lyrics:
1) Sizzla
2) Vybz
3) Gyptian
“Work so hard to see us go to school, blista on ya finga so dey won’t take us fi fool”. I think Sizzla just did an amazing job with this song. Vybz didn’t do a bad job either and neither did Gyptian, but as far as lyrical content, Sizzla is the man in this competition.
Jamaican Slang Factor:
1) Vybz Kartel
2) Sizzla
3) Gyptian
The results of this category were destined to lean in favor of Vybz. Vybz Kartel is a dancehall artist while Sizzla might moonlight as a dancehall artist, he is also a roots artist and Gyptian is certainly a roots artist. Since dancehall is the breeding ground of Jamaican Slang, Vybz has this category on lock.
So who is the winner? Sizzla, but really the listener is the winner. All of these tracks are great and although each one represents something different for each artist in their career, all are worth having in your collection.
More Time!
How Buju Banton Got THESE Women Running in Circles with One Song
A few weeks ago I did a post on Buju Banton. If you didn’t read that post, please click here to get caught up to speed. In the post I mentioned that Buju was one of the most controversial Jamaican artists and with good reason, he has made some songs that bothered people. One of the first songs he recorded that really got people mad, especially women, was “Love Me Browning” off of his 1992 album Mr. Mention (definitely a classic and worth getting…the “Love Me Browning” single came out in 1991 though). You see, in Jamaican Patois a Brownin‘ is a light-skinned woman and the song is describing Buju’s love for lighter skinned women, but anyone who is familiar with Jamaica knows that the majority of the people are darker in complexion. Darker-skinned women took offense to the hit song and Buju moved quickly to create a song dedicated to the darker women of Jamaica appropriately called “Love Black Woman”.
Although, this song casued controversy in Jamaica in the early 90s, the roots of the controversy date back to slavery. More often than not, lighter-skinned people of African descent fared better in Jamaica and other parts of the New World. Many were able to move between the world of the slave and the slave master. As time went on and the slave masters left Jamaica, many of these lighter-skinned people became the island elite. This might be shocking to some, but this can be seen today in Jamaica and other post-emancipation societies. If you want to see this for yourself, head to Kingston and visit Downtown and then Uptown. This is a complex topic, but it is important to understand the roots of the controversy of Buju’s song. Not surprisingly, this incident would certainly not be the last time Buju Banton released a controversial song, but that is another blog post for another day.
One of the great things about both of “Love Me Browning” and “Love Black Woman”, is that they are great songs to learn Jamaican Slang/Patois. The whole Mr. Mention album is a Jamaican Slang Classic. The album has so many classic riddims, essential patois grammar and vocabulary and just hit track after hit track. Buju was on “fyah” at this point in his career, kind of like Mavado is now, even though their lyrics are so different.
If you want to learn more about Buju and Jamaican Patois, head over to www.jamaican-slang.com and pick up a copy of the Rastaman Vibration. The book is a wealth of knowledge and has a section about Buju in the book.
What? You thought I was going to leave you hangin’ without posting those classic Buju songs, not this time! Here they are:
Buju Banton – Love Me Browning
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Buju Banton – Love Black Woman
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Jamaican Slang Standout Artist: Bounty Killer
Last week, we wrote about Buju Banton, who in the eyes of many has been commercially successful in Jamaica and Abroad. Traditionally, that is not the case for most reggae artists. There is really a reggae elite and it is fair to say that Bounty Killer definitely falls into that category. When I was first introduced to Bounty Killer, I admit, I wasn’t really a big fan. I don’t know what it was, but there was something. That was the case until I really started to listen to what the Warlord (one of Bounty’s many nicknames). The song that changed everything was “Look”. Bounty really blew me away on this track with some of the realest lyrics I’ve heard to this day. Now, Bounty and The Alliance (his crew) are basically running things in dancehall. Bounty has influenced so many of today’s hottest artists like Mavado and Busy Signal. Here is a brief write up on Bounty’s life and career.
Bounty Killer (born Rodney Basil Price June 12, 1972 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. He is the founder of a dancehall collective, known as The Alliance.
Early start
The last son in a family of nine, he grew up in a rough part of Jamaica in the neighborhood of Seaview Gardens. His mother stayed at home while his father went out to earn a living. While walking through a rough neighborhoods of Kingston, he was caught in a crossfire and hit by a bullet. He spent several days in the hospital, and it was during this time that he decided to change his name to Bounty Killa.[citation needed]
1990s
During the early 1990s, Bounty Killer was encouraged by his friend and deejay Boom Dandymite to hang around the studio of producer King Jammy in Kingston. This lead to Bounty Killer getting the chance to record for King Jammy. One of Bounty Killer’s first tunes was the “Coppershot.” Coppershot was heard by New York-based Johnny Wonder, a pivotal figure in North American Dancehall Reggae, who went crazy when he heard it, instantly recognising the potential of its hardcore appeal to the urban markets Stateside. Ironically Coppershot became an underground hit in New York before taking off in Jamaica.
Beginning in 1993, Bounty Killer became a household name in Jamaica due to his well received performance at the annual hardcore festival, Sting, held in the days after Christmas.[citation needed]. Bounty Killer has tried to protect his individuality and this has caused many problems both on and off stage with various singers. Bounty Killer and Merciless got into a fist fight on stage during the Sting festival in 1997, and has made headlines throughout Jamaica for the rivalry with Beenie Man as both claim that the other has stolen each others act.
In 1998, contributed the song “Deadly Zone” to the album “Blade: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture”. Although on the soundtrack album, the song did not feature in the film “Blade”.[citation needed]
Bounty Killer, while updating the sound of the reggae riddim, for example, using electric guitars and no piano riff, he has expressed disdain for popular rap, which he called “embarrassing to reggae,” even while collaborating with Wu Tang Clan, Mobb Deep and others he considers hardcore.
During the 1990s, Bounty Killer has voiced for producers and labels in Jamaica releasing songs such as “Defend the Poor”, “Mama”, “Book, Book, Book”, “Babylon System” and “Down in the Ghetto”. The 1990s was also the decade in which Bounty Killer became known in USA and in Europe and ended up with several combinations with big artists like Busta Rhymes, Masta Killa, The Fugees, Wyclef Jean, Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga, No Doubt, Swizz Beatz and AZ. The decade of many albums released, the new millennium seems to be the decade of many singles released. While working with producers in Jamaica and abroad, Bounty Killer insists on releasing singles almost on a daily basis.
2000s
In 2006, Bounty Killer signed with VP Records and the compilation album Nah No Mercy – The Warlord Scrolls was released on November 7, 2006. He has been credited with having inspired many young artists such as Mavado, Vybz Kartel (formerly of the Alliance) and several other members of The Alliance.
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounty_Killer]
If you haven’t heard Bounty Killer before, now is a perfect chance! Oh, and by the way…pretty much anything Bounty does is great for learning Jamaican Slang! Respect to the Warlord. Here is easily my favorite Bounty Killer song.
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19 Life Changing Jamaican Patois Expressions
I was super excited when I came across these 19 Jamaican Patois Expressions and they definitely changed my life…at least as far as Jamaican Patois/Slang goes. Some of the expressions, I knew, but others were new. It just goes to show you that you learn something everyday. I wish I could take credit for compiling this list, but no. So BIG UP to Jamaican Princess. Read, Re-Read and Study this list… it will definitely help you the next time you are in Jamaica or need to speak with Jamaicans.
If yu caan ketch tief, yu ketch him shut ( shirt) - If someone does you bad and you cannot get revenge, you take revenge on someone close to them
If yu waan good, yu nose haffi run – If you want to succeed, you must work hard for it
Provocation mek dummy talk - When you constantly provoke a person, they will take out rath and anger at you
All who don’t hear mus feel – If you do not listen to what you are told, there will be consequences
A nuh every ole’ pan knock yu fi dance – Not every social event is to be attended
Empty barrel mek di most noise – Ignorant people make the most unnecessary and irrelevant noise
Mi trow mi corn but mi no call no fowl – when you are speaking about a person but you do not specify that you are talking about them, when in fact, it is really them you are gossiping about.
Calaloo a sway fi ol lady, but ol lady a plan fi run yu belly - When you plan to do someone bad,but that person has a better plan for you
Rain a fall but dutty tough - Times are hard
Trouble no set like rain – You cannot predict when trouble will arise
Wah sweet nanny goat a go run him belly - things that bring pleasure to you too much, will bring sorrow in the long run
Yu caan wash yu dutty linen inna public - Do not tell people every detail of your personal life
Yu finga tink yu caan chop it off – Never neglect your own
What stay too long serve two masters - Anything ( for instance food) that is left too long will end up being eaten or used by someone else
Box bread outta yu mout’ – When someone else takes away an opportunity from you
Nuh likkie likkie no beggie beggie – Do not be too greedy and do beg too much
Gyal/Bwoy kiba yu mouth’- Boy/girl keep your mouth shut!
Nuh mek people wash dem mout’ pon yu – Do not let people speak negative things about you
Dem mussi put yu so- When something bad occurs, and people speculate that it is voodoo or witchcraft.
[Source: http://jamaicaprincess.blogspot.com/]
Jamaican Slang Song of the Week: Mavado – Neva Believe U
Diplo is the man and one of the best producers, DJs, and creative forces in the music game right now, so when he told everyone on Twitter to listen to this Mavado track, I had to see what it was all about. Mavado does it again with his trademark vocals on Neva Believe U. There is something so infectious about this Dee Jay’s voice and it is his voice that has really helped him to blow up…besides just raw talent. As far as this particular song goes, I like how the beat is a bit faster and definitely has some cross over appeal, but Mavado is still able to stay with his style. This is getting exposure at the right time here in Babylon because you can bump this with the windows down and be on the party vibe or cool out vibe. Okay, enough talking about this track…it’s FYAH!
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By the way, this is a good track to learn some Jamaican Patois/Jamaican Slang! Bless.
Update: The more I listen to this track, I think the people from Grand Theft Auto have to add this to the next version of the game to come out.
The Notorious B.I.G. a Child of Jamaica
March 9th, 1997 will forever be remembered as the day Christoper Wallace aka The Notorious B.I.G. left this earth to be with the Most High. And although, I like Biggie, as he is affectionately called, we are not here to discuss his classic hits or whether he was the greatest rapper ever. This is a blog about Jamaican Slang, Jamaica and Reggae Music. Fortunately for us, the late great rapper covered two out of the three. Biggie was the only child of Jamaican immigrants, Voletta Wallace and George Latore. As far as reggae music, early in Biggie’s career he did a classic track with dancehall legend Super Cat. This was my JAM and we want to dedicate this one to BIG POPPA. Enjoy this classic hip-hop/reggae track, “Dolly My Baby”, but don’t expect to learn any Jamaican Slang!
Jamaican Child’s Letter to Santa
This is quality. I saw this on Spragga Benz’ MySpace page and I thought I would share it with everyone here who is trying to learn Jamaican Slang. This is a letter written to Santa Clause from a likkle gyal inna Jamaica! Read it and pay attention to the Jamaican Slang and Patois grammar contained in the document.
Here is why unuh nuh fi fool up nuh yardy pickney bout Santa Claus dem will
bi scarred fi life
Please control yourself if you are at work… if not gwaan bad
Dear Santa,
I know you probly wondering why I writing yuh one day after Christmas but after opening mi presents dem yesterday, I just had was to write yuh. Santa, mi was a very good girl all year round. Mi listen to mi mummy when she talk to mi and ah help out wid di chores dem round di house. Ah even help di neighba pickney dem do fi dem chores tuh. One day mi all help out di old crosses Mr. George, the blind an cripple one, cross the road when di odda children dem just ah watch him an ah tek gamble pon what kind of cyar did ah go lick him dung. Santa, dem just lef him deh fi dead, but mi help him out.
Santa ah studied real hard in school this year, so hard till mi all
come fuss inna di class. Ah make it mi duty to be nice and not naughty Santa.
I was so good. Ah real good girl Santa.
Santa when ah write mi Christmas list to yuh dis year, ah ask yuh fi a
Barbie princess doll, ah Barbie kitchen, ah Dora the Explorer computer game, a cyabbage patch doll and ah monopoly game.
So Santa, how the blood claat after reading mi list yuh leave under di
Christmass tree ah phukking light up yo-yo, one plastic tea-cup set and
ah phukking no name dolly dat look like she have polio and ah dead from
marli gripe an fluxxy complain.
Santa is either yuh blind or yuh cyah blood claat read!!! Every year ah
say ah would stop believing in yuh and like ah dyam fool mi always give yuh ah next chance, but not ah phukking-gain, yuh hear mi Santa? Not a bloodclaat. Yuh hear what ah say Santa? Yuh phukking fat red rass yuh.
Yuh see all nex year, yuh betta dont try squeeze yuh big fat batty thru mi louvres dem, because Santa ah swear ah going phukk yuh up. It going to be me, you and dis sharp blood claat knife, so mi can jukk yuh inna yuh belly. Yuh hear mi sah? Mi ah go stab up yuh Bloodcaat.
Imagine, yuh give that likkle cock eye gyal Sally from cross di road everything that she ax fah. So much so dat she all nuh have nuh room fi walk round she house.
Yuh see all nex year Santa, ah will be back to mi good old self. Dat’s right Santa. Ah not going give mummy nuh trouble or cause nuh havoc roun’ere . And Santa, a goin wait pon you patiently ….ah goin wait
pon yuh paitently with ah big blood claat rock stone fi yuh backside.
And den when you and them blasted reindeer dat favour some dyam oversize goat wid tree branch ah grow otta dem head top, com ho-ho
hoing down pon i old rusty zinc nex Chirstmas…..BOOP!!!!! Is one rass lick inna yuh blood claat head.
Santa ah going done yuh blood claat, Memba dat yuh hear Santa. Try
Memba dat!!
Love Likkle Keisha
Jamaican Slang Editorial Mixtape Review: DJ 100dBs – Ganja Tunes Mix
Yea, I know mixtapes aren’t really around anymore, but I grew up with the word and always “copping” new mixtapes. Besides, at this point I am not really ready to say digital mix…it took a while just to get comfortable with mix cd, so “gi mi a bligh”!!
I was put on to DJ 100dBs by a friend in New York who always goes to the events sponsored by 100dBs’ bredren, Theory Events (All of the parties are “fyah”, but especially the reggae parties, so if you are in NYC, make your way to Leopard Lounge to hear the young master in action). So, 100dBs made a mixtape dedicated to Ganja and the Ganja holiday, 4-20!
Basically, Ganja Tunes is the perfect mix for anyone that just wants to “cool out” and wants to hear a collection of reggae spanning three decades. Most of the songs are well known to reggae aficionados, but can be appreciated by all. The songs that most people will recognize are Pass the Kutchie (The Mighty Diamonds) and Legalize It (Peter Tosh), but just about everything on this mixtape is classic. And everything is focused around Ganja (I mean the mix IS Called Ganja Tunes). Here are my 3 favorite tracks:
1) Morgan Heritage – Give We a License
2) John Holt – Police in Helicopter
3) Barrington Levy – Sensimilea
As far as learning Jamaican Slang, this is not really the mixtape that is going to take your Patois to the next level, but it will certainly educate you on just about every word used for weed. Although this mixtape was mixed around the theme of 4-20, you can really listen to it anytime of the year. It’s great to listen to when you are cooling out, having a house party, at the beach with your bredren or taking things to a higher level! By the way, the DJing on this mix is actually good and 100dBs does a great job of focusing on the music and not sound effects. Go download this mix now and check for more from 100dBs! Big up 100dBs, Ashir and the whole Theory Events family!
Click here to download Ganja Tunes.
Tracklist: |
|
| Pinchers – Sensimina | |
| Morgan Heritage – Give We A License | |
| Collie Buddz – Come Around | |
| Carl Murphy – Lick I Pipe | |
| Sugar Minott – Herbman Hustling | |
| The Mighty Diamonds – Pass The Kutchie | |
| Barrington Levy – Sensimilea | |
| Barrington Levy – Under Mi Sensi | |
| Peter Tosh – Legalize It | |
| Neville Brown – Babylon Don’t Touch My Sensi | |
| Richie Spice – Marijuana | |
| Top Cat – Love Mi Sess | |
| John Holt – Police In Helicopter | |
| Dice & Cummie – Free The Weed | |
| Michael Palmer – Don’t Smoke The Seed | |
| Eek A Mouse – Ganja Smuggling | |