Historian, check out our favourite Trini

[Mosiah]

Nicki a do har ting in a dancehall stylee! (Just aged myself with that "stylee" reference.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcxEe0ECPvM

Oh! It's PG rated! Or X!

[Historian]

Glad to See You're Happy, Boss

Nicki a do har ting in a dancehall stylee! (Just aged myself with that "stylee" reference.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcxEe0ECPvM

Oh! It's PG rated! Or X!

So, I guess because Nicki Minaj and Busta Rhymes rip off a few Jamaican cuss words, that legitimizes anything? And I guess that our Jamaican pride should soar higher because the most despicable aspects of our culture are being displayed in order for Busta Rhymes to maintain an image in the increasingly irrelevant world of hip hop?

(By the way, I’m aware of his new work, “Twerk It,” from his upcoming “Dungeons and Dragons” album, but I am not commenting on that; I am commenting on the video I was invited to watch.)

This is not the first time sh!t like this has been done by foreigners. Over a decade ago, for example, Foxy Brown and her crew made the long journey to Jamaica to utilize the “bad boy” image of our culture to, I guess, get an edge over her arch rival, Lil Kim. So, a touch of Spragga Benz and a large serving of certain aspects of dancehall vibes saturated her recording and video (remember “Oh Yeah”?).

When I first read your title, I was quite honestly interested, as I thought you were referring to a genuinely talented Trinidadian like Destra Garcia, who I love and admire very much for her work. (There are so many Trinis and Bajans, including my favorite Caribbean female singer Allison Hinds, who are turning out wonderful soca.)

Personally, I am offended when foreigners like Nicki Minaj and Rihanna use the negative aspects of Jamaican society to feed their “bad girl” image (in Rihanna’s case, I refer specifically to that violence-laden video that she shot in Jamaica a year or two ago). In the case of American rapper Busta (and yes, I know all about his parentage), his long career, which is a confused mixture of hip hop bad boy imagery and, occasionally, Jamaican reggae, has reached the stage where desperation has obviously set in. He’ll do anything to be relevant, including adopting the lowest common denominator.

There is so much that is positive about Jamaica, as people like Freddie MacGregor and others have gone to great lengths to show. There is also so much beauty in our accent, colloquialisms and peculiar ways of speaking, as Diana King, Ce’Cile, Cherine Anderson, Tanya Stephens, Peetah Morgan, Gramps Morgan, etc. etc. have shown us over and over. Sadly, we continue to be mesmerized by the notions of our “badness,” particularly when this is displayed on an international stage.

When will we learn? Is it any wonder that, increasingly, Jamaicans are being given a challenging time at immigration points around the region when compared with other Caribbean people, including Guyanese and Haitians? To a great extent it has to do with perception, a perception that is not helped Nicki Minaj’s stupidity!

By the way, I don’t even regard Nicki Minaj as a Trini. Yes, she was born in Trinidad, but has she ever identified with her native culture? Compare her with Morgan Heritage, for example. Denroy Morgan’s children were NOT born in Jamaica; they were all born in the USA, but guess what they identify with and expose in positive ways?

On speaking of positive, it is good, I guess, to see Farrel Williams still in the production game.

[Exile]

Don't let Mosiah style you...good response though.

[Bricktop]

There is so much that is positive about Jamaica, as people like Freddie MacGregor and others have gone to great lengths to show.

A sampling of recent recordings from Freddie MacGregor's studio:

Top shotta nuh miss
Dem seh mi ah rise crime
Mek people eat fish and bread
And have ah nice time
Head drop of and ah roll like an dice time

Amazing grace
Shot fly tru face,
The bwoy dem a trace
Shoot up dem base
Have the K's dem in case,
Dem try fi escape
None cyaa escape
When mi gun blaze
My war is like no orda,
When mi dun dem nave no sista, no broda
Should a hear the bwoy scream and say oh mama!
Mi bus the camel back wit no hamma
Body lef pon tar wid no anna
Lef headless and speechless, nave no gramma

Thanks for the positivity Freddie

[Rudi]

Bricky, isn't that run by his son? Don't know for certain just asking.

[Assasin]

if Brickie a slap Skeng so, you nuh think Freddie can slap him young son??

[Rudi]

Good point.

[Historian]

Thanks, Exile -- A Question For You

Don't let Mosiah style you...good response though.

Thanks, Exile.

I honestly hope that Mo is not offended in any way, because I’ve always found him to be a likeable, decent person.

My anger was specifically with the contents of the video. It’s one thing for some of our misguided recording artists to seek to promote a certain picture of Jamaica, but it’s another when Tom, Dick and Harry from outside our country select the negative aspects of Jamaica and promote it for their own self-aggrandizement, among other things.

By the way, Exile, how does the average Trinidadian regard Nicki Minaj?

I know that many Bajans (probably most) didn’t approve of Rihanna, who many apparently felt had forgotten her Barbadian roots (she was born in Barbados to a Guyanese mother and a Barbadian dad). Some months ago, in either early 2013 or late 2012, she held a huge, well-produced free concert in Barbados, and I suspect that she may have won her people’s hearts by this noble gesture.

On a personal level, the lack of enthusiasm with which I regard many of today’s recording artists is the fact that they are primarily the products of the music industry. It’s not so much talent as much as grooming and “packaging” them for a mass audience, as was done in the disco era with recording artists like the Village People and so many others. Maybe this is what made the Bee Gees such a refreshing face for me during that era.

[Assasin]

On a personal level, the lack of enthusiasm with which I regard many of today’s recording artists is the fact that they are primarily the products of the music industry. It’s not so much talent as much as grooming and “packaging” them for a mass audience, as was done in the disco era with recording artists like the Village People and so many others. Maybe this is what made the Bee Gees such a refreshing face for me during that era.

Pretty much saying what I was a few days ago. Not many musical superstars around. Fact is for most really know about their tv presence, and antics before the music get a chance to flow to you.

[Exile]

There is a lot of caricaturization of the Jamaican culture and regrettably what is in the video is just a snapshot of some of the perceptions.

As for Nicki Minaj - she has her following but earned the ire of most people here when she went on Idol and made disparaging remarks about her early childhood comparing it with some contestant from the Middle East I think, and how she had to get out (of TT).

Rihanna on the other hand has embraced her roots -maybe lately - and has the support of most Bajans who affectionately call her RiRi.

As you said - its all about the packaging....as for the Bee Gees - didn't we all try to hit those high notes...preferably and most suited for the bathroom.

[Peter R]

Brickie is Skeng fada?

[Historian]

Thanks for the Reply

Exile, I didn’t know about that Nicki Minaj incident on American Idol. Why on earth would she say something like that, is she trying to become the next V.S. Naipaul (lol)?

Not long ago, Rihanna bought a beautiful mansion in Barbados, complete with swimming pool, for her mother. RiRi and Oprah Winfrey took us television viewers on a tour of the interior of that fabulous house.

Yes, I certainly remember the Bee Gees and their falsetto singing and high notes (lol). And speaking of high notes, the two that people “like” to embarrass themselves with are the high note that Whitney Houston hit in “Saving All My Love For You” and Minnie Riperton’s in “Loving You.”

Thankfully, no one ever tries Phillip Bailey’s stratospheric note in Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Reasons” (lol).

There is a lot of caricaturization of the Jamaican culture and regrettably what is in the video is just a snapshot of some of the perceptions.

As for Nicki Minaj - she has her following but earned the ire of most people here when she went on Idol and made disparaging remarks about her early childhood comparing it with some contestant from the Middle East I think, and how she had to get out (of TT).

Rihanna on the other hand has embraced her roots -maybe lately - and has the support of most Bajans who affectionately call her RiRi.

As you said - its all about the packaging....as for the Bee Gees - didn't we all try to hit those high notes...preferably and most suited for the bathroom.

[Assasin]

It look so.

[Exile]

"Reasons" is a favourite one I use to try....although I remember back in my youthful days, I played it at the wrong time and caused much sorrow....

The EW&F you must try is 'Fantasy'.

[Peter R]

Reasons was, no, still is my favourite EWF tune!