Dancehall music and the Jamaican Youth: The blame game.

We cannot deny the lewdness of Dancehall music and that most of the lyrics being broadcasted are mostly about sex and violence. With that material being constantly fed to the Jamaican youth, it is not shocking that it will have adverse effects on their behavior. 

According to Esther Tyson (2009),” Dancehall is a culture which impacts dress, fashion and body language; it influences attitude. Dancehall dress leaves little of the women’s bodies to the imagination. It is this mindset that is now affecting so many of our young people in school”.

The content of DANCEHALL music has not changed over the years, when listening to dancehall music of the 70’s and 80’s it was mostly about sex and ‘badmanism’, remember Super Cat, Shabba Ranks, Lady Saw? 

 These ‘educated adults’ who are now demonizing dancehall music, didn’t they listen to dancehall music in their days? If not, why was that? If dancehall music THEN didn’t affect them, how come? It's because parents at the time were more strict and ensured that outside factors did not greatly affect the upbringing they saw fit for their child. Ask the question, what has happened to parenting of yesteryear which had a strict approach on the growing of the youth?

I have no problem admitting that dancehall music has negative effects on the Jamaican youths, my problem lies where society places the blame solely on the music. While it does have negative effects, it is unjust to place all blame on it. Where are the parents? Who is it that’s raising our youth, the music or parents? Who is more responsible for our youths?

 As I said before, dancehall music has NOT changed, dancehall of the 70’s and 80’s was about Sex, Sex and more sex, and it still is now, where were the complaints THEN?