Dissapointed at Sizzla concert

[Noah_The_African]

I attended the Sizzla concert last night and left with a feeling of disappointment. Sizzla and Capelton are two of my favorite artists/Rasta in my favorite music genre, reggae. I have nearly all of sizzlas releases. What makes me such a big fan of Sizzla is his chanting in regards to the struggle of black African people with and in the West and the relationship between black men and black women both, present, past and future as a microcosm of the Bobo Ashanti and Nahyabingi houses of Rastafarianism as my limited knowledge lead me to understand. In essence, I love how his lyrics manifest the reality of the earth movement.

There were about 200 people who showed up for this Sunday night concert and of those 200 about 75% were white. I thought maybe I had gone on the wrong night or something, but it turned out that those white folks were there to see Sizzla. I had a hard time juxtaposing this afro-centric Bobo Ashanti with the white crowd that was there. Then when Sizzla performed, he did not perform many of the songs of black struggle and uplift (the earth movement) that created my admiration and following for his music. Some songs that he performed he substituted black and African for other generic adjectives that could apply universally to all. I figure he did that as an astute businessman, who therefore tailored his show to his audience, which was white. There was no chanting about Black women and childred or the wickedness of slavery, least not while I was there. You see, I left probably after his 7th song, thus, I could be premature in my critique and disappointment, but it was late and I have a job to go to in the mornings, plus my wife was starting to look bored as she is not a big reggae fan.

In light of this experience and observation, although I acknowledge that it may be incorrect as a result of not staying for the whole show, I was wondering if the effects of whites entering a black movement alters or dilutes from its original purpose? If the foundation or growth of the support of a movement becomes significantly white, does it naturally result in catering to the feelings and interest of whites? I am sure that by Sizzla substituting generic adjectives in his lyrics as opposed to precise racial adjectives used in his recordings, it likely resulted in the whites feeling more inclusive in the movement and it is good for the business entertaining. This makes good business sense, given that the 75% white audience was paying for his performance. However, every action creates and equal and opposite reaction, thus, whites gain became a loss for me or people like. Consequently, when white enter a movement in numbers, their interest often dilutes the interest of the orthodox Afro-centric followers.

I often wonder why so many white American can accept lyrics from Jamaican blacks, which they would rarely accept and embrace if coming from American blacks? If black Americans started singing about what the white system has done to black people and about black love, unity and uplift from the wickedness of the Western world created by whites, through the suffering of our ancestors, [they] would try to condemn and ban the music as [racist], Yet, when Jamaicans do the same thing, often metaphorically, whites do not feel threatened by it and many even start trying to emulate the symbols of it. Just think if the Nation of Islam had a music genre that went with its ideology and spirituality? How many whites would be buying and listing to the music and start shaving their heads and wearing suits and bow ties?

This analogy may make some on this forum uncomfortable to be compared the Rasta movement with the NOI, but there are many parallels. Both movements came into fruition about the same time in history and both manifested as a reaction and rejection of white superiority and the mistreatment of African people. Here in America, the ONLY origination that continues an orthodox struggle for black self empowerment and uplift is the NOI. All other originations have been diluted by white interest and membership and no longer specifically seek to address the peculiar results that manifested from the peculiar institution of racial enslavement. I am not a member of the NOI or am I a RASTA, however, I love the movements that they both share for the uplift of black people. Both have a spiritual dimension. Both have a symbolic dimension and both have an earth movement aimed at speaking out for and working to uplift black people.

In conclusion, I do not think that I will be going to another concert to hear conscious roots and culture, when the audience is predominantly white, but I will continue to buy the undiluted music.

[iyah360]

Peace.

While I do not overstand what Sizzla's true motive for "diluting" the lyrics to his songs, I will say this.

Reggae and Dancehall are HOT sellers amongst the younger white college crowd. It is something where there is much market potential if the message is not offending to the white consumer. There are indeed a few white followers of Rastafari and sympathizers who can handle the WHOLE truth . ..  but the REALITY of the situation is that the ONE LOVE universal vibe is what white college kids are comfortable with and is what will sell the artist's image.

Again, why do Capleton and Sizzla also come with some slackness in their lyrics as well? I think it is because they are doing what the market dictates, they would probably make more on that one whack slackness tune that gets airplay in the hip club than for tens or hundreds of conscious tunes that they write.

It is too bad.

[Noah_The_African]

Then is it possible to be successful economically, without whites, given that the improvement of our economics is one of the goals of black uplift (earth movement)?  Thus is it therefore an imperative that whites dilute black movements so that we may reap some economic reward from it? In the Universe every action creates and equal and opposite reaction. Every get has a corresponding give. Consequently, do black movements GIVE up the core principles of Afro-centricity, to GET economic benefit from whites?

I look at how white economic dollars has transformed rap music. There use to be a solid percent of rap music that would fall into the category of the EARTH MOVEMENT. However, white youth purchases of rap thus started to shape what type of music the artist would supply, for the artist became motivate by economics and wealth first, with all other concerns becoming secondary. Thus, white youth supported the worst form of rap music, which was the gangster and women degrading rap music, which actually hurts the collective black community more than it has helped, notwithstanding the wealth it created for the individual black artist.

[iyah360]

Peace.

very interesting. I was actually having a discussion about hip-hop yesterday and how the message therein got diluted in favor of bling bling and self-destructive lyrics. Indeed it is very possible that initially the culture was grass roots Black motivated, fully owned and controlled by Black interests.

Then as the corporate found out they could make $ off of it, they did the market research and found out WHO was buying the music, WHAT was the message that this market wanted to hear, and then ENCOURAGED this message to be carried forth in the lyrics.

I am not in a position to discuss the need for for Black self-determination as I am "white." Yet i KNOW that the undiluted message of TRUTH, regardless of its offense to the current mindstate of the brain dead is what will benefit ALL in the long run.

Bless.

[Noah_The_African]

Your theory is very plausible, however, I do not think that it requires a conspiracy, as this is simply the nature of capitalism. Capitalism is centered on profit and laws of supply and demand. Demand dictates what will be supplied as producers who are seeking to maximize their profit simply attempts to meet what the consumers are asking for. Failure to adhere to market demands will thus render a business unprofitable in the long run.

I think those music artists are primarily capitalist engaged in the business of making profit and to the degree that one accepts and embraces this economic philosophy and practice, ideological and philosophical movements will always fall beneath, in the hierarchy of importance, to capitalist interest.

[gonejah]

VERY interesting topic

I have seen Sizzla a few times and the most recent time was at Sumfest a couple of months ago.  I have to say that I was also very disappointed, but for different reasons.  I didn't like the way the vibes changed in the audience when Sizzla came on.  I was in the Press pit at the front of the stage (until they made us move back due to his fireworks) and everyone around me that I talked to after the performance said the same thing.  There were a lot of negative vibes.  He never changed any of his lyrics, but then I guess he didn't have to considering the audience.  The negativity wasn't coming from the message, don't get me wrong, it was coming from him.  I have not had a chance to interview him for a few years now, but I will have that chance next week as I will be working at a couple of his shows.  It will be interesting to see if the vibes are the same.

As for the message getting diluted in favor of bling bling and self destructive lyrics.................... unfortunately that is becoming quite a trend in dancehall music.  Then there are the crossover artists who are going only for bling bling.  Case in point, I will also be working at an Elephant Man show this Friday.  It is not as bad for an artist like, say, Sean Paul, to do what he does to appeal to whoever will spend money on his music.  It is a shame, however, when an artist like Sizzla who is truly talented and is capable of dropping some real knowledge and conscious lyrics, sells out.  Not that I agree with everything Sizzla stands for, I don't (that is another discussion all together), but I have always respected him as an artist.  

If I can think of a good way to approach it I may try to ask him about this topic in an interview.

[Rootsie]

"I often wonder why so many white American can accept lyrics from Jamaican blacks, which they would rarely accept and embrace if coming from American blacks? "

In my experience this is not the case. In the 1980's when my children were young we were listening to KRS-1, Jungle Brothers, Public Enemy, Arrested Development, and so on and so on, and then as my children got older they introduced ME to The Roots, Common, dead prez, Gangstarr, and a host of more obscure 'underground'  hip-hop. Now when I would go to these shows when I lived in Minneapolis, and  just as you described with reggae shows and I saw myself, the crowds for 'conscious hip-hop' were mostly white youths. My youths are passionate about this music, and it has informed their consciousness to a large extent, and in a most postive and militant direction. They are in college now, and this is a  passion they share with all of their black and white friends.

Now what I found distressing is that I would bring this music to the high school and share it with my students, many of whom were American blacks, and they had not ever heard this music or OF this music, for that matter. Except for Wu-tang and a few other 'crossovers', the audience for black-consciousness hip hop is largely white! My students listened to ja rule, dmx, and worse. I called it 'pop rap', and it was the music that the local black station promotes for the most part.

All of the conscious hip hop and pop rap cd's can be found in the same music stores, but the conscious music of course is not aggressively marketed to black youth: the junk is, and for obvious reasons.

I think this is a complex phenomenon and there are many elements, and class is one of them, but I would like to hear how other people see this. I think that educated blacks and whites both listen to conscious reggae and hip hop. Besides education/social class, what are the issues?

I also noticed that my students who were immigrants and refugees from Africa, of whom I had many, were more likely than black American youths to listen to conscious hip-hop as well. And they live in the same neighborhoods and watch the same MTV as American blacks.

Rootsie

[Bantu_Kelani]

Brother Noah,

My stance on this issue is once again white people are using black people to acquire more of a stance in society. THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE OF RASTAFARI, REGGAE MUSIC AND/OR DRUMMING SHOULD BE A MYSTICAL JOURNEY, A MODERN MANIFESTATION OF THE ANCIENT AFRICAN MYSTERY TRADITION! But instead the so-called rastaman or rastawoman walking the streets only understand what appears on the surface that is the superficial and excessive symbolism of Rastafari. Dreadlocks (IMO means nothing more than hair), reggae music, the red-gold-green and ganja obscure the role of the importance of Rastafari movement! As a result, whites (the most superficial on the planet) adopt these outward adornments, which of course are easy to buy... To them the good reggae music is comparable to good punk, heavy metal or hip-hop. Thus they go on stealing and officially devaluing it for white/European power desires...

They use the movement as a means so they can legally smoke marijuana. In fact, most of them don't even embrace the beliefs in the divinity of Haile Selaisse, in Salvation through repatriation and total suppression of racism and discrimination. To see these people, especially Caucasians with these locks and "reggae colors" to me means "I believe in the religious belief to smoke marijuana and hash" ...

As you know, it common practice among westerners to rob our sciences, ARTS, even our speech and continuing to pea in our Traditions soup..I can definitely relate to this one Noah that's the reason why I stopped going to hip-hop/reggae concerts in 1999. Rastafarian musicians do talk a good talk, but Materialism consume them big time! They might have good lyrics about society problems, but they really are non-spiritual to me...

IT IS TIME BLACK MUSICIANS, RASTAFARIANS AND BLACK PEOPLE IN GENERAL TO THINK OF OURSELVES AND OUR OURSELVES ONLY. To date we have received too much raw deal from the other races especially the Caucasians. Rastafari and reggae was invented from the heart and soul feelings of black people for black people! Only fools will sing, perform for and associate with people who continue to ignore and spit on their prerogatives, beliefs and heritage!

REAL RASTAS never disregard their great past, civilization and Culture no matter the audience they face. Instead we stand Proud, wonderful and Godlike. WE ARE NOT  BRAINWASH! Check us out Noah Click the link below...

[link=http://www.rastaspeaks.com/Rasta/]http://www.rastaspeaks.com/Rasta/[/link]


Bantu-Kelani.

[iyah360]

Peace Noah the African.

"Then as the corporate found out they could make $ off of it, they did the market research and found out WHO was buying the music, WHAT was the message that this market wanted to hear, and then ENCOURAGED this message to be carried forth in the lyrics."

While this may sounds like conspiracy, this is indeed how the marketers work for corporate interests. By 'encouraged' I meant that artists who would put forth the message that was selling best to the target market were signed more readily and given more media exposure.

[Noah_The_African]

Rootsie, it is not fair or accurate to use exceptions to the rule as a counterbalance or repudiation of the general rule.  The fact that you know some whites that listened to artist like KRS1and Gangstar, juxtaposed by the phenomenon of black youth that did not, really does not represent the general rule or general truth of this matter. It is tantamount to noting that during slavery in America that there were some blacks in New Orleans and Charleston who owned black slaves. This is a true fact but it is also an anomaly of slavery as it represents a rare reality, which really has no counter weight against the truth of white enslavement of black people. Bringing up exceptions to the rule really seeks to divert from the greater truth and hence the greater solution. I mean, as an example, I know white conservatives who listen to reggae music and put money in the pockets of people who speak on how white civilization exploited and abused black people, but yet, you would not find many conservative whites who financially promote the same such lyrics from America artist via buying their music. The bottom line is perceived threat, which Rastafarianism posing none to white interest, while they fear renewed militancy from the African American community and do not want lyrics instigating its rise.


Bantu Kalani, there is a great degree of truth in what you say that the truth is near absolutism. I witnessed first hand, what you have lamented, at the concert Sunday night. I witnessed whites emulating the symbolism of the Rasta movement, plus some African Americans, the few of us who were there. However, I am not qualified to know or see their spiritualism that resides within them. But I do believe that most people are attracted to the movement for because they like the “RYTHME” and the “WEED”, primarily, and that is true for whites and blacks. But I do share your analysis. It is similar with the Hip Hop culture. You see whites emulating the symbolisms of urban black youth. I think that to a certain degree we are all imitators of something that we admire or aspire towards and thus imitation of black culture by whites can be viewed as a compliment and as a positive phenomenon. However, it is still a catch 22 because white entrance into the culture of blacks invariably changes and dilutes it, if they enter in large numbers. It is tantamount to people who want to move to the far away from the city because they are attracted to the open spaces and less human and traffic congestion. But for every person who has the same idea and thus moves out there too, they have just diluted and changed that environment with another human body, thus slowly eroding what made it attractive in the beginning. California was once a state that had such an attraction, and then everyone moved in and made less enjoyable a state that was once very enjoyable.

IN order to preserve an environment, the government often takes domain over the environment and do not allow humans to encroach upon and hence destroy it. They may visit it, but they are not allowed to become part owners of it, thus shaping and changing it to meet their individual needs or desires. There are some cultural things, related to black people and our struggle, which simply needs to be preserved until such time that black humanity has risen from the effects of our subjugation.  There are some things that whites simply do not need to take partial ownership in, because once they do, it changes it from being what it was, which created their original attraction. Thus, in a sense, there taking or assuming part ownership actually sets the precedence for its destruction. However, it will not be destroyed before the person who takes ownership gets out of it what he or she wants to get out of it, as everyone’s motives are thus selfish. Whites can enjoy some of the things of blackness, just like people enjoy the national park system, but as soon as you try to take partial ownership and move in, the precedent has thus been set for the destruction of that which you once enjoyed.


Its like if a white women loves dark black men. They marry and then have a child, that child can never become that which you love. The same is true for black men who love white women and think that they are the most attractive women. So they marry white women and have children. He will not produce kids that manifest what he loves or finds most attractive. I am not anti-interracial relation. If God is not, than no one should be against such and I do believe that God is not against such. However, it needs to be two souls connecting and being attracted to the other soul and not [Race] or  [color]  of an individual. My point being that if you are attracted to things due to their origin in blackness, and you are white, you can never reproduce it unless you are black, you can dilute it, but you cannot reproduce it as was.

[iyah360]

Peace.

I think Noah makes a crucial point. It is true that when white people come into a Black movement, it does indeed get watered down.

The combined mental energy of people in groups including perceptions, comfort levels and ideas of reality create the environment. Many whites associate Rasta with Bob Marley, weed, reggae, red gold and green, etc(I am focussing on whites because that is the group I am most familiar with).

Someone I know was talking about the "Churchical Chants of the Nyabinghi" CD that ones can buy in the record store. He said it was good, but it was racist?!?!?! . . . mostly because of the chant "White Boy a Follower" So here is a case and point of someone who claims Rasta, yet does not want ot accept some of the tenets because it makes one uncomfortable. Expand this to a mass level and presto .. . Black liberation is diluted.


So this leads me to ask . . . since I know some whites who claim Rastafari, what would ones as AFRICANS recommend I say or do when a white person feels uncomfortable or wants to reject an aspect because it doesn't fit with that person's rosy color perspective of the world?

Give thanks in advance.

[Rootsie]

Noah:

I am not merely relaying anecdotal stories or citing exceptions to the rule I have heard hip-hop artists comment on this phenomenon time and again, that more white youth than black are listening to hip-hop with conscious content.

It's not like I'm making this up or speaking of 'a few' examples. This is a commonly noted phenomenon.

I think in many ways we are talking about media brainwashment.  To the point where aspirations are not political/collective, but bling/personal. Understandable. Tragic.

Kelani, do you have any ideas why this might be so?

Rootsie

[Noah_The_African]

Rootsie I guess my question would be what percentage of white youth are your talking about. Also, these artists have not lamented on the nature of the consciousness. I am talking specifically about Afro-Centric consciousness, not a general political or social consciousness. I am a firm believer that black people need to self affirm who we are as black people, to offset the over 300 year propagation of the doctrine of our inferiority.

I do not have proof or number or even here say, as you do, that makes me believe as such. However, I do understand the nature of America. Also, remember that for every one black person in America that there are 5 white people here. Thus, it does not take much for whites to outnumber blacks in any phenomenon. Consequently, 2 or 3 percent of white people buying generically conscious music can easily dominate the conscious music market, given the numeric dominance of whites in the nation. But again, 2 or 3 percent of white does not represent the GENERAL RULE and hence the GENERAL TRUTH of what white purchase or do not purchase in music.

[Rootsie]

Well my question is not really why American white youths buy yes indeed afro-Centric hip-hop, since I know about that, being white.

I am asking the harder question, the one that sets me up for accusations of making false generalizations.

Rootsie

[Bantu_Kelani]

GREAT posts Noah!

Of course I concur with what you have said...

Traditional, untainted Rasta music, African drumming could help liberate black people...Just look at Haitian history. Playing the drum and Vodou excited a great deal Haitians, and this excitement stirred them to make Haiti the first black Republic who successfully led a glorious revolution to end slavery!  It is our unspoiled Culture that gives us GREAT Art and Music! Playing the drums, traditional rasta ridims has GREAT amount of hope for us!

At the highest level of generality, it is a totally consumer/capitalist approach interrelating...The white capitalists being selfish only seek the larger profit robbing our Creativity and labor. They are willing and only satisfied to use us whenever possible on a large scale promoting the standard of white/near whites privilege. Whites/near whites so called Rastafarians who know this (they know Rasta musicians sing it!) conscious or unconsciously ignore it, and it's just business as usual and the way things work in this present day Civilization...

Bob music and hippie lifestyle gave a wave of interest in the Rastafari movement in Europe and the United States but the larger Universal truth, the truth of Garvey is sneakily bypassed to be removed!  There is this fear of Black Nationalism! Black Nationalism will culturally enrich the oppressed, THEY know it. The hypocrisy and hatred is frankly displayed. Nevertheless white people still exploit this problem and fear, whereas we black people still refuse to admit by mixing with them, we black Africans are even MORE discriminated against and denied our full Rights in their social institutions and governments...Having jumped the broom with Rastafari and/or Afrocentricity MOST whites and very near whites try and succeed to further strengthen their influential positions!

Educated and daring black Africans should always partake in the challenging of their prejudice! We the dark skinned black men and women who are the most victims of all the wrongs and outrages in this world, should never yield any of their influence in our arrangements, organizations and movements to give reality to their supremacist agenda. It is for our own sake, interest and SURVIVAL!  

We must regain pride and control in all things PURE and black African! Too many mediocre and irresponsible black  musicians, leaders (generally the so-called leaders placed among the highest in education and society) and individuals are traitors to the race! They HELP the damage done to black people by the western powers to erode at our very souls, what a brainwash! What I have learned is all universal truths must manifest themselves in particular places and through particular individuals. To understand the CORE concept of Rastafari, which is the Garveyite black resistance and liberation one has to feel it, know it and cry it! ONE HAS TO BE BLACK!

Since we as a people need to have self determination culturally, politically, economically, educationally and spiritually, we need to provide a proper arrangements and methods to CONTROL our own world. The thing is known, it's called PROPAGANDA via black awareness music, visual art, drama and poetry!

LET'S LINK BACK OUR RASTA RIDIMS TO CONSCIOUS AFRICAN-INFLUENCED TRADITIONAL AND FOLK FORM! TRADITIONAL, UNTAINTED RASTA MUSIC, AFRICAN DRUMMING WILL HELP LIBERATE BLACK PEOPLE!  SANKOFA!

Bantu-Kelani.