So a reggae artist has hit out at the continued change in dancehall presentations of dance and style in the form of the new single from Mr. Perfect. There are those who question if "swag" is actually a dance move or a kind of pose to show off or just "floss" as we say here in Jamaica which is an image one creates around oneself at an event to look good. Of course we have been following the new twists supposedly challenging the hegemonic views of masculinity in Jamaica for some time now and with the whole skin bleaching drama still in the public domain this song's release is timely. If it catches on it will add more voices and concerns from certain quarters in reggae and dancehall of note the Rastafarian community who have been always vocal about "burning out" supposed gay themed to linked lifestyles.
Mr. Perfect clearly re-affirms the stereotypical view that anything less masculine is considered gay so the moves and the supposed style of dress by the male dancers in particular is of concern to him. Read below the article from the Star of which I have translated the patios somewhat for better understanding for my non Jamaican readers.
See what you make of it:
Butt shaking angers Mr Perfect
Reggae-dancehall artiste Mr Perfect is concerned about a dance move which he describes as a disgrace to the Jamaican male community.
Perfect thinks that the popular dance, called 'Swag', has what he considers to be 'questionable' movements.
He even went as far as to record a song about the dance. In the chorus of the song, Perfect deejays, Swag but nuh shake yuh bottom/Nuh man, nuh man, nuh shake yuh bottom.
He goes on to say in the first verse,
"Dem seh swag inna di dance now swag inna di ting/ (they say swag is in the dance moves but there is no swag in the thing)
But mi wonda weh some young man guh learn swaggering/ (I want to know where some man learn swaggering)
Dem a swagga like Sunshine, a swagga like Kim/ (they are swaggering like Sunshine and swaggering like Kim)
Come a dance inna tight pants an belly skin/ (coming into tight pants and belly skin - a form of female clothing showing the stomach and navel)
Video man a ketch di movie, a which dancer that a try tek Keiva duty?/ (videographers catching the moves [on cam] which [male] dancers trying to catch Keiva's duty?)
Suh mi seh swag if yuh a swag but jah kno it look bad fi a young man a shake dem booty. (So I say swag if you're swaggering but it looks bad for a man shaking his booty)
not right"
Speaking with THE STAR,
Mr Perfect explained the reason behind his thoughts saying: "Mi know the whole swag thing was made by the Yankees and the word meant, like, your personality and such. What you have found now is that it comes to Jamaica and becomes a dance. I've been to various hotspots and see them doing it. It's a movement where a lot of butt shaking is involved, it's not right for a big man to be shaking his butt like that. Leave the butt shaking to the ladies!"
He continued, "I'm not the first person to complain, but I'm the first to put it in a song. Even Keiva a seh Perfect, di man dem a tek ova mi ting. Of course yuh can swag in the dance, but nuh bodda wid the butt shaking."
small meeting
The creators of the 'Swag' dance is the Swag Team which comprises CP Inc, New Kidz, Singer J and Vybrant. Mr Perfect has no grouse with them, however, as he said he had a small meeting with them and they are not the ones with whom he has a problem.
"I've seen the Swag Team on the move before and I didn't see any of them behaving in that manner. I believe it's the other so-called dancers that add their own style to someone's move, that have turned it into that," he said.
When contacted, New Kidz of the Swag Team said, "Perfect know seh that a nuh our style, because we did already talk bout it with him. Swag was not even a dance, is just a boasy stand up weh mi come out wid, and after that wi turn it inna dance. Mr Lexx seh swag dag diggy weh a total different ting from we. Swag is not a thing for a man weh seh swag dag diggy."
Fans can look out for the SubKonshus Music-produced Swag Team Hot This Year from the group.
Mr Perfect recently finished his Chalice Palace Recording Studio in Bamboo, St Ann.
His latest album, Good Side Of Bad, was recently completed and he is working on a second album to be released in the last quarter of this year, as well.
ENDS
So here we have it.
Peace and tolerance
H
No comments:
Post a Comment