I am not a fan
of mainstream dancehall, so when someone sent me the video of the
Reggae/Dancehall segment of the BET Awards, I was taken aback by the gesture. I
was thinking, “She knows I don’t listen
to dancehall, so what the hell…?” I clicked play and watched the 4-minute
clip, and within the first minute, my jaw dropped. I was in awe. They had a
dancehall setting fully replicated, outfits and all, complete with the
feel-good older dancehall music that I’m used to hearing.
Beenie Man’s "Zim Zimma (Who’s Got the Keys to ma Bimma?)"
was very popular and got the crowd moving. Beenie Man’s croak at the beginning
(2:05-2:15) was quite hilarious, but he recovered quickly and continued with his famous selection.
Then the “Energy God,” the man known
for putting some popular dance moves on the front scene, entered from the
middle of the crowd onto the stage with his popular “Pon Di River” dance. Elephant Man was a genius when he created that
dance move. It was so simple, that even I mastered the craft of doing the “Pon Di River.” To top it off, Elephant
Man and Beenie Man “Go Dung the Flank” together near the end of the segment. We
saw the likes of Gabriel Union moving to the beats and even following along
with some of the songs.
I couldn’t help
but notice that Nicki Minaj was all over the dance floor trying to emulate all
the moves; she was a little awkward in her movements, however, as her dress was
a little bit tight. It was great seeing Jamaica on the scene again in a
positive light, symbolizing unity between generations of people. The older
folks, I’m sure are familiar with Chaka Demus and Pliers’ “Murder She Wrote” and Dawn Penn’s “No No No (You Don’t Love Me).”
The four-minute
segment was really enjoyable and it’s at this time especially that I love to
express that I AM PROUD TO BE JAMAICAN!
“When di music hit, yuh haffi move!”~JGIC
Translation: “When
the music hits, you just have to move!”
Jodi-Ann is an
Environmental Studies major in Nova Scotia, Canada.
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