Reggae fusion
Encyclopedia
Reggae fusion is a fusion genre
of reggae
that mixes reggae or dancehall
with other genre
s, such as pop
, rock
, hip hop
, R&B
, house
, jazz
& drum and bass
.
In addition to characterizing fusions of reggae music with other genres, the term is used to describe artists who frequently switch between reggae and other genres, mainly hip hop, such as Kardinal Offishall
, Sean Kingston
, Chux Starr and Heavy D. The term is also used to describe artists who are known to deejay
over instrumentals which are neither reggae nor dancehall, such as Elephant Man, Shaggy
, Beenie Man
, Natasja Saad
, Diana King
, Delly Ranx and Dionne Bromfield
.
The sub genre predominantly evolved from late 1980s and early 1990s dancehall music which instrumentals or riddims contained elements from the R&B and hip hop genres. Due to this, some consider dancehall artists such as Mad Cobra
, Shabba Ranks
, Super Cat
, Buju Banton
and Tony Rebel
as pioneers of reggae fusion. For some of these artists, such as Buju Banton, reggae fusion became a staple throughout their careers.
Although there were a few recognized reggae fusion artists in the late 80s to mid 1990s, such as Sublime
, Maxi Priest
, Shinehead
, UB40
, 311
, First Light and Inner Circle, their style of fusing genres was subtly done. Other acts, such as Third World
, not only commercially blended reggae with other genres but performed a wide variety of genres outside of reggae. It was not until the mid to late 1990s, when artists started to mix genres that were not similar (e.g. reggae with techno) that the sub genre gained a more distinctive sound and really began to grow. A major reason it gained international prominence was due to the lack of marketability of dancehall, in its rawest form, in the United States. By the late 1990s, dancehall had lost its footing in the American market as it had gotten more hardcore lyrically and started using a heavier Jamaican dialect and less standard English. This led dancehall artists who were trying to break into the U.S. market to fuse the dancehall style over softer and predominantly pop
and hip hop instrumentals. Traditional dancehall acts, such as Shaggy
and Beenie Man
experienced commercial success in the American markets with the release of their albums in 2000. Shaggy's album, Hot Shot
, especially helped further propel the sub genre internationally, as his album spawned two #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100
, "It Wasn't Me
" and "Angel
". No Doubt
's 2002 massive hit album Rock Steady, with worldwide reggae fusion hits such as "Underneath it All
" featuring Lady Saw
and "Hey Baby
" featuring Bounty Killer
, further propelled the sub-genres popularity to new heights. This was especially because it marked one of the first times a pop/ska punk act had made a complete reggae fusion album, since the mid-90s and opened up the genre to a new fan base as reggae fusion was, at that point, mainly utilized by reggae artists trying to break into the mainstream market and not by already established acts, such as No Doubt.
In late 90s, the evolution of reggae fusion reached another musical style in Europe
by the worldwide hit of "All That She Wants
" by Ace of Base
. The sound was often called Euro Reggae
and became a trend of Eurodance
music, such as Mr. President
's "Coco Jamboo", "Sweet Sweet Smile" by Tatjana, E-Rotic
's "Help Me Dr. Dick
", "Ole Ole Singin' Ole Ola
" by Rollergirl
, "Bamboleo" by Garcia, to name a few.
in 2005 called the "Inevitable" riddim, which featured deejay
s on a techno-based instrumental. Reggae fusion is now a regular staple on Jamaican radio stations, especially Zip 103 FM, in the form of single
s, mixes and remix
es. This has led to more reggae fusion hits being produced as well as making strong waves on the Dancehall charts in Jamaica. One such single, "Ramping Shop" (using the same instrumental of Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent
") by Vybz Kartel
and Spice, was one of the biggest reggae fusion hits in 2008, not to mention one of the top singles in Jamaica of that year, peaking at #1.
Recent international
reggae fusion hits, such as "Calabria
" by Enur and Natasja
, "Letting Go (Dutty Love)
" by Sean Kingston
featuring Nicki Minaj
, "Need U Bad
" by Jazmine Sullivan
, "Say Hey (I Love You)
" by Michael Franti & Spearhead featuring Cherine Anderson
and "Billionaire
" by Travis McCoy, shows that the sub genre has matured and is as popular as it has ever been, with more artists experimenting with it. Also some producers have gained recognition for consistently incorporating reggae fusion into songs they produce, such as J. R. Rotem
, who has produced reggae fusion hits such as Beautiful Girls
, Me Love
, Take You There
, Replay
, Love Like Woe
and Solo
. Its continued exposure to Jamaicans became very evident in 2009, as the summer saw an explosion of Jamaican-produced reggae fusion riddims such as "Mood Swing" (which yielded the massive breakout #1 hit "Life" by G-Whizz) and hit tracks such as "Holiday" by Ding Dong and "(From Mawning) Never Change" by Chino. Both of these songs reached the top five on the Jamaican charts, with the former track peaking at number one in December 2009 and both (along with "Life") being nominated for "Song of the Year" at the 2010 EME Music Awards (Jamaican equivalent to the Grammy Awards), which was won by "Holiday". This marked the first time a reggae fusion song had won the prestigious award since the award show's conception in 2008 as well as the first time three reggae fusion songs were nominated for the award. "Holiday" was also nominated and won for the "Best Collaboration". Since 2010, reggae fusion has become a regular component of dancehall music and is as popular as it has ever been, being incorporated in many riddims such as the popular "One Day" riddim produced by Seanizzle.
Fusion (music)
A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...
of reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
that mixes reggae or dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
with other genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s, such as pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
& drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
.
In addition to characterizing fusions of reggae music with other genres, the term is used to describe artists who frequently switch between reggae and other genres, mainly hip hop, such as Kardinal Offishall
Kardinal Offishall
Jason D. Harrow , better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall , is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.-Life and career:Harrow was born in...
, Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston is a Jamaican-American singer. He pursued a music career and debuted in 2007 with the album Sean Kingston.-Early life:...
, Chux Starr and Heavy D. The term is also used to describe artists who are known to deejay
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
over instrumentals which are neither reggae nor dancehall, such as Elephant Man, Shaggy
Shaggy (musician)
Orville Richard Burrell , better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican-American reggae singer and rapper. He is perhaps best known for his 1995 single "Boombastic" and 2000 single "It Wasn't Me"...
, Beenie Man
Beenie Man
Anthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
, Natasja Saad
Natasja Saad
Natasja Saad , also known as Dou T, Double T and Natasja, was a Danish rapper and reggae singer whose vocals on a popular reggae fusion remix of "Calabria" gained her worldwide fame and a number one spot on Billboards Hot Dance Airplay chart six months after her death in a car accident.- Early life...
, Diana King
Diana King
Diana King is a reggae fusion singer-songwriter who specifically performed a mixture and fusion of R&B, reggae, pop and dancehall...
, Delly Ranx and Dionne Bromfield
Dionne Bromfield
Dionne Julia Bromfield is a British soul singer-songwriter. Bromfield's debut album, Introducing Dionne Bromfield, was released in 2009 by Amy Winehouse's Lioness Records label...
.
Origin
Although artists have been mixing reggae with other genres from as early as the early 1970s, no official term had been used to describe this practice. Artists such as UB40 were described using terms that joined the various genres they performed (e.g. reggae funk, reggae pop). It was not until the late 1990s when the term was coined.The sub genre predominantly evolved from late 1980s and early 1990s dancehall music which instrumentals or riddims contained elements from the R&B and hip hop genres. Due to this, some consider dancehall artists such as Mad Cobra
Mad Cobra
Ewart Everton Brown , better known by his stage name of Mad Cobra or simply Cobra is a Jamaican reggae musician.-Biography:...
, Shabba Ranks
Shabba Ranks
Shabba Ranks is a Jamaican dancehall musician.He was one of the most popular dancehall artists of his generation. He was also one of the first Jamaican deejays to gain worldwide acceptance, and recognition for his 'slack' lyrical expressions and content, when "ridin' di riddim"...
, Super Cat
Super Cat
Super Cat is a deejay most popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s dancehall movement. Super Cat was born in Jamaica and was nicknamed Wild Apache. His nickname, the "Wild Apache" was given to him by his mentor Early B...
, Buju Banton
Buju Banton
Buju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....
and Tony Rebel
Tony Rebel
Tony Rebel is a Jamaican reggae deejay. He was initially a singer, appearing as Papa Tony or Tony Ranking in local talent contests and on sound systems including Sugar Minott's 'Youth Promotion'...
as pioneers of reggae fusion. For some of these artists, such as Buju Banton, reggae fusion became a staple throughout their careers.
Although there were a few recognized reggae fusion artists in the late 80s to mid 1990s, such as Sublime
Sublime (band)
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
, Maxi Priest
Maxi Priest
Max Alfred "Maxi" Priest is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with a R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion, and became one of the first international successes who regularly dabbled in the genre as well as being one of the most...
, Shinehead
Shinehead
Shinehead is an English-born Jamaican reggae singer/toaster/rapper.-Career:He began his music career by performing for different New York reggae dancehall sound systems in the 1980s, most notably Tony Screw's Downbeat The Ruler, based in The Bronx.His recording debut was in 1986 on the African...
, UB40
UB40
UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles...
, 311
311 (band)
311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...
, First Light and Inner Circle, their style of fusing genres was subtly done. Other acts, such as Third World
Third World (band)
Third World is a Jamaican reggae band formed in 1973. Their sound is influenced by soul, funk and disco.-History:Third World started when keyboard player Michael "Ibo" Cooper and guitarist Stephen "Cat" Coore, who had originally played in The Alley Cats then Inner Circle, subsequently left to form...
, not only commercially blended reggae with other genres but performed a wide variety of genres outside of reggae. It was not until the mid to late 1990s, when artists started to mix genres that were not similar (e.g. reggae with techno) that the sub genre gained a more distinctive sound and really began to grow. A major reason it gained international prominence was due to the lack of marketability of dancehall, in its rawest form, in the United States. By the late 1990s, dancehall had lost its footing in the American market as it had gotten more hardcore lyrically and started using a heavier Jamaican dialect and less standard English. This led dancehall artists who were trying to break into the U.S. market to fuse the dancehall style over softer and predominantly pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and hip hop instrumentals. Traditional dancehall acts, such as Shaggy
Shaggy (musician)
Orville Richard Burrell , better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican-American reggae singer and rapper. He is perhaps best known for his 1995 single "Boombastic" and 2000 single "It Wasn't Me"...
and Beenie Man
Beenie Man
Anthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
experienced commercial success in the American markets with the release of their albums in 2000. Shaggy's album, Hot Shot
Hot Shot (album)
Hot Shot is the fifth studio album released by Jamaican rapper Shaggy. The album was first released on August 8, 2000, in the United States, before being issued in the United Kingdom on April 8, 2001, with a revised tracklisting. Hotshot was certified Diamond in the US, and has sold 8.8 million...
, especially helped further propel the sub genre internationally, as his album spawned two #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, "It Wasn't Me
It Wasn't Me
"It Wasn't Me" is the first official single from reggae artist Shaggy's multi-platinum studio album Hot Shot, released on February 26, 2001. The song has since been regarded as Shaggy's breakthrough in the pop market, and is his highest charting song to date, topping the charts in Australia,...
" and "Angel
Angel (Shaggy song)
"Angel" is a 2001 number one hit song by reggae artist Shaggy featuring Rayvon. It was the follow-up to Shaggy's U.S. number-one hit "It Wasn't Me". "Angel" reached number one in the U.S...
". No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
's 2002 massive hit album Rock Steady, with worldwide reggae fusion hits such as "Underneath it All
Underneath It All
The song is a love song composed in the key of E major. It is written in common time and moves slowly at 69 beats per minute. Stefani avoids the heavy vocal vibrato that she often uses. Her vocal range spans under an octave and a half during the song, from F#3 to B4.The song opens with a line...
" featuring Lady Saw
Lady Saw
Lady Saw is a Jamaican reggae singer, known as the queen of dancehall.-Biography:...
and "Hey Baby
Hey Baby (No Doubt song)
"Hey Baby" is a song written by Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont, and Bounty Killer for No Doubt's fifth studio album Rock Steady . Released as the album's lead single, the song is heavily influenced by the Jamaican dancehall music present at No Doubt's post-show parties and tour bus lounges...
" featuring Bounty Killer
Bounty Killer
Bounty Killer is a Grammy nominated Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. He is the founder of a dancehall collective known as The Alliance.-Early life and career:...
, further propelled the sub-genres popularity to new heights. This was especially because it marked one of the first times a pop/ska punk act had made a complete reggae fusion album, since the mid-90s and opened up the genre to a new fan base as reggae fusion was, at that point, mainly utilized by reggae artists trying to break into the mainstream market and not by already established acts, such as No Doubt.
In late 90s, the evolution of reggae fusion reached another musical style in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
by the worldwide hit of "All That She Wants
All That She Wants
"All That She Wants" is a hit single of Swedish pop group Ace of Base. The song was produced by Denniz Pop. In early 1993, the song reached the top of the charts in many countries, including Denmark, the United Kingdom and Australia. The single was certified Platinum in the United States, where it...
" by Ace of Base
Ace of Base
Ace of Base is a pop band based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Its original lineup consisted of Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg, and three siblings, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Malin "Linn" Berggren and Jenny Berggren...
. The sound was often called Euro Reggae
Eurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
and became a trend of Eurodance
Eurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
music, such as Mr. President
Mr. President (band)
- Studio albums :- Compilation albums :-Singles:-Band line-up:* Lady Danii * T-Seven * Sir Prophet * Lazy Dee * Nadia Ayche...
's "Coco Jamboo", "Sweet Sweet Smile" by Tatjana, E-Rotic
E-Rotic
E-Rotic is a German Eurodance project. They are mostly known for their use of sexual topics and innuendo in their music. Some of the female vocalists who fronted E-Rotic over the years also fronted Missing Heart vocals.-History:...
's "Help Me Dr. Dick
The Power Of Sex
The Power of Sex is the second album by German eurodance group E-rotic. It was released in Europe in summer 1996, and in the United States in 2003. Worldwide the album sold 1.4 million copies.-Standard edition:# "Willy Use a Billy ... Boy" – 3:41...
", "Ole Ole Singin' Ole Ola
Rollergirl
Nicole Safft , professionally known as Rollergirl, is a German singer with a number of successful tracks such as "Dear Jessie" and "Luv U More," the latter being a cover of a song by Sunscreem.The love for rollerskates developed early when working at a rollerskating rink...
" by Rollergirl
Rollergirl
Nicole Safft , professionally known as Rollergirl, is a German singer with a number of successful tracks such as "Dear Jessie" and "Luv U More," the latter being a cover of a song by Sunscreem.The love for rollerskates developed early when working at a rollerskating rink...
, "Bamboleo" by Garcia, to name a few.
Growth
Reggae fusion has gained a strong following due to its worldwide appeal and more artists performing the sub genre. Initially not being as popular in Jamaica as it was internationally, the sub genre started to gain popularity by the mid-2000s due to its promotion by musical pundits and the fact that many artists had started remixing popular hip-hop tracks by deejaying verses on the same instrumental. Its popularity became blatantly apparent with the first reggae fusion-influenced riddimRiddim
Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm," but in dancehall/reggae parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Thus, a dancehall song consists of the riddim plus the "voicing" sung by the deejay. The resulting song structure may be taken for...
in 2005 called the "Inevitable" riddim, which featured deejay
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
s on a techno-based instrumental. Reggae fusion is now a regular staple on Jamaican radio stations, especially Zip 103 FM, in the form of single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s, mixes and remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es. This has led to more reggae fusion hits being produced as well as making strong waves on the Dancehall charts in Jamaica. One such single, "Ramping Shop" (using the same instrumental of Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent
Miss Independent (Ne-Yo song)
"Miss Independent" is a 2008 single by American pop/R&B singer Ne-Yo. It is the second single from his album Year of the Gentleman and was produced by Stargate. It samples the song "Forget About Me" by Lil Bit. The song was written by Ne-Yo and co-written by Stargate...
") by Vybz Kartel
Vybz Kartel
Adidja Palmer , better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He has many nicknames, including Addi Teacher and Gaza Emperor.-Biography:...
and Spice, was one of the biggest reggae fusion hits in 2008, not to mention one of the top singles in Jamaica of that year, peaking at #1.
Recent international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
reggae fusion hits, such as "Calabria
Calabria (song)
"Calabria" is a house music single by Danish producer Rune. It was co-produced by Rune's half-brother Johannes Torpe and originally released in 2003 by Credence, a sublabel of Parlophone Records....
" by Enur and Natasja
Natasja
Natasja is a given name, and may refer to:*Natasja Crone Back, Danish journalist*Natasja Saad , Danish reggae and dancehall artist known as "Natasja"' or "Little T"*Natalya Panina *Natasja Shah, Trinidad poet...
, "Letting Go (Dutty Love)
Letting Go (Dutty Love)
"Letting Go " is a song by American recording artist Sean Kingston. It was produced by Stargate, and features Trinidadian recording artist Nicki Minaj. The song is the second single from Kingston's third studio album, which is yet to be titled. The song samples Rihanna's "Te Amo" which was also...
" by Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston is a Jamaican-American singer. He pursued a music career and debuted in 2007 with the album Sean Kingston.-Early life:...
featuring Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
, "Need U Bad
Need U Bad
"Need U Bad" is a song performed by American recording artist Jazmine Sullivan from her debut album, Fearless . The song features rapper Missy Elliott, as well as Pepa speaking a Jamaican chant. "Need U Bad" is Sullivan's debut single and the lead single from Fearless. It was first released on May...
" by Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Marie Sullivan is an American recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also the protégé of rapper Missy Elliott. Her debut single "Need U Bad" reached number one on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while her second single, "Bust Your Windows" peaked at number four...
, "Say Hey (I Love You)
Say Hey (I Love You)
"Say Hey " is a single by Michael Franti & Spearhead featuring Jamaica soulstress Cherine Anderson released in 2009 from their album All Rebel Rockers. The single is produced by Sly & Robbie. The music video peaked at number five on the VH1 Top 20 countdown and the single has peaked at number 18 on...
" by Michael Franti & Spearhead featuring Cherine Anderson
Cherine Anderson
Cherine Anderson is a Jamaican actress and dancehall/reggae vocalist.-Biography:Anderson's acting career began with a role in Dancehall Queen ; she is also known for playing the character Serena in the 2003 Jamaican film, One Love.Anderson has worked and performed with Sly and Robbie, Sting,...
and "Billionaire
Billionaire (song)
"Billionaire" is the debut single by American recording artist Travie McCoy, featuring guest vocals from Bruno Mars. It is the lead single from McCoy's debut studio album Lazarus. The song was produced by The Smeezingtons, which consists of Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine...
" by Travis McCoy, shows that the sub genre has matured and is as popular as it has ever been, with more artists experimenting with it. Also some producers have gained recognition for consistently incorporating reggae fusion into songs they produce, such as J. R. Rotem
J. R. Rotem
- Early life :Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant Jewish parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California when he was twelve.Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano tuition at a young age...
, who has produced reggae fusion hits such as Beautiful Girls
Beautiful Girls (Sean Kingston song)
"Beautiful Girls" is a song by reggae-influenced musician Sean Kingston from his eponymous debut. The song samples Ben E. King's classic "Stand by Me" and uses digital pitch correction technology on the vocals. The song is about a boy who is suicidal over the failure of his relationship with a...
, Me Love
Me Love
"Me Love" is the second single by Sean Kingston from his debut album Sean Kingston. It is produced by J. R. Rotem and samples Led Zeppelin's song "D'yer Mak'er" from their 1973 album Houses of the Holy....
, Take You There
Take You There (Sean Kingston song)
"Take You There" was the third single by Sean Kingston from his self-titled debut album. It was produced by JR Rotem. The song was co-written by Jonathan "J.R." Rotem, Kingston, Evan "Kidd" Bogart, Rock City, and Eric Bluebaum. The song is about Kingston taking his girlfriend on a date to the West...
, Replay
Replay (Iyaz song)
"Replay" is a song performed by British Virgin Islands recording artist Iyaz. It is the first single released from his debut album Replay, which was released on 8 June 2010....
, Love Like Woe
Love Like Woe
Other Versions...
and Solo
Solo (Iyaz song)
"Solo" is a song performed by British Virgin Islands recording artist Iyaz. It is the second single released from his album titled "Replay", released on 8 June 2010. The single "Solo" was produced by J. R. Rotem and written by August Rigo. It was released for digital download on 9 February 2010 and...
. Its continued exposure to Jamaicans became very evident in 2009, as the summer saw an explosion of Jamaican-produced reggae fusion riddims such as "Mood Swing" (which yielded the massive breakout #1 hit "Life" by G-Whizz) and hit tracks such as "Holiday" by Ding Dong and "(From Mawning) Never Change" by Chino. Both of these songs reached the top five on the Jamaican charts, with the former track peaking at number one in December 2009 and both (along with "Life") being nominated for "Song of the Year" at the 2010 EME Music Awards (Jamaican equivalent to the Grammy Awards), which was won by "Holiday". This marked the first time a reggae fusion song had won the prestigious award since the award show's conception in 2008 as well as the first time three reggae fusion songs were nominated for the award. "Holiday" was also nominated and won for the "Best Collaboration". Since 2010, reggae fusion has become a regular component of dancehall music and is as popular as it has ever been, being incorporated in many riddims such as the popular "One Day" riddim produced by Seanizzle.
See also
- List of reggae fusion artists
- RaggaRagga-Origins:Ragga originated in Jamaica during the 1980s, at the same time that electronic dance music's popularity was increasing globally. One of the reasons for ragga's swift propagation is that it is generally easier and less expensive to produce than reggae performed on traditional musical...
- Ragga jungleRagga jungleRagga jungle is a genre of music that emerged circa 1989-1990 and was initially heavily based on production of Michael West...
- FusionFusion (music)A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...
- EurodanceEurodanceEurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
External links
- List of some reggae fusion albums
- Interview with Carlos Jones, former lead singer of First Light, regarded by some as the first ever reggaefusion band
- International reggae fusion single "Calabria 2008"
- Reggae fusion mix "Girlz"
- Jamaican reggae fusion #7 single "Hideaway"
- Jamaican reggae fusion #1 single "Holiday"
- Jamaican reggae fusion #4 single "From Mawning (Never Change)"
- Jamaican reggae fusion #1 single "Life"
- Jamaican reggae fusion #1 single "Dance the Night Away"
- Jamaican reggae fusion #1 single "My Cupp"
- Jamaican reggae fusion #1 single "My Heart"
- Jamaican reggae fusion #1 single "This is How We Do it"
- Twitter page which updates with new reggaefusion and dancehall music
- Youtube channel which updates with new reggaefusion, reggae and dancehall music
- The Development of Reggae Music