Reggae Buddz Again!

It’s common knowledge that reggae was most popular in the late sixties and seventies. After all, nearly everyone recognizes the names Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. And hell, even the Beatles started to have some strong reggae vibes in their music.

UB40, amongst a few similar bands, carried the genre through the eighties.

But in the nineties, fans were taken back to reggae’s roots, as the decade seems now to be the rebirth of ska, a forerunner to the genre. Hugely popular bands formed like Sublime, Reel Big Fish, and Catch 22 that jerked ska back to the mainstream media.

Afterwards (we’re talking early 2000’s), few reggae artists stand out. Some that come to mind are Sean Paul and Shaggy, and what do they have in common? In the nineties, hip-hop became hugely popular, and it left reggae with a hip-hop feel rather than its classic jazz sound.

So had reggae met its peak a few decades back?

After all, hip-hop made it so true modern reggae artists (yes, they exist) aren’t nearly as popular as they should be. The new hip-hop/reggae has made reggae classical and outdated, though numerous bands have strived to make it modern. I’m talking about you, Matisyahu!

But now times are changing. If short-shorts and denim are making a comeback, why can’t reggae? Here are four reasons why the 2010’s are bringing reggae back (yeah!):

Bruno Mars, a number-one recording pop artists, has put out multiple singles that sound quite a bit like jazz and reggae, amongst his usual pop and hip-hop. In fact, 2010’s “Liquor Store Blues” features Damian Marley, Bob Marley’s youngest and most hip-hop influenced son. Not to mention the indubious fan reaction to the Bob Marley tribute at the 2013 Grammy’s, featuring hugely popular artists such as Bruno Mars, Sting, Rihanna, and Damian and Ziggy Marley (and Ziggy’s about as traditional reggae as it gets, folks).  

2010 also formed the new Sublime, Sublime with Rome. Their debut album, Yours Truly, had more reggae influences than the original Sublime ever had (not saying it’s better; just… different).

And, as a big cynosure within the past couple years, Snoop Dogg, a hugely popular rapper, has changed his name, message, and genre. In fact, the newly found Snoop Lion said in an interview with David Letterman earlier this year, “I feel like I am Bob Marley reincarnated. I feel like if he was here, he would be doing what I am doing, so I am just an extension of where he left off.” Snoop said that he was leading people in the wrong direction before, and he wants to start to lead them in the right direction (YouTube, 2013). His new album, Reincarnated, features 12 seemingly traditional-styled reggae songs from a formerly hip-hop artist.

Lastly, Collie Buddz. The new reggae artist has risen like a flare. His debut album released in 2007, Collie Buddz, is pure reggae in its most modern essence. The artist flew his way into fame, even featured on one of the tracks in Snoop Lion’s highly anticipated album, Reincarnated.  

So why have all of these celebrities taken great interest in a genre that has become seemingly distraught? Perhaps because of just that: it’s been lost and is time to be found. Jah, Mon!

Source(s):

(2013, April 6). Retrieved June 25, 2013, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REm2xtyaFuc