Reggae’s Impact on Hip-Hop 50 Years Later
Drums banging, the cool breeze blowing, and the sound of villagers praising Haile Selassie. Just another day in the Rastafari Village. In the villages, music is played on a consistent basis to bring “livity” to the environment, a term used to describe life and nourishment.
The music appears to appeal to animals in the village as well, such as dogs, cats, and goats. They are seen roaming the area and have a relaxed aura to them, just as much as the villagers. Rasta beliefs prohibit hurting animals as they are valuable souls that bring energy to the planet just as much as people do.
Rastafarian music is used to symbolize peace and unity among people. This helps bring the community together and develop a deeper sense of connection with one another. The impact of the music has spread beyond the villages and reached to other parts of the world, most primarily New York.
Jamaican culture has been one of, if not the most loved of Caribbean cultures and among the most widely accepted around the globe, most notably America. In a Whetstone article titled “Taking Stock: Caribbean Food in New York City”, author Alexandra Foster explains that Jamaican immigrants make up 5.3 percent of the total Caribbean immigrant population in New York. Though it does not seem like a lot, Jamaican immigrants have made their mark by settling in distinct parts of the city and creating their own communities to develop some sense of understanding within the new environment.
The music, food, linguistics, and lifestyle has been adopted, imitated and recreated in not just New York, but many spaces within society. There is often a Jamaican restaurant to be found within predominantly black neighborhoods with some people from outside of the culture often trying their hand at the cooking. Most functions such as cookouts and block parties are incomplete without reggae music being played.
Reggae music has been known to be very tranquil and bring people to a peaceful state upon listening to it. This is very reflective of Rastafarian culture as a whole. It must be pointed out that although Rastafari culture did not invent reggae music, some of its first performers were Rastafarian.
Bob Marley is one of the first and remains one of the genre’s biggest stars to this day. Rastafari is a lifestyle and religion by those who are most in touch with their Afrocentricity, relationship with the Earth, and connection to a higher power. Anwar Karim, a sophomore film student from Morehouse College, is of Jamaican descent and has shared some of his experiences with Rastafarian culture while visiting the villages in Blue Mountain, Jamaica.
“The Rastas in the villages were very kind and welcoming. They do not believe in harming others but rather that we should create a new race and stop the division among men”, Karim says. “Many believe that Haile Selassie was a God, but he was just a man who sought out to do what he thought was best at the time”.
Many wonder why Haile Selassie is revered by Rastas as much as he is. In 1966, he arrived in Kingston, Jamaica and brought rain to Jamaica. Some people debate the possibility of the occurrence, but Selassie was regarded as divine, nonetheless.
Rastafari villages are full of energy and love. They refuse to take a life because they see the value in all living things, even going as far as to not eat meat. Rastas believe that animals are just as essential to the Earth’s population as humans are, citing that they carry energy just as much as we do.
Rastafarian culture is often written off as frivolous and destructive. In popular culture, rastas are typically depicted as unintelligent and overindulgent. However, that is not at all the case.
Marijuanna in Rastafari Villages is used for healing and nourishment. It should also be noted that not all Rastas smoke cannabis.
In fact, there are Rastas who do not subscribe to the use of ganja and believe that their bodies should be kept in a sacred condition.
Bob Marley, as influential as he was, survived attacks on his life due to opposing forces disparaging his messages centered around people being able to use cannabis to heal themselves and gain a better connection with the world around them. His home where he survived his first murder attempt still stands and has been turned into an exhibit in Kingston, Jamaica. He has expressed that some people find him dangerous and feel uneasy talking to him.
Amira Bennett, a junior film student at Spelman College, is a descendant of Jamaica. She gives some insight on the situation that explains why people would be scared of Bob Marley and other Rastas. “People think that living freely and unconventionally is dangerous and will target Rastafarians because of this”.
Hairstyles worn by those who follow Rastafari have also been misunderstood and misinterpreted, despite being imitated throughout the world. This misconception is moreso linked to the purpose and origin or locking of the hair. Many people who wear the hairstyle do so because of the apparent simplicity that comes with it.
What they do not know is that this hairstyle was, and still is, seen as undesirable, even by other Jamaicans. Rastas made a statement in the 1960s and 1970s, and Rastas let their hair naturally loc since they believed the hair held energy, just like Ethiopians did years before.
Many people also believe that Rastas are not intelligent due to speaking a different dialect of English. This is a misconception born within the western world to perpetuate harmful ideas about rasta culture. Rastas are more intelligent that people give them credit for, and it is mainly due to them grounding themselves in something larger than themselves as individuals.
Rastas often question and challenge the status quo, both with Jamaica and around the globe. At the home of Bob Marley, his old friend and partner, Bongo Herman, explained that Bob Marley always aimed to go against what was popular in his music and speak the truth. He was aware that many people would be against him for doing so, but preferred to deal with backlash than potential regret.
Rastafari culture has done so much and brings so much value to not only Jamaica, but the entire world as a whole. Reggae music is reflective of Rastafari ideals due to some of its originators being from the culture. Reggae has heavily impacted Hip-Hop music and is responsible for how far it has come.
This is, unfortunately, not reflected in America’s (along with Jamaica’s) treatment of Rastafari culture.
Hip-hop is such a major part of American culture, but what if we’re missing the full picture? Rastas have been looked down upon for years, both in Jamaica and America, and have even been the subject of police brutality despite being warriors for peace. Though Bob Marley is currently a revered figure amongst Jamaicans and Americans, that was not always the case as he was a very controversial figure in his time.
If not for Rastafari culture, hip-hop and what it has done for the Bronx as a community would not be what it is today. DJ Kool Herc is responsible for the creation of Hip-hop music in the Bronx. He wanted to bring his experiences of mixing music in his home country of Jamaica to the Bronx to create a new community centered around positivity and upliftment.
The Bronx at the time was a violent place where music was seen as a means of survival rather than an art. Herc challenged those ideals by taking what he learned in Jamaica to mix new music that came to be known as “Hip-Hop” in the 1970s.
Natajha Graham, a senior at Spelman College, comes from a Jamaican household in the Bronx. “Growing up, reggae music is probably the first type of music I was introduced to and felt familiar with. It always felt like home to hear reggae. Walking to the corner store, waiting at the bus stop, playing in the park”.
For Natajha, reggae music was a significant part of her childhood. It allowed her to have a sense of belonging in her community and household. She goes on to explain that a vast majority of people are unaware that hip-hop stemmed from reggae (including the very instruments that are used).
Cahzarah, another student from Spelman College, has expressed similar sentiments. “Not a lot of people realize that many hip-hop artists have reggae roots.” Cahzarah grew up not being able to listen to hip-hop in her household, though she was first introduced to the music by an elementary school teacher. Upon seeking out the music herself in middle school, she realized that hip-hop samples a lot of reggae and west indian music. Hip-hop continues to help others find their identity, though many disregard where the music came from to begin with.
In America, many people argue that America has not given African-Americans their due for the contributions that they have brought to this country. Be that as it may, we are found doing the same thing to Rastafari culture for their contributions to Hip-Hop culture. The Bronx would not be where it is today if not for Rastas living in their truth and challenging the status quo.
For Caribbean descendants, Rasta culture helps them find a sense of community and develops better understanding for those interested in learning more about their ancestry. Thankfully, Rastas remain authentic and true to who they are in spite of trials and tribulations that come their way. Upon visiting the villages over the summer in Jamaica, the Rastas were happy to see young minds inquire about their culture and bring their teachings back home to uplift others.
The world remains harsh and ignorant in certain areas. In spite of this, the “one love, one heart” cry heard around the villages remains as loud and proud as ever. Hopefully, the rest of the world will eventually catch on.
