Does Dancehall music have a negative impact on the youths?

Madam teacher, fellow students, a pleasant day to you all. Today’s moot is Does Dancehall

music have a negative impact on the youths?

For one to fairly answer this question we need first to expound on certain key terms.

1. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines dancehall music as a genre of urban folk music that

came out of Jamaica in the late 1970’s and is generally considered the direct predecessor

of “Rap”. It is in its most basic form a Deejay toasting (or rapping) over a riddim.

2. Youth is defined by Answer online reference as “the time of a life between childhood and

maturity”.

We can all relate to the idea that music and culture has always been important to the Jamaican

community and more specifically the inner cities communities, it is also a major part of our

socializing and recreational activity.

Having established that fact it is clear to indicate my goal here then, is not to put down Dancehall

music but to point out the already established fact that Dancehall music does indeed have a

negative impact on the youths.

The Bible, which is most of humankind highest teacher on the topic of morals, states in Proverbs

22:6 “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it”.

To add to this, research has shown that music is tied to the emotional circuitry of our brains and

therefore affects how we feel, both positively and negatively.

Based on both the biblical example and the research stated it would be fair to apply the term

“GIGO” (garbage in, garbage out) where applicable.

As it relates to GIGO and Dancehall music one has to take into consideration that Dancehall

music is by far the most popular music in Jamaica, and has been for quite some time. Though we

have a wide variety of artists and sub-genres present in the dancehall arena, “slack lyrics” with R

to X – rated content seems to be very popular especially among the youths.

The Statistics of our dancehall billboard are riddled and topped with songs such as:

• Hot Fuk • Beyonce wine

• Wine up • Daggering

• Drive by • House cleaning

• Dutty wine • Bicycle

We could go on and on but my point has been noted thus far. I know most of us, if not all must

be thinking, these are meaninless words use mainly for entertainment purposes right.

Well if this was the case why are so much of us dressing to fit the part and not to mention doing

the actions suggested by the entertainer has they taunt us with their lyrics?

The truth is we eventually live what we learn if you feel that you are not learning

anything from these songs, why is it then that there are some thing we hear that we just cannot

seem to forget no matter how much we may hate them.

Proverbs 18:21 states “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”. It is with this that I stand

firmly a say we may see some benefits from Dancehall in the sense of relaxation and

socialization but at what price a troubled spirit, filled with bitterness fostered by these songs.

My fellow colleagues I beg you please consider these things and bear in mind Right is right even

if no one is doing it and wrong is wrong even when done by all, thank you and have a blessed

and constructive day.