The Intersection of Music And Sexual Identity: A Cultural Expression of Bodies

“Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.”- Plato
A few weeks ago I went to my barber as per usual for my weekly grooming.  While I was being attended to my barber, whom I have known for over 15 years, he engaged me in a discussion on music. For those of you who are not aware, the barbershop is a safe space for many men. Many males are viewed as experts in the barbershop on various fields from sex, to motor vehicles, and of course sports.   The testosterone filled space of the barbershop competes freely with the cut hair of various textures and colours which oftentimes litters the floor.   The topic of choice between my barber and I was rooted in the literary arts of music. Music is an area of our cultural upbringing which we cannot escape. Music defines us at every phase in our lives. The sound of music speaks to our sexual identity as we use our bodies to translate meanings and messages whether unintentionally or purposefully to an audience. Music accompanies the human spirit at births, deaths, weddings, or any social gathering.  Many will agree that music and the pervasive impact has been the protector of our souls for many centuries.  The barbershop discussion examined dancehall music in the era of Vybz Kartel and Lieutenant Stitchie.   There are those who will argue that it is unfair to compare both artistes.  Lieutenant Stitchie ruled the dancehall arena in the 1980’s into the mid and later part of the 1990’s while his counterpart Kartel who despite being incarcerated continues to influence and shape music from beyond his cell.  The impact Kartel has on the musical landscape cannot be underestimated and is perhaps captured in a single comment a grade ten student said to me some years ago, “Sir if only Kartel could touch me”, needless to say I was speechless for a moment, perhaps even longer. The impact of Kartel is manifested across the dancehall arena at various levels; for example, the establishment of his Gaza empire, as well as the cult-like movement especially among the sub group 12 to 35 years in which the deejay’s persona has taken on the qualities almost of that of a deity. Kartel’s influence is more pronounced due to the proliferation of social media platforms the extent to which was unavailable during Stitchie’s time as the self-styled “governor” of the dancehall.  The age cohort 40 years and older would be more familiar with Stitchie’s work and as such it should come as no surprise that there is a age divide with regards to how the population rate both artistes.
Lyrics Fi Kill
What makes for a good lyricist?  In defining lyrics one has to examine the arrangement of words and the usage of words in the compilation of the song.  Additionally, one has to assess the content contained in the songs in defining lyrics.  My barber firmly believes that Stitchie is the better lyricist.  “Stitche is more creative” this according to “Brandon”, my barber.  Lyrics are the words to a song. The creator of the lyrics or lyricist usually has a clear and straight forward meaning attached, however, sometimes it is very difficult to decipher the meaning of the lyrics. There are some entertainers who are extremely good in hiding the meaning or message in their song. It bares thought that the niche market is the ultimate indicator of the best lyricist category.  In some instances the audience will have a preference to hear the denotative meaning while on the contrary the audience may prefer the connotative meaning.   It is difficult to judge the repertoire of both artistes especially if you are not a faithful follower of dancehall of which I am not.  A colleague of mine who is a teacher of English weighed in on the better lyricist debate. Better is going to be determined by one’s value system she said. “What you hope to find in messages in music, want your children to hear, what speaks to your situation and motivates you. If I struggle with anger and believe in revenge, getting even or doing what is necessary, fearless, then it would be Kartel. If I lean towards humour, hope, glorifying the Creator then it’s Stitchie.” My colleague who I refer to as Anna, added “Kartel has a greater measure of the lyrics; gift-children’s behavior, romance, social issues, problems associated with masculinity and such the like but Stitchie she posits has done far better with humour about human conditions and behavior. Anna argues that the need to ascribe glory to a Sovereign Being is the reason she chooses Stitichie because of the things she value.  She concluded that Kartel received a more diversified portion of talent that Stitchie.
One of Kartel’s signature songs in which he shows his knack for using literary devices is “Straight Jeans” “ Straight jeans and fitted ina white T shirt we did it, we rock dem shades to the limit.  uptown, uptown, same so we dweet, we dweet ah Portmore”.
Perhaps now is an appropriate place to juxtapose Stitchie’s “Prescription. “ gimmi gimmi young gal, fling it up and gimmi gal, gimme mi gal, gimme di thing di docta orda, fling it up and gimmi mi gal, fi cool mi tempa. …look inna mi eyes how dem get pale, nurse mi body like a nightingale…and the nurse start look inna mi face what kinda a swelling dat below yuh waist, touch di spot and she ask if it hurt, oh yes nurse and she start work.”. Stitchie’s witty creativity and humorous character are evidently on display in this selection. The deejay was clearly confident at riding any rhythm as he ruled the dancehall with his string of hit songs such as “Wear Yuh Size” and “Natty Dread” at the pinnacle of his career.   Stitchie’s contribution to the overall development of music, more so dancehall music cannot be overlooked. In fact Stitchie was one of the first deejays to sign with a major recording label. In 1988 the deejay signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records and produced his first of three albums for the recording company. Stitchie was often referred to as the king of fast style in dancehall. In an interview Stitchie revealed that he developed the “mad, mad, mad, mad” style in order to secure a particular signature and trademark uniqueness to his style.  Stitchie began his career as a dancehall deejay and then converted to Christianity in the later part of the 1990’s. The deejay now sings gospel reggae after successfully transitioned genres.
Another colleague, who I will call Brenda said, “I detest his content but that does not take away from the fact that they are cleverly written.” Brenda is clearly referring to Kartel with her comments.  A third colleague Antonio said, “because of the time difference, I believe comparing them is difficult. However, looking at their impact on the industry, hands down Kartel is ahead. Also, Kartel’s use of metaphors is better than most. In Stitchie’s favour, his ability to keep it clean and even, his switching from one genre to the next and making strong impacts in both.” He added that Kartel uses lots of metaphors, alliteration, simile and personification like a poet.  In so doing fans of Kartel can be divided into two groups, those who are able to appreciate his high-flown language and lyrical content as opposed to those who are just caught up in the rhythm and idolization of the artiste. On the other hand Lieutenant Stitchie’s lyrics can be appreciated by all since it is more down to earth and easily understood.  Antonio made mention of two of Kartel’s songs “Dumpa Truck” and “Straight Jeans and Fitted” as examples of Kartel’s masterful play on figurative language.  Stitchie came to prominence at the time when the geo-politics environment was different both locally as well as on the international scene. The internet was not as heavily trafficked; cellular phones were not as pervasive as they are now. Human trafficking and lotto scamming were not issues of concern. 
Music and Sexual Identity
There is a powerful association between music and one’s sexual identity. Music has the power to influence behavioural patterns. As human beings we can become aroused by listening to selective songs. Our bodies as sexual beings can involuntarily move to the rhythm of songs almost to the point of embarrassment once the drum beat meets the ancestral chords of our core being. Our mood can change in a moment from happy to somber given the music selection being played.   In fact all genres of music have this powerful and addictive drug like effect in which we can easily lose or find ourselves.  We need to ask the question, what is music?   According to Eduard Hanslick, the celebrated Austrian music critic, music is a complex amalgam of melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre and silence in a particular (intended) structure.  Jacques Attali, a French economist defines music as a sonoric event between noise and silence.  We see events and arrive at definitions through the lens of our socialization and cultural upbringing. What one person consider as music and give high marks may fall short on the spectrum of how your colleague appreciates this artistic form of expression. It can be argued that Kartel’s lyrics are rooted in a hyper-masculine strand of masculinity and manhood in which the objectification of women and phallocentrism are celebrated.  Some musicologists will agree that the state of dancehall music is rather toxic. In fact dancehall, which is an offshoot of #Reggae, has been toxic for quite some time.  The dancehall space provides men with a platform in which to re-define their masculinity and give otherwise marginalized voices a loud voice.  Dancehall is often associated with lewdness; as well as the glorification of the gun. Deejays tend to overuse popular rhythms which often become annoying after a while. Reggae, unlike its cousin dancehall is better known for consciousness and positive social commentary lyrics of which Bob Marley is generally acknowledged as the king.
We now live in an era of social advocacy in which movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp have changed the gender relations conversation forever.  We will agree that greatness is time bound and with each generation they will have indicators by which greatness is defined. We must judge greatness in the context of the cultural space. There is not much academic value in appraising greatness outside of a defined context. In the final analysis music is a universal language and a cultural form of expression by which the human spirit is watered.  In the words of Aristotle, music directly represents the passions of the soul. If one listens to the wrong kind of music, he will become the wrong kind of person.   
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo
#Reggae #dancehall #masculinity #manhood #sexualidentity #music #culture #phallocentrism #feminism #misogyny #gender #MeToo #TimesUp #BobMarley #testosterone

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