Women Who Built Reggae And Dancehall

We celebrate the women who set the foundation and keep reggae and dancehall going. Spanning across decades, organized by a living list by impact rather than era. From trailblazers to dominators, we trace sound, image, and industry shifts while calling for continued support.

In this episode we discuss:
• Why impact-based categories reveal truer influence
• Highlight trailblazers who normalized women at center stage
• Discuss how groundbreakers shaped by video and production advances
• crossovers, samples, and global bridges
• How culture contributors across music, dance helped build brand Jamaica
• Dig into how fusionists blend pop, R&B, hip-hop, EDM
• The new wave of artist pushing the boundaries in branding and marketing in a streaming-first world
• How hit songstresses whose singles still rule
• How dominators sustaining scale, charts, and carry the culture
• Why collective shine beats the “only one” myth

Check out full list on Style & Vibes 

Transcript

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Setting The Stage For Women

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Hello, everyone, and welcome to another edition of the Style and Vibes podcast with yours truly. If you are new here, welcome to the family. If you are returning, welcome back, family. And today it is a solo episode, and I think it being Women's History Month, I wanted to honor the women in reggae and dance hall, as I always do, but I think giving a special episode to a list that I had created last year, actually. Um, I did a listical article on styleandvibes.com. Of course, I'll share it in the show notes. And the article is called Women in Reggae and Dancehall, Who Made an Impact. So when you talk about reggae and dancehall history, the men, of course, often dominate from Euroi to Toots to Kattel and Mavado. We often exclude the plethora of women that have had such a meaningful impact on the genre. And a lot of times we have to remember that these women have been creating music and standing alongside the men uh since the very beginning. So I think it's great uh to honor them and really think about them and remember them in a really impactful way because they've contributed so much and there's so much more to do, but they have done so much to date that I think we should celebrate. So on the podcast, I have had a plethora of amazing women, Naomi Cohen, Tiffa, Miss Pat from VP. My very first episode of the Style and Vibes podcast was none other than Atana. And I think over the years, I have just naturally gravitated to featuring women on the platform because sharing our stories are really important and going beyond just the surface is also important. Uh, I've also done episodes around women and the perception of women in Dance Hall and

Why Lists And Categories Matter

SPEAKER_00 2:14

Reggae and the misconception that there can only be one woman. Uh, if you haven't gone back to listen to that episode, that's a really great episode to really talk about how in a male-dominated space, a lot of times women are pitted against one another. And the idea that more than one can really run the place is really a concept that I think is a little false because we have plenty of artists. I don't think that one person needs to be the most dominant. Of course, a few definitely surface, but that doesn't have to be the case. Um, and I remember, you know, a time when, you know, a lot of the women were bubbling around the same time in multiple parts of, you know, my journey in listening to the music genre. So I think it's important to really highlight the women, not only from historical references, but the women who are coming up and doing music today. I was recently at an event called Past the Ox with Taurus Riley and uh hosted by our good friend Chris Williams of Where It's At magazine. And he asked a question about reggae um and what reggae needs. And he said two things that really stuck out to me, and I really love the way that he answered this question. Um, what does reggae need? He said, Reggae, nanny, nothing, you know, and I'm paraphrasing. He said, Reggae, nanny, nothing, you know, and really just need the awareness and keep driving the awareness, which I agree. Um, but he said, I also do think, you know, he wanted to spotlight the women. He said, the women are doing such a great job that I think that they need more shine. So I'm really uh proud to be a place that women are really respected and thrive on the media platform and on the podcast. So while this is a roundup of the listicle itself and really talking about that, I'm really proud of the legacy around just being able to feature women not just on the music scene, but behind the business as well. Um, and so I give thanks to all of you who are listening. And I think you're gonna really like this episode. Um, so just buckle and seclin and nekwiditing, you know? So, what I really did with this list, I didn't want everyone to be organized by the era that they launched in or the era that they came up from. So I created titles uh for categories and really organized them in a way, and trust me, I went back and forth so many times on how I wanted to organize this list. Um, but I really wanted to do it in a way that was respectful of not just uh the contribution that they made, but also the impact. And by creating these categories and placing, you know, people in specific categories, I think not by era, because it really doesn't really talk to the area of which they came up in, but really the impact that that collective group has made. And it's a really big distinction. I didn't put numbers on there for a very good reason. I didn't want it to be a list that is dated. Uh, that's first of all. And two, um, I think that as more women start to come in the space, this list can definitely change and grow. And that was really also the purpose. So it's not like a top 10, a top 100, or anything like that, which I personally love because it really gives every woman on the list their distinct level to shine. So the categories are trailblazers, groundbreakers, culture contributors, new wave, artists on the rise, fusionists, hit songstresses, and dominators, each group moving the needle for the music, but collectively doing a certain thing. And I'll talk about that a little bit more as I break down the list. So we had to kick it off with the Trailblazers, and these are women who carved out a space in the male-dominated structure at the very beginning, foundational women. They were many of the first to do recordings, many of the first to share stages and sound system and record with a lot of uh producers and really be part of groups. So when we think of women, of course, we have to go to the I-3s,

Trailblazers Who Opened Doors

SPEAKER_00 6:49

which is uh Judy Mawat, Rita Marley, and Marcia Griffiths, all respectively have their own careers outside of being the backup singers for Bob Marley and the Wailers. Judy Mauat was the first to be nominated for the Grammy in 1986 for her album Working Wonders. And then when we talk about groups, we really have to talk about Puma of Black Uhuru. So she came in in the group at a time where they had already started, there were some transitions. Um, and in doing my research, I found out that she was actually born in America, she was based in Harlem, and then she was vacationing in Jamaica, she was singing, somebody heard her and said, Hey, this group is looking for a new singer and you should come down. And that's really how she came into the group. And you know, they also won a Grammy as a group. So technically, she's the first reggae female artist to win a Grammy. Um, we also have to talk about people like Sister Carol, Phyllis Dylan, Hortense Ellis, Janet Kay. Um, and then I even put Atana in this group because in the era that she came up in, um, she definitely stood out vocally. Like she had such a really strong, powerful voice. Um, and it was one of the stronger voices that we've had heard coming out during that time. I think her and Elaine, probably for me, are two of like our powerhouse singers, if you will, that aren't gospel or or went to gospel. We'll talk about that too. Um, and so like this was really the crop of women who kind of set the tone, set the stage, normalized women being at the forefront and really not just being background vocalists, and they broke open barriers for for so many that came after them. So the groundbreakers they really benefited from the advancement, the technological advancement, video and music production. Um, at this time, you know, videos started to really play a much bigger part in the storytelling. So we came with the stylistics of what an aesthetically pleasing video. Of course, we look back on them now and we're like, oh, we need to redo that a bit. But, you know, they also benefited from the technology from a production side, so things, you know, between the 80s and the 90s really changed from a production standpoint. Um, and the sound really progressed very quickly because of that. So women like Queen Ifrika, who, yes, she is a Rasta reggae artist, but she really dove into social commentary that people weren't talking about. So Daddy was addressing social issues of incest and sexual abuse and molestation in Jamaica, and then you know, she turns around and does a sensual song like Belordi Wears like me. Never really hear no rasta top bow, then I put on put on your tongue and them something there. So I think, like, you know, her ability to move in that sensual yet conscious space, similar to that of what some women in dance hall were doing, um, but keeping it, you know, PG but sensual at the same time. Um, I think we when we talk about dance hall, Cecile, um, I think Cecile was so important because of her melodic DJing style. And then she really burst it onto the scene with uh Changes, which was a song that mentioned all the men who were hot in dance hall at the time. And I think it really at the time solidified her as like a competitor against the men because the men there were so many different reactions and counteraction. Elephant Men had a song, Beading Man mentions it on the same rhythm. So it was nice to kind of see that kind of playfulness happening on one rhythm, and they were kind of sharing that space. So nothing more than produce I hear the song with Cecila, met everybody else here and them have a contra action to that. So not only that, but she's done so many other songs between Dance Hall and Reggae, touring in Kenya, like those are things that you know she really kind of exposed to her counterparts, uh, which was uh really, really interesting. So you can't talk about groundbreakers and not talk about my girl Tanya Stevens. Um, Tanya Stevens has such a way of delivery, her tone is completely unique to her. And um, I think that her fresh perspective, her provocative lyrics, she's very thoughtful, very mindful in how she approaches a song. And even when she performs them to this day, she definitely has the crowd going in terms of just interacting in between those songs. So her stage presence is really, really exciting to watch because not only does her catalog, which includes Goggle, Handa the Ride, These Streets, it's a pity. And her album Gangster Blues, to me, it kind of likens um the essence of like a Lauren Hill's miseducation of Lauren Hill. It's that album that I go back to quite often just to listen to right through and through as it is. Um, and there's not a lot of albums in reggae and dance hall, particularly more so on the dance hall side,

Groundbreakers And Video-Era Shifts

SPEAKER_00 12:31

I think. There's not a lot of albums that I really go back to that really fuse those two very well, and she does such a great job. Um, and then we have to talk about like the you know, the Dantal Dali's Dem. I mean, Tiffa was an it girl. I mean, she was everywhere when she came out with Spell Out, and then you have like just watching her career blossom over the years in terms of her delivery, her ability to write for other people. And then even early on, when she teamed up with Natalie Storm and Timberly, and they had a short-lived group called TNT produced by Ward 21. I think Tiffa has just done so many interesting and fun things, and lyrically, she just can hold her own. And I think she's so underrated in so many um circles, just because there's such a plethora of talent, but like wittiness from a lyrical perspective, energetic from a performance perspective. And when Metallica confident and engaging, like she's just really, really an it girl for me when I when I think of dance all. Um, and of course, Maka, Maka Diamond, like I think a lot of people, you know, think of Maka and of course you hear Bonim, but you know, she had a career a little earlier, earlier on. Um, and I think her storyline is really a testament to um when it's your time, your time. Um, and she often talks about the ageism in dance hall and how she is perceived, and she also really doesn't care, and she just does what she does. And I really enjoy that about her personality, but she also has the catalog to kind of back it up because bonim can still play, and every woman I gotta sing out that song there, die die, I gotta still play. You don't already hula oop. Everybody I gotta do the hula hoop. Everybody knows a maca money uh, yeah, that is Maka. So big up yourself, Maka Diamond. Um, and there actually are a few more in these categories, so I'm just kind of highlighting the careers of some of them within this category. Um, Sasha, I have to mention Sasha because I know she's doing gospel now and she's no longer in the dance hall space, but sexybody on the one of the most popular rhythms of dance hall produced by Tony Kelly. Um, the bookshelf rhythm, it peaked on Billboard at number 78, the Billboard hip hop and RB charts. She did a Spanish remix with Eevee Queen, and the reaction that that song had in um the reggaeton community was it was a big deal because it was the first time that we had uh it was one of the first times that we had seen a collaboration from a dance hall reggae artist and uh a reggaeton artist. What I thought would have happened afterwards, it didn't happen. What I thought would have happened after is that we would have seen more Spanish language artists on Jamaican dance hall rhythms. Like we all know the history of reggaeton, that's not what this episode is about. But I think if there were more collaborations with reggaeton artists spawning from not just this rhythm but other rhythms, what could that have looked like now? And as we've seen the explosion of reggaeton and what has happened with the genre and what is still happening with the genre, um, it would have been an interesting sight to see. But that's what I truly thought was going to happen. I thought we were gonna see a lot more artists um collaborate. However, reggae and dance hall tend to do really well in Spanish-language countries, particularly in South America and across the Caribbean. Um, and you know, here when there are parties where it is mixed genre, like the sound still carries. And Sexybody is definitely one of the songs that um kind of really bridge that cultural connection between the two genres. And we also cannot forget about her collaboration with Sean Paul on I'm Still in Love With You, which we know is the sample or remake of um Alton Ellis' classic songs of the same title. Um, and a lot of people actually know that version, the Sean Paul, and Sasha version, more so than the Alton Ellis original version. And there's a few versions of that song. Uh, one is done by Hortense Ellis. So I I like when a sample really travels well over time. Um, so I think it's okay that you know people recognize the song, and then you can kind of go back and get the history on it. Uh, so that is the groundbreakers. Um, and those are some of the women that I included on that list. So culture contributors was actually the longest list that I had. And there are so many, right? When we think about culture contributors, these are artists that deepened the cultural dimensions of reggae and dance hall and kind of bent the space a little bit, if you will. They contributed to the music, not just because of their existence, but they kind of changed the style, um, particularly in dance hall. I think there was this like explosion of women in dance hall in a particular time and era um because of the digital accessibility and and things of that that I was talking about. So we saw the rise of so many women, um, like you know, Aisha, Dovey Magnum, I mean Jay Capri, Samantha J, Elaine, Statius, Pampute, the Angel, and like these are women that have collaborated with one another, they've done a lot of features with male artists, particularly like Jay Capri, in terms of like her distinct style. And then, you know, she passed away really early, but you also have to give it up to the idea, like what happened in this time from a dance hall perspective. Women were really shifting the narrative of not just being the muse of men in songs, so men created gal tunes about women, but women started to really make their own empowerment songs, and so we get, you know, uh in some cause debate, you know, they were talking about taking somebody's man and what kind of pum pum them have, and all them something that and it's definitely raunchy, but you know, that's what dance hall is. So these these women really added like this bigger flame to the genre, and with each song, they kind of talked about something different, you know, like Ayshana's equal rights. That was such a big moment, I think, for women, and and talking about oral sex that had never happened. Um, I think two distinct moments around, I mean, now we hear it all the time, and it's pretty prevalent. Um, but I remember Gage's Dung and Iachura, I'm Aishana's Equal Rights. Those are two songs that were very distinctly had such a huge reaction from people. Um, and that's when we really started to hear the blend of the sounds um from like a Jovi Rockwell. Like her tone and like the way she approached the song was very, very different. And like I said, a lot of these women, they could have been in different categories. Um, but I I think I got a good good list of them as they are. The other part of you know, culture contributions, it's not just about the music, but also how it expanded. And I think Sadella and Sharon Marley not only carried on their father's legacy through the Melody Makers, but also changing the the behind the scenes um from an artistry perspective, shifting the vision into like merchandise and fashion, getting into sports and entertainment and experiences. It allowed for people to see brand Jamaica, brand reggae, brand uh dance hall, like as a cultural brand and shift. And some of some of these moments really happen because of the women behind the scenes um making these things happen. I think the other part of the culture contributors is really the dancers. Like, I think we distinctly remember three women, at least in my opinion. I distinctly remember three women from a dancer perspective: Carlene, Kiva, and Rebel. These women really represent for their era, you know, the epitome of what dance is around that particular time. So we all know Carlene, and and and we've seen the videos of how um she was able to kind of uh be the center of attention. And a lot of women uh really were attracted. To that element. And so her dances were very, very sensual. Where Kiva really kept up with the fast-paced dance of men. And she really was able to stand out. Um, and that's when, like, I think Bogle really made it um big for men to really dance in a space and big up to Bogle, IP. And so I think that coexisted. We saw a lot more men as dancers at the time that Kiva was coming up. There were also a lot of uh women dancers, but Kiva really stood out. Of course, she was a dance hall queen, but she also stood out from a personality perspective. She was one that a lot of artists would work with. I know, you know,

Crossovers, Samples, And Global Reach

SPEAKER_00 22:54

Mr. Vegas, Elephant Men, you name it. She was in their videos. This is when videos were really popular. And even Carline, she was in the murder. She wrote um video with Chuckadimas and Pliers. But you you had to have been in the culture to really know who these women are. And then I think Rebel just took it because of social media and accessibility and people seeing her. She just elevated it in a way. Um, you know, dancers have always had the opportunity to be booked, but she's also like creating a lot of the TikTok dances and really um being featured in so many different publications, um, featured for not just her dancing ability, but her personality. And all of these women really carry the culture with them on their back. And so that's why the culture contributors list is so long. There's so many more women who I didn't even get to. So make sure you check out the list on Style and Vibes. So next up are the fusionists. So the fusionists really incorporate other sounds RB, pop, hip-hop, EDM, and really bend that experimentation a lot, either in their core sound of what they sound like or the core music. If we wanted to give like a split percentage of like how how they presented, they they presented in a very um different genre, um, even though like their roots are very Jamaican-rooted, if you know what I mean. And I I think you'll know what I mean when I name uh these women. So Jada Kingdom, Tessa and Chin, Tami Chin, Brick and Lace, Diana King, Tina, formerly known as Hood Celebrity, Tasha Alexander, Stefan Don, Alakai Harley, and Toyin. I named a good amount of people, but I think we have to go back to like a Jada Kingdom. Her sound at the time that she came out was completely different. No one had that light, airy, sade-esque sound over a rhythm, a dance hall rhythm, and then the lyrics where she kind of come with. Her sound was completely new, and everybody perched up when they hear it. I think that she really ushered in a new sound. It gave way for like a stock Ashley and a lot of this light and airiness that we're hearing, and that also happened a lot in RB. So if we think of like a scissor or a summer walker, um, uh, or a lot of those lighter tones, uh, they were still very rich, but still very poignant. And I think that Jada really has that. Um, and I think she really leaned in on the dance hall space, but she's also experimented with hip-hop and a little bit of rock. Her tone really is what I really love most about her. Um, I almost wish she would sing more because I just love to hear her voice, Tessan Chin. She really came on the scene with more of like a rock sound. Um, but because she's Jamaican, she had the dance hall and reggae embedded in her. By the time you know, Hideaway had come out, it was already a big song. And then we saw her on the voice, and everyone really got to experience uh the world really got to experience how big her sound is, and you know, her winning the voice actually gave people a real chance to see her. Um, but I think you know, Jamaicans really knew her and her sound, and she really infused rock in a in a powerful way on her um debut album. Then we have to talk about her sister Tammy Chin. I feel like Tammy was like this Jamaican pop princess that we really didn't get to see the full depth of her career, but she came on the scene with songs like Hyperventilated, um, and then she did like some central rhythm songs like over and over, but she kept that rhythm, but she just presented like this pop princess um that you know we all loved. And then when she signed with Akon's um label, um, we got Frozen

Culture Contributors And Dance Moves

SPEAKER_00 27:14

and you know, other songs from her that were definitely more pop-sounding. So she kind of did this bridge between pop and dance hall, which was interesting. It kind of led a few others down that same path, mainly, you know, Brick and Lace. Uh, they also came up around that same time. Um, the sister duo, Nyanda and Nyla. Um, and they really were well known for Love is Wicked, which is a sample of the Duali Rhythm. Uh, they also signed to Convic Music and worked with Akon and Will I Am, but then later went on to write and produce EDM and pop-sounding songs in Europe and working with groups like Major Laser. So they really leaned in. I think we can't talk fusion and not talk about Diana King. Shy Guy was the song. Like you would hear Montel Jordan, this is how we do it, and then you would hear Shy Guy. I I feel like I always heard those songs together. And she had no intention of being a crossover artist, but you know, having that song on the bad boys soundtrack, which released in 1995, really propelled her into this crossover stardom at that time. And she's the only woman from Jamaica to have a collab with um our other Jamaican queen, Celine Dion. So, I mean, come on, big up yourself, Diana. Big up yourself. So the new wave of women in reggae and dance hall, I think they are bringing a stronger mix of reggae and dancehall together. They are creating distinct sounds, but really redefining uh what reggae and dance hall in this space kind of really sound like, definitely catering to the Gen Z crowd, but holding on to that reggae and dance hall DNA a bit more. Um, they're redefining reggae with their own sound, uh, definitely cater to a more Gen Z audience, but not really abandoning the DNA that really made dancehall and and reggae uh popular. So these are women who have access to the streaming era, so they're creating music in that streaming era. So a lot of the songs are a little bit shorter. We're seeing more cross-collaboration and fusion sounds across Afrobeads, across RB. Um, and then there's this expansion within the diaspora space of like that blending of sounds. We're seeing a lot of features in unexpected ways and unexpected places, but they're not necessarily um garnering the same amount of impact uh because we're in the streaming era. There's so many more artists, so many more songs. So a lot of these artists really have to work a little bit harder to stand out, and they're using things like their tone, um, their approach to the sound, and really uh tapping into production. Some are producing differently, they're not always in a studio setting, and then you know, the the setting is is a little bit different when they are. So I think this new wave of technological advancements have really taken a toll. I don't know if it's necessarily a toll, but have really impacted the way that we hear new music coming out of Jamaica, whether it be Dance Hall or Reggae. Um, so a list like this includes Leela Ike, Janine, Chanil Muir, Savannah, Naomi Cohen, Jazelise, Kalia, Danique, Rima, Marsichin, Sugar. Like there's so many women. And most of these women are really like singers, and they're really doing uh that bending of the genres even more, um, really incorporating reggae. And so a lot of them are singing, but then incorporating a lot of like dance hawk cadences in their songs, um, and really bending across genres. I think Leela Ike uh and her recent album, which was uh Grammy nominated, uh, is a representation of that. Um, her album, Treasure Self-Love, which really reflects on a deep connection to reggae while embracing this global perspective, talking about love and spirituality. I think Janine is really a great example of representing reggae and and that traditional sound. Janine is really a strong advocate for women empowerment through sensuality, but she also really leans into the cultural preservation of self and and awareness of the sound. Um, but she's really, really making it her own. Savannah has such a smooth RB sound, and she really leans into the power of her vocals and fuses reggae so seamlessly into the elements, but I I hear more RB when I when I listen to to Savannah, so it's more soulful, uh, it's a much slower tempo. Um, and I think that it's really nice to kind of hear that slow tempo. It's kind of very similar to, you know, like the Rocksteady era where the sound was just slower paced, but the the the music just was big, and her vocals uh really come across and lend itself so so well uh to RB. But I think the women in this particular uh new wave are carving out their own lane by having a distinct sound and really leaning into um what makes them different, and they're presenting that in a really big way, and it makes the the list of like artists on the rise so much easier because they are also looking to this new wave um because they kind of came up listening to women and and predecessors in the the space, and there's such a wide variety of women that I've already covered. Um, so as a lineage stock Ashley, Yeza, Jane McGizmo, Nardia Mothersil, I really, really love her tone. So they're leaning into that new wave and kind of elevating themselves. Joby J. Oh my gosh, um, I really love how they're kind of keeping that new wave going, but really incorporating a lot of the traditional sounds. Again, the the bending it and the creativity um is really distinct to Jamaica and reggae and to dance all specifically, but it sounds so modern and so different than something from the early 2000s or the 90s, it's not super rhythm-based, but more production of the song based. So that decrease in the usage of rhythms or the rhythms not being as popular,

Fusionists Bending Pop, R&B, Hip-Hop

SPEAKER_00 34:29

the artists have the opportunity to shine a bit more. I think the downside of not having the juggling of rhythms is that we don't get to hear as often um with people on the the same uh rhythm who are kind of telling a different story over the same rhythm. Um, so with the lack of popularity of rhythms, uh, not that they aren't created, they're just not as popular as they once were, um, has lent itself to standalone production for a lot of the artists that are coming up uh now. So the hit songstresses really created memorable moments, not only culturally but globally, reaching newer audiences and really paving the way from a cultural exploration perspective for reggae and for dance hall. When I think about hit songstresses, they don't necessarily have a long career, but they have very impactful moments in the history of reggae and dancehall as a genre. Think about Don Penn, you You Don't Love Me, no, no, no, that still plays. It's such a foundational song, which was recorded in the 60s, but really had a resurgence in the 90s. Um, and because Steely and Cleavy remixed the song and it really got international airplay and is still recognized as such a classic um Shelly Thunder's Kuf. But um, in terms of just her presence um at that time and being based here in the States, um, Shelly Thunder had access to the 90s hip-hop artists as well. So she kind of blended those sounds on um her album when she did do a full-length album, Millie Smalls. I mean, Millie Smalls is the first pop Jamaican artist with uh My Boy Lollipop. I mean, that is such a popular ska song that we all grew up hearing. And it would, it's one of those songs that you're gonna keep hearing over and over again. It really introduced the world, I think, um, to the sound that was ska coming out of Jamaica during that time. Sophia George's hit Girly Girly, of course, being based in the UK, it had such an impactful presence. Um, Lu Shi Lu and Mishi Wan, also based in the UK with Rich Girl, which was later sampled by Gwen Stafadi. I also think about Althea and Dana's Uptone ranking, uh, which definitely became a hit anthem. And of course, my girl Timberly with bubble like soup. Like, I think that that song just distinctly describes a danceal like queen in our prime. Like, anytime that song they come on, me ready for bubble like soup. So um, I think you know, those are women that have had singles that have been really popular, contributing to the culture. Um, and they've all gone on to do different things with their own respective careers, but have made such a huge mark on the industry. My last but certainly not least category is the dominators. So these are women who have consistently over time um just rinsung, rinsed the culture, really keeping up in terms of pace with men and women, charting globally, obtaining new heights while really staying true to their culture and bringing it everywhere with them. We can't have this list and not talk about Lady Saw. Okay, we we can't not talk about Lady Saw um when you guys know how much I love Lady Saw, but she broke so many barriers in the 90s and the 2000, really dominating um with her male counterparts. Um, I often see older videos floating around with Lady Saw performing, um, and just her her ability to deliver a song on stage or in person, um, the lyrical content. She was one of one in terms of what she talked about. She really paved the way for a lot of the sexual content that we hear now. A lot of uh the younger artists can really thank her. Uh, not that the songs weren't raunchy before her, um, but I think she really elevated it and and gave room for women to talk about uh sexuality and sensuality in such a bold and raunchy way. Um, it definitely gave way to Spice, who is currently, you know, the rein and dancell queen. Um, I think, you know, her having success with Vibes Cartel very early on Rampin Chop. Um, but we also knew her from her DJing around with sound systems as well. Um, but I think Rampin Chop really propelled her into the spotlight and she really kept it going with songs like Something Like It, then you see our with Shaggy and Champol, with Godonde. She is such a great person at marketing herself. She understands marketing really, really well. Um, she is able to change, evolve um with every project, her signature blue hairstyles, her smurfettes. Like she really um leans into the marketing side of the music and she enjoys it. I think that that's another key thing uh about Spice as a public figure. She enjoys it so much that she was able to land a spot on uh the US show, VH1's Love and Hip Hop Atlanta. And of course, Ala Jame can well know who Spice is, so we know Setago good, but I think it really introduced the hip-hop audience to Dance Hall in a way that they hadn't seen before. And I don't really think that even her castmates understood at the time of her joining that show, she was already very, very big. Um, she's probably one of the bigger celebrities that they've had, I know, in in the franchise. When we think like Kate Michelle and Cardi B, like she's really at that level. And I don't think that the audience or even you know her castmates could really grasp that until they really saw it up close and personal. Um, we also have to talk about coffee, um, coffee's talent, her charisma, her ability to have a positive message that really transcends men and women. There are so few artists that really transcend both in in the era of which she kind of came out. Uh, she's

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one of the youngest female artists to win a Grammy for best reggae album for her EP Rapture, and Toast just became the grateful hit that you could play across so many different parties and genres. But I've seen her perform in person. Um, she's really great on stage with her band. Um, lyrically, she just stands to the test of time. So she's still really young and she hasn't had um a lot of songs, but the impact and the success that she has had to date, in terms of she's had, you know, a few projects touring, being able to win the Grammy, and then you know, just do her thing. And I think when she comes back to doing more music, people are really um in a space where I think they are missing some of you know her music. Like she just offers such a positive vibe. Um, and she's such a rising star, so early to be so dominant. I think she has so much more to bring to the table. Um, and then of course, we have to talk about my girl Shen Yang. Shen Yang. Um, so Shan Sia really came on the scene um and really was known for both singing and DJing. You can kind of see her as she has progressed in terms of her versatility. She also understands marketing really, really well. She does social media really, really well. She brings people along for the journey. Um, she also is able to connect with her her her fans and audience alike. Um, she's done so many different collaborations with Tyga M and Meg the Stallion, and she's toured with Janae Aieco. She's doing songs with with Cartel. Uh, she had one with Ludy, and now they're working together again. And she's had such a long, it feels like a long career already in terms of a catalog because she can definitely hold her own on a performance base. But I also think that she knows she has more in the bag. And I feel like with her, she's kind of peeling off the onion layer with each project, and you're starting to kind of really see her. She always does really, really well when she leans into her dance hall side that really made her popular on songs like Trend and Gail, Side Chick Song, or you know, Shen Yang Antem. Um, but she does really well with those types of songs, but she's not afraid to experiment. She's done songs with Mariah Carey, um, uh Kanye West, like you name it. She's been able to do it. Um, and so I think she is kind of continuing to grow, but she's had such a dominant career in terms of a space. Yes, she signed with different labels, but I think her success, I think we still have more in terms of the best being ahead of her. Patra, Patra, Patra, she was the it girl of the 90s in terms of um, you know, having that backative and really being on the charts. She really definitely had an impact, particularly in um in the radio space and in the video space. I remember watching her videos on Bet and you know, her collaborating with Yo-Yo and Aaron Hall. Like those are very distinct, and then doing a remake of Grace Jones's pull up to my bump, but like those were crossover songs that played in hip-hop and RB party settings. And we I remember distinctly hearing those songs on radio. I know she went a little bit quiet, but like her career in the 90s. Um, again, Patra was the it girl, really dominating from a sound perspective. She was everywhere, um, and people really wanted to see her, work with her, and I think that that's really, really cool. Um, and then we saw a resurgence of her with um DJ Cassidy's Past the Mic, um, which she uh did that, and so people were excited to see her. She did a few new songs, as well as did a song with Yeza. She is also on Leela Ike's album because she sampled Romantic Call, uh, and so she has credits there. And then we saw her in Get Millie Black acting, and so you know, to see her progress and really have this resurgence really makes her a dominator. Um, so that's it for my categories. I uh again encourage you to read the article so it kind of highlights all of the women that I didn't get to mention, and of course, as the list grows, I'll continue to add to it and to change it. Um, but I think that it's important that we stop to highlight the women in a big way, continue to support their music, stream their music, buy, and really continue to engage. One thing about the women in this space is they're really good about connecting with their audience, they're very cognizant of that. Um, and they are really into being able to market themselves really well. So I don't think that there is one woman or one person really carrying the torch. I think collectively they all are, and they will kind of continue to grow and keep uh the reggae and and and dance hall cultural connections through their music, even as they're making their own sounds. So as I'm closing out this episode, I think I really wanted to put a stake in the ground. Women have never been the side note or the side chick of reggae or dancehall. They have been narrating, they have been disrupting, they have been storytelling, they have been holding up the culture just as much as the men. So we need to highlight these women, celebrate them, and continue to support them. Until next time, let's come and peeps.