CheahMengSound

First order of business: #FreeWorldBoss. I’m pretty certain when you read that title you assumed “this writer must be delusional at best” and if I can say so myself, you are correct. But, hear me out. We are all entitled to our ejaculations of sorts, and this happens to be a rather worthwhile one.

Jamaican dancehall occupies a sacred space in Caribbean culture. The dominant system of Patriarchy existing is reinforced in the objectification of women and the superiority associated with the masculine construct. The artist Vybz Kartel is no stranger to such an ideology. In fact, if you were to examine a list of his songs you’d be graced with titles such as Come Breed Me, Virginity, Benz Punani, Go Go Girl, Freaky Gal part 1, Freaky Gal part 2, ABC Sex, Bag a Gal, Breast Specialist need I say more? So how does one reconcile an artist like Vybz Kartel to the illustrious, conscious, empowering, positive group like Freetown Collective?

Freetown Collective lives up to their goal of creating within each listener a “free town” where every individual liberates themselves from the negativity that is so pervasive in this world. Their music is truly a freeing agent spanning various genres but remaining a source of light. It’s not that easy to say of Kartel, without some extensive research. 

On the 29th September 2011, Adidja Palmer also known as Vybz Kartel was arrested. In July of the following year (2012), Michael Dawson a business associate of Mr. Palmer released a novel that THEY had spent some time writing. THE VOICE OF THE JAMAICAN GHETTO: INCARCERATED BUT NOT SILENCED.

I’ll let that sink in.

Yes, Vybz Kartel co-authored a book. That book will serve as the foundation for my comparison.

1. The Narrative of The Poor Man

“In this world some dogs eat better than children, they smile and call it civilization”. If you are familiar with Freetown Collective’s repertoire of music, it is quite obvious that they seek to give voice to those who otherwise would not be heard. Songs such as Normal, Love Transition, Light Man, and Strictly Business emphasize the struggle of so many inaccurately represented, or not represented at all in society. The narrative of the poor man is finally being told.

In the preface of the novel Voices, Dawson explains Adidja Palmer is “just a ghetto yute angry at society for what it has done to poor people; he recognizes he has a voice and he is using it” (3). Believe it or not, Vybz Kartel uses his platform to advocate for the powerless. Strip away the hypersexual images that he conjure and you are introduced to the following: “Us ghetto people dem tek fi cartoon”, the nurses at the public hospital “weh government ah treat like dem ah likkle gyal”, the farmer who is disenfranchised because “Import product fi mash up di farmer, me ah seh every farmer guh plant weed”. Poor people can’t afford school fees so “Yute left school nah have nuh job fi seek, me nuh see nuh factory ah build but a new prison open last week”. Palmer enunciates the very injustices of the poor man. Whether the taxi driver, nurse, or a farmer, they are all treated unfairly. Poverty translates into silence. The poor people have no voice, no agency, the system determines they deserve just enough to survive. That’s not the only example, listen carefully to Dem Nuh Like We, Mr. Politician, Struggle, Society, Not a love song, Fix Up…. The picture painted by Palmer is a painful one to view. Carolyn Cooper outlined that the book gave a clear insight into the deadly conditions endured by youths who are barely surviving on the fringes of Jamaican society.

2. Views on Babylon.

Lou and Muhammad have attributed musical influence to the great Bob Marley, and one of my favorite songs they’ve covered is Marley’s Babylon System (Don’t Wait). In the song we are told “Babylon system is a vampire, sucking the blood of the sufferer”. Couple that with Sons of the King, the audience is asked a series of questions that all point to Babylon’s system as an unjust one. Freetown explicates that Babylon is responsible for a system that has wounded people for too long. In like manner, Palmer indicts Babylon as the force responsible for the fractured society of Jamaica.

Palmer stated in Babylon City “Babylon city haffi fall, way too much ghetto youth madda mi see bawl Politician nuh gi wi nothin at all. Dem time soon come check da clock deh pon di wall. Ghetto youth, dem wah see we crawl”. In Voices Palmer explicitly states “Babylon gets away with a lot of things because of the purposeful division (they) created for us with their politics. Babylon has perfected the divide and conquer system” (2137). In Not a Love Song he implores “Where is the love society, you destroy the ghetto family, Promise without no guarantee”. Palmer is so disenchanted with the society Babylon has created, he has attempted through his songs and his book to not only demand some accountability, but suggests ways forward to improve relationships between the uptown and downtown. After offering suggestions, Palmer clearly warns Babylon if there is no change Sup’ Ma Guh Happ’n. You should listen to it.

3. Spirituality.

For a man who claims “Punani ah mi best friend”, it’s difficult to perceive that he could be very spiritual, although it can be argued that ‘punani’ may be worthy of worship. But I digress. There is no doubt in a listener’s mind that Freetown Collective is a group well-grounded in spirituality. Every performance begins with an incantation. Adapted from Marley’s Time Will Tell, the group invokes a reverence that is undeniable. This invocation coupled with Father’s Business, reinforces their belief and faith in some higher being. Palmer has penned the following songs Jah Jah Never Fail Me Yet, Jah Jah Watch Over Me, Jah Love We, Protect Me and one of the most well-known songs Thank You Jah. Lyrics from either of these songs can solidify the comparison that both Adidja Palmer and Freetown Collective understand the importance of spirituality. It was rumored that Vybz Kartel is not a Christian; he addressed this in Voices: “Not being a Euro-Christian does not preclude one from giving thanks to Jah, it just may not be your Jah. For Kartel, it does not matter who your Jah is. Your Jah could be Life, Jesus, Buddha, Allah, Krishna, Yoga or Jehovah as long as it is a force of good; a force of livity” (221). In fact he stated earlier “A Proverb a day keeps stupidity and idleness away. A Proverb a day makes one wise to the ways of the world” (180).

4. Recognition of Royalty

In Freetown’s Sons of The King, Mama Africa and most recently Born Soldiers there is a reference to our African lineage. “Kings (and queens) a d earth and I know what I worth”. The name Freetown itself has its roots in our African history, and their music seeks to remind us of how valuable we were then, and how valuable we are now. Adidja Palmer is not ignorant to that fact. The chorus of Thank You Jah says they don’t want us to claim our own, our African. In Where Is The Love, Palmer asks “where is the love for the black child?” He wrote some very interesting commentary on this song in Voices: “Keep in mind, Europeans were just learning about government after Africa was having her 25th dynasty. If we loved the Black Child we would have taught him that, and about Carthage and Hannibal, King Tut, Nefertiti, Kenyatta and Lumumba, Biko and Tambe” (921). It’s intriguing that a man who is only known for the color of his skin and Ramping Shop, is demanding that we “Never forget we are descendants of kings and queens. We were stolen from Africa.” (292).

So why does Mr. Palmer continue in a path of lechery, when he can be ranked alongside a group like Freetown Collective? Carolyn Cooper answers that. This slackness that is expected of Mr. Palmer is a contestation of conventional definitions of law and order; an undermining of consensual standards of decency. At large, slackness is the antithesis of restrictive upper class Culture. It thus challenges the rigid status quo of social exclusivity and one-sided moral authority valorized by the Jamaican elite. Slackness demarcates a space for alternative definitions of “culture”. (4) Palmer is essentially attempting to provide agency to a space inhabited by the other in Jamaican culture, the voiceless. Although it is worthwhile to note, the upperclass, the folks uptown, those individuals in a position of privilege, publicly denounce the work of artist like Palmer and Freetown Collective, but privately amongst themselves, bask in the horrors of a reality they are exempt from.

We know our residents want Freetown to hit the international scene big time. So now as we gear up to launch the first album, we have to make sure that our Day 1s are part of the movement to take this resident recruitment business worldwide. Now you’re probably wondering… “How can we do this Mudd and Lou?!”

Fear not, we got you. Check these five ways you can free up your own vibes and expand the borders of your town.

STEP 1: Download FREETOWN music … IT’S FREE!

Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty Freetown’s music is now available for your listening pleasure on Sound cloud and you can download it for free… AT LAST!

STEP 2: Wake up in FREETOWN

Although we’re not knocking Fetty Wap’s idea for a Wiz Khalifa style ‘wake up’ ritual, there’s more than one way to get medicated on a morning. Since you’ve already completed Step 1, Step 2 is to get the music playing. Set your favourite Freetown track as your alarm (Born Soldier could wake you out of sleep ready to hit that grind and get one step closer to jumping out that Babylonian Box). Maybe add some tracks to your car playlist and hit shuffle for an extra surprise boost during traffic or on that mournful Monday morning work trek

STEP 3: Share Some Content Online

One of the first things you do when you wake up is check that phone. Social media is basically everyone’s second job. If you can over-share your personal business and that funny yet embarrassing clip easily then, beloved resident, you shouldn’t mind sharing some Freetown content. So how about next time you feel to tell the world something that you probably going to regret sharing once you and Bae make up or you evolve into your next phase of human-ness (but that Facebook will make a point to remind you of a year from now), share a podcast, post, song lyrics that speak to you or some good vibes music from Freetown.

STEP 4: Hashtag FREETOWN

You make #allkindarandomtag of which #halfdontevenmakesense and the #nexthalfhavenothingtodowithyourpost so then why not HASHTAGFREETOWN. It will #makethepagetrend and help #keepuscirculating. You #seehowwedoingthisright now.

So just hashtag #FreetownCollective once or twice in your day.

STEP 5: Recruit a Resident

The cute girl or guy in the maxi? That boss who always seems super annoyed. Link them some Freetown vibes. That Dj on that station where you know you heard one of our tracks but never again after that one time, make a call in. Fact is, if you’re a resident, you believe in good music so why not make some others believers too? Not only will you be looked at as someone who knows good music, but who doesn’t immediately become sexier when they can show you something fun and new. By the way guys….. these days, ladies are even more in love with the deep, thinking man. Trust us. Just look at how they flock to Muhammad.