A Call for Respect to Reggae Dancehall and Its Offshoot: Stop Raping Our Culture
By Fabian Stennett
Reggae and dancehall are not just genres—they are lifeblood, spiritual inheritance, and the voice of a people. Born from the struggles and resilience of Jamaica, these sounds have echoed across the globe, inspiring movements, igniting revolutions, and influencing countless other musical forms. But in recent years, a troubling pattern has emerged: cultural exploitation disguised as appreciation.
Stop raping our culture.
Too often, outsiders cherry-pick the aesthetics, slang, rhythm, and vibe of reggae and dancehall without understanding—or respecting—the deep cultural roots they come from. They mimic the style, wear the flag, and copy the lingo, while erasing the context, the history, and the voices that birthed it.
This isn't cultural exchange. This is cultural theft.
When dancehall is reduced to TikTok dances and reggae to background music for beach ads, we lose something sacred. When major artists sample our beats without credit or compensation, they profit from pain and struggle they never lived. It's not just disrespectful—it's violent.
Reggae was the cry of the oppressed, the spiritual resistance of Rastafari, the lament and celebration of Black life. Dancehall, its raw and rebellious offspring, carried the street tales of Kingston’s ghettos to the world. These are not costumes to wear. These are lives. These are legacies.
To those outside the culture:
We welcome admiration. But admiration must come with acknowledgment.
We welcome collaboration. But collaboration must come with credit.
We welcome influence. But influence must come with integrity.
Support our artists. Learn the history. Stop using our culture for clout, and start respecting it as the powerful, living force it is.
This is a call.
This is a warning.
This is a demand.
Stop raping our culture. Respect reggae dancehall and all its offshoots.
— Fabian Stennett
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