IslandMix - Soca, Reggae, Zouk and Caribbean Entertainment

I see Beenie Man and them other reggae artists combine with R&B and Rap artists to make tunes and videos. For instance, Beenie Man and Mya, Beenie and Wyclef, Beeni and Angie, Vegas and DMX. On the radio they play hip hop but when they decide to play carribean music it is always a reggae tune. Why not play a calypso song. Since Beenie is a well known artists which many knows, why not play a well known calypsonian like Machel, most of these youths know who he is. Also why aren't these artists tryin to pull the soca people over to make music, why always run to the Jamaican ones. Look how Jigga went Trinidad, and made sure he was on Xtatik truck and when he did perform, he came on as a guest when Xtatik was performin. Why not ask them to make a tune with. Big time artists like Jay-Z can make it happen, and it will give soca a big boost in the crossover. Another thing that gets me aggrivated is when i listen to Hot97 on sundays and they only play calypso for 9 min, yes i actually timed it, and when they are playin the records they always mix them, run through them and talk through them. But when they are playin reggae they play the whole song and play it over. Why not have reggae 1 hour and calypso another. That will even it out. Does anyone feel how i feel?

Wrecka that's exactly how I feel. That's why I stop listening to Hot 97, and only listen to WLIB. Thay just bias at Hot '97. Since the only Caribbean music that know is Reggae that's the only one they going to give props to. They don't know nothing about Calypso and Soca, but they want to represent on the Parkway with us.
You were right when you said that Hip - Hop artists could do songs with Soca artists. At the Brass Fest, Foxy Brown was there and Jay-z was at Trinidad carnival, so they obviously are checking out our culture. What's taking them so long to do a song with one of our own? That is the question.

i have to agree with the both of you...soca is not really played on hot 97...dat is why yuh must tune into wbls from 7pm to 9pm on sundays and when that 2hour session is over it is back to wlib fuh de rest of the week.

i would like to see to the nations of hip hop and soca intermingle however i find it to be a little hard. here are some reasons i just thinking off the top of my head....

1. beenie man and xtatic did a nice mingling to soca for instance like "outta space"...then beenie man did a soca...jump and wine...do you see rap artiste mixing with machel...i sey it would have to be a very creative song...do you see a rapper doing a song to a soca beat like beenie man did? i definitely would like to hear some rapper being able to pull it off without it taking away from the soca or making it sound like a reggae song.

2 would the reaction be positive one? some may sey that "they" meaning what some term "yankees" or rappers, etc may be trying to take away from the "de culture". this i think will turn into somewhat of a mixup. for instance "big pimpin"...jay z ...some like it while some don't. i guess its jus something yuh have to wait and see.

3. would it sound like soca? remember the original tune "who let the dawgs out"...well what i remember dat one would mash up a fete...now the one by bahamen...lets jus sey its being played at jewish batmitzvahs...do you see where i coming from? if you cross over to much to appease different audiences sometimes you lose the original flava!

we jus need to sit back ...and wait and see.

ml

I feel the same way about the soca scene. I noticed that about hot 97 too, they cut the songs real short. If Xtatik or Square One could link up with someone and make that crossover it would be a big help. I think Beenie man is very smart, because everyone knows him now that he worked with all these different artist.

I agree with all of you on the subject. I'm not sure if hip hop and soca could mix because I really dont think that there is a rap artist that can rap to a soca beat. If they did, would it really be soca? It would give soca good exposure but they need to find people who can do it. Im not pleased with hot 97 either because they always cut off the soca. The crossover between soca and hip hop is unpredictable.

that maybe true... but gage throw down a pretty good rp session to iwer's vintag erhythm!!!

it sound sick

the lone one

dih soca speed would phuck dem hip hop artist up.dih only hip hop artist i can think of who might work out is "mystikal"

I feel the same u do. I think its very unfair that we only get nine minutes. But u have to understand its two jamaicans running the show, so u know they only gonna support there own people

I don't know who mystical is, but the only hip-hop artist that I think could probably keep up with the soca beats is Busta Rhymes. Only because he used to be a reggae singer, and they do blend in nicely with the beats.

Well I agree with what everyone is saying and I would also like to point out that Lil' Kim pretty much held it down as far as soca and hip-hop combining with her song "No Matter What People Say". I feel with this song and it being such a great hit, it is only the beginning

These are two different animals so it would be a little difficult to put the two together-faster soca with slower hip hop but include the rhymes may be a better fit. The crossover (as I imagine it would be Shadow beat with hip hop lyrics. i dunno.

Okay, I know this is kinda old but I must comment on this.

You all wondered how a rapper will sound over a soca beat...I must congratulate GAUGE for doing a great job at rapping over Allison Hinds and David Rudder's "GLOW". And I know most of you all heard his Hip-Hop remake Of Denise Belfon's "PANIC" on WLIB. That goes to show that it can and will be done!!

I agree with you 100% that just tick's me off.Some thing should be done about it.

Gauge is definitely holding it down. He got lyrics for days, I know because I've heard some of his unreleased material. We need more emcees with Trinidadian background to get into it. I think that their is an untapped market out there. It could work but not on the party "jump up jump up" tunes. For example the new Bunji track that goes' "Jump up everybody throw your hands up..." that beat can definitely be rhymed on. The way it is marketted is also very important. You can not aim it towards a strictly soca audience or a hip hop audience. Eventhough the fan base may overlap they should be marketted seperately.

Robber out.

Robber, I definetly agree with you!! Marketing is key. Cause for instance Foxy Brown and Allison Hinds song is off the hook (just my opinion) but I don't think it is getting the play it should. At the same time it will only be a hit if people support it.