It is interesting when speaking to people and they cannot distinguish between reggae and dancehall. The general populous think the two are one in the same thing. This way of thinking either comes from an ignorant stance or people genuinely don’t know the difference because there is now a sub-genre called modern dancehall which complicates things. The other spanner in the works, is how certain artists can alternate between the two which makes profiling a certain artist as a dancehall or reggae artist difficult. For example if you look at the work of Sizzla Kalonji. He has had huge hit songs in both the dancehall and reggae space.
My definition of reggae is a style of popular music which originated from Jamaica, which has a syncopated rhythm and has a distinct 2nd and 4th beat. Reggae is slow paced, not very loud and in your face and comes with a positive message. The music is guided by Rastafarian values and profanities are not used as it does not bode well with the culture.
Adding onto to this, here are a few examples of relevant reggae tracks that will help paint a better picture.
In summary if you have an appetite for reggae and want to chill think, Kabaka Pyramid, Chronixx, Bob Marley, Tarrus Riley and Protogé. If you are on the party tip think Vybz Kartel, Buju Banton, Popcaan, Konshens, Govana and Beenie Man. This should give you guidance when trying to ascertain if a song is reggae or dancehall.
