I Denounce Sean Paul As Reggae Artist of the Year

July 16th, 2007

Now I know that ASCAP is a crooked business. This is just proof…

They say that music is a matter of taste and that not everyone will agree with who wins the awards or who sells the most albums and nonesuch. I agree. I don’t tend to like the music that gets a lot of mainstream attention, so I’m accustomed to being disappointed that the same watered down music gets more money and recognition each year while super-creative and conscious musicians continue the struggle to gain audience. ASCAP is one of those companies that creates these situations and enforces that they remain in place. Usually I dismiss ASCAP entirely, until they back a band that is both super-creative and unable to be watered down. Yeah Yeah Yeahs being a fantastic example. Other times, ASCAP enters my radar because of how horribly narrow-minded they are. This is one of those latter times. According to Reggae Country News:

Sean Paul was named Reggae Artist of the Year for the fourth consecutive year and also earned two awards in the Rap category for Temperature and (When You Gonna) Give it Up To Me.

Earning 2 awards in the Rap category is great news! Totally appropriate and deserving of Sean Paul. But why is he the Reggae Artist of the Year for the 4th year in a row? That’s just wrong. Sean Paul is not reggae! He is a jewish Jamaican who sings rap! His songs do not having any reggae lyrics at all, none. I studied his music very closely when I was researching an article about Jamaican music and I was looking for some way to include him. I was trying very hard to find some way to tie him into the reggae music family tree. But there is no connection. Trust me. I read every nasty word he utters. You want to talk about watered down piss, this is your guy.

Rap he is. Reggae he is not. Reggae Artist of the Year for 4 years is disgusting.

Who are his competitors? Who else does ASCAP recognize as reggae? I find it hard to believe that ASCAP would prefer to award the same guy over and over again, rather than open the playing field. ASCAP wouldn’t know reggae if it spit fire in their face.