One of my favorite Minott tunes is a lesser known song called “Hard Time Pressure”.

RIP Sugar Minott!

Some think it’s about the green. Or in this case, the purp.

Some think it’s about black women.Some even think it’s about a gang. But there are at least three different theories floating around about the lyrics of this reggae classic: Barrington Levy’s “Black Roses”.

The lyrics to this song have inspired a long running Youtube discussion, with theories ranging from the obvious, to this song being about Jamaica’s Black Roses Crew. You can see master Jamaican danceman Bogle (RIP) mention “black roses” in this video at 4:38.

When I hear it I know what I think about.

Everyday, when I’m up before the sun making sure my babies are dressed warmly and fed, and sending them off with faces washed, teeth brushed and hair did, I picture sistas across the world rising in the morning and doing the same thing.

I picture women working through the night, getting shit done…even things we might not like doing…to make sure a roof is always over your seeds head, going thru bad dad drama – whether it’s yours or your child’s – and dealing with the everyday ig’nance that makes you wanna Elin a bitch.

I think about the level of disrespect for women that permeates popular culture when I’m writing, I think about our youth when I’m watching TV and when I’m standing in my tiny kitchen with blue vinyl floor tiles, a few of which have started to curl in the corner, cooking dinner and staring at the radio lamenting the state of our music.

There’s just so much stuff black women go through that is unique to our struggle, and women around the world really, are always on my mind.

I’m dedicating this to all of you moms holding it down everyday.

See you tomorrow. This post brought to you by my 30 day blogging challenge.

UPDATE:  12-11-09 | 11:20 AM

Just saw an interesting comment about this song. Still not sure exactly what the song is about, because only Barrington Levy knows that but I love this explanation from Youtuber jfraiche (click on the screen capture to enlarge it):

I think when Sister Carol says “dreadlocks who use coke” she is speaking of musicians like Gregory Isaacs, RIP, who was famous for his coke habit.

Other reggae songs that have praised marijuana while speaking out against cocaine use include Yellowman and sister Nancy’s “Cocaine”. Unfortunately a lot of Ras…even Bob Marley according to my own sources who were close to him…started using cocaine during the seventies.

That’s bad bad stuff. Legalize the herb!

Wicked Draw a Sensi.

I love tapes to this day, and I’ve never been one to believe that CDs were a superior format. Just a preference I guess, but back when we had tapes, we were kinda forced to listen to everything on it as constant rewinding and fast forwarding was a pain in the ass. We were able to discover more good music that way too. I wonder if CDs have contributed to the decreasing lack of music knowledge possessed by a lot of young people today. In a push button fast forward world, I imagine that many people with CDs just fast forward to hits they already know.

Today’s tape is from DJ Gera, and features some big early tunes from Beanie Man, Mr. Vegas, Red Rat, Sean Paul, Tony Curtis and more.

The tape rocks hard for a stretch between song number 3, Beenie Man’s ‘I Wish’ which is a “conscious dancehall” song – I need to do a post on that type of dancehall – pretty much until song 31, Christopher’s ‘Ladies Man’ which totally kills the mood of the tape, then picks back up shortly after that. If this was a physical tape it would have popped by now. I’ve listened to it that much. Enjoy.

Tracks: DJ Gera – When Reggae Was Da Shit Vol. 2
———————————————————————
01. Intro – Juice Riddim
02. Mr. Easy – Freaky Lady
03. T.O.K – Shake Ya Bam Bam
04. Beenie Man – My Wish
05. Mr. Vegas – Go Up (Bookshelf Riddim)
06. Wayne Wonder – Watching You
07. Sean Paul – Deport Them
08. Tanto Metro & Devonte – Say Wowee
09. Frisco Kid & Mr. Easy – Bashment Time
10. Evette – Over & Over
11. Mr. Vegas – Jack It Up
12. Pancho Krystal – Rescue Me (Cloak & Dagger Riddim)
13. Lady Saw – Hice It Up
14. Little Kirk – Ghetto Girl
15. Beenie Man – Oyster & Conch
16. Tanya Stephens – Goggle
17. Tanya Stephens – Goggle RMX (Classic Picks)
18. DJ Snow – Party Break
19. Red Rat – Tight Up Skirt (Sail Away Riddim)
20. Richie Stephens – Take Me Away
21. Sean Paul – Fit & Legit
22. Beenie Man & Mr. Vegas – Bad Man Nuh Flee
23. Round Head – Call Me
24. Tony Curtis – If You Were Here (Playground Riddim)
25. Mr. Vegas – Nike Air
26. Sean Paul – Infiltrate
27. Beenie Man – Who Am I (Classic Picks)
28. Beenie Man – Romie
29. Beenie Man – Memories
30. Beenie Man – Once A Year (Unstoppable Riddim)
31. Christopher – Ladies Man
32. Elephant Man – They Call Me
33. Wayne Wonder – Oh Baby
34. Mr. Easy & Shaggy – Girl You Are
35. Wayne Wonder & Surprize – The Story (Classic Picks)
36. DMX feat. Sean Paul & Mr. Vegas – Here Comes The Boom
37. Mr. Vegas – Model Pon Dem
38. Mr. Vegas – Hands Up (Surpise Riddim)
39. Sean Paul – Shake That Thing
40. Mr. Easy – Silent Killer
41. Elephant Man – Jamaica
42. Wayne Wonder – My Enemies (Thunder Riddim)
43. Mr. Easy & Sean Paul – She Likes It
44. Cecile & Merciless – We Nuh Talk
45. Daville – Living My Life (Nude Riddim)
46. Tony Curtis – I Got To Get It
47. Sean Paul – My Girl
48. Mr. Easy – Shotta
49. Mahlon Nico – Let Me Know
50. Wayne Wonder – Apologize (Streetsweeper Riddim)
51. Mr. Vegas & Sean Paul – Hot Gyal Today RMX
52. Mr. Vegas & Sean Paul – Hot Gyal Today
53. Burro Banton – Boom Wah Dis
54. Shabba Ranks – X-rated
55. Major Christie – I Gotta Be The One (Classic Picks)
56. Wayne Wonder – Saddest Thing
57. Singing Sweet – When I See You Smile

This one comes from the man dem call Cocoa Tea. President Barack Obama won the 2009 Peace Prize today. This song was actually written and released before he was elected, in support of his candidacy.

I will reserve further judgment on what kind of president Obama is until his second year in office. I think one year might be too soon…but if he keeps kowtowing on health care, the Cuba embargo, helping Palestine, pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan the way he is, dude is going to be a one term president and the republican peanut gallery will be one big “I Told You So”.

Cocoa Tea – Barack Obama.

Back in Jamaica, the artist behind that album, a boy not yet 21, sits in a car on the streets of Kingston. A figure approaches him from behind, raises a gun and fires; the boy is shot in the neck. Accounts as to the motive vary; some say that the victim had entered the neighborhood seeking revenge for an earlier burglary; there are those who claim that the boy had sold his assailant a faulty refrigerator and was shot in retaliation for the scam; some argue that it was a dispute over a woman. Whatever the cause, Hugh Mundell, a prodigy who had at the age of twenty created five albums and three children, lay dead.

If you ever come up on a Hugh Mundell record in decent shape, buy it. You won’t regret it.

Hugh Mundell – Arise and Shine

The Wailers – Rastaman Chant

Burning Spear – Jah No Dead (A Capella)

Barrington Levy – Shaolin temple.mp3