Quote:
Originally Posted by ghjghj
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if you haven't read it, a really brilliant book that speaks directly to the Kingston experience is
The Voice of the Jamaican Ghetto by Adidja Palmer (Kartel) and Michael Dawson
Dawson wrote the forward and the last chapter, the rest is straight Kartel
amazing book, whether you live here or not. lent it out a million times and it always came back with wicked notes in the margins. to many peeps Kartel was their idol coming up cuz he was actually talking about their lives in his tracks, and while the libraries here all have copies they are only open during work hours. when people are, uh, working. hence my informal nickname Library
I gave for keeps my copy with those all those notes to security dude on his last day here (I
STILL cannot believe he was fired for being my friend but this is how this city works)
he was one of those kids that grew up what's called 'red dirt' (country) learning the world they live in through his music
incidentally that is one huge difference between Kingston and anywhere else I have ever lived. any other place I've lived you lend out a book you have to expect to never see it again. here, I have even lent out my own JA library-borrowed books and they are always returned
wicked read if you can find a copy. as apparently the only other person here aside from Natalie from Mojo who actually understands dancehall (and the culture and politics from which it was created, very much akin to the birth of hip hop in New York) I think you'd love it
but yeah, Kingston kinda sucks these days. another friend of mine cleans the pool here (I knew him way before I moved in to this place, he likes to dance too and hits the same little hole in the wall clubs I do) and I'm seriously afraid to talk to him to much when he's over now
just ridiculous and it's wearing on me. if not the beach I par in Portmore almost every time I go out. sick of this uptown shit
@optics I love your sig