The influence, challenges of Trinibad music
RISE OF TRINIBAD MUSIC
TRINIBAD, TT’s spin on dancehall music, often addresses the harsh and violent realities of those who live in areas deemed ghettos.
The artistes behind the music and fans alike do not scorn the term "ghetto," as others may, though. In fact, they embrace it, proudly calling themselves ghetto youths.
Many TT artistes dabbled in dancehall for decades, but the rise of the Trinibad movement only began sometime in the 2010s.
What started as a genre scorned by mainstream media, forcing it to only be enjoyed in silos within the ghetto, has now evolved into one with global reach.
VIOLENT LYRICS MORE POPULAR
The Trinibad songs which get the most airtime on the radio and at social events in TT are arguably the ones containing lyrics about gangsterism, gun violence and other crimes.
But the genre also lends itself to other topics, including love, overcoming challenges, poverty, grief, spirituality, mental health, injustice, loss, self-development and romance.
But the public often listens to its more violent counterparts far more. This is evident in the number of views on YouTube music videos and charts on digital music-streaming platforms.
For instance, the music video for Kman 6ixx's track Up Now has 3.1 million views. The song focuses on remaining positive, trying to advance in life and making his family proud.
But the video for No Lethal has 7.6 million views.
Lyrics to this popular track include, "Nobody na go live when mi draw fi mi gun/Slowly dem a go perish, inna grave you belong," and "See how we kill dem, swear seh a hell weh we from."
The official audio for Phoenix, in which asks God to keep blessing him and urges people not to give up despite the challenges they face, was listened to 405,000 times on YouTube.
Meanwhile, Mafia was listened to 2.6 million times. That song includes lines like, "Just war again/Got the rifle, it bigger than all a dem/Woulda never waan peace, coulda God a beg/'Bout 'Seven lock the place,' that na happen/Every one of us born fi kill."
Plumpy Boss’s Me Alone speaks of being resilient even when life seems to be against you. With lyrics like, ‘Nuff things mi been through in life alone/Mi learn fi hold mi own inna dis lonely road/Come from poverty...Daddy dead and gone and mi Mommy alone/Never let that faze me/Work hard cause Jah no love lazy,” this was listened to 753,000 times.
Again, one of its more violent counterparts, Energy, has 3.1 million listens.
That has lyrics like, “Rifle tall, all the guns dem tall/It nuh make sense fi violate and diss us, ‘cause from mi kick it off, we kill them off, nuh inna no chit chat/Rise every rifle from the flats come to the hilltops/From a murder, then we in that.”
The debate in TT rages on as to whether the lyrics of this genre fuel gang violence and warfare.
Some people believe if all artistes stop singing about violence, fewer young people will be drawn to a life of crime. Others think the music is just part of a bigger picture. And some entirely dismiss the idea of the lyrics affecting people's actions.
Many of its artistes have shared their opinions on this over the years. Two things have remained constant: they consider it a reflection of their realities and experiences, and they believe the population gravitates more towards songs with violent themes and lyrics.
UN STUDY: SOME GANGS MAY USE ARTISTES FOR PROMO
A July 2024 study by the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said law enforcement in the Caribbean is concerned about a link between music and gang activity in the region.
The UNODC said the study has not been formally edited and its contents “do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of (office) or contributory organisations, nor does it imply any endorsement.”
The study, Caribbean Gangs: Drugs, Firearms and Gangs Networks in Jamaica, St Lucia, Guyana and TT, said Trinibad music is a popular genre with “good regional reach.
“The most notable artistes tour and get airplay beyond the Caribbean in the US, Canada and the UK.”
However, it added, “As is the case with similar styles of music in Latin America and North America, most Trinibad artists have tenuous connections to the lives and events that they sing about.”
It said some artistes openly fraternise with gangs not only in TT but Jamaica, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines, among other countries.
It also addressed the topic of diss tracks – insulting rivals or fellow artistes – within the genre, and the practice of going live on social media to openly threaten or disrespect other artistes and their entourages.
“Gangs have also forged relationships with musical artistes to spread their influence and appeal. In partnership with musicians, prominent gangs have expanded their criminal linkages with affiliates in neighbouring islands,” it added.
In 2020, some Trinibad artistes from areas predominantly including members of the Sixx and Seven gangs held peace talks. But the next day, Trinibad artiste Kyle "Rebel Sixx" George was killed.
LYRICS CAN BE FICTION
Trinibad artiste Rheon Elbourne, 35, told Newsday the genre is “an expression of the society we live in today.”
He added that it shares many topics and influences with Jamaican dancehall.
“I think the society is filled with a lot of crime, violence and corruption, and it is a raw reflection of that.”
Much like dance and spoken word, Elbourne said, music is a form of art which allows people to be creative. In tapping into that creativity, he said, “People can exaggerate, make a story or make a movie out of it, or even get a point across to move the population.”
He said he cannot speak for other artistes, but he is not involved in any criminal activity, despite that being the theme of some of his songs.
“I can still express myself in such ways without physically going out in the streets to do anything. I can write, I can put (my feelings and thoughts) down on a track...
“People may think, ‘He’s a criminal’ because of the content of people’s music, but maybe they’re just venting, maybe they’re just getting a point across.”
Some Trinibad artistes have previously said while they are not involved in any gangs, it is possible actual gang members may use their songs to fuel their wars. Many members of the public also believe some gang leaders fund artistes who support narratives that align with theirs.
In recent months, Trinibad artistes Kashif "Kman 6ixx" Sankar, Joseph "Medz Boss" Ollivierre and Mescach "Plumpy Boss" Emmanuel were charged with varying gang offences. In addition, Trinibad artiste Kalonji Arthur was charged with several counts of wounding and firearm offences. All four men have since been granted bail.
Newsday tried to speak to other Trinibad artistes, who expressed frustration at always having to defend their craft, and declined to be interviewed.
RAW SUGAR CANE
Elbourne suggested if private entities or even the government helped more young artistes, perhaps more positive messages could emerge from the genre.
Otherwise, “The funding will come from elsewhere…
“And if someone else is doing the funding, then I guess the message will come out however the fundee (sic) wants it.
“Trinibad music is like raw sugar cane – it just needs to be refined. We definitely know it’s a great product, but who’s going to take it and turn it into sugar or molasses or rum? Who is going to ship it and put it on the right planes and boats so it could get into the right stores to sell?”
Elbourne, who is involved in the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service’s 40 Under 40 mentorship programme, said a lot of the young people he mentors “want better for themselves.
“They complain about the potholes in the road, hearing gunshots every minute, violent crimes in their communities, having a lot of drugs and guns in their schools and communities, gangs, some of them have no water or electricity at home…
“These youths just looking for a way out.”
One former gang member, whose prime was in the 1980s, told Newsday the authorities, especially political parties, see Trinibad artistes as both a convenience and inconvenience.
"One minute, they will complain about them and their lyrics and say this and that – then election season, you will see that same artiste parading with them because they get hired to do a campaign song."
Artistes Prince Swanny and Plumpy Boss have both done election campaign songs for the UNC.
PROUD TO REP THEIR COMMUNITIES
Talent manager and owner of DiMedia Delicia Patterson told Newsday Trinibad represents “the voices of the ghetto youths.”
She manages Trinibad artiste Llano “Jahllano” Grant.
As a manager, she added that she feels compelled to “do more to change the narrative (of the genre) and create more opportunities for youths wishing to pursue a career in music.”
But she said Trinibad songs that aren’t about violence do not get as much attention.
“The biggest misunderstanding is that Trinibad is only about guns and violence. Let's make the tunes for the ladies and the positive lyrics popular and trending too.
“Music belongs to the creative industry. The creative industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry…Music is art, freedom of expression, it forms part of our culture. Music is freedom. The satisfaction is priceless when you indulge yourself in your passion.”
Most Trinibad artistes, she said, are proud to represent their communities.
Asked what could be done to change the current narratives, she, too, called for investments into young talent.
“People in authority or position with resources, finances, certified professionals and experts can unify more, as is being seen now with the many talent shows and music conferences, to focus on working together with communities experiencing high levels of discord."
She said she is working on the relaunch of a mentorship and development course – Music Business Principles – to use "music with a psychological approach…
"This programme is aimed at equipping youths and other upcoming talents in the entertainment industry with viable tools, resources and opportunities to create a solid foundation and eventually sustaining their career.”
TRINIBAD MAKING WAVES ACROSS CARIBBEAN
When one looks at the data, or even takes a casual walk in public in TT, there is no denying the genre's popularity and impact.
For instance, on September 3, there were 12 Trinibad songs on Apple Music's top 100 currently most-listened-to tracks in TT. These included: Kman 6ixx's Little Miss Best Body (5th), Show Them (12th), Obsessed (32nd), Mayhem (38th), No Lethal (59th) and This Life (89th); Plumpy Boss's Keep Up (35th), Bad Already (61st), and My Favorite (88th); Prince Swanny's BBQ Badness (10th), Not Bad (62nd), and Foreign (76th).
The only other TT artistes with trending songs were Lady Lava with Ring Finger at 25, and Kes with Tack Back at 66.
But the genre was also trending in Grenada, Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis, Belize, Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda. The artistes trending there included the same as those in TT, with the addition of Medz Boss and the late Rebel Sixx.
The Caribbean country with the highest number of trending Trinibad songs on Apple Music's Top 100 playlists was Dominica, with 23 tracks in total. Following closely was Barbados, with 20.
Non-Caricom countries were in the mix, too, including Anguilla, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
These, along with TT, are the only Caribbean countries for which the platform curates these playlists based on data.
Further data from songstats.com – a website used by music industry professionals and labels to monitor trends – confirmed the genre's popularity.
Many Trinibad artistes' monthly listener tallies were in the hundreds of thousands, with some having their music streamed in 100 countries or more.
Prince Swanny, for instance, has an average of 230,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and is listened to by people from 155 different countries on Apple Music.
These artistes also regularly perform at shows and parties in the Caribbean, often met with crowds singing their songs verbatim.
However, in the last year, Kman 6ixx has been banned from performing in St Kitts, Antigua, the Bahamas, and, most recently, Dominica over fears his music could incite violence. More than one attempt has been made on his life in recent times.
Murdered Trinibad artistes:
- Rebel Sixx (Kyle George) – 2020
- Chucky Blanco (Jaheim Joseph) – 2021
- CraigMan (Keenan Craig) –2021
- Brad (Brad Bailey) – 2021
- Siah Boss (Josiah Mc Clatchie) – 2021
- Vice Versa (Tyler Williams) – 2021
- Fari Dan (N'Kosi Bovell) – 2022
- CJ Dan (Carlton Campbell) – 2022
- Mad Dog (Daniel Hamilton) – 2022
- Wacko Dan (Anthony Reyes) – 2023
- Faces (Kevon Andrews) – 2023
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"The influence, challenges of Trinibad music"