if bands like Wailers and Israel Vibration can't sell 10,000 copies of an album, how can anyone else expect to make a living from producing roots? It's OK if you're doing it for a hobby, but when you want to make a living you gotto produce something that people will buy - and the youth prefer hiphop and "rnb" to roots.
But I think there is nothing wrong with that. Reggae has always borrowed from other forms of music and vice versa, so why expect it to remain frozen in time. Some of the steppa style stuff is too heavily techno influenced (not swinging enough) for my liking - while most of the dancehall I hear is more interesting than the hiphop or rnb. In fact i'd say that dancehall is more innovative than any style out there - anything goes along as you get a good crowd response - and this innovation crosses over into the dominant popular market - pushing hiphop & rnb to different directions.
I'll bet you any of us here would jump at the chance to remix Ricky Martin or Beyonce, like I'm sure that Mad Professor doesn't regret the royalties he made of the Massive Attack remixes - probably the most solid income he ever made. Can you deny him that?
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