I give thanks for life and the variety it brings. It's what makes life interesting. Every single day, life and creation amazes me. Today, I'm again amazed by the fact that the smallest people can be the biggest dorks, seen?
Gentleman's an artist many people know jack-all about. So, you heard his albums? Great. You caught the publicity? Good.
Do you know how Gentleman started out? Well, let me clear your clouded mind: check this clip on YouTube, and I mean EVERYBODY - LOOK AT THAT CLIP!
So, go on and critize - it's your right to. Just make sure you're on top of the facts before you do. If Gentleman doesn't sound like he's influenced by Buju there (and yes, he was only 18 years old when the video was shot (part of a documentary broadcast on German T.V.)), I guess I should really reevaluate my musical knowledge.
And I'll let you in on something else: Gentleman still ah gwaan so! In Cologne/Germany, where he was born and grown, bashment is as big as inna yaad. Fancy going to a bashment and Gentleman stepping up to di mic-stand, busting out the ruffest DJ-styles you've ever heard... THAT's how he do.
Gentleman's not a native English-speaker.
Gentleman grew up in a culture very foreign to that of Jamaica.
Gentleman is an able Roots-/Lovers-singer just as much as he can rock any bashment.
Gentleman has a nice, humble, really funny personality.
Gentleman never critized any one of you, even though it would be easy for him to lick some shots from which your image would never recover.
Gentleman has put a lot of effort and time into developing what he does now, judging by what he does, not by what people say.
So, love him or not (it doesn't matter the tinyest bit): Gentleman's level of musicianship, consciousness and creativity is hard to second.
Let this stand as just a glimpse of the half of the story never told.
Samson, great to read you again. But I-man must say, there's nothing about Gentleman you didn't tell me new. I still don't like that guy as he boasts too much and I do not feel the stuff at all. To me it has not as much soul as for example Jukka Poika from Finland. But eyo... my opinion. I just have a bad feeling about this guy.
True, but for the records' sake I had to let people know about that aspect of Gentleman.
Taste is still a personal matter - I prefer other artist WAY more... I'm a Rub-a-Dub head; still, respect where respect's due. I think comparing artists has only limited worth: every man is different, and the fewest strive for the same thing. Gentleman strives for his, you for yours, I for mine. He does what he does, you do what you do, I do what I do. The variety is what makes it interesting - what good is a comparative analysis when you don't have anything to compare with?
I don't need to tell you that Gentleman isn't a black Bobo-dread. He doesn't want to be one - would do much good if he wanted to be one, either His music isn't your average Reggae - whether that's a good thing or not? What gives, I say. It doesn't reach the average Reggae-listener? Good, I say! Reach the masses, I say - share what's good with them, EVENTUALLY introduce a few of them to a style of music they probably haven't dealt much with before! Who knows, his music has probably moved maybe fifty of the current members here to register in the first place simply through googling for Reggae. Ask GoogleStatistics for details - but I'll bet you'll find a mathematical/statistical correlation between Google-searches for Gentleman and people making it here to ReggaeDubwise.com, be it ever-so-slight. I for one think that's great.
So, let him "boast" - it might bring some fine people this way! I don't mind boasters as much as people that can't see through them.
It's great to reason with you as always - you approach topics from another angle, getting me to rethink things, to redefine concepts and ideas: other people pay for that sort of thing, and I get it for free
Hope you get your kicks outta me in this round as well!
Tilmann Otto
His music isn't your average Reggae - whether that's a good thing or not? What gives, I say. It doesn't reach the average Reggae-listener? Good, I say! Reach the masses, I say - share what's good with them, EVENTUALLY introduce a few of them to a style of music they probably haven't dealt much with before! Who knows, his music has probably moved maybe fifty of the current members here to register in the first place simply through googling for Reggae. Ask GoogleStatistics for details - but I'll bet you'll find a mathematical/statistical correlation between Google-searches for Gentleman and people making it here to ReggaeDubwise.com, be it ever-so-slight. I for one think that's great.
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