ENTITY · CONCEPT
Authenticity debate (keep it real)
Probable
The recurring 'keep it real' argument in dancehall over whether the 'badman', gun and street personas express lived authenticity or are performance and marketing, a core thread in reception of clash culture and hard lyrics.
At a glance
- Type
- concept
- Confidence
- Probable
- Era
- Open era →
Connections
Debate & reception
How people argued about the music — praise, criticism and public debate. See all debate & reception →
debate
'Keep it real': authenticity or persona?
A neutral statement of the authenticity debate: the badman, gun and street personas are defended as expressions of lived authenticity and credibility, and read by others as performance, persona and marketing. No allegation is made about any individual. Sources: Norman Stolzoff, Wake the Town and Tell the People; Carolyn Cooper, Sound Clash; Beth Lesser, Dancehall.
Stance: street authenticity & credibility vs performance, persona & marketing