Marvin Sparks

  So, my books have officially sold out. And unless something drastically changes my mind, they won’t ever be available in the physical form again, but they are on sale in ebook format on Amazon: Run the Riddim 90s and Run the Riddim 2K . I have held some back to donate to libraries (when I figure that out) and gift to significant contributors, but outside of that, they’re in the past. And while this was an enjoyable project all good things come to an end.  For me personally, selling books is nowhere near as enjoyable as writing them. Writing them is where the fun is. Once they’re out in the world and I can’t touch them, I don’t have the same attachment. Feedback from readers is rewarding, I’m honoured that someone parted with their money and gave me that much time let alone felt like they benefitted from the information provided. But writing books for a niche market is always going to be a labour of love more than anything. And the challenge is that much harder when influe...

So a white American reggae band called Soja won the Best Reggae album award at the Grammy's? And you care because? You feel Jamaicans are losing reggae because the Grammy's (a white institution) gave their white American man award to a white American reggae band? You blame the Jamaican government for not showing enough love and support to the music because this is the result? But you don't realise you are giving the Grammy's that much power and don't see where the problem lies? Well let me tell you; the problem is within you. I understand the outrage. Jamaicans built the music and are rarely compensated for all the hard graft. There have been countless examples of the music being used by someone else, often to better results because we live in an ignorant and racist Western world. Historically, white reggae artists like The Police or UB40 are able to achieve better results in the white man's world than reggae artists that are far superior to them. Bruno Mars , J...

Before you read, thank you for your interest and hope you enjoy. I actually fleshed it out into a book. You can get your copy from www.nolongstories.com   Now for what you came here for... When Riddims Were King 23rd May 2020 will be remembered in history for one of the most epic events in one of our universe's darkest times. We will never forget the night dancehall kings and former extremely heated rivals, Beenie Man and Bounty Killer, battled on the Verzuz platform built by hall-of-fame producers, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz. An unfiltered, 360-degree view on Jamaican dancehall events was showcased; DJ’s and dancing (Beenie Man’s daughter Desha Ravers) to deejay’s clashing on the same riddims. The latter elements provided the jewels in the night’s highlight reel, and undoubtedly the best thing to happen on the Verzuz series. Word spread like guava jelly within the dancehall community and Jamaican diaspora upon announcement. Not only was it a clash between the longest and fier...

Before you continue, I'd just like to let you know I wrote a book about the golden '90s dancehall culture. You can get your copy from nolongstories.com First things first; I want it to be known that this is in no way an attack on the music I love. It’s constructive criticism which I hope is a guide towards a better future. Any good relationship requires communication about the good as well as the bad. Right now, I’d describe my relationship with dancehall music as complicated, strained may be more accurate. For the first time in my life, I don’t feel ashamed to say I’m indifferent to the current happenings. How did I get here? Well it’s due to a series of disappointments over the past decade. But before I explain how I arrived here, I’ll give a bit of background about myself. I’m Marvin Sparks, a mid-1980s born-and-raised Londoner (UK) of Jamaican heritage. I have visited Jamaica fifteen times since my first visit in 1990. My dad plays strictly Jamaican music in the car, mu...

People go on about how dead dancehall is, like no one cares for it, but when you consider these people lack major industry experience and resources, these numbers are pretty healthy. Dancehall has always been a hit industry. Hit songs and shows. Talking about sales in this day and age is pretty dead. A problem is people compare dancehall success to hip hop and r&b. Why compare music from a place of 2 million people with one that has 200 million+ people on their own land space? A predominantly independently run and divided scene against one boasting millions of $ of investment from corporates. A genre that relies on foreign territories to sustain it compared to one where homegrown artists can tour home and live well. Dancehall has to be exported but doesn't have to investment to do so yet still survives. Yes, dancehall has punched above its weight in the past, but believe me, it continues to do that. Don't think "Oh, it ain't in the Billboard charts anymore...

For anyone who doesn't know, Drake - One Dance was number 1 in UK for 14 weeks and 10 week in US. It topped the charts in 16 countries. Drake is known as a hip hop artist but he dabbles in other styles of music such as dancehall, r&b and afrobeats. One Dance is a dancehall song which samples a UK funky classic and features afrobeats superstar, Wizkid. Truth is, if a Jamaican dancehall artist made One Dance in 2016 it probably would've been popular in dances but struggled to break through from the dancehall's to the charts. And that's if it wasn't deemed to pop sounding by core Jamaican dancehall DJ's. It could've been one of those rest of the Caribbean hits that does well in New York and the rest of the tri-state, Africa then hits Jamaica on the rebound. Most of those types of songs aren't worth the risk because many of them float in no man's land; not hardcore enough to fit dancehall DJ's sets, and despite its accessibility to the mainst...