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Reggae
Ska
Rock Steady
Shaved Heads
Docs
Braces
Multicultural
No Political Movement
Drinking and Fighting

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Painted as a bad decade.

Oil crisis.

Inflation.

Major increase in British manufacturing.

IRA

Women's rights.

Punk era.

UK listening to Reggae music including Punks.

Punks and Jamaicans deprived the right to vote.

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Assassination attempt of Bob Marley

Emergence  of Reggae music.

Politics, Violence and Poverty.

Windrush Scandal ( UK gov. sending away people who have lived in the UK all their lives.

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Photographer Adrien Boot looks back on a life capturing the Jamaican communities of Britain: 'In the '70s, London was a dark place,' he remembers. 'You know what they say - you need hard times and stress to make good music.'

"I didn't start life as a photographer," Adrian Boot says with a laugh. "I stayed at university as long as I could - as everyone else did in those days - and then I went to Jamaica to teach physics for about three years. I took up photography as a hobby, and ran into people like Bob Marley and Burning Spear."

Boot got his first paying gig when the Rolling Stones were in town to record Goats Head Soup at Dynamic Sounds Studios, through his friend Michael Thomas. When Boot returned to the UK, he collaborated with Thomas once again on the 1977 book Jamaica: Babylon on a Thin Wire , now in its fourth printing.

The book was a powerful document of Jamaica in the early '70s, showing the emergence of reggae music within the larger landscape of politics, violence, and poverty. Suddenly the media took notice, and editors from , The Melody Maker , , Rolling Stone , and the Village Voice were on the phone, giving Boot assignments to shoot the emerging reggae scene in the UK.

"I decided to delay going back into teaching and have a sabbatical just taking photographs - and I am still having that sabbatical," Boot says. "Now I am 72. I have been doing it for a lifetime, and I always expected it to fade out but it didn't. Then I started to work for Island Records, and then Bob Marley came along and started to have success. The rest is history."

That history comes alive once again in Bass Culture 70/50 , a group exhibition celebrating the 70th anniversary of Windrush and the 50th anniversary of reggae in the UK. "A couple of years ago, I got together with Mykaell Riley, who started life in a band called Steel Pulse and is now the head of the music department at Westminister University," Boot recalls.

"We thought it would be a fantastic idea to tell the story of Jamaican music in the UK, not just its effect on music but also the culture, the fashion, and the language itself. It was very difficult to raise any more to make the thing. Then the Windrush scandal happened. The British government started to deport people that had been here all their lives. It was horrific, but it drew public attention to it."

Then, the funding came, providing the support necessary to mount a show featuring previously unseen artwork and a specially commissioned film. It also included top industry speakers, UK reggae label pop-up showcases, live performances, and over 70 hours of individual testimonies from Benjamin Zephaniah, Steel Pulse, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Sir Lloyd Coxsone, and Don Letts, among others.

Located in Central London, where it is free to the public, Bass Culture 70/50 gives long-overdue recognition to the Jamaican contributions to Britain over the 20th century.

"Back in the '70s, London was quite grey. It was a dark place. There was racism, discrimination, disenfranchisement, and riots. Nobody had any money. The children of those who came over on the Windrush shops suffered the same discrimination their parents suffered," Boot remembers.

"In a funny kind of way, the punks themselves, these white kids, were also a bit disenfranchised; they didn't have jobs, they didn't have anywhere to go. A lot of punks liked reggae music; they all lived on the same housing estate. Jamaicans were very good at putting on parties and the white kids that went along developed their own style. Bands like the Beat and the Specials adopted reggae and mixed it in with punk, so it crossed over a lot."

The legacy of these generations is rooted in the triumph over circumstance, a testament to the resilience and resistance of the Jamaican spirit. "You know what they say," adds Boot, "you need hard times and stress to make good music."
Bass Culture 70/50 is on view through November 23, 2018. Follow Miss Rosen on Twitter. Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

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A visual history of reggae culture in the UK

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"I didn't start life as a photographer," Adrian Boot says with a laugh. "I stayed at university as long as I could - as everyone else did in those days - and then I went to Jamaica to teach physics for about three years. I took up photography as a hobby, and ran into people...

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It is 75 years since the HMT Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, Essex, carrying passengers from the Caribbean to the UK.

In 2018 it emerged that the government had not properly recorded the details of people granted permission to stay in the UK, and many were wrongly deported.

Who are the Windrush generation?

HMT Empire Windrush became a symbol of a wider mass-migration movement.

Several hundred passengers were Jamaican, but others arrived from islands including Trinidad, St Lucia, Grenada and Barbados.

These travellers - and those on other ships which came to the UK until 1971 - became known as the Windrush generation.

Many had served in the British armed forces in World War Two.

Why did the Windrush generation come to Britain?

In 1948 the British Nationality Act gave people from colonies the right to live and work in Britain.

The government needed workers to help fill post-War labour shortages and rebuild the economy.

Caribbean countries were also struggling economically and job vacancies in the UK offered an opportunity.

Many of those who came became manual workers, drivers, cleaners, and nurses in the newly-established NHS.

Where are the Windrush generation now?

It is unclear how many people from the Windrush generation are still in the UK, but the number is thought to be in the thousands.

They are among more than 500,000 UK residents who were born in a Commonwealth country and arrived before 1971, according to University of Oxford estimates.

What is Windrush Day?

Commemoration events have been held on 22 June every year since 2018.

The 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Windrush was marked with a series of concerts, exhibitions and seminars across the country.

King Charles, who held a reception at Buckingham Palace to mark the anniversary, hailed the Windrush generation's "profound and permanent contribution to British life".

What was the Windrush scandal?

The 1971 Immigration Act gave Commonwealth citizens living in the UK indefinite leave to remain - the permanent right to live and work in the UK.

This included the Windrush generation but also people from other former British colonies in South Asia and Africa.

However, in April 2018, it emerged that the UK Home Office had kept no records of those granted permission to stay, and had not issued the paperwork they needed to confirm their status.

It had also destroyed landing cards belonging to Windrush migrants, in 2010.

Those affected were unable to prove they were in the country legally and were prevented from accessing healthcare, work and housing.

A review of historical cases also found that at least 83 people who had arrived before 1973 had been wrongly deported.

What did the government do about the Windrush scandal?

The inquiry made 30 recommendations, including:

a full Home Office review of the UK's "hostile environment" immigration policy

appointing a migrants' commissioner

establishing a race advisory board

Then-Home Secretary Priti Patel accepted the recommendations in full.

to appoint a migrants' commissioner responsible for "speaking up for migrants and those affected by the system directly or indirectly"

to give the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration new powers

to hold events with people affected to "listen and reflect on their stories"

Wendy Williams criticised the decision, saying the proposals would have raised the "confidence of the Windrush community".

How does the Windrush Compensation Scheme work?

But the scheme has been consistently criticised for processing delays, low offers, and unfair rejections reversed on appeal.

In response, the Home Office said it was "committed to righting the wrongs of Windrush", and that the scheme had paid or offered more than £68m in compensation to the people affected.

The government insisted it would ensure "similar injustices can never be repeated and [was] creating a Home Office worthy of every community it serves".

Correction 27 July 2023: An earlier version of the story wrongly said that there were 492 passengers on board the Empire Windrush. This figure has been amended to reflect that 1,027 were on board and additional information has been added.

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What is Windrush and who are the Windrush generation?

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It is 75 years since a ship from the Caribbean to the UK became a symbol of a mass-migration movement.

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“No Good Rudie” by Justin Hinds & the Dominoes

“Rude Boy Ska” by the Gladiators"

"Clash’s “Rudie Can’t Fail,”

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> 'Hat boxes by Kitty Farrow'

> bespoke creations by the Anglo-Jamaican shoemaker Mr. Hare

> suits by the tailoring collective Art Comes First

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> 'Hat boxes by Kitty Farrow'

> bespoke creations by the Anglo-Jamaican shoemaker Mr. Hare

> suits by the tailoring collective Art Comes First

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An original exhibition created and curated by prolific photographer and filmmaker for music's most wanted Dean Chalkley and fashion-industry favourite creative director Harris Elliott.

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irst youth subculture of Jamaica.

'Early rudeboys adopted an aesthetic inspired by American jazz and R&B musicians, as well as American Westerns and gangster movies. They also became known for re-appropriating the traditional style of affluent dress — typical outfits included high-end tailoring, formal hats and close-fitting suits.'

"iconoclastic attitude"

“There was criminal behavior,” he added, but there was also an “idea of liberation for the common man: If you can’t get jobs, if education and healthcare is poor, you resist by turning against the system.” This resistance “came with language, how one wore clothes or challenged the traditional European style of dress,” he said."

“Sharp” and “Sunday Best”

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The photographer Dean Chalkley, left, and the creative director Harris Elliott at the "Return of the Rudeboy" exhibition at Somerset House in London.
Credit... Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images for Somerset House

LONDON - Rudeboy style was born in the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, in the years leading up to and immediately following the country's independence from Britain in 1962.

Now familiar to a new generation, in part thanks to a popular Rihanna song, the original youth movement was a response to Jamaica's rising unemployment. The subculture revolved around the emerging sounds of ska, and the local dance halls where "rudies" moonlighted as intimidation-for-hire.

Early rudeboys adopted an aesthetic inspired by American jazz and R&B musicians, as well as American Westerns and gangster movies. They also became known for re-appropriating the traditional style of affluent dress - typical outfits included high-end tailoring, formal hats and close-fitting suits.

A wave of Jamaican emigration in the 1950s and early 1960s brought the rudeboy movement to Britain, where it influenced subcultures from mods to skinheads. Another iteration emerged in the 1970s and '80s, this time mixed with punk.

"Return of the Rudeboy," an exhibition on display through Aug. 25 at Somerset House in London, makes clear that the rudeboy still reigns in Britain. Curated by the photographer and filmmaker Dean Chalkley in collaboration with Harris Elliott, who heads the leather-specialist label H by Harris here, the show celebrates the 21st-century British rudie. At its center is a portrait series by Mr. Chalkley and Mr. Elliott, shot in London, documenting about 60 men (and a few women) who reflect the movement's iconoclastic attitude.

The idea for the show came to Mr. Chalkley and Mr. Elliott just over a year ago, when they first noticed the return of the rudeboy look on London's streets, particularly in the neighborhoods of East London and Mayfair. Historically, Mr. Chalkley said in an interview, "rudeboy culture has been underdocumented," and they felt compelled to note this new wave.

The portraits were shot over a period of 15 months. The men and women who were invited to be photographed "were simply asked to come along and represent themselves," Mr. Chalkley said; "they haven't been styled in any way." Several of Mr. Chalkley and Mr. Elliott's subjects were friends or colleagues; others were found through word of mouth. The series is supplemented by archival photos.

But "Return of the Rudeboy" goes beyond images, with installations that immerse viewers in the rudeboy lifestyle. Hat boxes by Kitty Farrow, a book bindery and box-maker here, and briefcases by the Swedish luggage maker Alstermo, recall the journey of the early Jamaican rudeboys to Britain. There are bespoke creations by the Anglo-Jamaican shoemaker Mr. Hare, and suits by the tailoring collective Art Comes First. A pop-up barbershop honors the rudeboy's attention to personal grooming; on Thursdays and Saturdays, museumgoers can have their hair trimmed by the stylist Johnnie Sapong.

Music, so central to rudeboy culture, is present here too. Mr. Chalkley and Mr. Elliott asked each portrait-sitter to contribute a playlist of rudie songs; these tracks, including "No Good Rudie" by Justin Hinds & the Dominoes, "Rude Boy Ska" by the Gladiators and the Clash's "Rudie Can't Fail," are piped in through a massive sound system. There are also discussions, and screenings of classic 1970s rudeboy films "The Harder They Come" and "Rockers," and the documentary "Duke Vin and the Birth of Ska."

"Many early rudeboys were seen as strugglers who turned to violence and crime," said Herbie Miller, the director and curator of the Jamaica Music Museum at the Institute of Jamaica in Kingston, in an interview. But rudeboy life was always "about the community," and many became "sort of Robin Hood figures," he said.

"There was criminal behavior," he added, but there was also an "idea of liberation for the common man: If you can't get jobs, if education and healthcare is poor, you resist by turning against the system." This resistance "came with language, how one wore clothes or challenged the traditional European style of dress," he said.

Today's iteration of rudeboy style is typified by cropped pants; modified pork pie, trilby or other formal hats; careful tailoring, and details like socks or ties that add a vibrant pop of color. "Sharp" and "Sunday Best" are the exhibition's buzzwords, yet this is "not peacocks parading," Mr. Elliott said. "It's about self-expression, the confidence that makes you want to tailor your own clothes, to always want to do something a little different."

Andrew Ibi, who directs the Masters program in Fashion at Kingston University in London, and is featured in the exhibition, acknowledged a heritage shared by many modern rudies, who often have African or Afro-Caribbean roots, of "dressing up, being a bit more over the top than the traditional English guy," Mr. Ibi said in an interview. "I've made things by hand to go out."

For Mr. Ibi and others, being a rudeboy is about a refusal to conform. "This is not a bunch of guys replicating something that happened 50 years ago. I don't think we'd even be influenced by each other," Mr. Ibi said. "It's really only when you pop us all in the same room that you see that we really are a movement."

If anything, Mr. Chalkley said, the exhibition should leave viewers hopeful. At the rudeboy's core, he continued, is the belief that "what you wear is a reflection of your character - an outward display of the way you carry yourself through life." This show, he said, "illustrates that you don't have to accept mediocrity, or settle for second-best."

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Britain's 'Rudeboys' Ride Again (Published 2014)

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The photographer Dean Chalkley, left, and the creative director Harris Elliott at the "Return of the Rudeboy" exhibition at Somerset House in London. Credit... Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images for Somerset House LONDON - Rudeboy style was born in the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, in the years leading up to and immediately following the country's independence from Britain in 1962.

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Inspo for the specials-

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sounds system @ Return of the rude boy exhibition @ Somerset house house 2014

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Bob Marley's father was a plantation overseer of Welsh descent who married an eighteen-year-old Afro-Jamaican when he was sixty-one. The two separated after Bob was born in 1945. The father paid child support but didn't see his son, and died when Marley was ten.

Marley's mother lived with the father of Neville Livingston, who would later change his name to Bunny Wailer. Their parents had a daughter together named Pearl. Marley and Bunny were tight, and in 1957 they started listening to the American R&B coming over the airwaves from distant U.S. radio stations-doo-wop groups such as Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, the Platters, and the Drifters. Lennon and McCartney were doing the same thing in Britain at the time.

When Peter Tosh (born Winston Hubert McIntosh) met Marley and Bunny, the fact that Tosh had taught himself to play guitar and keyboards inspired them to learn how to play instruments as well. Tosh popularized the "chik, chik" guitar sound of reggae. (He later had a son with Bunny's sister.)

The three formed a vocal harmony trio and sang on the corners of Trench Town, in Kingston, coached by a popular singer named Joe Higgs, who gave free lessons. First they called themselves the Teenagers, but since Frankie Lymon's band was already called that, they soon became the Wailing Rude Boys, then the Wailing Wailers-"wailing" to express the angst of living in the ghetto.

In 1962 they sold seventy thousand copies of the eminently danceable "Simmer Down," a message to the rude boys to control their temper and stop turning to crime. They released seventeen singles in 1965 alone, including June's "Rude Boy," where their doo- wop roots fuse with reggae skank. Their output that year included numerous Beatle covers such as "I Should Have Known Better," "And I Love Her," and "Ringo's Theme," the instrumental version of "This Boy" from the American A Hard Day's Night soundtrack album.

SOURCES:

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Bob Marley and the Wailers release ska anthem "Rude Boy"

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Nhgb9hC7UI&w=320&h=240 Bob Marley's father was a plantation overseer of Welsh descent who married an eighteen-year-old Afro-Jamaican when he was sixty-one. The two separated after Bob was born in 1945. The father paid child support but didn't see his son, and died when Marley was ten. Marley's mother lived with the father of Neville Livingston, who...

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Originally springing from gangs that followed Jamaica’s partisan sound system they were soon cutting a dash in Britain’s dancehalls to ska and jazz,  Sam Selvon’s ‘The Lonely Londoners’ and Colin MacInnes’ novels documented their swagger through London. A knife edge crease and a pork pie hat tilted with attitude in response to poor housing, poverty, and out and out racism.

"70s roots reggae became big and the rasta became a recognised look for reggae."

"Punk morphed with reggae in 2 Tone, and its fans took the name Rude Boys."

" Barrington Levy, General Echo, Lone Ranger and more were on the record deck. "

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With super sharp looks and a whole load of attitude, Rude Bwoys came swaggering into the British youth scene. With their roots in Jamaica, UK youth movements were quickly inspired, and before long people dancing to Ska and Reggae. This essay will look at how this movement took Britain by storm and inspired generations of young people.

Text by Tim Wells, Cover Photo by Gavin Watson.

The tight knit group of lads round the stereo wearing knit shirts and blaring reggae, the ones whose eyes fiercely warn 'don't even try fe reach fe no pop records' are givin' it in style and attitude: rude bwoys.

From the 60s to mid 80s, even with changing sartorial and musical stylings, rude bwoys stayed a crucial part of inner city Britain's yoof culture. Originally springing from gangs that followed Jamaica's partisan sound system they were soon cutting a dash in Britain's dancehalls to ska and jazz,Sam Selvon's 'The Lonely Londoners' and Colin MacInnes' novels documented their swagger through London. A knife edge crease and a pork pie hat tilted with attitude in response to poor housing, poverty, and out and out racism.

Though made in the 70s the Jamaican film 'The Harder They Come' tells the tale of a Kingston rude bwoy, played wonderfully by Jimmy Cliff. The story is based on Ivanhoe 'Rhyging' Martin, a Jamaican folk hero to the have nots, and as it always is with folk heroes, a folk devil to the haves. Rhyging also lived on in a Prince Buster song, a 1966 Miss Lou poem. He even gets name checked in the Clash's 'Guns of Brixton'.

Ska and rocksteady records are peppered with references to rude boys. Prince Buster's 'Judge Dread' was sentencing them to jail and a ridiculous amount of lashes, The Rulers harmonised 'Don't Be A Rude Boy', and the Wailers sang 'Hooligan' and 'Good Good Rudie'. The rude bwoy was always crashing the dance and causing trouble, and they looked good doing it.

British mods quickly picked up on Jamaican ska music and natty fashions of their West Indian neighbours. In 1968 as ska had gone through rocksteady the skinheads became synonymous with reggae. Their clean cut antithesis to hippy came from the American Ivy League look sported by the astronauts all over the news as well as Jamaicans at the dancehalls.

In the early 70s roots reggae became big and the rasta became a recognised look for reggae. Rasta was spiritual, peaceful, and loving whilst the rude bwoys wanted success, money, good times and they wanted them now. That they weren't available to everyone in a divided and tense Britain didn't lessen that hunger any. As in Jamaica, back a' yard, the rude bwoys followed sounds systems in the same way that lads followed football teams, and often in Britain with a bit of overlap. The same territoriality, rivalry, and passion followed the sounds as well as the outbursts of trouble that were so common a feature of 70s inner city Britain. The 1980 film Babylon is an excellent portrayal of sound system culture, and a picture of Britain at the time. The music, look, and experiences expressed in the film are spot on.

Punk morphed with reggae in 2 Tone, and its fans took the name Rude Boys. The figure sporting a decent suit and pork pie hat on the 2 Tone record label was known as Walt Jabsco and the drawing of him was based on a photo of the Wailers' Peter Tosh, these 2 Tone rude boys skanked in a mix of mod and skinhead fashions to up-tempo songs that often had downbeat subject matter. This swept up many pop fans but, as ever, reggae was doing its own thing.

In the late 70s dancehall became the dominant style of reggae. This moved away from the spiritual concerns of rasta and the rude bwoy was ranking. Barrington Levy, General Echo, Lone Ranger and more were on the record deck. British label Greensleeves, deliberately making use of the name of that most English of songs for their output of hard Jamaican music, put out 12" after 12" of glorious reggae music. The 12" sleeve even had a great 'carnival of reggae' drawing on the front that showed the evolution of reggae music on it, even punks and policemen were depicted. The 1983 sociology book Inside The Inner City by Paul Harrison has a detailed description of Dalston rude bwoys: 'The tea-cosy hat and the bomber jacket are signs of plodding poverty: the style that the fashion setters have adopted is not Rasta, but straight from the pages of The Tattler, gold-buttoned, double-breasted blazers, silk shirts, camel-hair coats, Burberries. There are distinctive exotic elements too: broad-brimmed leather hats, tall peaked caps in pure-wool tweed, gold bracelets and pendants, and a whole status hierarchy of shoes in which sneakers are the bottom rung, leather is looked down on, and reptile skin is the rage: lizard, crocodile and ostrich-skin shoes costing up to £250 for a handmade pair.' Barry Brown's 1980 album Cool Pon Your Corner seesthe singer sporting the look and the title track is one serious bit of dancehall that encapsulates rude bwoy.

Tim Wells is a poet and a writer who still buys discomixes. He is the editor of the poetry magazine Rising and runs the blog Stand Up and Spit.

This essay was curated by The Subcultures Network, which was formed in 2011 to facilitate research on youth cultures and social change, and commissioned as part of the National Lottery Heritage Funded project to build the online Museum of Youth Culture. Being developed by YOUTH CLUB, the Museum of Youth Culture is a new destination dedicated to celebrating 100 years of youth culture history through photographs, ephemera and stories.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund invests money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife.

Al Capone, Prince Buster, 1967
007, Desmond Dekker, 1967
The Upsetters, Lee Perry, 1969
Rude Boys, Bob Marley and The Wailers, 1965
Tougher Than Tough, Derrick Morgan, 1966

Babylon, Franco Rosso, 1980
The Harder They Come, Perry Henzell, 1972

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With super sharp looks and a whole load of attitude, Rude Bwoys came swaggering into the British youth scene. With their roots in Jamaica, UK youth movements were quickly inspired, and before long people dancing to Ska and Reggae. This essay will look at how this movement took Britain by storm and inspired generations of...

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t was towards the end of 1963 that the Wailers released their first single, Simmer Down, on the legendary Studio One label in Jamaica. The song was written and sung by an 18-year-old Bob Marley, the lyrics intended to placate his mother, Cedella, who was worried about the company her son was keeping in the Trench Town ghetto of the Jamaican capital, Kingston, where they lived. Simmer Down was aimed directly at the often sharply dressed young men locally known as "rude boys", who were making headlines in the then newly independent island with their violent and antisocial behaviour. "Simmer down, oh control your temper/Simmer down, for the battle will be hotter," sang Marley over a frenetic rhythm by the studio's stellar house band, the Skatalites. Produced by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, Simmer Down was not the first song to address the rude boy phenomenon. The previous year Stranger Cole had released Ruff and Tough, produced by Coxsone's rival, Duke Reid, a song now recognised as the first rude boy anthem. Simmer Down, though, had an urgency that caught the edgy, increasingly unruly atmosphere of Kingston's mean streets. It was also an early example of what, as the fast-paced, jazz-inflected thrust of ska gave way first to the slower "bluebeat" and then to the even slower, but deeper, bass-heavy rhythm of reggae, would come to be known as "sufferer's music" - a song voiced by, and for, the oppressed, who ordinarily had no voice in Jamaican society.

"The figure of the rude boy with his swagger and casual disrespect for the law harks back to older archetypes like the semi-mythical Stagger Lee character in black American folk blues, the bad man who seems invincible," comments Paul Gilroy, academic and author of several books on the politics of race, including There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack. "That kind of figure also appeared in various guises in the imported Hollywood western and gangster movies that young Jamaicans lapped up. But the emergence of the rude boy at this particular moment also marked out the acquisition of a new self-confidence and sense of self-reinvention among the young and disaffected that was related somehow to Jamaican independence in 1962. The rude boy was a recognisable, if culturally complex take, on an archetypal bad-boy figure."

Since then, the rude boy has recurred throughout the history of popular music both in Jamaica and Britain. His sartorial influence - sharp suits, pork-pie hats, shiny shoes - was felt in both the early mod and, more problematically, skinhead movements of the early and late 60s, as imported ska and bluebeat singles from Jamaica ignited the hipper dance floors of London and beyond. It was revisited, too, for the 2 Tone movement that emerged out of the Midlands and London in the wake of punk in the late 70s, when bands such as the Specials and Madness reinvigorated Jamaican ska.

Now an exhibition of photography called The Return of the Rudeboy is about to open at Somerset House in London. Curated by fashion photographer Dean Chalkley and stylist and creative director Harris Elliott, it aims to "depict a collective of sharply dressed individuals, who exemplify an important yet undocumented subculture ..." With live events, DJs, merchandising and even a rude boy barber shop, as well as screenings of fims such as The Harder They Come - perhaps the ultimate depiction of the lawless rude boy lifestyle - the exhibition will, say the curators, "document the life, style and attitude among a growing group of people that embody the essence of the term".

Jamaican rude boys await the arrival of Haile Selassie, emperor of Ethiopia, at Kingston airport in 1966 Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

What, though, is the essence of rude boy in 2014? For many young people, the term is now synonymous with the 2011 single of the same name by Rihanna, the reigning rude girl of sexually suggestive R&B. "Come here, rude boy, can you get it up/Come here rude boy, is you big enough?" she sings, rendering the term reductively literal and blatantly stereotypical.

I put it to Harris that, in their interpretation of the term, the rude boy also seems to have travelled a long way from his edgy ghetto roots, shedding his anti-establishment tendencies to become simply an arbiter of a certain kind of post-modern urban style in which the past is rifled and recontextualised, and, in the process, stripped of real meaning. (An installation will show off a range of "handcrafted items" made by the luxury luggage designers Alstermo, that "will reflect the precise environment that our rude boys cultivate and inhabit".) Are they, in short, elevating style over substance? "We are definitely looking at the rude boy as representing a particular kind of style that has evolved over the years," says Harris, "The show is really about the contemporary expression of that style, even though there are elements and details that refer back to Jamaica in the 60s and to the influence early Jamaican emigrants had on British style."

Chalkley concurs. "It's a celebration of a kind of sartorial attitude that has endured through early bluebeat and rhythm and blues through mod, skinhead and all those 60s working-class style movements. Today, it is much less tribal and much more refined - guys with English tailored tweed jackets, brogues and vintage Levis or whatever, but with loads of attention to detail."

Missing for me, though, is the rude boy attitude - the edge that added somehow to the cool. It strikes me that, if one were to go looking for the contemporary equivalent of the original Jamaican rude boy, the forbidding housing estates of north and south London, where the so-called "postcode wars" are currently played out, might be a better place to prowl. Paul Gilroy agrees: "Originally, it was certainly very much to do with where you lived, where you could and couldn't walk, and the whole tense political geography of Kingston. So, a comparison with the postcode wars would certainly be valid. The rude boy was essentially about attitude first and style second."

The Wailers' debut album, whose cover photo of Peter Tosh (on the right), inspired the 2 Tone logo later used by the Specials.

Taking their cue from the archetypal "baddies" in so many Hollywood western and gangster movies, the rude boys struck fear into the hearts of respectable Jamaicans, but attained a level of respect in the ghettoes, where they fiercely defended their turf from rival gangs. They also made their presence felt at early ska and bluebeat sound-system dances, either as hired protection or as rampaging troublemakers - the so-called "dance crashers" immortalised in a track by Alton Ellis, who recorded a string of anti-rude boy songs including the almost existential Cry Tough - "how can a man be tough, tougher than the world?" Soon, the rude boys were being employed by the likes of and Duke Reid, a policeman turned record producer and sound-system owner, who thought nothing of beating up his rivals and their charges. Prince Buster, the legendary ska singer, began his musical career as a rude boy providing protection for Coxsone's sound system before becoming a performer. His early hits, such as Madness and One Step Beyond, became early rock-steady anthems in Kingston and London, and on a song called Judge Dread, he took on the role of a magistrate sentencing rude boys for "shooting black people". According Chris Salewicz, music journalist and author of Rude Boy: Once Upon a Time in Jamaica, Buster had "a serious indentation in the back of his head from a beating he received from rival rude boys".

This was the fiercely competitive and casually violent milieu that the Wailers stepped into when they recorded the placatory Simmer Down in 1963, but the song soon took on a life of its own. As the American music journalist Timothy White noted in Catch a Fire, his 1986 biography of Bob Marley, the main reaction to the song in the ghettoes of Kingston was "a communal shock of self-recognition". Despite its cautionary thrust, Simmer Down became both a big-seller and, paradoxically, a song much beloved by the very constituency it criticised, a constituency that was increasingly making its presence felt in the cut-and-thrust world of Jamaican music. "The militant rudies got bolder as Simmer Down got bigger," writes White "and, while Dodd was moving a thousand copies of the single a week, he was also paying for extra muscle around his premises. "Throughout the 60s, the rude boy was a constant presence in Jamaican music, whether employed as protection by producers such as Duke Reid or to disrupt rival sound-system dances. He was both celebrated and castigated in songs by the likes of the Rulers (Don't Be a Rude Boy), Baba Brooks (Gun Fever), the Clarendonians (Rudie Bam Bam), Derrick Morgan (Cool Off Rudies), the Pioneers (Rudies Are the Greatest), Dandy Livingstone (A Message to You, Rudie) and, perhaps most famously, Desmond Dekker, who had a UK hit with Shanty Town - "Dem rude boys out on probation/Them a rude when them come up to town" - and recorded several songs on the subject including Rude Boy Gone a Jail and Rudy Got Soul. The Wailers released two other rude boy songs, Rude Boy (1965) and Rudie (later retitled Jailhouse), both of which are celebratory. In 1972, the infamous "Rhygin" became the real-life model for the rude boy played by Jimmy Cliff in The Harder They Come, still the definitive portrayal of a Jamaican rude boy who buys into the outlaw myth even as he dies in a blaze of glory.

As reggae became infused with the spiritual message of Rastafarianism in the 1970s, the rude boy survived as an archetype and an often threateningly real presence through sharp-dressed, but edgy, artists such as Tapper Zukie and former Wailer Peter Tosh, who, in 1977, recorded the ominous Stepping Razor, its opening line almost a rude boy statement of intent - "If you want to live, treat me good."

The Specials reinvigorated rude-boy culture. Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives

"Like Bob Marley, these guys came from the west Kingston ghetto and so did many of the people they mixed with,' says Salewicz. "When they sang about the oppression and the poverty, there were voicing their own experience. For many, the only way out was music or crime, and it was only the gifted few who made it as musicians."By the late 70s, though, the rude boy was undergoing an unlikely rebirth via the multicultural 2-Tone movement - ska rhythms melded to punk politics - which emerged out of Coventry with the Specials at its vanguard. Founded by Jerry Dammers, the Specials had their own record label, 2 Tone, which bore the logo of a silhouetted rude boy based on a photograph of sharp-suited Tosh from the Wailers debut 1965 album, The Wailing Wailers. One of their hits was the loping A Message to You, Rudie, a cover of Dandy Livingstone's original anti-rude boy song but this time, the Specials were addressing the often far-right British skinheads that had become a disruptive presence at their otherwise celebratory gigs.

As the rude boy was being reinvented as a symbol of multicultural Britain by a new generation of ska bands that also included the Selecter, Madness and the Beat, many of the original Jamaican rude boys had become so-called enforcers for the two main political parties in Jamaica, the Jamaican Labour party and the People's National party. By the late 70s, the turf wars of old had escalated into often murderous sectarian feuds that left hundreds dead. In many ways, then, the trajectory of the rude boy from young delinquent to fully fledged gangster prefigures the rise of hip-hop bad guy - Ice T, Tupac Shakur - that stalked gangsta rap two decades later.

As Paul Gilroy says, the rude boy is a complex archetype as well as a real and recurring presence throughout modern black culture and popular music. That he has been reinvented once again purely as a style icon can be read as a positive development in tune with a contemporary Britain where race is no longer such a fraught issue - or as a reflection of our more conformist times in which style is constantly elevated over substance. For the time being, if Return of the Rudeboyis anything to go by, the rude boy is back: still cool, but no longer edgy; razor sharp but minus the razor.
Return of the Rudeboy is at Somerset House, London 13 June-25 August

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Rude boys: from Shanty Town to Savile Row

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It was towards the end of 1963 that the Wailers released their first single, Simmer Down, on the legendary Studio One label in Jamaica. The song was written and sung by an 18-year-old Bob Marley, the lyrics intended to placate his mother, Cedella, who was worried about the company her son was keeping in the Trench Town ghetto of the Jamaican capital, Kingston, where they lived.

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"The song was written and sung by an 18-year-old Bob Marley, the lyrics intended to placate his mother, Cedella, who was worried about the company her son was keeping in the Trench Town ghetto of the Jamaican capital, Kingston, where they lived. Simmer Down was aimed directly at the often sharply dressed young men locally known as "rude boys", who were making headlines in the then newly independent island with their violent and antisocial behaviour. "Simmer down, oh control your temper/Simmer down, for the battle will be hotter," sang Marley over a frenetic rhythm by the studio's stellar house band, the Skatalites. Produced by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, Simmer Down was not the first song to address the rude boy phenomenon. "

It was also an early example of what, as the fast-paced, jazz-inflected thrust of ska gave way first to the slower "bluebeat" and then to the even slower, but deeper, bass-heavy rhythm of reggae, would come to be known as "sufferer's music" – a song voiced by, and for, the oppressed, who ordinarily had no voice in Jamaican society.
The Guardian web sight

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Founded by Jerry Dammers, the Specials had their own record label, 2 Tone, which bore the logo of a silhouetted rude boy based on a photograph of sharp-suited Tosh from the Wailers debut 1965 album, The Wailing Wailers.

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His sartorial influence – sharp suits, pork-pie hats, shiny shoes – was felt in both the early mod and, more problematically, skinhead movements of the early and late 60s, as imported ska and bluebeat singles from Jamaica ignited the hipper dance floors of London and beyond.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/may/24/rude-boys-jamaican-subculture-photography-exhibition

It was revisited, too, for the 2 Tone movement that emerged out of the Midlands and London in the wake of punk in the late 70s, when bands such as the Specials and Madness reinvigorated Jamaican ska.

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who recorded a string of anti-rude boy songs including the almost existential Cry Tough – "how can a man be tough, tougher than the world?"

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Prince Buster, the legendary ska singer-

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Prince Buster, the legendary ska singer-

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Prince Buster, the legendary ska singer, began his musical career as a rude boy providing protection for Coxsone's sound system before becoming a performer. His early hits, such as Madness and One Step Beyond, became early rock-steady anthems in Kingston and London, and on a song called Judge Dread, he took on the role of a magistrate sentencing rude boys for "shooting black people".

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The Rulers - Don't Be A Rude Boy - rio records r105  - 1966

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Dandy Livingstone - Rudy, A Message to You (Official Audio)

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Inspired by photographer Dave Hendley who captured the spirit of rudeboy culture in Jamaica and the UK in 1977-1978, the Art Comes First duo look to his images of young men, each with their own unique sense of style.

I knew of Dave's work many years before I knew of the man who was responsible for what are often revered as iconic music portraits, and seminal reggae compilation albums.

Dave 'Rebel Music' Hendley was a pioneer for Jamaican music and culture. Through his camera lens and the records he made via Trojan Records, he was able to help introduce this powerful culture to Britain. Dave was a visual broadcaster with a catalogue of visceral images of many Jamaican reggae artists who hold legendary status. Dennis Brown, Gregory Issacs, Burning Spear, Bim Sherman, Errol Dunkley, Marcia Griffiths, Lee Scratch Perry, this list goes on and on, getting better with each name that is indelible with the sound.

When I look at Dave's work, it feels like he is a photographic DJ in the middle of a sound clash, each shot fired feels more like an unreleased dub plate rather than just a photograph. His signature style reflecting a oneness, an affinity that he clearly had with the culture and his subjects. Dave created numerous intimate and majestic portraits but often with an off-the-cuff feeling. He travelled to Jamaica many times in the late 1970s. He visited places that your average visitor to the island would never dare set foot in. This was downtown Kingston, raw Jamaica, an area that he clearly adored as it was home to many of the recording artists whose music he respected. It was here that Dave started creating some of his timeless images of these rudies and post rocker artists.

Very rarely to be seen without a trusty Leica in his possession, the warmth and power of his portraits encourage you to smile, whilst also challenging you. Dave worked at the reggae label Trojan Records as an A&R man and also launched his own label imprint, Sufferers Heights. He was a lecturer at Central Saint Martins, and a journalist for Blues and Soul, the magazine that enabled him to reintroduce the joy and strength of reggae to the UK. Dave Hendley was one of the original multi-taskers, decades before that term even existed. Sadly, he passed away in 2016.

Art Comes First have an affinity with the attitude that runs through these images, the music and the culture. Sam and Shaka have dug deep in Hendley's photographic crate to curate an original edit of his work. A fitting tribute to an 'artical don', a pioneer of the words, sound and power of the culture, giving a wider perspective to his fans and newcomers alike.

- Words by Harris Elliott

We love it when a piece has a lot of story to tell, so we can bring it to the modern day - so it can live in the future. With the Fred Perry archive, it's like we are kids in a candy store. There is so much culture in those pieces that link to so many people. We feel very honoured and so inspired to work together.

The pieces we picked remind us so much of the images of British photographer Dave Hendley. He captured Jamaica/UK rebel music in 1977-1978. It's what we call the rudeboy movement, documented.

Many of the Fred Perry archive pieces didn't feel like clothing to us, they felt more like characters from Mr Hendley's pictures, and that inspired us for days. We're very proud just to be able to continue telling that same story you see documented in those pictures through clothing.

Rudeboy culture is being reinterpreted today by many young artists, it's all thanks to the brands, music and art of what people did back then, still resonating with all of us today. Once rudeboy you will always be rudeboy.

We feel like we are the storytellers of our generation and having Fred Perry as the engine, we feel like it can only walk miles - it's a worldwide movement. You know how the saying goes: "our differences & uniqueness makes us more powerful."

Words by Sam Lambert & Shaka Maidoh (Art Comes First)

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Fred Perry x Art Comes First | Fred Perry UK

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JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Open online globally & in all our shops.

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The checkerboard pattern was adopted by second wave Ska musicians and fans as a graphic symbol of the scene bringing together blacks, whites, and other people of color as statement against racial segregation.

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The re-emergence of the checkerboard trend has been flooding the underground scene lately. From Vans to fur coats to studded chokers, from the cheap racks of Forever 21 to the latest Dior collection, the ever-classic black and white squares are being spotted everywhere.

The very first time checkerboard was introduced into the music scene dates all the way back to the late 1970's with the birth of second wave English 2-tone Ska music. First wave Ska originated in the Jamaican scene of the 1960's, then was revived in England around the same time Punk music was developing. The checkerboard pattern was adopted by second wave Ska musicians and fans as a graphic symbol of the scene bringing together blacks, whites, and other people of color as statement against racial segregation.

The late 70's also marked the birth of high-end punk fashion in the United Kingdom led by legendary designers Vivienne Westwood and Malcom McLaren. Stores such as SEX started popping up selling these key designers pieces, studs, patches, and band tees. Bold statement graphics and checkerboard patterned accessories were all the rage. In 1977, Vans style #48 - the Classic Slip On - was invented. The iconic checkerboard skate shoes had high contrast and slick design which made them immensely popular. From being featured in movies, to band members wearing them on stage, to professional skaters, checkerboard Vans were everywhere in the late 70's and early 80's.

For a while after, the checkerboard pattern fell off. The early 2000's marked a checkerboard revival within punk and emo music. Warped Tour's key presence in the Myspace emo genre skyrocketed the Vans brand to another level. Most emo and punk rock musicians wore either Converse or Vans onstage. Ska-punk bands such as Reel Big Fish or Less Than Jake opted for the checkerboard patterned Vans to stay true to their genre's roots. The bold black and white pattern also allured many early Myspace electronic scene bands such as Brokencyde and Breathe Carolina with their stark, playful Hot Topic aesthetic. Checkerboard patterns went up all over custom Myspace themes and were spotted on many scene queens such as The Millionaires, Avril Lavigne, Audrey Kitching and Vanna Venom.

Cult-favorite London-based fashion designer, Ashley Williams, re-introduced checkerboard pattern into the luxury fashion market at her FW16 runway show with her models adorned in gothic and emo subculture references including oversized sweaters with a bold checkerboard knit across the chest. SS18 was the key season in luxury fashion where checkerboard hit full swing. Timeless legendary design house Christian Dior, usually known for their sophisticated glamour, sent models down the runway draped up in checkerboard chic from head to toe. Led by Maria Grazia Chiuri, the first female designer at Dior in its 70-year history, subtle scale shifts in her pattern mixing elevated checkerboard to resemble a more contemporary minimal houndstooth update. Louis Vuitton, Off White, Y3 and Marques Almeida all sent checkerboard print down the runway. Future was photographed wearing a black and white checkerboard Givenchy jacket. Ian Connor was photographed for Vogue in a back and white checkerboard jacket. Tyler, The Creator's brand Golf Wang makes heavy use of the pattern in a lot of their pieces.

Many fashion influencers in the underground music scene have been caught wearing checkerboard. Instagram fashion icons such as@hotelshrimp, @toopoor, and @babytrash have all been rocking checkerboard for the past year. Many artists involved in the third wave emo genre have also been spotted wearing it such as Smrtdeath, Lil Lotus, and PatBeSerious. Trendsetting cyber artist @Dedgrl6 drew a doll version of Kreyshawn wearing checkerboard against a checkerboard background. As 90's culture started downtrending in 2016, the early 2000's replaced that trend. Slowly, the checkerboard pattern has trickled down into the mass market flooding stores such as Unif, Forever 21, and H&M for FW18.

The current global nostalgia for an early Myspace-era emo and pop punk music revival mixed with growing racial tensions in our post-Obama America have opened up a lane for the re-emergence of checkerboard. It's back again serving bold DIY looks while working to hold America together through a subtle political message of racial inclusion.

Photo Credits:
1. 2 Tone ska band The Selecter
2. Musician Lil Lotus wearing checkerboard Vans
3. Ashley Williams Checkerboard Sweater by Guillaume Roujas for NOWFASHION
4. Musician Smrtdeath rocking a checkerboard backpack in his music video for "Madman" shot by Nic Kriellaars

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Emerging Looks: The Checkerboard Pattern

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The re-emergence of the checkerboard trend has been flooding the underground scene lately. From Vans to fur coats to studded chokers, from the cheap racks of Forever 21 to the latest Dior collection, the ever-classic black and white squares are being spotted everywhere.

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So You Want to be a Rude Boy?

Noah Wildman examines the history of Jamaican music, and the rude boy culture of yesterday and today.

What is a rude boy? What is a rude girl? What does 'to be rude' mean? Today, it simply means that you're a dedicated member of the ska scene. If you have a good ska collection, if you dress up in a way that indicates that you like ska, if your style and taste makes it obvious to others that you're in with the ska, you are therefore 'rude' by the definition of ska crowd. Where did the term come from? I recently spoke to Tommy McCook, the founder, leader and tenor saxophonist of the original ska band, the Skatalites. When I asked him about rude boys coming to Skatalites in the early Sixties, McCook said: "Actually in our tenure as the Skatalites, in the time of the ska music, we did not have any violence. We didn't have any rude boys, so to speak. The violence came around 1966. I remember when rock steady just came in, in late '65. Then in '66 violence broke out wickedly across the island, so much so that we had to have a curfew in Western and Eastern Kingston. So, that's when the rude boy thing came out."
The truth is that 'rudeness' and the original 'rude boys' had absolutely nothing to do with ska. The rude boy came AFTER ska music, during the time of rock steady! Rude boys were the name given to a subculture of young street corner hoodlums, gangsters and other unemployables. In emigrating to England, the rude boys helped spread Jamaican music to the working-class skinheads, another youth subculture. When the 2Tone sound of ska (the second wave of ska in the late Seventies) made it into the popular media, youth subculture changed with it. Today , a new American subculture revolves around the images of the 'rude boy' and 'skinhead.'

The rude boy was not the first subculture of Jamaica, but it was the first youth subculture. After independence in the early Sixties (which gave birth to the nationalist 'ska' music), over-population was putting extreme demands on the basics of life---housing, work and food. The response to these conditions was the start of a creation of a new subculture, unofficially called scufflers. Scuffling was just scrounging to get by, by any means necessary. This often meant involvement in the underground economy. Pimping and prostitution, begging and stealing became the unofficial economic activities in the shanty towns of West Kingston.

The squatter camps of Trenchtown and Back O'Wall existed on the fringe of the city since the Thirties, but population pressures enlarged them and a hurricane in 1951 allowed the squatters to capture nearby government land that was cleared for re-housing. People lived in packing crates, fish barrels, cardboard boxes and polystyrene packing pieces. Fire hydrants and open-air pit latrines supplied basic amenities. Living in these parts was a social stigma that guaranteed unemployment. Diseases of overcrowding---tuberculosis and typhoid---remained in the camps even though public health improvement in the 1930s put these in check elsewhere on the island.
By the Sixties, the economic boom of the 1950s was receding, the Trenchtown poor were no better off than before. Independence may have given a sense of optimism to the population. But a lack of any major change lead to riots and protest movements by the end of the decade. Within this decade, the sub-culture of the scuffling rude boy emerged. These rude boys defined their own personal style. These youths, boys from fourteen to twenty-five years, carried German ratchet knives and handguns. They came from all over West Kingston. With deteriorating living conditions, these rude boys were, above all, angry.
They wore sharp 3-button tonic suits and "stingy brim," or pork-pie hats, in imitation of the upper-classes. The gangster image and sunglasses at all hours gave them a facade of 'cool,' a new and distinctly modern value. If you lived in Trenchtown and scuffled for a living, dressing in this manner would certainly bring attention from neighbors, and suspicion from the upper classes.

According to the Jamaican census of 1960, over one-third of the entire population were unemployed and looking for their first job, about 10,000 people. On the other hand, 70% were under the age of 21, from where the rude boys came.

First at the blues dances of the Fifties and later at the outdoor sound systems of the Sixties, it was the rude boys who would draw the knives and guns first, smash bottles for no particular reason, and cause fear when the pressure would heat up at the events. They would inspire a whole sub-genre within ska music---rude boy songs---which would either condone or condemn them.

One ska artist, Prince Buster, celebrated the rude boy for their "rough n' toughness." In the lyric to the early-Sixties ska song, "Too Hot," he sings:

  Rude boys never give up their guns,
  No one can tell them what to do.
  Pound for pound they say they're ruder than you.
  Get out insurance and make up your will
  If you want to fight them.

Not all artists universally endorsed the sub-culture, as in the Ruler's 1966 song, "Don't Be A Rudeboy:"

  I don't want to be no rude boy,
  I just want to be a good boy.
  Why don't you change your way rude boy,
  Try to be a good boy.
  Because if you don't change your way,
  You're going to be killed by mistake someday.
  And when you grow to be a man,
  You don't spend your days in the camps,
  And when you walk down the street,
  People will respect the man they meet.

Either way, the rude boys were a strong presence on the scene in Jamaica, and a popular image that followed the music. You can translate music, style and attitude from country to country, you can even translate class-standing nationally, but for the very specific economic, political and social forces that made the rude boys truly rude, these things can not be copied.

The 2Tone (ska revival) movement in the Seventies saw kids both black and white dressing sharp and calling themselves rude boys, as one way to identify with the true Jamaican roots of bands like the Specials, the Selecter and Madness. Today, kids are dressing 'rude' not to give props to the Jamaican roots, but to '2Tone' each other.

I got a big chuckle when I read a magazine piece that started off something like, "Rude boys: them no loot; them no shoot; what the fuck do they do?" They're just ska fans, man, chill. Forgive them their lack of knowing the roots. Teach the young rude boy the way, and today's ska music will benefit.

See also: reggae

Noah Wildman lives in New York City, where he is the editor and publisher of "The People's Ska Annual," a fan magazine. "I discovered ska on my first Madness record in 1983," says Noah. "I was shocked by how much it made me dance around and feel good. Soon I was shocked again by how few people knew or cared about this music. Ever since then, it's been a process of getting people into it, one by one, on a personal basis first, then by writing, and now on a more formal basis." This article was reprinted from Issue #4 with permission from the author. "The People's Ska Annual" is free of charge, but postage costs money. If you'd like a copy, mail a large self-addressed manila envelope with $1 in postage stamps affixed (or include a $1 bill) to TPSA, c/o Noah Wildman, PO Box 1418, New York City, NY 10276. You can e-mail him at the_ska_annual@hotmail.com

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So You Want to be a Rude Boy? Noah Wildman examines the history of Jamaican music, and the rude boy culture of yesterday and today. What is a rude boy? What is a rude girl? What does 'to be rude' mean? Today, it simply means that you're a dedicated member of the ska scene.

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By the late 70s, the turf wars of old had escalated into often murderous sectarian feuds that left hundreds dead. In many ways, then, the trajectory of the rude boy from young delinquent to fully fledged gangster prefigures the rise of hip-hop bad guy – Ice T, Tupac Shakur – that stalked gangsta rap two decades later.

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complex archetype as well as a real and recurring presence throughout modern black culture and popular music.

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Rihanna - Rude Boy (Official Music Video)

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Hailing from working-class Birmingham, England, The English Beat entered the music scene in the 1979 in a time of social, political and musical upheaval. Into this storm came they came, trying to calm the waters with their simple message of love and unity set to a great dance Beat.

-- Along with contemporaries such as The Specials, The Selecter and Madness, The English Beat became one of the most popular and influential bands of the British Ska movement.

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The late Ranking Roger talking about his memoir I Just Can't Stop It which will be published on June 13 th by Omnibus Press

Pre-order your copy of the book or limited edition boxset HERE

RIP RANKING ROGER

We are deeply saddened to confirm that Ranking Roger has died aged 56. We have lost a wonderfully talented artist, charismatic frontman and great friend.

In Autumn 2018, just before he was about to embark on his first US tour in over 12 years, with a further worldwide tour following in 2019, Roger was diagnosed with cancer. At the time he was riding high and very happy having just released a superb live DVD at a sold-out London Roundhouse, finished a new album and had over the preceding year, enjoyed enormous worldwide success touring with The Selecter. As 2019 began he continued to bravely fight and whilst undergoing various treatments he managed to finish his biography 'I Just Can't Stop It' with co-writer Daniel Rachel. It tells of his teen years growing up in Birmingham, and then the superb good fortune of meeting The Beat. The new studio album Public Confidential, which he was so rightly proud of, was released in January.

Our hearts and commiserations go out to his family, his friends, his loved ones, his band mates (past and present) and of course to all his fans.

It has been an enormous honour and privilege for us all to have been a part of his life.

"He fought & fought & fought, Roger was a fighter."
Sadly Roger past away a few hours ago peacefully at his home surrounded by family.
Roger's family would like to thank everyone for their constant support during this tough time. More to follow in the coming days. RIP ROGER! ❤️

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The late Ranking Roger talking about his memoir I Just Can't Stop It which will be published on June 13 th by Omnibus Press Pre-order your copy of the book or limited edition boxset HERE We are deeply saddened to confirm that Ranking Roger has died aged 56.

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According to the song all Madness learned at school was "how to bend, not break the rules".

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Madness - Baggy Trousers (Official HD Video)

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The Selecter | Official website for 2-Tone band The Selecter with Pauline Black & Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson

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addressing the often far-right British skinheads

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addressing the often far-right British skinheads

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the Specials were addressing the often far-right British skinheads that had become a disruptive presence at their otherwise celebratory gigs.

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The Specials - A Message To You Rudy (2015 Remaster)

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Our aim is to create and deliver distinctive, unique, luxury tailor- made, bespoke garments inspired by cultures from around the world.

Art comes first
Love comes first
Peace comes first
Health comes first
Our World comes first

Peace & Love
Stay safe.
Sam Lambert & Shaka Maidoh

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Our aim is to create and deliver distinctive, unique, luxury tailor- made, bespoke garments inspired by cultures from around the world. Art comes first Love comes first Peace comes first Health comes first Our World comes first Peace & Love Stay safe. Sam Lambert & Shaka Maidoh

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Cities are busy. always on the move. constantly growing, expanding and modernising. This means that commuters are constantly faced with new challenges getting from point-to-point. Wether they're cyclist, drivers, motorcyclists or pedestrians. Which is why Simple Genius was inspired to invent a new way that makes getting around on bicycles in urban areas better, easier and healthier. Freestep is a concept that leaps into the future and challenges existing conventions.

The free step completely alters the idea of cycling taking it entire new dimensions - a bike that redefines cycling, a giant step for bicycle design. And with assemblages uniquely designed created for the Freestep. What we have is simply genius. A concept that resonates yesteryear designs and embrace contemporary society's need for speed and road use comfort. An eye-pleasing look and appeal and the step boards that replace standard rotational pedals operated by counteracting gears for the forward motion. And finally an assortment of custom choices offering preference finishes and finalised desirability that resonates artisanship.

As city dwellers who cycle to get around town we know is it possible to travel around the city quickly and easily on two wheels. We do it all the time. Freestep steps up (pun intended!) to the challenge with an even more sleek approach to cycling. It takes the fluidity of walking or skiing and puts it on two wheels; and is all brought together by clever functions using wheel gear that retire pedal functions with unique engineering and superior design. The result of this is an immensely comfortable, enjoyable and easier journey achieved through simple stepping actions. Additional perks include, thorough core strength, limb and ab workouts which means increased strength with every journey as you body gets used to the idea of "stepping".

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Cities are busy. always on the move. constantly growing, expanding and modernising. This means that commuters are constantly faced with new challenges getting from point-to-point. Wether they're cyclist, drivers, motorcyclists or pedestrians. Which is why Simple Genius was inspired to invent a new way that makes getting around on bicycles in urban areas better, easier and healthier.

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SAVILE ROW PUNK TAILORS MEETS FRENCH
ROCK ELEGANCE OF THE 21ST CENTURY.