SOJA

SOJA, a reggae outfit made up mostly of white guys from Virginia, won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album, prompting confusion among reggae fans, who had never ...

Online, the response to SOJA’s win largely boiled down to “What?” and also “Who?” There’s the appropriation component — “One thing yt ppl gon do is colonize, appropriate tf outta ppl culture, claim it as their own and profit the fuck outta it. According to DancehallMag, last night’s ceremony marked the third time a non-Jamaican artist has won Best Reggae Album. (Jamaica is the birthplace of the genre.) BET reports that this ensemble beat five Jamaican nominees: Sean Paul, Spice, Gramps Morgan, Etana, and Jesse Royal. The members of SOJA, meanwhile, come primarily from Virginia. They have been making music since 1997, but they only visited Jamaica for the first time in 2015 (per Dancehall Mag). SOJA won the Grammy for its seventh studio album, Beauty in the Silence. According to lead singer Jacob Hemphill, “Starting our reggae band was kind of our dream and the only thing we wanted to do” when the bandmates were growing up, “then one day people started coming to the shows.” Other members of the group thanked “the founding fathers of reggae” and “the island of Jamaica” for their inspiration, adding: “Give thanks. I am simply begging Chet Hanks and his brethren to stop it with the faux Jamaican patois. A fair number of people now seem content to accept that this clip of Andy Samberg in white-dude dreads is SOJA. Some are saying that, actually, this is SOJA: SOJA (an acronym for “Soldiers of Jah Army”) is an eight-member outfit made up mostly of white guys; it’s the first time such a group has taken home this honor. Soja winnin best Reggae album is a fucking insult,” as one Twitter user put it — but considering the Grammys’ long history of snubbing Black artists, that is maybe not the most surprising element of the SOJA upset.

American band SOJA on Sunday won the Grammy Award for 'Best Reggae Album' with its ninth studio album 'Beauty In The Silence', at the 64th Annual Grammy ...

SOJA's 'Rest of My Life' single from their 2009 'Born in Babylon' album has visuals that have racked up more than 178 million views on YouTube. Another single, 'You and Me' featuring Chris Boomer from the same 'Born in Babylon' album, has a video with more than 103 million views on YouTube. SOJA has topped the Billboard Reggae Albums chart four times, making them the second most successful American reggae band on the chart.A single on their Grammy-winning album called 'Press Rewind', is a tribute to the sound systems and Jamaican artistes. Released in 2012, it has sold more than 70,000 copies in the United States. A video for one of the album's singles, 'Not Done Yet', has more than 88 million views on YouTube. SOJA has more than 1.4 million subscribers on Spotify, and last year, generated more than 106 million streams worldwide.

American reggae band SOJA (an acronym for Soldiers in Jah Army) took home the Grammy award for Best Reggae Album at the 64th Grammy.

That’s why dutty Billboard and Grammy feel they can style di thing folks,” he stated in another post. Etana, Spice, Sean Paul, Jesse Royal and Gramps Morgan were also nominated in the category. Remember I came from homeless to this day so I’m really still very humbled and grateful, I see all your support and disappointments but you know we never give up, we back at it again tomorrow??

American band SOJA winning this year's Reggae Grammy put the local Jamaican music industry into focus as stakeholders and fans react. Reggae Music fans.

The voting members are the ones who decide on the winners and many times the winners have to have some networking or image visibility so they can resonate with the Grammy committee,” she began. Once accepted, you will then become part of a committee for the specific award to match the corresponding industry you are part of. Once the Academy has received your recommendation, you’ll be questioned further about your career and your involvement in the music industry. There could be a loophole to see if the music can be registered as a Geographical Indication, but so far, the law in that area has not developed beyond recognizing GI products. In 2010, there was a huge uproar when Buju Banton won the award, and he was later threatened with boycotts after U. S gay rights groups condemned him for the use of the words. “We need our own Reggae Awards in Jamaica. I know the challenges from past shows, we can learn from that. The selection has been viewed as a snub to Jamaican artistry and the genre developed by Jamaicans. According to the Grammy website, eligible works must be vocal or instrumental reggae albums “containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded music”, including roots reggae, dancehall, and ska music. Reggae Music fans are not happy with this year’s selection of the Grammy’s Best Reggae Album award winner as they drag the winner SOJA online. Additionally, many have also criticized the quality of SOJA’s album. The GRAMMY is in its 64th year, but the Best Reggae Album category was only added 37 years ago in 1985. Previous winners of the Best Reggae Album category include the legendary Jimmy Cliff, Bunny Wailer, Sly and Robbie, Peter Tosh, Beenie Man, Shaggy, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, Sean Paul, Damian Marley, Stephen Marley, Morgan Heritage, Buju Banton, and others.

Most Jamaicans reacted with anger and disdain at news that SOJA, a predominantly all-white reggae...

"Look, reggae is the most successful cultural item that this country has ever innovated, we must go back to a place where we respect and appreciate music so we can encourage the next generation of innovators. We have to get back to the point where people recognise that there are competent persons who can add value to the craft through their own skills and innovations." Well-known A & R executive Cristy Barber, embraced SOJA's win on Instagram with a post that noted: “It was such an HONOR to work this record with my @sojagram Boyz. It's been a minute since we've been chipping away at this and now, FINALLY the win! "Jamaicans upset that an American white group juss won Best Reggae album when we ourselves don't even cherish reggae music enough to ensure it remains relevant amongst the youths of this nation. It was their third nomination, and the album was a critical success. The Grammys is about the American music scene, which includes the various bands based in the US, including Rebelution, Common King, Collie Buddz, Konkarah, J Boogs and the Elovaters," Howard added.

Soja won the award for best reggae album at Sunday's Grammy Awards, inspiring an onslaught of criticism online.

"SOJA didn't even deserve to make it past the local bar in Virginia let alone one of music's highest honors." "I cued it up on Tidal just now and I can honestly say I didn't make it past track two, because it was hot garbage. "OUR CULTURE Is Being DISRESPECTED & Blatantly ROBBED. We Need MUSICAL JUSTICE, This Ain’t It." "Give thanks, one love." The group beat out contemporaries Sean Paul, Spice, Jesse Royal, Etana and Gramps Morgan. "To the founding fathers of reggae music and to the island of Jamaica, you inspired us all," another member of the band said onstage.