Rude Boy - Jamaica

Jamaica

The first rude boys in the 1960s were associated with the poorer sections of Kingston, Jamaica, where ska, then rocksteady were the most popular forms of music. They dressed in the latest fashions at dancehalls and on the streets. Many of these rude boys started wearing sharp suits, thin ties, and pork pie or Trilby hats; inspired by American gangster movies, jazz musicians and soul music artists. In terms of attitude and lifestyle, rude boys were also inspired by American cowboy and gangster outlaw films. In that time period, disaffected unemployed Jamaican youths sometimes found temporary employment from sound system operators to disrupt competitors' dances (leading to the term dancehall crasher). This and other street violence became an integral part of the rude boy lifestyle, and gave rise to a culture of political gang violence in Jamaica. This shift towards violence led to some Jamaican musicians creating songs that spoke directly towards this faction, urging them to become less violent. Starting in the 1970s, Jamaican dancehall music was a way for rude boys to express their views on current events.