Season 3, Episode 10 of Jahmi Roc’s Jottings dives deep into Jamaica’s original popular music, mento, with special guest Dr. Daniel T. Neely, ethnomusicologist and mento scholar. Host Jahmi Roc (Racquel Bernard), along with Nikkita “Nuclear Blackness” and DJ Papalotl/Buttahfly, trace mento’s roots, its relationship to ska, reggae, and dancehall, and the politics of “slackness,” tourism, and cultural ownership. Along the way, they unpack the viral “Hill and Gully” riddim, Caribbean crosscurrents with Calypso and Cuban son, and how folk sounds live on as resistance, memory, and joy—plus a surprise drop-in from the Original Shinehead.

In this electrifying episode of Jahmi Roc's Jottings, host Jahmi Roc a.k.a. Racquel Bernard is joined by Nikkita "Nuclear Blackness" McPherson and DJ Papalotl for a deep dive into one of the most iconic moments in recent music history — the Beenie Man vs. Bounty Killer Verzuz battle from May 23, 2020. The trio unpacks the cultural earthquake that was this livestream event, from the joy it brought to millions during a global pandemic to the glaring issue of artists not being compensated for the massive streaming numbers they generated.

The conversation takes a rich historical detour through the roots of dancehall and its undeniable fingerprints on hip-hop and global music culture. They explore the power of sound systems as community institutions, the bold political and social commentary woven into dancehall lyrics, and how Jamaican migration carried this vibrant culture across the world. The episode wraps on a deeply human note — reflecting on how music, and this battle in particular, served as collective healing when the world desperately needed it.

In this deeply intentional episode, host Jahmi Roc and returning guest Nikkita "Nuclear Blackness" McPherson take listeners on a serious yet necessary musicological journey through six songs that either challenge or perpetuate sexual assault culture — timed to honor Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

The duo examines a compelling range of reggae and dancehall tracks, unpacking everything from communal calls to action to deeply troubling examples of adultification and rape culture. Highlights include a breakdown of the solidarity anthem "Stand Against Rape" by various artists (featuring legends like Marcia Griffiths), the haunting and polarizing "Daddy" by Queen Ifrica — inspired by her own real-life trauma — and the controversial 90s dancehall hit "Freaks" by Vicious, which prompts a sharp conversation about the over-sexualization of Black children.

The episode doesn't stay in the darkness, though. It closes on a note of warmth and hope with Buju Banton's "Butterflies" and Skip Marley & H.E.R.'s "Slow Down" — both used as models of what consensual, loving expression can sound like in music. Throughout, the hosts weave in definitions of sexual assault and consent, call out the interlocking systems of patriarchy, colonization, and capitalism that sustain rape culture, and remind listeners that healing resources are available.

📞 Crisis Resource: Text HOPE to 741741 — or as mentioned in the episode, text HOPE to 64673, a resource through the RAINN organization.