Still, while women musicians are more than deserving of the honours, others behind the scenes who have propelled the genre deserve their own light. One of these groups are designers and stylists who have defined the aesthetics of what has become a recognizable dancehall culture.

Having Dengue was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had, with the first three days being the most painful. I truly believed I was dying, a feeling which was reinforced by the news reports that had played during the start of the outbreak.

So when I woke up on this particular day in October, Palestine did not seem so far away because I know that. My community and I, we felt that and continue to feel that. Palestine to me is not a world away.

These dating conversations never included or made mention of queer people, or the fact that most of us have tended to meet our partners, friends and side-pieces on social media even before the lockdowns, because this was oftentimes the only place we were able to express our full identities.

It is no secret that U.S. influence globally has been declining. Even before Donald Trump’s presidency, the U.S. saw sharp declines in its share of the world income and influence. With China’s rise in the periphery, the U.S. is confronted by the possibility of the Thucydides Trap

The history of the Caribbean and the African continent is one that dates back to the slave trade. Persons were taken from Africa and brought to the Caribbean where they were sold and enslaved.

If COVID-19 was the stress test on healthcare, education, the private sector, government competency etc., then Jamaica has failed. If any Jamaican is honest with themselves they can't say this was unexpected.

I was born in Jamaica to a Jamaican father and Trinidadian mother and have practised Islam all my 21 years of life and I would not have it any other way.

Since the 2020 storm season started, the Caribbean region has seen (perhaps) unprecedented downpours disrupt the daily lives of many communities and citizens.

I’ve been menstruating since I was 11. This past January, I turned 22. In the 11 years between, my menstrual cycle has never been regular and I have honed in on the art of getting blood stains out of various fabrics.

A lot can happen in nine months; life can be formed, lost, altered beyond recognition. In December 2019, the world came to know about COVID-19.

As people who want ‘good’ for Jamaica, one of the realities that we all have to accept is that there is no objective “good” or anything that everyone will support and agree on

When dancehall culture started to emerge in the late 1970s, no complex structure was needed per se.

People are dying and we’re debating about whether we should do something about it. That’s really what is about.

“Enjoy your youth, those are the best days you’ll have”.. This adage shared by several older Jamaicans seems to be one of the biggest scams I have been sold in my life.

I often think about happiness as a home; the different rooms representing different parts of our life. A home is supposed to be your safe haven, to keep the things you love inside and the ones you don’t out.

The novel coronavirus, COVID 19, has ravaged party and industry. By its influence, all have had to adapt to what has become, and will be, the new norm.

In a time where NCDs are at an all time high, where in the Caribbean & LATAM this is the greatest contribution to premature mortality, accounting for two of three deaths overall and NCD mortality in the Caribbean is highest in the Americas,