Dancehall is Still Screaming Out “Ouch”

In the wake of Wayne Marshall receiving his national award last year, a wave of debate erupted in traditional and new media. Missing in these discussions on who are deserving (and not deserving) of national awards are women. Notably, less than a handful of women have received national awards.

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. However, only a few persons have this legacy attached to Dancehall fashion aesthetics than the trailblazer fashionistas of the 90’s – the Ouch Crew. 

At the forefront of the Ouch Crew was Paula Ouch. Born in Kingston, she eventually migrated to the US where she enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Armed with this expertise, she emerged as one of the leaders of the Ouch Crew, which included other members such as: Nikki Ouch, Sandra Lee, Nadine Ouch, Debbie Ouch and Pinky. Soon after, their impact in dancehall was felt as the women were clearly a standout in the space. They were known for fusing Punk and Dancehall, while incorporating BDSM inspired-eye catching metallic tones. Paired with their outfits were their gravity-defying wigs, bold accessories as well as a ‘swagga’ and confidence that was unparalleled. They were behind many ‘firsts’, as a deep dive into the culture in the 80’s and 90’s can prove that these women were one of the first to sport lash extensions in the Dancehall space. 

Their iconic fashion sense was immediately realized as they developed a reputation for these bold looks. As such, throughout the 90’s, they styled numerous Dancehall musicians for stage performances and music videos. In fact, one of the few musical documentations of their impact is Beenie Man’s ‘Ole Dawg’ where he named dropped the crew:

“And mi deh hear 'bout di Ouch Crew, weh have ten gal
Xrated an raw,”

However, where most persons can see their styling work on display is the 1997 classic, Dancehall Queen. Most notably, they provided styling to the movie’s woman antagonist, Olivine – played by Patrice Harrison. One can see the crew’s hand all over Olivine’s leather bodysuit paired with similar thigh high boots in a scene where she danced on stage with Beenie Man. In her final scene of the movie, she wears a black and silver jacket-short skirt outfit – an outfit that came right out of the group’s Punk/Dancehall aesthetic. The group’s Kingston boutique was also featured in the film where a few Ouch members had cameos. By 1998, the Black American music video and film director, Hype Williams, tapped Paula Ouch to have a role in his acclaimed feature film, Belly. Starring Black American rappers, DMX and Nas, Paula played the part of Chiquita. 

In recent years, the importance of performance imagery to the women of Ouch Crew has been passed down to dancehall superstars such as Spice, who is known for the intricate details, she puts into her stage presentation. On the other hand, the group’s bold eye-turning fashion sense can be seen in young musicians such as Amanyea, Marcy Chin and others. In a 2022 interview with Kerwin Frost, Sandra Lee states: 

“Don’t care how expensive my dress is, I cannot repeat it - no. An if I do come to a party an see somebody in my clothes, I‘m gonna leave that party because you’re not suppose to be in my clothes. Seriously. Take for example, I fly out an went to a store an I see someting dat I like an yet still the store have all three of them. I buy all three cause nobody must have it” 

This attitude of the crew has been adopted by other women groups in the dancehall space such as: Bashment Babes, Hard Core Models and even the present-day dancehall friend’s group – Prettii Prettii, Rebel and TC. 

Another member of the Ouch was Pinky, ironically the sister of another Dancehall fashion icon, Dancehall Queen Carlene – who, outside of her own fashion, would serve as the stylistic mind behind many of Beenie Man’s music video like ‘Nuff Gyal’, ‘Old Dawg’ and ‘Kette Drum’. Still, in the same interview with Kerwin Frost, Pinky said this of Ouch: 

“Everybody come to the party early. Tan so back to mek sure dem see everyting. Ouch crew... Sandra Lee... the whole a we a come cause dem know we aguh come sexy. Ina we tang... ina wi dis... look nice. And we nah come stand up so, we a wine. We get ina di groove cause no gyal cah test” 

That phrase, “no gyal cah test”, would serve as Akeem Smith’s inspiration to honour the group’s impact on dancehall culture. According to him, the title of his exhibit was taken from the inscription on the back of a photo given to Akeem’s father by an ex. As such, in 2021, the New York based artist, stylist and curator, unveiled his first solo exhibition, ‘No Gyal Can Test’, at Red Bulls Arts Detroit. Using visual, sonic and textile materials, Smith was able to show how these women propelled dancehall globally. In a 2020 conversation with acclaimed writer, Marlon James, Smith states,

“Women in dancehall, they’re the nucleus of it. They get the thing going and really keep it going. I wanted to look at what they brought to dancehall and what they brought to me”

Almost three decades after gracing the dancehall scene, Ouch Crew’s impact is right before our eyes. As such, in any conversations about national awards being honored in Dancehall, the women of Ouch Crew and so many others behind the scenes are more than deserving to be included.

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An archival snapshot of some of the group’s most memorable looks can be found at @thedubgallery