I love music.
I feel like anyone could say that and if they said it, I’d believe them; but of course when we say this, we all mean different things.
Growing up in Jamaica, I had the pleasure of listening to artists like Beres Hammond, Peter Tosh, I-Wayne, Sizzla, Mavado, Vybz Kartel, and a slew of reggae and dancehall artists. People in my community also loved playing old school R&B, so I grew up listening to Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Shai, and a bunch of like artists.
When I was 19, I met an 80-year-old white man called Arnie, who introduced me to legends like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and the like.
Then I met my husband and I seriously got into underground rap and started learning how the music industry works. I listened to my first few rap albums front to back—Biggie’s Ready to Die and DMX’s It’s Dark and Hell is Hot—and that’s when I realized that I have to listen to this with others.
I’m from Jamaica, so there’s not a lot of people I could sit with and talk to about rap; plus, my taste in music is very, very broad and not everyone gets that. For instance, I can listen to La donna è mobile, vibe out to Gimmie the Loot, blush at Ella’s These Things, and come back to listening to Night Nurse or Vybz Kartel’s Lyricist. That’s how much I love music. I’m not a fan of a specific genre; I’m a fan of musicians creating their art from their heart.
I don’t say this to paint myself as a unicorn—it’s just that I want you to understand how deep this goes.
Also, while I’m typically not the biggest fan of reaction channels (because I hate seeing people running up and down and screaming about stuff without really taking the time to understand what the message is that the artist is trying to convey), I figured there must be room for someone like me who just wants to listen and dive into the experience.
One of my favorite parts of school was my literature classes. I loved being able to write an essay and explain to my teachers what I thought about God’s Grandeur or Gabriel Okara’s Once Upon a Time, and I think it’s why I’ve found myself writing my own poetry today—even if it’s a bit rough 😄.
Anyways, I write all this to say: I love music, and it’s why I’m starting a reaction channel—because I’m genuinely interested in experiencing that music with others.
My videos will likely not be sensational, but they will be sincere; and if you decide to watch, subscribe, or leave a comment, then you’ve quite literally made me the happiest girl on the planet—because now we can really start cooking with grease.
If you’re interested in seeing my reactions, check them out on YouTube at Shebs Reacts, and come back to the site to see my essays on the albums. Also, don’t skip my video descriptions; as I react to stuff and edit the videos, I do end up having new epiphanies and insights that I add there—so yeah, don’t skip.
Yah. YouTube + WordPress + Music. A match made in heaven. I like it 🥰
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