Fake Dancehall vs Real Dancehall: very interesting ILM thread started by Chuck Eddy. So interesting that I almost posted – but what’s the answer?
I think the difference is one of inclusivity – the ‘real’ stuff in these smallish genres tends to be made within and for a specific community. It can be latched onto by people outside that community, but that isn’t why the music exists. (This is one of the things that the dancehall/homophobia debate makes particularly stark.)
The fake stuff meanwhile is trying to communicate with a wider community, perhaps including ‘hipsters’ or ‘kids’ or ‘ordinary record buyers’. The communication might just be “CMON BUY ME NOW” but maybe it’s the open-ness and attempt to communicate that comes through in the music?