Dread Inna Inglan: How the U.K. Took to Reggae

Jamaican music journeyed to England in the ‘60s when immigrants from the island flocked to the U.K. in search of jobs and a better life. But as racism, unemployment and poor living conditions developed in the '70s, a new generation of U.K.-based reggae and dancehall artists transformed the music into a major platform for voicing the concerns, struggles and hard, daily reality of life in the U.K. for black immigrants. Through interviews with David Hinds of Steel Pulse, Dennis Bovell, Papa Levi and many more, we unravel the complex history of how Jamaican music in the United Kingdom became a major component in navigating the cultural and racial landscape for many blacks in a post-imperial Britain while pushing the genre into new musical soundscapes.

Hip Deep is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.