what is the significance of the word soundboy in reggae/dub

[dubluke]

yeah like in dnb a soundboy is sometimes a good thing, eg. record labels and some artists named after it

[death_cafe]

Blackdown's blog is blackdown.soundboy tho...

[geniusworkin]

if the word 'soundbwoy' is indeed a 'cuss' what does one call the dude at the buttons/ sorting the levels out ?

Engineer? Isn't that an in studio term only ?

gw

[parson]

soundman

[parson]

Blackdown's blog is blackdown.soundboy tho...

blackdown transcends such narrow cultural entanglements

[OoGuN]

Blackdown's blog is blackdown.soundboy tho...

blackdown transcends such narrow cultural entanglements

lol!

give that man a pipe!

[masstronaut]

I'd say it's definitely an insult, as other people mention, soundbwoy's are always getting *string up! *killed * massacre* etc.

You never hear "Big up soundbwoy!".

and for a term that is used so much in dub, reggae and dubstep, how come no one ever used it as a band name.

DJ SoundBwoy would probly be the same as calling yourself "DJ Wank"
or DJ Waste (hmmmm)

Not to labour the point, but it's a laugh, and I'm not going to be happy with an answer until David Rodigan shows up and posts.

The reason soundbwoys are always getting mash-up and buried is that it's the engineer from a rival sound that is getting cuss down.

And what about this: http://www.juno.co.uk/products/177509-01.htm

Why would a compilation of Jamaican music be calling itself 'Soundbwoy Superstatus'?

Another thing is there might be some distinction to be made between a 'soundboy' and a 'soundbwoy'.

[parson]

i guess what it comes down to is whether or not being called boy offends you

if you're in a rival soundsystem you're gonna be pissed

but if you came up thinking dieselboy was the coolest you might not care

[masstronaut]

i guess what it comes down to is whether or not being called boy offends you

if you're in a rival soundsystem you're gonna be pissed

Yeah that makes sense. Sound engineers might call themselves 'soundboys' sometimes but to be called a 'soundbwoy' by the opposition is an insult.

but if you came up thinking dieselboy was the coolest you might not care

[alex deadman]

As many people have correctly stated, soundwoy or soundboy is a derogatory term to refer to someone in control of a sound but not man enough to do it well. It could be levelled at a Deejay (MC in UK), Selector or Sound System owner.
This term is used in the Sound Clash (where rival systems compete for the crowds approval) to denounce a rival sound.

[badger]

took this from a http://niceup.com/patois.txt which was linked in the wattaclart? thread:

SOUNDBWOY : usually a derogatory way to refer to the selecter or
: other personality in another sound system. This term is
: most often employed in clashes, on dub plates built for
: clashes, and so on. Sometimes it is not used in such a
: negative manner, but most of the time one refers to the
: someone in the crew as a soundman, not a boy.