My end of year track - and created for the 'unmashed' challenge on the Crumplbangers Discord.

I am a big fan of reggae and dub - you'd probably not guess that from most of my mashup output, but I listen to David Rodigan regularly and always have an ear for what's going on in Jamaica. Reggae isn't mashed that much (weird because the very term comes from Jamaica, to mash things up musically), and I haven't seen a Tanya Stephens mash ever, maybe her older dancehall stuff has but her recent album is about being nearly 50 and not giving a fuck and some quite deep messages than bump n' grine.

This is my closer for the year - a more positive not than my previous end of year mashups (unless I do another one) - the message of 'Be Who We Be' is very close to my heart - about doing your own thing and fuck the haters they can get on a plane or boat and go sail - there's even a little Gayle reference in there!

"They love you when they agree with them, and hate you when you don't....For what would I be if stayed making personal changes, for random strangers...see now that's where the rage is."

And also the songs of Simon and Garfunkel are definitely a bit undermashed apart from 'Sound of Silence...' certainly never heard this song in a mashup or remix. The song is about Tom - aka Art Garfunkel, they started out as Tom & Jerry - going off to make a film leaving Paul Simon in New York alone working on the album, they were wondering if they were breaking up, so I think he wrote the song to reassure Art that it would be fine. Theme wise I think it works with the travel and feel.

There as always are a few layers to this, the positive message and some subconscious messages to a friend (funnily enough also called Tom) to let his honesty shine on me and fly and succeed in his efforts, I realised after why i left that in. Stuff like that happens all the time. I work at a quite unconscious level.

And it also totally is a message to those who want to change who I am, or don't like what I do, this is a positive way of saying 'fuck the haters'.

Hence the image is someone holding up a lone sparkler as the fireworks explode with 'Hi Haters' on it. The best revenge is success with those eople and waving cheerfully to them as you are disappearing into the sunset....letting the bridges you burn with them light your way.

And as the end credits run on 2022...as is traditional: good riddance.

Only Living Boy In Jamaica (Boy Who We Be) (Tanya Stephens vs Simon & Garfunkel)
Tanya Stephens - Be Who We Be
Simon & Garfunkel - Only Living Boy In New York