- How do dancehall, reggae and reggaeton differ?
- Tempo and instrumentation. Reggae is 60–80 BPM with off-beat skank and a live band. Dancehall is 90–110 BPM with a sparse digital drum-machine riddim and toasting. Reggaeton is 90–100 BPM with the dembow 3-3-2 pattern and rap-sung vocals. Dancehall is Jamaica's electronic acceleration; reggaeton is Puerto Rico's dembow track. "Sparse digital riddim, toasting, 100 BPM" is dancehall.
- How do I write toasting into a prompt?
- Write "half-spoken, half-sung rhythmic chant, diction riding the drum machine, more improv than melody, chorus is just a short hook," not a bare "rap." Toasting isn't rap: it flows against the riddim, half-chanted and half-sung, and the tool's default rap gives you square 4/4 boom bap. Naming "chant riding the riddim" is what lands it.
- It comes out too full and not sparse enough — what now?
- Force the sparseness: "digital drum machine with only kick and clap, heavy steady bassline, one-shot effects appearing as hits not pads, no guitar or brass." Dancehall's power comes from the riddim's space and accent contrast; the tool's default full arrangement crushes it into "fast reggae." Strip it to drums and bass and the drive comes back.
