Jamaicans have always carried on a morbid fascination with the workings of the occult. Tales of the liberal use of Cream Soda and coconut water by Jamaican residents to defuse malevolent obeah workings, and the use of a range of other concoctions could be attributed to either paranoia, or just merely erring on the side of caution. Whatever the reason, in a country shrouded by obscure religious and superstitious beliefs, it is almost par for the course that science is practiced in the music industry.
There has always been a link, playful or otherwise, between obeah and islands indigenous music. Anecdotal stories about the use of science abound in the dancehall. DJs have been known to wear guard rings, Lodge rings and walk with the names of rival DJs written on parchment paper in their shoes. Several artistes also believe that other artistes are sprinkling obeah in the dancehall-reggae game to maintain their dominance or rise to the top.

There is an Obeah dancehall sound system in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico City which plays roots music. There is even a well-known keyboardist, Lloyd Obeah Denton, who is quite popular in the world of reggae and there are duppy bands which play at nine-nights in St. Thomas and Portland.

The existence of obeah is also in the lyrics of songs. Check out Beenie Mans Better Learn, where he sings in the chorus: Yuh si di fire burn a words without works/Fire Burn up di obeah man shirt

Cutty Ranks taunted Admiral Bailey in the song Stopper by declaring: Admiral Bailey im a obeah worker No obeah cyaan catch me, come in. Full o de stamina. Yes a Cutty Rank, Jah-Jah know me a da danger

Admiral Bailey gained infamy with the song, Science Again where he declared:
Science again, science again
Kubba kabba kubba kabba
Dem ah yu enemy and a gwaan like yu friend
But when yu check it out a science dem a send

This year, Determines song, Science, which was recorded on the Gal De Ya rhythm produced by Marvin Williams has ticked off a number of artistes, including DJ Chicken, singer Guidance, and Capleton.

Science is real, Determine said. People get up and work dem own science by talking negative things about you. Word is power, the element of everything and when word tek onto itself flesh, that negativity becomes a stronger force and when people look on you, they start to look down on you, that is called the trample, dem trample you wid negativity.

You hear stories about artistes with parchment paper in their shoes, and all sorts of evil. Any artiste who practice that is a person to be fearedthat is why people pray, Determine whose hit song Science has been getting a lot of airplay in the last few weeks.
According to Determine, there are many categories of science: dancehall science, stageshow science, muss buss science, and caan buss science.

When I was smaller, there were things you could discern, but now there are things unseen, thats why I do the song a particular way, with figures of speech and ting because you the individual have to look into why your life is going a particular way, or yu not living up to your potential, Determine explained.

The man dem filthy, me no perfect, but dem man de filthy beyond grounds, dem forget that there is a God above us who will strike we wid lightning and mek we suffer. Dem not even have to do it themselves, dem can talk around them grandmother say dem no like a certain person and tings just start happen to that person, he warned.
Remember tricks in trade and sticks in matches box, yu haffi know which box yu inna and which matchstick yu is, he explained.

The family of Dancehall Queen Shanique Taylor certainly believes in the dark powers of science. Almost two years ago, Taylor died a horrible death, her skin turning traitor to her, and rotting away before her familys eyes. Her family said that after she returned from Canada, Shanique began complaining about a pain in her foot, and there were pimples between her toes that drained excess pus. After a battery of tests, including an AIDS test, returned with negative results, the family looked to the realm of the supernatural to explain her sickness.

They killed her, ah science dem science har and kill her, Mrs. Martin said this week. My daughter never just dead so, whatever happen, God knows everything, all of us have a pay day, if you do good, yu have a payday, if yu do bad, there is a payday, whatever you do, there is a Creator above us that sees everything.
Shanique died on Holy Thursday in the year 2006. She was only 19 years old.

She was my heart, Mrs. Martin said. I live in a world where I know these things can and will happen. I know it exists, we live in a dangerous world, but Shaniques mother, stepfather and sister are doing fine and whatever happen, God knows everything.

Use of DLawrence and Lodge

When the Scare Dem crew broke up a few years ago, the members had leveled serious charges against each other about a particular obeah handkerchief used by one member to guarantee recording success at the studio.

There are also rumours about DJs throwing oil at the feet of other entertainers. Others opt for organized science through DLawrence and the Lodge.

Some work with Lodge and some work with DLawrence, the big artiste dem work with it. The Lodge and DLawrence is a force, the Lodge people work with the dead for when dem send out that force, those artistes always stay on top, female DJ Junie Platinum said.

She also explained the caan buss science at work in the business. Nuh matter how yu can sing, and yu voice good, yu caan buss unless yu use kumina which is the highest deliverance or nyabinghi, nyabinghi is really good for black people, Rasta ting real, she said.

Junie Platinum says she never leaves her olive oil and is a firm believer in the Rasta nyabinghis ability to thwart evil forces.
Dem caan beat the Rasta, when dem beat the nyabinghi drums, the demons dont like it because yu rise the ancestors and they clear the way for you, she said.

As a former member of the church who returned to dancehall, she is alarmed at the iniquity workings that is going on behind the glitz and glamour.

The passa passa dancehall artistes work nuff obeah. Obeahman and motherwoman dem a get rich offa artiste, but Lodge and DLawrence mek the most money, Junie said. I am a spiritual person, when I come around and yu deal wid obeah, I know, I get headaches and feel faintish. Thats why yu caan mek dem touch yu. I get nuff hold down in the business, thats why I read my bible and pray. Dont tek dem artiste ya normal.

Gospel singer Glacia Robinson, who won thousands of hearts with her hit Hold My Hand, suffered with a mysterious illness for five and a half years before she received deliverance from the demons that shadowed her.
Here is a snippet of her testimony from her personal website.

And one faithful Friday night, my mom brought me straight from the hospital to church; The Temple of Restoration 515 Dean Street Brooklyn New York. There, God was pleased to use the committed, anointed and humble Pastors and servants. He heeded the beckon of His name as they called upon Him, on my behalf; to usher in the complete manifestation of my healing deliverancethe savage demons, which were assigned to kill me; all admitted defeat to the powerful name of Jesus! Jesus broke the curse of death and witchcraft from over my life! And today, this assignment is utterly destroyed! Obeah in the court

Still, many people dont b