Weggae weg-gae, /ˈweɡā/,
short for "white reggae", is a
slang term for a sub-genre of reggae
music that does not come from Jamaican/Caribbean. Weggae typically refers to 'American-style' reggae - sometimes called Reggae Rock, Cali Reggae, Modern Reggae, and other names - as listeners and American concertgoers tend to be mostly Caucasian.
Weggae is often used in a derogatory way that implies cultural appropriation or a lack of 'roots' or a traditional reggae approach. Also called "cod reggae", weggae incorporates love, personal awareness, and life challenges while incorporating
music and
beat elements of rock, punk, and hip-hop with a reggae 'riff.' Innovative bands who helped establish the genre in the 1990s, like
Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, SOJA, Rebelution, Iration, and others, are often dismissed as imposters despite outselling traditional reggae bands worldwide.
