Coined by Christopher Small, musicking is a concept that captures every single moment that led to the music being created, played, listened to (1998). Musicking encompasses every action that goes into the production, the promotion, and the performance of the music, but also the collective enjoyment of the music such as the dancing and singing along to the music. Essentially, musicking sheds light on all the different components beyond just the sonic aspect of music. Julian Henriques’ spin on the term emphasizes this by stating that the physical, technological and socio-cultural aspects of music all amount to creating a sense of connection through vibration (2008). 

On the other hand, the notion of the embodied archive works in a similar fashion. Most notably developed by André Lepecki (2010) and Joseph Pugliese (2011), the embodied archive is based on the idea that the body is the main site where knowledge is produced and stored. This is in contrast to the official archive, which not only treats knowledge as classifiable but hierarchizes it by prioritizing formal knowledge over informal knowledge. 

The concept of the embodied archive breathes life into the archival process by giving it a dynamic and human quality. It legitimizes personal observation and lived experience; the knowledge that is stored/filtered/perceived/expressed through the body. Understanding musicking as embodied archive centres the body as the main site where cultural knowledge is produced and recorded. The body becomes the vehicle for the production of cultural knowledge, through artistic and creative expression.

Subculture and Black popular culture(s) operate in the same manner; they are almost synonymous, both acting as remediations of the mainstream (Clarke et al., 2006). They are both a form of response to, a repurposing, resistance, of the dominant culture; a stance posed against the “cultural norm” that tries to be imposed through the mainstream. This is how alternative styles of dress, aesthetics, lifestyles, and different forms of artistic movements — i.e. music — emerge. 

Zoning in on Black popular culture(s) more specifically, authors like Paul Gilroy and Amiri Baraka both highlight the multifaceted character of Black popular culture(s) (1993;1968). They pinpoint the cultural linkages that exist amongst the diaspora, and acknowledge that these linkages operate as a transnational and almost timeless network which Gilroy calls the "Black Atlantic" and Baraka, the "changing same" (1993; 1968). Both Gilroy’s and Baraka’s perspectives view music as a powerful tool of self-expression that creates a sense of belonging, and gives a sense of direction. The re-use and transmutation of music throughout the diaspora generates a unique sense of identity that is simultaneously shared amongst Black people(s).

Coined by the Jamaican scholar Tony Laing (n.d.), popularized by Rex Nettleford (1970s), and used by other scholars such as Dr. Sonjah Stanley Niiah (2013) and Dr. ‘H.’ Patten (2022), this word has many spellings: "smadditisation", "smadditizin", "smaddification". The concept is often used when analyzing the racial and cultural identity within the Jamaican social context.

Smaddification is a term derived from the Jamaican patois word, smaddi (somebody), and refers to the process of literally “becoming somebody”; of claiming one’s agency and fully recognizing one’s worth. What counts as smaddification? What does it entail exactly? Tying it back to the Black Atlantic and changing same, smaddification involves developing an identity within a larger narrative, and thus fostering a sense of belonging. This construction of self however consequentially contributes to the development of a collective, connected by a shared sense of identity. 

What makes smaddification stand out is the quintessential “Jamaican-ness” that  it implies. It’s not just about claiming one’s agency, it’s about the rambunctiousness of the Jamaican character that is embedded in the concept. There’s a saying in patois which captures this: “(so) mi nuh smaddi too?”. This expression is often said with indignation, calling out unfair and disrespectful treatment. Mi nuh smaddi too? Aren’t I worthy? This is the sentiment echoed by smaddification; the professing of one’s personhood and their right to it — with no permissions asked.