This page is for all you folks who are wondering just what a rudegirl is (or who are just bored and want to click around my site).  In simple terms, a rudegirl is a female who appreciates a certain style which includes listening to ska/soul music, classic forms of dress, and a close social circle with skinheads, modernists, and punks.  But those are just the generalities (there's a bit more to it than that).

The term 'rude' came from Jamaica.  And it doesn't mean that you go around acting ignorant!  In 1960s Jamaica, there was a lot of social and political upheaval due to the country's new found independence from Britain.  Some young men carried out vigilante type antics;  sometimes justified, other times not.  These men were referred to as 'rudeboys' and they were either seen as heroes or menaces to society.  For the classic example of a Jamaican rudeboy check out some info on Ivanhoe Ranglin (although he lived in the 1930s) or watch The Harder they Come starring Jimmy Cliff (a story based on Ranglin, although it takes place in the 1970s).

Now into the 1960s and 1970s in Britain there was a Jamaican immigrant population who were adamant about getting music from 'bac' a yard' (from Jamaica).  Some of these LPs & 45s found there way into the hands of young impressionable British youth who became fanatics about the music (ska & reggae).  At the same time, Europe also had it's own soul music....almost indistinguishable from it's American counterpart except it was not as commercialized and incorporated elements from blues more freely.  This music was called 'Northern Soul'.  The kids who started this movement called themselves 'rudeboys';  although they had little in common with the original Jamaican rudeboys (except for the love of Jamaican music perhaps).  It was these kids who defined the rude way of dress, although they modeled the dress from old Jamaican singers (i.e. Peter Tosh when the Wailers were still wearing three piece suits).

So the rudeboys (and rudegirls) became their own little subculture (just like the skinheads, modernists, and punks).  While the hippy movement was going on too, these were working-class kids who held a lot of disdain for spending hard earned money on drugs or not working at all.  They were also not to much into 'peace and love' thing so that alone seemed to glue these 4 really diverse groups together.

To many, it may seem hard to tell the difference between a rudeboy, skinhead, modernist or punk.  Sometimes modernists will 'dress like' a rudeboy, or a skinhead will skank to some ska or a punk will shave his head.  It ultimately depends on what the person considers them self or what their underlying beliefs are (which aren't too evident from outer appearances, now are they?).

Today, many from the 'old school' (1960s & 70s Europe) say that there are no 'rudies' anymore.  That's true in that we don't hang around in crews on the streets of London or Kingston for that matter.  However we still carry the spirit ~ of rebuffing racism, of being pro-active about our lives, and of course loving soul, ska & reggae!

Well that's all I have to say about that.  There's a lot of other webpages out there that can explain it more thoroughly (which I'll give you links too) if you are still confused, or if you just want to find out more.  Stay strong!  Cheers!