Rude boy, rudie, rudi or rudy is a subculture that developed in the early 1960s in Jamaica. The term rude boy came from Jamaican slang for "cool" or "hip," as the rude boys, in the dancehalls and daily life, always dressed in the latest fashions. The term rude boy may also have something to do with an extremely potent rum-based drink called "Rude to your parents," which was served at sound system parties. It may also be related to "rudeness," a term used in 1950s and 1960s Jamaica to refer to sexual intercourse.

The rude boy culture originated in the ghettos of Kingston coinciding with the popular rise of dance hall celebrations and sound system dances. Disaffected, unemployed urban youth often found temporary employment under sound system operators to crash competitors' dances. This violence became an integral part of rude boy lifestyle, and often gave rise to gangs. Many of these rudies started wearing sharp suits, thin ties, and pork-pie hats in an imitation of the styles in popular American gangster movies; a style which is still pervasive in today's ska culture. With growing emigration in the late 1960s, the rude boy culture and its music, ska/rocksteady, spread to England and from there to most other western countries.

The name Rudy often appears in ska/rocksteady and punk lyrics as an allusion to the rude boy subculture. Many of Desmond Dekker's most popular songs were about Rude boys; 007 (Shanty Town), Rude Boy Train, Warlock, and others all revolved around this subculture. Other famous Rude boy-related songs are "Rudie Can't Fail" by The Clash and "Rudi, A Message To You" by The Specials (originally by Dandy Livingstone). The 1980 film Rude Boy, directed by Jack Hazan and David Mingay, featured members of The Clash.

In more contemporary ska culture, the terms "Rude boy" and "Rude girl" are used more generally to refer to anyone involved with ska like the song Rude Boy by the Bedouin Soundclash, though Rudy generally retains the cautionary connotation described above.

The terms "Rude boy" and "Rude girl" are often used in popular slang in the UK to refer to mainly Afro-Caribbean youths who subscribe to the latest trends and fashions in African-American or Afro-Caribbean culture, such as hip hop music. The terms are often used in a derogatory sense to describe youths from poorer backgrounds who attempt to emulate such fashions. However, it could be argued that the UK now boasts a distinctive Rude boy culture itself, fronted by UK hip hop and grime artists such as Roots Manuva and Dizzee Rascal.

The singer of the Urban Dance Squad, Patrick Tillon, uses the stage-name Rude boy. There is also a Canadian ska group called General Rudie, and a Philadelphia third wave ska group called Ruder Than You, named from lyrics by from the song "Too Hot" originally recorded by Jamaican artist Prince Buster, later popularized by Two Tone ska band The Specials, which read in part "No one can tell them what to do / Pound for pound, they say, we're ruder than you".

Subcultures

Rude boy | Rude boy | Rude Boy | Rude boys | Rude Boy | Rude boy | Руд-бои | Rude boy | Rude boys