From The Church To The Dancehall, Sanchez D Hits All The Right Notes.
Sanchez is one of those year-to-year singers who’s too often forgotten. So consistently stellar are his crystalline vocals, so unwavering is his standard of excellence, that we sometimes take him for granted. In such cases the best thing to do is walk away for a few years and make them miss you. After all, the man has been singing his heart out since the late ’80s, investing improbable pop songs with so much drama and passion that you forget all about the originals. Then he drops an album like the all-original 1995 masterpiece Praise Him, and the reggae world goes into a frenzy. But apart from being sampled all over the “Dipset Anthem,” mainstream success has eluded this supremely gifted vocalist. Not that he’s hurting in the least.
“No Matter What You’re Going Through… Even When the Earth Quakes”
Like the song says, be strong. Simple as that. But the simplest songs are the ones we need the most. Sometimes an indispensible tune arrives before its purpose can be fully understood, and only in retrospect does the grand scheme reveal itself. Such is the case with “Hold On.” Continue reading →
A Caribbean Collaboration For Haiti w Sean Paul, Sean Kingston, Etana…
One good thing about music; when it hits you feel no pain. And from the first night the earthquake struck Haiti, the sound of hymns has reverberated through the rubble of Port au Prince. Continue reading →
DUNGLOAD The First Official Single from the album Distant Relatives.
You already heard the leak, now check out the full I-fficial mix as Nas and D brandish their razor-sharp lyrical swords. Man a bad man, me no play Willy Wonka! Run the track…
From Handsworth to Haiti—The Song Remains The Same
On this MLK Day, let us pause to reflect on the words of the man who sacrificed his life to the struggle for equal rights and justice:
“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.“
“Why They Fighting Sensimilla Making Way For Coke To Come?”
While Buju’s legions of detractors celebrate his arrest this weekend on cocaine trafficking charges, those of us who actually listen to his music—all of his music—have been left in a state of shock, grappling with the possibility that his booming voice may be silenced. Who’s gonna tell those “Untold Stories” now? Continue reading →
Online Premiere Of New Video From The Real Sheba & The Warlord
When Sheba Sahlemariam calls herself The Real Sheba, you best believe it. Descended from Ethiopian Royalty (King Solomon + Queen Sheba = Line of King David) Sheba carries herself with a certain majesty, and she thinks about time and space a bit differently than most. (”Yes my love for you can break the bonds of space-time,” she sings…Whoa.) Sheba’s journey this lifetime has brought her all the way from Africa to Kingston by way of Brooklyn, Port of Spain, and parts unknown. In short, Sheba’s uniquely qualified to rock your world. Did I mention she can sing? This sultry lover’s tune with a supernatural twist has been bubbling all year in Jamaica. Sheba says her love is “perfect and divine” plus the Warlord came through to give her the big co-sign. Boom-boom-bam.
“Gotta take time out to say much respect to the Father,” Beres remarks on this live cut from his double-disc retrospective Can’t Stop A Man. “Because without Him we couldn’t have made it here tonight. Wanna say thank you Father. Thank you, yes. Thank you from the bottom of my heart…”
Gully Gaad And Gaza’s Most Wanted Pulling Triggers On The RiRi-Mix
Big shout 2 the Gully Gaad, the Teacha, and—as L.A. says—the Good Girl Gone Bad For Good. (Easy nuh Breezy.) Big shout 2 Chimney Productions (aka Chimney Motion Pictures) for the big bad “Movie Star” riddim. Big shout 2 Mike D on the RiRi-Mix. Big up Johnny Wonder anyweh u deh—blessed earthday. Let it go…
