Month: December 2014

  • WATCH THIS: DeMarco “Loyal” (Royals Remix) Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: DeMarco “Loyal” (Royals Remix) Official Music Video

    Mek Me Tell You This…

    Where does the time go? As we find ourselves in the middle of December (already!), it’s time to have a look back over the past year and take stock of the music, the vibes, the moments that stood out during 2014. There’s been a lot of good songs, but few that hit home quite as hard or rang quite as true as Demarco’s broadside against “badmind, grudgeful, envious people.” Sure it’s a cover version of Lorde’s 2013 worldwide smash “Royals,” but just because the song was originated by a teenage girl from New Zealand, does that mean it shouldn’t ring out in Cassava Piece, Cockburn Pen, and Tower Hill? “Me don’t care—me gun dem never deh far, it deh near.”  (Kapiche?) “From you pree me life me delete you.” Simple. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “Is it Worth It? (Gunman World)” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “Is it Worth It? (Gunman World)” Official Music Video

    Nabil Directs a Dark mini-Epic for Gongzilla’s Shotta’s Lament

    From the moment Jr. Gong hopped on the Rootsman Riddim, it was a major statement. For an established reggae superstar to join forces with a juggling that featured up-and-coming Jamaican artists like Chronixx, Jesse Royal, and Tarrus Riley. It didn’t hurt that Damian’s new song itself, “Gunman World,” ranks as perhaps one of Gongzilla’s deepest pieces of songwriting ever. “I’ve had that idea before working on the Welcome to Jamrock album actually,” says Damain of the tune, which is featured on the upcoming EP Ghetto Youths International Present: Set Up Shop Vol. 2.”The concepts and thoughts of what’s happening on the song. And I’ve kinda finished putting it together over the last year or so. And I decided that I would put the song on the Rootsman riddim because of wanting to support that movement and that energy. Cause the Rootsman riddim is produced by my keyboard player, Winta. So I wanted to support what he was doing as well as support that movement of new Rasta youths you see coming up in the music. I wanted to give some of my energy toward that also. That’s why I chose to go on that juggling. And we have a new video coming out for that real soon that was shot in Morocco. I’m not even in the video. It’s a nice kind of story based upon the lyrics and whatnot.” Directed by Franceso Corrozini & Nabil, we present the visual interprtation today for the first time. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Flashback Friday: Tenor Saw “Lots of Sign”

    Flashback Friday: Tenor Saw “Lots of Sign”

    Tenor Saw Dies Tragically, Leaving Behind An Anthology of Dancehall Poetry

               Clive Bright aka Tenor Saw was a prominent Jamaican singer with an exceptional voice and a conscious, spiritual vibe to his music. Discovered at 19 years old by dancehall legend, Sugar Minott of YouthMan Promotions, who describes the first time hearing Tenor Saw’s voice as powerful. The late icon speaks about this magical moment and the excitement of cutting the Pumpkin Belly Dubplate which ended up on Vinyl:  More After The Jump…

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  • Marlon James Interview: “I Might Stay Away From Jamaica for a Little Bit”

    Marlon James Interview: “I Might Stay Away From Jamaica for a Little Bit”

    The Author of A Brief History of Seven Killings  Has Had No Reaction from the Marley Family

    Marlon James was born in Kingston, Jamaica, the son of two police officers. After earning a living designing album covers, he developed his interest in creative writing via the Calabash Literary Festival writer’s workshop. His debut novel, John Crow’s Devil, was published in 2010 by the Brooklyn-based indie press Akashic Books. His second, The Book of Night Women, about a slave rebellion on a 19th century plantation, won several awards, while the third, A Brief History of Seven Killings, published this October by Riverhead Books, has been hailed by the New York Times as “epic in every sense of that word: sweeping, mythic, over-the-top, colossal and dizzyingly complex.”  Interview after the Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Tarrus Riley ft. Zagga “Free Up” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Tarrus Riley ft. Zagga “Free Up” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    Singy Singy and Zagga Got No Time For Bad Vibes

    Chimney Records’ Happy Hour riddim had a strong start out the box with Mavado setting the pace on “Nah Use Them” (aka “Mama son lock down”.) Now here comes another hit off the juggling—this time it’s Tarrus Riley and Zagga joining forces to banish all badmindedless as they remind youth and youth to “Free up!” All the action in the video, produced by Zojak Distribution, unfolds at a video-game arade rather than some old “up in the club” cliche, with random oversized cartoon characters lending a playful vibe to the proceedings. Like the DJ says, “We don’t give trouble we give thanks.” Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Flashback Friday: Terror Kid “Loose She Man”

    Flashback Friday: Terror Kid “Loose She Man”

    For Flashback Friday, Boomshots Features A Grenadian Soca Song (2011)

    A balanced relationship is analogous to a pendulum in a resting, equilibrium position. Any disruption (disagreement, separation etc.), displaces the pendulum sideways, causing vulnerability to a restoring force, due to gravity. In former Grenada Soca Monarch, Shem Bernard aka Terror Kids’ song, “Loose She Man,” sultry vocals over a symphonic production (Don Omar Riddim) by Lyndon Pope of YoungStarz Production, provides a refreshing soca sound. More After The Jump…

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  • WATCH THIS: Specialist Moss ft. Mr. Williamz “Dubby Dubby” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Specialist Moss ft. Mr. Williamz “Dubby Dubby” Official Music Video

    Dubplate You Know That Is The Artillery—And Gwan Go Mek Dem Know It’s In Abundancy

    First they gave you that “Herb Man Skank” and now Specialist Moss and Mr. Williamz are back with a criss new video off the big bad Dub Style EP. With live footage direct from London’s Notting Hill Carnival, the visuals delve into the roots of UK sound system culture. This is what happens when two UK lyrical badman buck up pon one ill drum and bass riddim. Field Marshall no partial.  Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Post-Thanksgiving Tune: Ishawna “Domesticated”

    Post-Thanksgiving Tune: Ishawna “Domesticated”

    And Don’t Forget to Do The Dishes!

    After having some dirty laundry aired over the past few weeks, it looks like Ishawna’s ready for some housecleaning. The latest track by the Princess of the Dancehall and first lady of Downsound Records shows that she’s a domestic goddess at heart.  Coming off the big holiday weekend Ishawna’s here to remind all them boys they better be thankful for having a girl who doesn’t just rave all day long but keeps her dishes done just right. And don’t get it twisted—just cause she keeps the crib clean don’t mean she can’t get dirty between the sheets. “Me can wash, cook and clean AN’ quint, yeah” Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Reggae King Cyber Monday Sale Will Swag You Out

    Reggae King Cyber Monday Sale Will Swag You Out

    40 Percent Off Until Midnight Monday Night

    Our people at Reggae King have the reggae swag game on lock. From caps to T-shirts to jewelry to heaphones to lava lamps and more… If you’ve got a reggae lover on your holiday list Reggae King has got them covered. They are having a Cyber Monday sale with 40 percent off, so now would be a good time to head on over to Reggae King and get your e-commerce on. Details After The Jump. .. (more…)