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  • WATCH THIS: Yaadcore x Damage Musiq “Genuine” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Yaadcore x Damage Musiq “Genuine” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    “To Build the Confidence of the Black Man”

    Like all great selectors, Yaadcore has a gift for speaking the right words and playing the right sound at the perfect moment. Bringing all of those strengths together to step up as a deejay is a natural progression. From Daddy U Roy and Super Cat to Tony Matterhorn and Charly Black, top selectors become top artists—all they need is a top tune. A “Genuine” tune. When Yaadcore linked with Damage Musiq, producer of new generation dancehall anthems like “Rags to Riches,” they created something special. “Was a joy working with Damage,” says the artist. “We actually go way bac from high school days and we were in a sound system together as well! Proud to see the impact he has made in dancehall space.” The impact of their song “Genuine” will be mighty indeed. “The song is not about discrimination,” Yaadcore explains, “but to build the confidence of the Black man.” Boomshots is proud to premiere these powerful visuals, collaborating with Yaadcore to seal up Black History Month—and Reggae Month—with a banger. Watch as the artist serves as an angel on a young man’s shoulder, reminding him to put down the bleaching cream and to lift up his conscience as he goes through the daily struggles of life. “When I look and see the Black man being misled every day to feel that light skin color makes you a better person or makes more people like you is really the inspiration for this song,” Yaadcore explains. “Wanting to see I&I brothers and sisters to know their true power within their melanin as well as to discourage the ones that are not doing it but face the temptation every day being surrounded by this.”  Video After The Jump…

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  • WATCH THIS: Coolie Ranx “Keep Fighting” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Coolie Ranx “Keep Fighting” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    Brand new visualizer from the UK/BK/GTA Legend

     

    Ask around Brooklyn, and the real heads will tell you about Coolie Ranx who did his thing in the dancehall scene during the 90s, dropping rare gems like the 12-inch single “Roughneck” plus some choice BBC HiFi dubplate specials. Ask around London and they’ll mention Coolie Ranx who buss many a dance with the legendary Saxon Sound. Ask around Grand Theft Auto fans and they’ll tell you about Little Jacob, one of the legendary Yardie gangsta characters (alongside his bigger bredda Real Badman aka Seeborn RIP). Ask around the ska scene, and the man is a bonafide legend—rocking stages as the front man for the Toasters and The Pilfers before going solo. Today Boomshots proudly premiers the latest skacore anthem from Coolie Ranx. The song is called “Keep Fighting.” Sounds like the right song at the right time. So check out the cinematic visuals right now. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Kabaka Pyramid and Damian Marley Speak On ‘The Kalling’ Grammy

    Kabaka Pyramid and Damian Marley Speak On ‘The Kalling’ Grammy

    Tears of Joy, and Nuff Inspiration

    “Rastafari Live.” On his track “Grateful,” Kabaka said “First all of me giving thanks to the highest creator,” and when the big moment came that’s exactly what he did. Walking to the Grammy Awards stage with his mother at his side and surrounded by his Bebble Rock crew, Kabaka’s expression of faith in Jah followed an expressiong of sheer disbelief that this moment was real. But it was! Kabaka’s album The Kalling had just won Best Reggae Album, rising to the top of an outstanding field of all-Jamaican nominees that included Koffee, Sean Paul, Shaggy, and Protoje. “We’re just some kids from Kingston, Jamaica,” Kabaka said during an emotional acceptance speech, bigging up his team, the album’s producer Damian “Jr Gong” Marley—who also features on the album, along with Stephen Marley, Buju Banton, Tifa, Black Am I, Jemere Morgan, and Protoje—and sending a special livication. “This one is for Jo Mersa Marley who we lost in December.” The significance of the award—bestowed one day before Bob Marley’s 78th birthday—was not lost on the album’s producer. “Kabaka is the first younger, up and coming artist we’ve worked with to help reach that place,” said Damian Marley who also produced Kabaka’s previous album Kontraband. This was Jr. Gong’s second nomination as a producer, as he also helmed Third World’s nominated album More Work To Be Done. It’s kinda historical in that way where it’s the first album within the family circle that is not a family member who has really reached that status,” Jr. Gong added. “It’s somewhat a continuation of Gong’s vision—having a label that is a force to be reckoned with in the genre that’s not just about him individually but moreso a collective.” Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Sizzla “Praise Ye Jah” 25th Anniversary Mixtape

    Sizzla “Praise Ye Jah” 25th Anniversary Mixtape

    Celebrating a Classic Album, Live From Judgment Yard

    “I did behold!” It’s been a quarter of a century since Sizzla Kalonji’s anthem “Praise Ye Jah” first rang out of sound systems all across Jamaica and electrified the worldwide dancehall reggae massive with his revolutionary sound and energy. When the teen prodigy born Miguel Collins linked up with legendary producer Philip “Fatis” Burrell and his Xterminator crew—including saxophonist and musical director Dean Fraser, Sly & Robbie, and a veteran session band known as the Firehouse Crew—musical history was made. Fast forward to 2023 and Fatis’ son Kareem “Remus” Burrell is carrying on the family legacy with XTM Nation. Today XMT is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Sizzla’s landmark album ‘Praise Ye Jah’ by bringing the vibes to a new generation with XTM’s “Praise Ye Jah” mixtape featuring exclusive dubplates by the likes of Tarrus Riley, Spragga Benz, Kabaka Pyramid, Pressure Buss Pipe, Protoje, Lila Ike, and more. The Boomshots crew linked up with XTM and rolled to August Town for an exclusive reasoning with the man they call Dada. He spoke about his memories of working with Fatis, his respect for Remus, and his unique vision for his purpose in life. Sizzla has invested the proceeds of a successful music career, building up his Judgment Yard community, providing a working studio, library, and other economic opportunities, and supporting the Sizzla Youth Foundation. This man’s motivation goes way beyond industry accolades. Time to put some respect on Sizzla’s name. Mixtape & Mini-Doc After The Jump…  (more…)

  • Joseph Mersa Marley In Memoriam

    Joseph Mersa Marley In Memoriam

    Memories of a Young Lion

    “I don’t really walk around bragging about what I can and can’t do,” Jo Mersa said the first time Boomshots interviewed him, during the summer of 2013. Just the night before he had shared the stage with his father Stephen “Ragga” Marley and his uncle Damian “Junior Gong” Marley, spitting his rapid-fire lyrics to a capacity crowd at London’s Indigo O2. “I don’t talk about it,” he said. “When you hear, you hear it — and you get weh you get.” Video and Full Story After The Jump… 

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  • WTJRC 2022 Heavy Rotation Playlist

    WTJRC 2022 Heavy Rotation Playlist

    All in the Same Boat, Rockin’ on the Same Rock

    Once again it’s on. The last time we were on board the Jamrock Cruise was December 2019, before most people had ever heard the words “Covid-19.” Three years later the big ship is ready to rock with artists like Burning Spear, Shabba Ranks, Damian Marley, Bounty Killer, Sizzla, and more. Check out this Boomshots playlist featuring the latest sounds from all the artists performing on this year’s Jamrock Cruise.
    Heavy Rotation Playlist After The Jump…  (more…)

  • Post-Millennium Memories: On Tricky

    Post-Millennium Memories: On Tricky

    Story By Michael A. Gonzales

    In 1997 I was a Tricky fiend. Over a two-year period beginning with his debut Maxinquaye in 1995, Tricky and his musical partner Martina Topley-Bird were recording and releasing some of the most innovative material of that era. And what an era the ’90s were for reggae, hip hop, and the UK underground, which seeped its into my speakers all the way in Brooklyn. Follow-up projects Nearly God, Grassroots, Pre-Millennium Tension (recorded at Grove Studios in Ocho Rios) and the many remixes took his sound giant steps beyond the other artists were doing. Story & Videos After The Jump… 
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  • WATCH THIS: Baby Cham x Bounty Killer “BLOOD CLXXT” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Baby Cham x Bounty Killer “BLOOD CLXXT” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    Nobody Nah Talk, So Madhouse Haffi Cuss BLOOD CLXXT 

    The term “BLOOD CLXXT” has a rich and complex history in the Jamaican vernacular. “You can’t get more authentic Jamaican than blood claat,” says dancehall star Baby Cham. “Blood claat is the only word we use for joy, frustrations, stress, happiness.” Officially considered a profanity on the island, the word can get an artist in a whole heap of trouble if they utter it onstage. But given the mood of the times all over the world, there was no other word to sum of the vibes of moment. And so of course the dancehall super-producer Dave Kelly chose the word as the title of the first single from Baby Cham and Bounty Killer’s highly anticipated collaborative EP Time Bomb on the legendary Madhouse Records imprint. Boomshots is proud to premiere the official video for the tune today, along with “Buss The Dance,” a video recap of the big Madhouse tribute which took place last week at Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay. Video After The Jump…  (more…)

  • Tanya Stephens & Patra Reason About Their New Collaboration “50”

    Tanya Stephens & Patra Reason About Their New Collaboration “50”

    When Two Legends Connect

    As a wise woman once said, “Nothing before the time.” Two of Jamaica’s most respected recording artists—Tanya Stephens and Patra—recently joined forces for the first time on a new song called “50.” The result? “Revolutionized big woman shenanigans.” Their historic collaboration will be featured on Tanya’s 10th studio album Some Kinda Madness, which launches in September 2022 via Tad’s Records. In this exclusive Boomshots interview, the dancehall legends speak with Reshma B about their lives and careers as strong women in the music industry, and why everything gets better with age.  Video After The Jump…  (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Busy Signal “Watch Gyal” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Busy Signal “Watch Gyal” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    The Turf Prezident & Young Pow Connect in the Vegas Desert

    Boomshots proudly presents another exclusive world premiere from dancehall’s most versatile hitmaker. Last time we checked in with Busy Signal he was “Cruisin‘” with his girl in a vintage droptop on some smoothed-out soul vibes. This time Busy’s racing through the windswept desert in a brand-new baby-blue Corvette dodging dinosaur bones and giant gorillas like a hothead mad max. The woman by his side is Kenyan-Japanese model Tiffany Keiko Hatano. The track was produced by Grammy-winning producer Sean ‘YoungPow’ Diedrick, and happens to be the first release under the brand new Independent label YoungPow Productions. Director Kieran Khan delivers another next-level visual experience, with larger-than-life digital effects that sneak up on you when you least expect it. “You know this is the summer gyallis song so we had take it to the desert and really heat things up,” says Busy. “The video really showcases what the track is all about: a lifestyle… the gyallis lifestyle.” Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Damian Marley, Shabba Ranks, and Burning Spear Speak on the Return of the Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise

    Damian Marley, Shabba Ranks, and Burning Spear Speak on the Return of the Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise

    All In The Same Boat, Rockin’ On The Same Rock


    “All in the same boat, rockin’ on the same rock,” Bob Marley sang on the Wailers’ 1971 classic “
    Don’t Rock My Boat.” Produced by the late great Lee “Scratch” Perry, the song is a plea for unity in keeping with the time-honored values of reggae music. “Got to get together,” Bob sang, “loving each other.” Some forty years after its release “Don’t Rock My Boat” became a sort of unofficial theme song for the Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise, an yearly musical excursion created by Bob’s youngest son Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and his longtime manager Dan Dalton. Of course the official cruise anthem would be Jr. Gong’s Grammy-winning smash hit “Welcome to Jamrock.”

    “How blessed we are to have the opportunity to be doing this,” Jr. Gong said back in 2014 when the first Jamrock cruise set off from Miami to Jamaica, with an all-star lineup of the greatest Jamaican reggae and dancehall stars on board, as well as many of the world’s top reggae sound systems. “All of us who are on the cruise are part of a historic moment,” Jr. Gong predicted. “Both for ourselves and on behalf of the genre of reggae music.” Or as the world-famous recording artist and selector Shinehead put it that first year, “I only fantasized about shit like this. It’s like Rub-A-Dub Disneyland!”


    Over the next six years, the Jamrock Cruise emerged as one of reggae’s premier annual events, hosting historic performances year after year and selling out so quickly the organizers expanded to a larger vessel. As the sixth cruise wrapped up in 2019 with powerful performances by the likes of Koffee, Popcaan, Buju Banton, and Skip Marley, the Jamrock team was looking forward to smooth sailing ahead. But then as the new decade began, the whole world changed. 

    A worldwide viral outbreak shut down the cruise industry and many other aspects of life as we once knew it. Since then two Jamrock Cruises had to be postponed, and cruisers were invited to refund their deposit. “But many of our loyal supporters have held on to their reservations,” says Dalton. “I think people have been yearning for Jamrock more than ever. The community vibe on the ship has always been love and unity and diversity, celebrated under the umbrella of reggae music and Jamaican culture. This cruise is more than a festival to be honest. It’s not just a good time. Jamrock is more like a food for the soul kinda thing. Jamrock brings people together. That’s what reggae music always did.” 

    Today VIBE and Boomshots are announcing the official lineup for the seventh Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise, which includes two legendary first-time performers: Burning Spear and Shabba Ranks. Video After The Jump…  (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Busy Signal “Cruising” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Busy Signal “Cruising” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    The Turf President Takes A Smokey Robinson Classic To The Dancehall

    Busy Signal is dancehall’s most versatile hitmaker. Ready for some roughneck reality? Cue up “Stay So” and watch every badman in the place buss a blank. When it’s party time, drop “Watch Out For This (Bumaye),” his outernational Major Lazer collab, and watch the whole place tun up. If it’s bar work you want, check “All In One” and watch Busy brutalize a grip of classic hip hop beats like the five fingers of death. And when it comes to some smooth sounds for the ladies, the Turf Prezident knows just how to set a romantic mood. “Some of Busy Signal’s biggest hits have been on the lovers’ records,” says Junior Brown, founder of Nuh Rush Records. Romantic rub-a-dub selections like “One More Night” and “Night Shift” have become a highlight of every Busy Signal performance. Today VIBE and Boomshots proudly premiere the official music video for “Cruising,” a Nuh Rush production which is soon to become another fixture in Busy’s catalog. “This will be one for the books,” says Busy, describing his dancehall remake of the Smokey Robinson R&B staple. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to do such a classic song in my own way and style.” Video After The Jump…  (more…)