Boomshots

Tag: Reggae

  • 10 Things You Don’t Know About Jimmy Cliff

    10 Things You Don’t Know About Jimmy Cliff

    In Honor of Jimmy Cliff’s 70th Birthday Author David Katz Drops Knowledge on the Reggae Legend

    David Katz is no stranger to the world of reggae and documenting it. In 2006, he got hold of Lee “Scratch” Perry and released the widely-received biography People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee ‘”Scratch” Perry. He then got the story of icon, Jimmy Cliff to pen Jimmy Cliff: An Unauthorized Biography. Though Cliff was not heavily involved in its production, Katz relied on his previous interviews with the star and stories from artists who collaborated with him to bring forth the biography. In his travels and through countless reasonings, he gathered some interesting (and previously unknown) tidbits about JC. Scroll Through Gallery Above… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Chronixx “Rastaman Wheel Out” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Chronixx “Rastaman Wheel Out” Official Music Video

    Here Comes More Trouble—New Visuals From The “Dread & Terrible” Project

    “Is only a few foolish police officers would harass and charge a humble rasta man for carrying a personal stash of herb on his way. I say those days will soon be no more. incoming a ting call…RASTAMAN WHEEL OUT.” These brand new Chronixx visuals filmed & edited by Ras Kassa feel like an homage to the classic reggae film Rockers. Vintage-style track produced by Special Delivery Music. Video After the Jump… (more…)

  • I-Octane Speaks on “My Journey” Album

    I-Octane Speaks on “My Journey” Album

    I-Octane’s Highly Anticipated New Album My Journey Hits Stores Today

    You’ve heard the new track “Jah Jah Warrior.” You’ve vibed to the preview mix of the album. Today the wait is over. You can cop I-Octane’s brand new album My Journey right now. Octane reached out via Skype to let the Boomshots massive know why he took so much extra care with this album—produced by reggae hit-maker Andre “DJ Frass” Gordon—and why the new project is so special to him. “Music has been my saving grace – an outlet to change the destiny of my life and a vehicle that enabled me to touch the life of others,” states I-Octane. “This album is a reflection of my journey so far and it has served as a therapeutic way for me to voice not only the blessings, but the frustrations as well. My goal is to find ways that you, as the listener, can share in my experiences, both good and bad, and use it to help you on your journey.” Stay tuned for the NYC album launch at SOBs brought to you by Boomshots. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Top 10 Philip Smart Selections

    Top 10 Philip Smart Selections

    Click On The Image Above To Start The Countdown

    Childhood friends with Augustus Pablo, teenage apprentice to King Tubbys, “Prince” Philip Smart would later move from Kington to New York and establish the most important reggae recording studio in the USA. The very first song produced at HC&F Studios was a crossover hit for the band Monyaka, who’d invested sweat equity into their recording time by helping to construct the Freeport, Long Island studio with their own hands. Over the years, numerous historic recording sessions went down at Smart’s soundlab that helped to spread reggae music into the American pop charts and around the world, as did his weekly radio show on WNYU FM, Get Smart! As friends, family and music lovers mourn the man—who passed away last week—what better time to take a deep dive into the music and reflect on all the works one man in his late 50s could accomplish on earth. Many of Philip Smart’s hardest selections, including Scion Sashay Success futuristic digi-dancehall cut “The Trainer,” are includied on the hard-to-find compilation Five Borough Fire, which is well worth the effort of hunting down on eBay. In one of many tributes that appeared following the tragic news, Clinton Lindsay quotes Sting International saying, Father Phil was “a man who gave so much and asked for nothing.” Make sure to tune into the next episode of the Strictly Boomshots show on RadioLily.com for a musical celebration of the man known affectionately by so many as “Father Phil.”  Click Through The Gallery Above To Start The Countdown

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  • HEAR THIS: I-Octane “Jah Jah Warrior” PREMIERE

    HEAR THIS: I-Octane “Jah Jah Warrior” PREMIERE

    Brand New Exclusive Preview Of The My Journey Album

    I-Octane has described his forthcoming album My Journey as an evolution towards a more rootical approach to the music. The dreadlocked dancehall singjay’s music has always exercised a certain level of consciousness in terms of lyrical content and sheer songwriting ability, the rhythm tracks and production favored a digital dancehall style over traditional live drum and bass reggae tracks. On this exclusive pre-release Octane brandishes his lyrical sword atop a warm and easy DJ Frass production that bridges the gap between new and classic. If this is any indication My Journey—which will be released Tuesday on independent Reggae imprint, Tads Records—is a journey we can’t wait to begin. Check out the new tune and  then pree Livity Movements album mix after the jump…  Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Jah Cure “Wake Up” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Jah Cure “Wake Up” Official Music Video

    IyaCure Keeps On Beating The Drums of Righteousness

    “Jah Children Wake Up and stop walk in your sleep”! sings Jah Cure as he beats the bongo drum while the Binghi fire blazes in the latest video from Iyacure Productions. This standout cut on the Sweet Personality Riddim, produced by Nature’s Way Entertainment, has been crying out for a powerful visual treatment, and finally it’s here. The video, directed by Skanka, closes with Marcus Garvey’s inspirational words: “Work to make the dream a possibility within another generation.” How many wake-up calls do you need? Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Top 10 Nelson Mandela Reggae Selections

    Top 10 Nelson Mandela Reggae Selections

    Singers and Players of Instruments Pay Tribute to the Late Great South African Hero

    Despite his advanced age, the news of Nelson Mandela’s passing came as a terrible shock today. Perhaps that is because the South African leader had become a living icon of human rights and endurance in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The thought that he might be a mortal man hardly crossed our minds. Long before he became the subhject of major motion pictures, Mandela’s name had become a one-word prayer, a mantra to give strength to those engaged in the universal struggle. And if there’s one genre of music that has consistently kept Mandela’s name in heavy rotation, that would have to be reggae. From the UK to Africa to Jamrock, reggae singers and players of instruments have been beating the drums of freedom for the late great Nelson Mandela. And so on this sad day we present some of the best, in a spirit of honor and respect in all aspect. Ten Crucial Selections After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Jah Cure “My Love”

    HEAR THIS: Jah Cure “My Love”

    We Gotta Live For This Moment

    If there was anyone who could f*ck up your emotions then count on Jah Cure to do that for sure. Cure has as many love songs as dancehall has whine songs and somehow they don’t get old. “My Love,” his track on Good Good Productions’ Brit Soul Jam riddim, talks straight to the heart AGAIN. “My love is deeper than the ocean.” Cure is never afraid to tell you exactly what he feels and there are not many artists that can make you cry tears of joy. If you’ve ever been to a Beres Hammond concert you can relate to the feeling. Maybe its no coincidence then that Cure also seems to have that same magic touch. Audio After the Jump…

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  • Musiq Soulchild & Syleena Johnson Speak On Reggae, Soul, and the Making of “9INE”

    Hear What Happens When Two R&B Stars Step Into The Reggae Zone
    SyleenaMusiq1BOOMBoth Musiq Soulchild and Syleena Johnson are Grammy-nominated soul singers with rich, powerful voices and a significant number of hit singles to their credit. Syleena sang the hook on Kanye West’s early hit “All Falls Down” while Musiq is known for romantic R&B jams like “dontchange” and “sobeautiful.” The two connected with Jamaican-born, Europe-based producer Kemar “Flava” McGregor to record a song for a compilation album and woumd up recording nine songs over the course of nine days. These songs became an album titled 9ine.  (Oddly enough, Eddie Murphy and Snoop Lion recently released plans for their own reggae album by the same title.) “Coming from a Reggae background,” Kemar McGregor stated, “it was a great experience to work with Musiq and Syleena, because it gave me a chance to blend pop, reggae and R&B into a fresh, new and groundbreaking style. Musiq and Syleena blended their vocals to give ‘Feel The Fire‘ an infectious pop-reggae sound. This is exactly the sound I wanted because as a reggae producer, I personally think Reggae needs a new sound and fresh style.” Reshma B spoke with the singers to see how they enjoyed the experience of making their first reggae album—and they kept it very real. Seems like a case of the hotter the battle, the sweeter the victory. Run thatt…  Interview and Exclusive Album Stream After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Vybz Kartel “School Anthem 2”

    Why Is Kartel Advising Jamaican Youths NOT to Bleach Their Skin?
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    Vybz Kartel’s latest release, “School Anthem 2,” advising Jamaican youngsters not to bleach their skin. “So me say pull up yuh pants and put it pon yuh waist and tuck in your shirt and don’t bleach your face.” A man who stands charged with the crime of murder, Kartel was deemed a criminal long before his arrest due to his explicit lyrics and his controversial practice of lightening his own skin—and marketing his own “Cake Soap” to fans. Now he appears to have reversed course. Will his attempt at spreading positive messages to the youth work in his favor While Kartel’s messages in songs like “Child Abuse” and “School Anthem 2” are positive, authority figures from parents and The Ministries of Youth & Education now face a unique predicament: Do they cosign his advice to the youth, or recoil because of who the message is coming from? Audio & Analysis After the Jump…

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  • WATCH THIS: Shaggy ft. Beres Hammond “Fight This Feeling” Official Music Video

    Shaggy and Beres link to create a modern-day classic
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    Shaggy links with Beres Hammond for a modern-day classic love song set to a timeless Sly & Robbie riddim. The first single from Shaggy’s highly anticipated album “Out of Many, One Music” with riddims by Sly & Robbie and additional production by Sting International and Lenky. The video captures Shaggy and Beres on the stage and takes us into the studio with Sly & Robbie and Sting and Lenky. You’ve got to love that hard-driving rub-a-dub sound when Taxi meets The Ranch. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Trevor Sax Digs In the Crates

    Reasoning With The Selector for London’s Mighty Saxon Studio International
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    “I like to play the vinyls,” says Trevor Sax of Saxon Studio International. If you don’t believe him, you need to brush up your sound system history. Founded in 1976 as the Imperial Rockers, by Dennis Rowe and Lloyd ‘Musclehead’ Francis, the sound changed its name to Saxon Studio International two years later. They are a cornerstone of the UK reggae industry, shining a light on future stars like Peter King, Papa Levi, Tippa Irie, Smiley Culture, and Maxi Priest. Trevor Sax joined up in 1981. Our friends over at Animal New York tell us this may be Sax’s first interview ever, and we’ve got no reason to doubt them. “He gave us a glimpse into his vinyl collection, which is so massive that records are piled in virtually in every room. Some are even stowed away behind hidden panels, which Sax laughingly pried open with a butter knife to exclaim: More records!” You get the idea. It’s a UK fing. Video After The Jump… (more…)