Once Upon a Time In Jamaica
Like the mighty bird of prey who serves as the label’s logo/mascot, Equiknoxx Music has soared to higher heights in recent years. But today the dancehall production team of Nicholas “Bobby The Blackbird” Deane & Gavin “Gavsborg” Blair rewind back to the days when they flew mostly under the radar. Consider Us In 2007 a sonic snapshot, a moment in time—five tracks culled from the Equiknoxx archives and presented for the first time today on Boomshots. “We had no studio at the time,” recalls Blackbird. “Most of these songs were recorded at different studios…mainly Anchor Studios, Cutting Edge Records which is now Chimney Records, B-Rich Entertainment, and Versatile C&M Entertainment now Ancient Records/4th Generation Music. The time was simple; the fees were zero, gratitude is everything. As for us? What to say? “Brash” is the word that comes to mind. Well, depending on your definition. Loud, confident, spirited and maybe a little rude.” These songs are not about “Big Names”—Craigy T and Bay C of TOK fame pop up on two solo cuts; Tifa sings the hook for an artist known as C4 whose eccentric slang (“Man a real Gangle-arka”) steals the show; the only Ranks here is Shawnie. Never mind if you never heard of Rsenal or Lil J.O.E or Jahfrica or Tremma—just listen. The songs possess a raw urgency that is undeniable, and irresistible to fans of real dancehall music. And the production? It knoxx. These beats are ready to take on the world, but they were released at a moment when the world was not ready. “There are no rules, there are no gatekeepers, there are no expectations, there are no limits,” Blackbird summarizes. “We have the secrets of the sky, and laughter comes easy. Actions before words and the birds speak loudly and boldly because they are sure. We are sure about everything.” Audio After The Jump…
“From you hear the beat drop, you know ah Equiknoxx” Run that…
Shout out to Karen Cazabon creator of the fresh bird logo
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