While Rihanna chills backstage, SP hits out against domestic violence.
DJ Max Glazer of Federation Sound gets the big cosign from Sean Paul.
Max Glazer’s come a long way since the days when he started working at Fat Beats, making his dancehall cassettes, and writing a reggae column for On The Go magazine. Since then he’s toured the world as Rihanna’s DJ, rocked his Serato Scratch at private parties for a hip hop who’s who, and appeared in a Rolling Stone fashion layout with a reggae 45 stuffed in his pocket. But don’t get it twisted; dancehall is still the beat of his heart. That’s why, ten years ago, he organized and centralized to form Federation Sound along with Kenny Meez, Alric & Boyd. A decade later Federation is doing it real big.
To celebrate the sound’s first decade in the game, Federation booked out Santos Party House on LaFayette last Tuesday night and invited a few friends over. Although the bar sold only Bud and Corona, the sounds were strictly Dragon Stout. Stretch Armstrong and Cipha Sounds showed up to bless the place, as did guest sounds Lone Star from Brooklyn and Solomonic out of Philadelphia.
Of course The Badda Badda Gals TNT (Tifa, Natalie Storm, and Timberlee, whose 3 The Hard Way mixtape was co-produced by Federation) passed through to show some love and bubble like soup. Master producer Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor was in the house along with his bigger brother Chino and rising stars Laden and Einstein, all of whom left the mic smoking. Craig “Leftside” Parkes, a.k.a. Mr. Evil. dropped hits like “Tuck Een Yuh Belly” and “More Punany” before bring out Sean Paul. The Grammy-winning multiplatinum dancehall star blazed through #1 hits like “Get Busy” and “Temperature” before previewing a few tracks from his forthcoming album, Imperial Blaze. But while easing into the album cut “You Know I Care”—a song that goes “Girl, you know I care / So if you ever seem to lose the way /Don’t have no fear / I’ll be there girl, you know I care”—Sean Paul took time out to speak against domestic violence. Could his words have been inspired by the Good Girl Gone Bad who was chilling backstage in the tightly secured V.I.P. lounge? You be the judge:
“Yo, I gotta say… violence in a relationship don’t make no fucking sense,” Sean said as the crowd roared its approval. “If you’re gonna be violent in the relationship you need to jump the fuckin’ fence. Get outta that shit dog. You see all when me and my girl ah war, me no beat her, me no kick her down. Treat her like the queen with the crown from long time. Me say…”
Word to Chris Breezy. Maybe Rihanna took that advice about “jumpin’ the fence.” Rumor has it Ri Ri and ATF hot boy Drake are now an item. But who really knows? You know you can’t trust them blogs. One thing’s for sure though—Sean Paul really is the girls’ dem overall.
All photographs by the man called Marlon “Ajamu” Myrie.
TNT: Tifa, Timberlee, and Natalie say “No Tinky Winky.” Come correct fellas!
Unintimidated by TNT’s challenge, Craig “Leftside” Parkes a.k.a. Mr. Evil instructed the ladies to “Back It Up.”
Laden’s first-ever NYC appearance was definitely his “Time To Shine.”
Producer Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor and Mr. Glazer gettin it in at Santos.
Stephen McGregor’s older brother Chino is a genius in his own right.
Einstein’s ready to “Rise The Machine” for Federation Sound.
Mr. Mojo of Morgan Heritage drops his dancehall rendition of “Roxanne.”
Where is Leftside? Thought he was asome
You are quite right Byson JR. Leftside was awesome… Flick added by request. (And big shout to all the websites biting our content… We see you!)