Boomshots

Category: Dancehall

  • Reasoning with Jack Scorpio: “Good Music Come In Like The Bible”

    Reasoning with Jack Scorpio: “Good Music Come In Like The Bible”

    Heartical Words of Wisdom From the Founder of Black Scorpio Sound System And Record Label

    Among the many icons, legends and superstars we were able to link up at Irie Jam’s recent 23 anniversary celebration concert was elder statesman Jack Scorpio of Black Scorpio sound. A giant in the industry and among men, this powerful pioneer has had his hands on the careers of a cornucopia of crème de la crème cultural current creators from Dennis Brown and Gregory Isaacs to Garnet Silk and Luciano to Beenie Man, Buju and Mega Banton to Capleton, Bounty Killer, Barrington Levy and Shabba Ranks of Jamaica’s Order of Distinction.  As a man who has launched legacies and banged out hits with the best of the best, Jack Scorpio knows a thing or two about the rules of engagement in the love and war of Dancehall and Roots and Culture Reggae. “My history too long fi talk,” said the tall man dressed in full white—but with a bit of perseverance, we convinced him to give it a try, and he took the time to share his insights with the BOOMSHOTS TV cameras.

    Jack Scorpio doesn’t come out to events often, but he was pleased that he attended Irie Jam’s 23rd anniversary and had positive vibes to share, especially of rising sun, Jahmiel, who he wants to work with, and the things Jahmiel had to share in terms of critiques of the current Dancehall culture. Scorpio likened today’s Dancehall to destructive drug dealing and called for balance. “Good music come like the bible,” he says, and it’s time for artists, and the selectors who play the chunes, to take it to the next level and make immortal music. Turn on and tune in as Jack Scorpio reasons on Dancehall dimensions, trends on the changing winds, and why hit songs with stamina and staying power solidify like Holy Scripture. Videos After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Charly Black “Hustler’s Paradise (Henny Situation)” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Charly Black “Hustler’s Paradise (Henny Situation)” Official Music Video

    When The Top Trelawney General’s Under His Henny, Please Don’t Violate

    “Whoooah!” Hailing from Jamaican parish of Trelawney, Charly Black first rose to prominence as a selector for Bass Odyssey sound system. He recorded his debut single “Woman It’s You” under the name Tony Mentol in 2004 and went on to change his name as he began working with Coppershot Productions (their tune “High Grade” is a certified Boomshot ganja anthem). His 2014 track “Gyal You a Party Animal,” voiced on Kurt Riley’s Jambe-An riddim, became an international hit, particularly in South America which led to a major label distribution deal. Charly Black’s latest release was produced by Thirty Six Degrees and distributed by the mighty 21st Hapilos with a video by Xtreme Arts that demonstrates the power of a bottle of Henny and some pretty girls. Video After The Jump…
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  • Reasoning With The Ranks: “Every day, another star is born from the ghetto. A star isn’t born from the hills and society either. It’s from the ghetts that the youth dem ah push up.”

    Reasoning With The Ranks:
    “Every day, another star is born from the ghetto. A star isn’t born from the hills and society either. It’s from the ghetts that the youth dem ah push up.”

    In Honor of Shabba’s Order of Distinction, We Present An In-Depth Interview with the Dancehall Emperor

    “Triumphant,” said Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon, better known to music lovers as Shabba Ranks. “Dat a my feeling right now because, as my mother used to tell me from I was little, hard work does pay off.” The dancehall emperor, who now resides in the United States, returned to Kingston, Jamaica this week to receive one of his homeland’s highest honors, the Order of Distinction. According to the Jamaica Observer, the crowd cheered wildly as the impeccably attired Ranks appeared on the great lawn at King’s House, the opulent residence of the island’s Governor General. Sir Patrick Allen personally bestowed the honor on this ghetto youth who took dancehall music around the world, earning the genre’s first gold record and two consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album. “So we can see dat de validation for hard work is jus’ greatness — good really begets good,” said Shabba. “For my island to look at me as one of those proteges and bestow the Order of Distinction pon me, when I first hear, it’s just delight, joy. It cause me to think about how, for so many years, me a work with the strength of my forefathers who did their work and still could not achieve dis in their lifetime… So mi jus’ proud.” The 50-year-old artist joins a distinguished group of  Jamaicans in the fields of music, art, sports, politics, medicine, and journalism. Fellow honorees include Usain Bolt, Sir Coxsone Dodd, and Lee “Scratch” Perry.  Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Kabaka Pyramid “Kabaka vs. Pyramid” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Kabaka Pyramid “Kabaka vs. Pyramid” Official Music Video

    Accurate Lyricist Drops Battle-Rap-Themed Video

    Kabaka Pyramid continues the trend of Rastafarian artists rapping over boom bap hip-hop beats. In this video, aptly titled “Kabaka vs. Pyramid,” the artist pays homage to battle rap and stages a rap battle with himself. Hip hop has a long history of alter-egos, from Tupac/Makavelli to Eminem/Slim Shady, and even T.I. vs. T.I.P. Will the Bebble Rock spitter continue the trend in dancehall? Rockin’ over Biggie’s “Gimme The Loot” riddim, one persona keeps it patois while the other is twangin’ like a youth who spent time in Miami as he was coming up. Watch the video and find out who wins. Video After The Jump…
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  • HEAR THIS: Konshens “Don’t Worry”

    HEAR THIS: Konshens “Don’t Worry”

    Da Realest Declares His Undying Love

    Fresh off a live performance with Mixpak during a recent Boiler Room session in Los Angeles, Konshens Da Realest laces a vibesy R&B-flavored riddim produced by Dre Skull. The result is a tune suitable for slow wining that still makes the case for true love. “This don’t even feel like a fuck thing,” declares the DJ who gave us “Bruk Off Me Cock Back,” “more like our soul ah connect girl.” When the love’s that good you just know you don’t have to worry. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Nadine Sutherland “Never In Love” PREMIERE

    HEAR THIS: Nadine Sutherland “Never In Love” PREMIERE

    “Action” Star Is Taking It EZZ

    “It’s a woman’s empowerment song,” explains Nadine Sutherland of her latest release. “Basically, it’s saying Watch, listen and learn before you give your all.” Giving her all to reggae music since an early age, Sutherland signed with Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong label at a tender age and exploded to worldwide fame with her Dave Kelly–produced 1993 smash “Action.” Since that time she’s maintained her standing as one of Jamaica’s finest vocalists and also grown as a person. “I think as a grown woman I am hesitant to ‘fall in love’ or to give of myself as easily in  comparison to when I was younger,” she says of the song she cowrote, and whhose lyrics share the blessings of hard-learned life lessons. Today Boomshots proudly premieres the tune, produced by College Boyz and distributed by Zojak. “I guess I have become wiser because of having experiences with people who have ulterior agendas. So I’m an experienced lover whey know me ABC’s, me no run Inna nobody, me tek it EZZ’s.”Audio After The Jump…
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  • HEAR THIS: Sean Paul “Like This”

    HEAR THIS: Sean Paul “Like This”

    Mad People Ting Dey Should Know RRRRRR!!!

    Atlantic Records did Sean Paul a big favor by dropping him a couple years ago. What seemed like adversity at the time only helped prove his brand is strong regardless of label affiliation. Dutty Paul and his 11 million Facebook fans didn’t need a major cosign to make hits or get booked on big shows. And right now the dutty yute is kinda killin’ it. Ten years after he topped the Billboard pop charts with “Temperature”, the dancehall star returned to the top spot this year via “Cheap Thrills,” a collaboration with Sia that was the biggest song in the U.S.A. for much of this crazy summer of 2016, when the entire music marketplace felt like one big tropical house party. Meanwhile in Jamaica, Sean Paul’s “Crik Neck” tune with Chi-Ching Ching is popping on the street dance circuit. Now signed with Island Records, Sean linked with labelmate Ricky Blaze to cook up this hard-edged digital banger. “I grew up listening to Sean Paul so I was pretty excited to have the opportunity to work with him,” says Blaze, the producer responsible for Gyptian’s “Hold Yuh” and Ding Dong’s “Badman Forward” among other smashes. “It was an honor to work with him.” New tingz via our peoples at Mass Appeal. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • The Making of Bounty Killer’s “My Xperience”

    The Making of Bounty Killer’s “My Xperience”

    Remembering A Game-Changing Album Twenty Years Later

    All Eyez On Me. The Don Killuminati. Reasonable Doubt. The Score. It Was Written. ATLiens. Nineteen Ninety Six was an epic year for hip hop album releases. It was also a decisive year for dancehall breaking through to urban America. Twenty years ago this month, Bounty Killer released My Xperience on Blunt Recordings, a new joint venture between perennial reggae powerhouse V.P. Records and TVT Records, a New York-based indie specializing in “TV Tunes.” Featuring collabs with some of the biggest rappers and producers in hip hop—The Fugees, Mobb Deep, Raekwon, RZA, Busta Rhymes, Erick Sermon, Jeru the Damaja—My Xperience did that and more. The album truly changed the game for dancehall in the hip hop space. In an exclusive Boomshots interview, Bounty Killer calls it “the greatest album” of his illustrious career and shares his memories of working on the historic project. We also spoke with Killer’s then-manager Johnny Wonder, now the V.P. of 21st Hapilos Digital Distribution to share his experiences making My Xperience. Interviews After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: I-Octane “Hot Off The Press” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: I-Octane “Hot Off The Press” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    The Hot Ras Makes It Rain In These Brand New Visuals

    How would you prefer your paper? When you hustle every day, you’re gettin money every which way. I-Octane shows a strong preference for “new money hot off the press.” No bogus bills round here, just crisp bricks of notes delivered fresh from the mint. This paper-chaser’s anthem is a hidden gem off Troyton’s “Dancehall Bully” Riddim, already notorious for ushering in the war between two dancehall titans. The juggling, distributed by the mighty 21st Hapilos, has much more to offer than Mavado’s “Dem Run Een.” Aidonia, Demarco, and Charly Blacks, are among the other artists with a piece of the action, but I-Octane’s “Hot of The Press” has proven to be a standout cut. Today Boomshots proudly premieres the flosstastic visuals, directed by Jay Papworth, as I-Octane & his empress make it rain at their oceanside estate. Everything correck. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Rico Tayla “Gunman Inna Uniform” PREMIERE

    Rico Tayla “Gunman Inna Uniform” PREMIERE

    From Charlotte to Kingston, Too Much Blood Ah Run

    “Another mother bawl when she see her son,” sings Rico Tayla in his new song, “spread out in him own blood on the ground.” As each new day seems to bring another horrific news report about police officers abusing their authority and killing the very people they are sworn to serve and protect, Tayla’s tune reminds us that there are good cops and bad cops all over the world—but some police are just plain bad news. With a system in place that protect its own, the problem is deep-rooted. “In every society worldwide those who don’t have power are always abused,” says the singer. “In some countries it is who have money and who don’t. In some it’s about color or race while in others it’s by religion. But the police or any other military force always abuse those in the society that aren’t considered important.” The tune hits iTunes tomorrow, but Boomshots is proud to premiere it today—because the way things are going, 24 hours might be too long to wait. Audio & Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Shenseea “Jiggle Jiggle” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Shenseea “Jiggle Jiggle” Official Music Video

    Debut Video From Dancehall’s New Girl On The Block

    Brandishing a criss baseball bat customized with her Twitter handle, Shenseea and a crew of twerktastic dancing girls take over an automobile scrapyard and basically wreck shit. That’s the plot summary for “Jiggle Jiggle,” the latest addition to the burgeoning subgenre of bruk-out dancehall videos. And so what if it’s not all that different from other booty videos? As a wise man once said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”—or, in this case, smash it with a baseball bat. An RD Studios production, “Jiggle Jiggle” is Shenseea’s first music video, a visual interpretation of the likkle-but-tallawah young artist’s breakout hit, produced by Romeich Entertainment and distributed by 21st Hapilos. Shenseea stands out from most of the other tough-talking dancehall damsels through sheer intensity. “Me lyrically bad!” she asserted in a recent IG post. “Yeah me lyrics dem EXPLICIT, Punch lines so refine like the sand when u sieve it.” So when she says “Keep up!” you’d better believe she’s not just talking to her lover. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Vybz Kartel “Best Place Pon Earth” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Vybz Kartel “Best Place Pon Earth” Official Music Video

    If You Could Go Anywhere Right Now, Where Would It Be?

    Close your eyes and imagine paradise. What does it feel like? How do you get there? The latest visuals from the Dancehall WorlBoss explore the mysteries of that inner sanctum from whence all men are born—and where many wish to return. An Xtremely X-rated tune, released last August on the artist’s own Adidjaheim imprint and distributed by the mighty 21st Hapilos, “Best Place Pon Earth” is surely one of Kartel’s best tunes of the year. Speaking about one of his favorite topics, the artist sounds like he’s in the zone on this one. Enjoy the video but be prepared for a rude awakening near the end.  Audio After The Jump… (more…)