Boomshots

Category: Dancehall

  • MOBO Awards Announce 2016 Best Reggae Artist Nominees

    MOBO Awards Announce 2016 Best Reggae Artist Nominees

    Will Popcaan Continue His Winning Streak?

    This morning in London the nominees for this year’s MoBo (Music of Black Origin) Awards were announced. Now celebrating its 21st year, the MoBos have often done a better job reflecting the sound of the streets than the Grammy’s, particularly in the Reggae award category, honoring not only the Best Reggae Album (like the Grammy’s) but the overall Best Reggae Artist. Last year’s nominees included UK-based Stylo G, Chronixx, Protoje, Omi [who might have been amused to be included in this category since the Jamaican-born pop artist always made clear that he’s not a reggae artist], with the award going to Mr. “World Cup” himself, Popcaan—who got the nod this year as well. His last trip to England resulted in a MixPak victory at the Red Bull Culture Clash. Check out his competition. Nominee List After The Jump… (more…)

  • Damian Marley Live at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom

    Damian Marley Live at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom

    A Souled-Out Show on the Road to Stony Hill

    Eleven years after welcoming us to Jamrock, Damian Marley is on the road to Stony Hill. It’s not just the name of the marijuana dispensary that the youngest Marley brother is opening near the Denver Bronco’s home field in Colorado. It’s not just the strand of weed that Jr. Gong personally helped to develop and test for said dispensary. Stony Hill, the name of the St. Andrew community north of Kingston where the young Lion grew up, is the title of Damian Marley’s upcoming fourth solo studio album. Full Review, Video & Photos After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Dexta Daps “Mi C Mi Bed N Miss U”

    HEAR THIS: Dexta Daps “Mi C Mi Bed N Miss U”

    Daps Gets All in His Feelings on this new Tune for the Ladies

    You might know Dexta Daps from his street anthem “Shabba Madda Pot” or his new collab with M.I.A. “Foreign Friend,” but the latest release from the dancehall heartthrob is entitled “Mi C Mi Bed N Miss U.” According to the artist “It’s about a real-life situation where you miss that person so much you go home from work one day and you just see the bed and you’re like, “Oh my God! Where’s my significant other?” In a recent interview with Pigeons & Planes, the Seaview Gardens star speculated as to why she’s not by his side in the tune. “Maybe she’s out there with another man?” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know. Maybe she’s cheating? That’s why I give her a Chinese Jordan.” This led correspondent Reshma B to probe further on Daps’ views on male-female relationships, as his hit tune “7Eleven” outlines a very open-minded approach to commitment. “Let me tell you what I really believe. Whether or not she is doing it I will never know, so I’m not gonna put it in my mind that she’s not, I’m not gonna put it in my mind that she is. I just don’t care. If she does, I’m right at “I don’t care.” And if she’s not, I’m still at “don’t care.” Me are her are good. We are still good.” Elsewhere in the Pigeons & Planes feature, Daps speaks about working with M.I.A. and the real-life inspiration for “Shabba Madda Pot.” Check the new sounds, plus highlights from this rare interview. Audio After The Jump…
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  • HEAR THIS: M.I.A. ft. Dexta Daps “Foreign Friend”

    HEAR THIS: M.I.A. ft. Dexta Daps “Foreign Friend”

     Maya & Daps Link Pon The Borderline

    Ever since M.I.A. first burst on the world, she has been all about crossing lines in the sand, using her playground chants, beatbox ballistics, and agitprop visuals to mash up all cultural and geopolitical borderlines. Now that M.I.A.’s released what she warns may be her last album, her focus on speaking truth to power from a refugee point of view takes on new urgency as the world finds itself in the midst of a “refugee crisis” and Brexit meltdown and a Trump presidential run. As soon as M.I.A. released “Borders” (both the song and its breathtaking video) anticipation for this album began to build, and yesterday AIM finally arrived. On this track Maya dabbles with dancehall star Dexta Daps of “7Eleven” and “Shabba Mudda Pot” fame who sounds like the UK bad gyal inspired him to hit some strong new notes. Audio After The Jump…
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  • How Gentleman Buss As A Reggae Artist

    How Gentleman Buss As A Reggae Artist

    The Tunes That Turned This Teenager From Köln, Germany Into A Certified Jamaican Star

    In late 2014 MTV invited Gentleman to record an “Unplugged” album, marking the first time any reggae artist had joined that respected series which has included the likes of Jay Z, Nirvana, and Lauryn Hill. With guest appearances by Shaggy, Ky-Mani Marley, Tanya Stephens, and Christopher Martin as well as the German duo Milky Chance, Gentleman and his acoustic band repped reggae music to the fullest. If it seems strange that a white man born in Germany should be chosen to represent a musical art form created in the Caribbean amongst the surviving descendants of African slaves, then you don’t know Tilmann Otto.  Boomshots recently caught up with the conscious German reggae singer—known to his fans as Gentleman—and spoke with him about his unlikely rise to the top of the reggae business, why it’s such an honor to record the MTV Ungplugged project, and what stories are dominating his attention these days and for the foreseeable future (Think: Songs About The Syrian Refugee Crisis.) Videos After The Jump… (more…)

  • Irie Jam Sizzles with Sizzla, Anthony B & Friends

    Irie Jam Sizzles with Sizzla, Anthony B & Friends

    Tropical Storm Stays Far, Roots Vibrations Catch A Fire At Queens Stage Show

    On Sunday, September 4, boom chunes reverberated from early afternoon across the pristine greens of Queens’ Roy Wilkins Park. It was Irie Jam Radio’s 23rd Anniversary and heavyweights were out in full force to celebrate. Though fallout from a tropical storm was supposed to drown out the festivities, Bobby Clarke and the Irie Jam family kept on “Holding Firm” and in the end the only thunder and lightning came from the line-up of roots rock reggae entertainers. The jewel in the crown of these royal revelries was the return of Sizzla Kalonji to the New York City stage. After enduring over eight years of the artist’s absence, being reunited never felt so good. Photos After The Jump…
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  • “LAVAAA!!!” The Irie Flame of I-Wayne

    “LAVAAA!!!” The Irie Flame of I-Wayne

    Lava Splash! Fire Dash! Everything Burn To Ash

    Sunday September 4th marked Irie Jam’s 23rd Anniversary concert spotlighting Sizzla Kalonji’s return-to-New-York performance after eight long years of absence. The supporting superstar line-up to the sizzling stage show included an artist who personifies lines from Kalonji’s “King in the Jungle.”  Seated up so high, yet so humble, I-Wayne brought his celestial presence and the hard/soft balance of his cool and deadly style to the Irie Jam Radio massive in the leafy green confines of Roy Wilkins Park. Mainstream airwaves aren’t the lane for I-Wayne. As the Prophet Capleton once put it, he is on a mission, not in a competition. To see him truly manifest is to catch him live in the flesh. After a seething set that made knowledge born that his musical ministry is service to the people—not about bulleting Billboard or gaining Grammys—we linked up with the Loyal Soliders Promotion crew backstage. I-Wayne broke it down with Boomshots as to what the Irie Jam performance meant to him, burning a righteous fire, and shedding light on the livity of a lava lyricist. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Busy Signal Helicopters In For Malawi Show With Custom Chopper

    Busy Signal Helicopters In For Malawi Show With Custom Chopper

    Turf Prez Flying High In Africa

    Busy Signal always gets made love in Africa, but yesterday’s concert in Malawi took the Turf Prez to another level—in his own personalized helicopter. The Jamaican reggae/dancehall star arrived in style for his Saturday night show at Civo stadium in Lilongwe thanks to Impact Events boss Lucius Banda, who called in a few favors with the Malawi Defense Force. The southeast African nation’s military forces kindly provided a personalized chopper for Busy—now that’s how you make an entrance!—and an extremely secure ride home after the show. “Safely escorted to hotel by the Army, no one can Harm Mi,” Busy posted on his IG, adding: “Oh, and and tell @reggaesumfest seh mi performed for 3 hours and 37 minutes with my personal Band. Thank you so much! GOD BLESS.” So the thing set. Check out the crowd reaction whenever Busy steps out the chopper or steps to the stage. Hot-head!  Videos After The Jump… (more…)

  • Kick Out Yuh Foot: Assassin x Sam Spiegel x Ape Drums x Kenzo World “Mutant Brain” Ad Goes Viral

    Kick Out Yuh Foot: Assassin x Sam Spiegel x Ape Drums x Kenzo World “Mutant Brain” Ad Goes Viral

    Margaret Qualley Wilds Out To Agent Sasco Inna Parfum Commercial

    O.G. video director Spike Jonze has a long history with The Beastie Boys, whose appreciation for Jamaican music is well known. No surprise then that Jonze’s ad spot for “KENZO World,” a new fragrance (ahem, make that “Parfum”) created by Carol Lim & Humberto Leon, is powered by the maad vibes of dancehall star Agent Sasco aka Assassin. In the commercial, Margaret Qualley, who plays Jill Garvey on the HBO television series, The Leftovers, excuses herself from a fancy award ceremony and starts bugging out to the sounds of a wicked dancehall-dubstep fusion track called “Mutant Brain.” Don’t worry dancehall queens. The HBO star is not exactly ready for Weddy Weddy. When she isn’t kicking out her foot to Sasco’s flow, she’s uncontrollably licking statues and generally acting crazy, not unlike Darryl Hannah’s malfunctioning android sexbot in Blade Runner. The track was produced by Jonze’s brother, Sam Spiegel, in collaboration with Major Lazer affiliate Ape Drums. Spiegel and Jonze have collaborated on TV ads before, including the Adidas TV commercial “Hello Tomorrow.” Spiegel also wrote the popular score for Jonze’s 2010 short film  I’m Here. WWD has now declared the KenzoWorld ad a “viral hit” so basically we’re saying Sasco has racked up another major look. Brap! Brap! Video After The Jump…

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  • WATCH THIS: Jahmiel “Years To Come” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Jahmiel “Years To Come” Official Music Video

    Another Conscious Head Banger from Jahmiel

    Performing since the age of seven, Jahmiel catapulted his career to stardom with hard work and perseverance. Now he expresses the challenges along the way in his new song, entitled “Years To Come.” In this song, the artist born Jamiel Foster discusses the unwarranted truth of people who didn’t want to see him overcome the hurdles in his path. Relying on his spiritual faith and talent in order to prosper, the crafty lyricist cites Psalm 118 in the Bible.   More After The Jump…

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  • HEAR THIS: Equiknoxx Music “Us In 2007” PREMIERE

    HEAR THIS: Equiknoxx Music “Us In 2007” PREMIERE

     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…
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  • HEAR THIS: Popcaan “Nah Idle”

    HEAR THIS: Popcaan “Nah Idle”

    “If you never listen Popcaan song, mek sure you listen to dah one yah”

    What a year Andrae Hugh Sutherland has had! Hits pon toppa hits in the dancehall. High-profile collabs. Shelling stages and killing sounds around the world. Smoking the highest and relishing close encounters with “some real star gyal.” In his latest tune, produced by Mini for E5 Records and distributed by the mighty 21st Hapilos, Poppy shares the secret of his success, and it’s pretty simple—but easier said than done. It all comes down to work. Hard work. That’s how you live the dream. That’s how you take care of your family. That’s how you climb up the ladder from asking your bredrens to give away promo CDs, to getting your songs played for free (while other artists have to shell out payola.) Mind you, it won’t help cure other peoples’ badmind or grudgefulness. “Artist ah cuss true the world prefer me,” Popcaan observes on the tune. But by avoiding idleness, you can climb the ladder too—thus avoiding the ill effects of badmind. “Wash out unno heart, unno heart too nasty,” Popcaan sings. “We nuh beg people, so no bwoy can style me.”  When Popcaan speaks of “Idle,” he’s not talking about American Idol, or worshipping false idols. He’s speaking of laziness, slothfulness, lack of initiative, purpose, or forward motion. Think of a car in neutral, revving the engine and getting nowhere fast.  Audio After The Jump… (more…)