Boomshots

Category: Hip Hop

  • Boris Gardiner Is A Star

    Boris Gardiner Is A Star

    The First Voice Heard on Kendrick Lamar’s New Album Is An Old-School Jamaican Legend

    When Kendrick Lamar’s eagerly anticipated album To Pimp A Butterfly dropped unexpectedly last weekend, it was streamed 9.6 million times the first day alone, breaking the record for the most streams per day in Spotify history. The first voice all those listeners heard, above the delightful sound of crakling vinyl, was Boris Gardiner singing the phrase “Every Nigger Is A Star” over and over to open the song “Wesley’s Theory,” which kicks off K.Dot’s hip-hop masterpiece. But who is Boris Gardiner? Like so many other Jamaican musical innovators, his work is much better known than his name. Let’s rectify that situation right now. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Reasoning with Assassin aka Agent Sasco—Rap’s Best Kept Secret Weapon

    Reasoning with Assassin aka Agent Sasco—Rap’s Best Kept Secret Weapon

    First Kardinal, Then Kanye and Kendrick—Assassin Is the Go-To DJ for Dancehall Features.

    He’s your favorite rapper’s favorite dancehall artist. But chances are you’ve never heard his name. That’s because Assassin aka Agent Sasco — his secret-agent alter-ego — has basically gone undercover for his two biggest records: Kanye West’s “I’m In It” off the Yeezus album, and Kendrick Lamar‘s latest single, the lyrical tour-de-force “The Blacker The Berry,” Although Assassin was not properly credited for either feature, word gets around and the DJ is very much in demand. Boomshots caught up with him by telephone to hold a reasoning, and wrote a piece for NPR about it. The full transcript is right here. Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • “Do Owl Shit Stank?” K-Dot Drops Bomb Pon Instagram

    “Do Owl Shit Stank?” K-Dot Drops Bomb Pon Instagram

    Grappling With Kendrick’s Enigmatic Imagery & Quarrelsome Queries

    Just before 1 a.m. Wednesday morning Kendrick Lamar set all of hip-hop social media ablaze by uploading an image to his official IG account. The black-and-white photograph depicts K-Dot standing on the White House lawn surrounded by his peoples, a happy throng of young, shirtless black men clutching large wads of cash and bottles of champagne. The image was accompanied by a series of enigmatic questions attributed to “Lil Homie”—who might just represent anybody in the photo, maybe even that cute little white baby in his arms. Lil Homie’s Got Questions? Let’s find some answers.  Alarming Revelations After The Jump… (more…)

  • Legalize it! Wiz Khalifa, Queen Ifrica, Jr. Gong, Chronixx, Sizzla, Tarrus Riley and Lee “Scratch” Perry Chat ‘Bout Ganja Legalization and the Healing of the Nation

    Legalize it! Wiz Khalifa, Queen Ifrica, Jr. Gong, Chronixx, Sizzla, Tarrus Riley and Lee “Scratch” Perry Chat ‘Bout Ganja Legalization and the Healing of the Nation

    Could Legalizing Ganja Really Make It The Healing of The Nation At Last?

    Four decades ago Peter Tosh sang “Legalize It” and countless Rastafarians have suffered at the hands of the law for the sake of the holy sacremental herb. Now the Jamaican government is taking steps to decriminalize ganja with an eye to full legalization and industral production of medical marijuana. At this historic moment the Boomshots crew caught up with a few musicians in Jamaica who have been spreading the message on behalf of the “Healing of the Nation” to get their views on this big news for the Legalization movement Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Royalty In NYC: Jesse Royal and The King Suns at SOBs

    Royalty In NYC: Jesse Royal and The King Suns at SOBs

    The Palace Pickney Delivers An Emancipation Message During Bob Marley EarthStrong Weekend

    Not many artists can fill SOBs on a snowy winter night with temperatures in the twenties. But Jesse Royal is not just any artist. So this past Monday night, his first time performing at the legendary night club he had a toe-to-toe, overflowing crowd out early. The crowd got warm and cozy with some blazing hits by Lionface (Lion King), Max Glazer & Kenny Meez (Federation Sound), DJ Gravy & Micro Don (Rice N’ Peas), Rob Kenner, SeeBorn, and Charlie Brown (BBC Hi-Fi). The temperature kept rising throughout Jah Bami and Knight Blade’s live session—heightened by a rousing performance of their viral hit “I Got That Weed”—before the special surprise guest was announced by the Host, Rob Kenner.  More After The Jump…

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  • HEAR THIS: Kendrick Lamar ft. Assassin “The Blacker The Berry”

    HEAR THIS: Kendrick Lamar ft. Assassin “The Blacker The Berry”

    K Dot Links Sasco On A Revolutionary Record

    Assassin aka Agent Sasco is your favorite rapper’s favorite dancehall star. First Kanye West enlisted him to drop bars on the standout Yeezus track, “I’m In It.” Yesterday the consensus pick for best rapper alive dropped a new track from the forthcoming (and highly anticipated) follow-up to his classic 2012 album good kid, m.A.A.d city. The song’s a lyrical tour-de-force of course, touching on racism, mental slavery, violence and hypocrisy. It’s thrilling to hear two of the world’s greatest doing what they do best, coming together across cultural and geographical lines through the art of riding riddims. Of course, it would have been even more thrilling if Assassin were credited for the feature, but Boomshots went ahead and gave him that on the strength cause it’s only right. Audio After The Jump…

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  • Reggae Got The World Loctite!

    Reggae Got The World Loctite!

    Adhesive Company Uses Reggae to Market Its Brand to 110 million viewers!

    The most entertaining commercials come on during the Superbowl and the Loctite  Superglue Company wins, using reggae music to market its brand in 2015. Loctite spent 4.5 million for a 30 second, first-time, advertising slot during Superbowl XLIX. This is more than the German company usually spends on advertising annually, however with the help of the Fallon agency, Loctite is  trending more than the spectacular game and halftime show. It was a great marketing strategy for the adhesive company, with the Superbowl having an estimated 110 million viewers.  More After The Jump…

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  • HEAR THIS: Mavado ft. Future & Ace Hood “I Ain’t Going Back Broke”

    HEAR THIS: Mavado ft. Future & Ace Hood “I Ain’t Going Back Broke”

    Real Talk From The Gully Gad

    The timing of Mavado’s latest “We The Best” banger is truly uncanny. Just days after the news broke that somebody posted a petition on the White House website demanding that he be deported to Jamaica, the dancehall superstar drops a song called “I Ain’t Going Back Broke.” Although Mavado (who has a valid U.S. visa and work permit and now lives with his American wife and kids in the U.S.A.) has since clarified that the whole thing is an attempt to sabotage his career by a bitter ex-associate, the song still seems like a response to this latest pitfall set in his path. The song, which features We The Best labelmate Ace Hood as well as Future, seems to refer to Mavado contemplating the possibility of being deported to Jamaica. But Boomshots can confirm that this song was in the works long before the whole petition controversy flared up. Regardless of that fact you can feel the passion in this tune. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Mystic Reflections with Hempress Sativa

    Mystic Reflections with Hempress Sativa

    Kerida Chaka Johnson aka Hempress Sativa, followed in the path of her father, Albert “Ilawi” Johnson’s (original selector for Jah Love Muzik) musical footsteps to become a singer/songwriter. However, she’s clearly her own entity, with a deeply spiritual mind and focus.   More After The Jump…

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  • Busy Signal In Beast Mode

    Busy Signal In Beast Mode

    Busy Signal’s “All In One,” stands as the only dancehall freestyle  fused over 12 classic hip hop beats. In this 2014 song, Busy chops it up vocally and lyrically over each beat, as if competiting for a black belt.   The song trending heavily on social media, a year later, really highlights Busy Signal’s talent. He adds, “Don’t try this at home or the studio or you will have to do it live too,” reminding the music community that each artist in the dancehall genre is an individual; no need for Stereo-Types. More After The Jump…

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  • HEAR THIS: Spragga Benz ft. Bobby Shmurda & Red Square Crew “Switch It Up”

    HEAR THIS: Spragga Benz ft. Bobby Shmurda & Red Square Crew “Switch It Up”

    When It Comes To Bad Man Ting, Real Recognize Real

    This tune arrived in our inbox with the following message from the Red Square crew, which we are reprinting here verbatim: “ITS HARD TO BE FROM THE INNERCITY AND SING ABOUT LAYING IN SUNRAYS ON DAFFODIL FIELDS”….EVERYTHING DO HAPPEN ACCORDING TO THE SUPREME DESIGN…. ‘AT THE HEIGHTS OF HIS HIP HOP CAREER AND IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT “BOBBY SHMURDA” SHOWED DANCEHALL MUSIC REAL LOVE BY COLLABORATING WITH SPRAGGA BENZ AND UPCOMING RED SQUARE TALENT… AND…ON AN AUTHENTIC DANCEHALL RIDDIM AS WELL… I HOPE THAT WE CAN STAND IN SOLIDARITY NOW THAT HE IS IN A DARK MOMENT AND PRAY THAT JAH GUIDE THROUGH HIS ORDEAL…MEANTIME FULLJOY THE MUSICAL VIBE AS RED SQUARE PRODUCTIONS PRESENT THE “BACK BITE” RIDDIM WITH THE FIRST SINGLE.. “SWITCH IT UP”..ft..BITTAH SOSICKA..+..BRIGGY BENZ..+..KWALIT-E REDSQUARE..+..BOBBY SHMURDA..+..SPRAGGA BENZ Not much more to say, but let the music play. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Troubling Questions Raised by the Riff Raff, Snoop & Collie Buddz Collab

    Troubling Questions Raised by the Riff Raff, Snoop & Collie Buddz Collab

    So… Another Rapper’s Dabbling in Dancehall?

    This past Friday, you may have noticed all those hipster blogs breathlessly reporting that Riff Raff aka Jody Highroller had “gone reggae.” OK, fair enough—these “Yankee rappers dabbling in dancehall” posts are surefire crowd pleasers. Why should we even be surprised when a kid from Houston born Horst Christian Simco signs with Mad Decent and decides to switch up his bugged-out raw flow and try singing over a reggae beat? But can we honestly claim that the guy has “gone reggae.” I mean, what ever happened to Snoop Lion? When Big Homie first aappeared on the Strictly Boomshots show, he was all about that Rasta life. Now he turns up on a reggae track produced by The Cataracs (the duo who made “Like A G6”) rappin’ like Snoop Dogg? Riff Raff’s in Jody Highroller mode, Snoop’s in Dogg mode… Hold up—we’re getting confused. Wasn’t Snoop suposed to be Bob Marley reincarnated or something? Thank God Collie Buddz sounds like himself on this one.  Audio After the Jump… (more…)