Check This Exclusive Post-Sting Interview With The Mad Gyal
The biggest battle at this year’s Sting was supposed to be Spice vs. Macka Diamond. But when the time came, Macka did not show up. So Spice would not be all alone up there on the big stage at Jamworld, she brought along a donkey wearing a wig. After the show she told Reshma B who the donkey was supposed to represent. Looks like the battle is getting hotter. Video After The Jump… (more…)
If Ungratefulness Cause Disaster, Octane Has Nothing To Worry About
When I-Octane sings, “You no see say we nice?” he’s not just chatting lyrics. The singjay’s been turning up the heat for years, but he made 2012 hot like ten fireside—dropping hits all year long in Jamaica, traveling and touring internationally, and launching his long-awaited debut album, album, Crying to the Nation. But just when it seems he can’t blaze any hotter, Octane turns up the temperature. When Reshma B caught up with Octane at Sumfest, he broke down all the reasons he has to be thankful. Like the songs says, “Me ting global, ah so de ting set.” Video and Audio After The Jump…
The Mad Gyal Goes OnStage With Winford Williams To Talk Di Tings Dem
The Dancehall girl fight continues to escalate as Spice visits OnStage with Winford Williams, the same show where Macka Diamond recently vented frustration against various female artists including Lady Saw and another whom she would refer to only as “the black one.” (UPDATE: Macka has even released a diss song called “Kill the Black One.”) Though she says she considers herself “Black and beautiful,” Spice made no attempt to hide her annoyance with Macka. “Me haffi box her down, jook out her eye, and nearly take out the eye outta her head,” Spice recalled of a physical confrontation between the artists some years back. Though the guys get most of the attention with their so-called beef and lyrical clashes, Spice says the dancehall divas have some serious rivalries of their own: “The women dem inna the business, them fight ‘gainst them one another. It come in like crab inna barrel. If you put on a nail polish, and it look better than fi her own, them wan’ chop off your fingers fe it.” Wow. Spice goes on to recall her falling out with Lady Saw. But she says her and Tifa’s song “Why You Mad” was not written for anyone in particular. Well, not anyone that she cares to mention at the moment. Video After The Jump… (more…)
The Maestro Speaks On The State of Reggae Today, The Real Buju Banton, and His Own Musical Legacy
For me, it started with Full Attention. Hugh Beresford Hammond’s first album for V.P. Records began with a drum roll and a saxophone tendril that laid the foundation for the textured tenor to plead his case with a lady who didn’t seem to know he was alive. It was full-on lovers rock reggae with R&B and soul sensibilities made by a man who dreamt of crooning like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. The music was accessible—at least more so than the Sugar Minott, Burning Spear, and Culture records that spun in my New Jersey home on Sunday mornings over cornmeal porridge. Beres may not have had any honorific titles laid onto him, like the Crown Prince of Reggae, but for my money he’s every bit as legendary as any of the greats that came before him.
You can start with his voice, which is as strong as it is soulful and soothing. When he belts out a tune, even when his grainy vocals are pushed to the limits, it feels effortless. The voice works with the music to emphasize the words, always telling a story about real people, inflecting meaning where there previously was none. Hammond sings like he’s wrenching the emotion from each word. My mother once told me one of her favorite songs was “Ain’t That Loving You” by Alton Ellis until she heard Beres sing it. On the other hand you can start with his songwriting. The best Beres Hammond songs distill relatable situations and feelings into clever, meaningful couplets wrapped in sticky melodies.
Relevancy is a tough coin to spin for a lot of artists, but throughout his thirty-year career Beres has managed to glide his distinctive voice through the dancehall revolution, partnering with wicked up-and-comers like Buju Banton. In high school, when all my friends were blasting Sean Paul’s Alton remix, I was hanging tough with “Who Say.” Hammond has lasted while maintaining his trademarked effortless cool. That’s why it was such a thrill to speak with him about his latest album One Love, One Life. To me, he’s like the reggae version of Jay-Z—so it’s fitting that he’ll be performing with The Roots tonight on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and that he’ll take the stage tomorrow night at Barclays Center, the home of the Brooklyn Nets. Sure, many great artists have come before him, but to paraphrase Hov: No one’s been this good for this long, or this pop or this hot, with so many different styles. For that reason, Beres Hammond will continue to have my full attention. Interview After The Jump… (more…)
The ReggaeGirlAboutTown Chops It Up With The Hotskull
After rising through the Gaza ranks for years, Popcaan burst out big last year, coming into his own with massive hits like “Party Shot” And “Only Man She Wants.” This year has been all about next-level movements, from his first appearance in Vanity Fair magazine, to high-profile collabos with Pusha T and Snoop Lion. He also gave his first solo performance at Reggae Sumfest, which was where Reshma B caught up with him for this exclusive interview. He talked about performing without Vybz Kartel, downplays talk of any rivalry with Tommy Lee, pointing out that he brought Uncle Demon to the Gaza, and also shares the best advice his grandma ever gave him. Video After The Jump…
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Ninjaman Talks Strictly Business with Winford Williams of OnStageTV
Minutes after firing up an impromptu lyrical clash with Diamond during her own performance, dancehall legend Ninjaman took a seat across from Winford Williams for an unscheduled but typically awesome interview. The front-teeth-gold-teeth-gun-pon-teen Don Gorgon has lyrically “killed” many opponents over the years, as he says: “I still rule and will forever rule.” After many years of musical experience under his belt and a pending murder charge, Ninjaman has decided to slow it down a bit and focus on building a new business venture, an entertainment complex called Central Park by White River in Ocho Rios—to stabilize his future. But he’s still looking forward to this year’s Sting stage show. “Any war you ah bring, send valuable killers to face me.” As for facing a younger artist like Tommy Lee? “Me no fraid of no demon, caw me have five crocodile, two alligator, seven lion, seven tiger, and twelve hog… And me name Uncle Jesus.” Video after the jump… (more…)
The Veteran DJ Chats With Winford Williams and Battles Ninja Man on OnStageTV
Macka Diamond is one dangerous dancehall diva! The former Lady Mackerel has been shutting down dancehalls for quite some years now. But on her path to musical success, she has encountered some bumps in the road, including friction with top dancehall artist Lady Saw, who was officially crowned Queen of the Dancehall this summer. Macka says she tried to ignore Saw’s jabs because she thought they were friends and it wasn’t worth fussing over. But since Macka started speaking out about it, she has caused quite a fuss. In fact Lady Saw recently said she was getting out of the business because she can’t bother with the stress from other artists. Although she mentioned no names, many people she was speaking about Macka Diamond. Well Macka recently sat down with Winford Williams of OnStageTV to tell her side of the story. She also performed her newest single and got a surprise guest appearance. Interview and Performance Video After the jump…
Bay-C Squashes T.O.K. Breakup Rumors, Explains Jr. Gong Collabs, And Bigs Up Snoop Lion
Ever since 1999, when they dropped “Eagles Cry” on Dave Kelly’ Xtra Large label, T.O.K. brought has a completely fresh sound to dancehall, merging Jamaica’s great tradition of male harmony groups with the cutting-edge digital dancehall sound. They went on to become a dancehall supergroup, blazing a trail of hits around the world—and becoming bonafide pop stars in Japan. T.O.K. has not released an album since 1999, and they have pursued solo projects in recent years, but Alistaire “Alex” McCalla, Craig “Craigy T” Thompson, Xavier “Flexx” Davidson, and Roshaun “Bay-C” Clarke are still very much united, as Bay-C makes clear in this exclusive Boomshots interview. During a recent trip through London, the ReggaeGirlAboutTown caught up with the deep-voiced DJ in the studio and they sat down to reason about a wide range of topics, from his latest collaboration with Christopher Ellis “Don’t Change Ur Number” to his work with Damian Marley, Tarrus Riley, and Wayne Marshall and his thoughts on Snoop Lion and the Americanization of Jamaican music. Video After The Jump…
Busy Signal and Velma Gordon, sit down with Winford Williams of OnstageTV
Going to jail is hard enough but having to leave your family behind is even worse. Unfortunately for Dancehall artist, Busy Signal, he had to undure all of that for more than a decade. Accused of running from a 2002 drug charge, Busy was sentenced to prison time in Minnesota on May 21 while he awaited his judgement day. But six months later instead receiving a hefty bid of seven years, Busy was released due to his good works over the past ten years. As soon as he set foot out of jail, Busy returned to Jamaica to give his first press conference and of course get back to his music. This weekend Busy and his mother, Velma Gordon, sat down with Winford Williams of OnStageTV to discuss his time in prison and on the run, how she felt while he was gone, the affect on his music and what is to come for Busy in the future. Videos After The Jump…. (more…)
Mad Gyal Spice and Reshma B Talk Di Tings Dem
The ReggaeGirlAboutTown sits down with Mad Gyal Spice after her big Dancehall Night performance. They start by talking about Spice’s hairstyle evolution—Marge Simpson to Rapunzel—and discuss her tribute to stars behind bars like Vybz Kartel and Buju Banton. Spice also sends her best wishes to Lady Saw, who gives the love right back. Plus—the Mad Gyal sings Celine Dion, inna dancehall style of course. Video After The Jump…
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Cham Chops It Up With Winford Williams on “OnStageTv”
The kid Cham has been on a major roll lately. From “Backway” and “Tun Up” with his lovely and talented wife O, to the certified Boomshot “Lawless” and his latest video, “Stripper Pose,” Cham has been unstoppable. And he’s pulled out all the stops to get his music heard—from passing out CDs in the streets of Kingston and ripping stages around the world. He recently took a break to stop by OnStageTV and share the secret of his success. “You have to have a good team. You have a good production team, that’s where Dave Kelly come in. You have to have a good street team, that’s where Team Cham come in… You have to have a good management team, that’s where Janet Davidson come in. And quality over quantity in terms of music production.” Video after the jump… (more…)
Fresh From London: Reshma B Interviews Janet Kay, Carroll Thompson, Peter Hunnigale, and More 
Reggae may have been born in Jamaica, but these days it’s a worldwide phenomenon. And the first place it spread was toEngland, where Jamaicans abroad created their own unique sound that came to be known as Lovers Rock. One of the first tunes to establish the sound was Louisa Mark’s “Caught You In A Lie” recorded in 1974 when the girl from West London was only a teenager. Smash hits like Janet Kay’s “Silly Games” and Carroll Thompson’s “Hopelessly In Love” kept the excitement building. It was a London thing, soon to be adopted all around the world. Japanese fans idolized the London girls and even the big boys from the Island—including legends like Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, and Sugar Minott—adopted the lovers rock sound. And the movement continues in 2012, with new voices like Lovella Ellis, daughter of the late great Alton Ellis stepping up to keep the legacy alive. On October 27th the IndigO2 hosted the Giants of Lovers Rock Part 4, bringing together some of the finest vocalists in England, singing of love and heartbreak and everything in between. Reshma B served as guest host, and she took us backstage for an all-access tour. What’s not to love? Video Interviews After The Jump… (more…)