Boomshots

Category: Jamaica

  • WATCH THIS: Raging Fyah “Dash Wata” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Raging Fyah “Dash Wata” Official Music Video

    Go Ahead And Go Chasing Waterfalls

    The latest single off Raging Fyah’s third album, Everlasting, has a brand new splashy video shot in the most amazing waterfall this side of Niagra—and with a tune like this you won’t need Viagra. You see, Raging Fyah’s song, producde by Lamar “Riff Raff” Brown, isn’t actually about water per se. It’s sorta like a metaphorical kinda thing—or is that a simile? Remember when Ludacris dropped that “Splash Waterfalls” joint? This is kinda like that, only reggaematically inclined. Why not just watch for yourself? Video After The Jump…
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  • HEAR THIS: Willi Williams ft. U-Roy “Miss Cutie Cutie”

    HEAR THIS: Willi Williams ft. U-Roy “Miss Cutie Cutie”

    Foundation Artists In Action

    Singer-songwriter Willi Williams’ 1979 hit “Armagideon Time” is forever enshrined in the reggae canon. Perhaps the most famous song on Studio One’s immortal Real Rock rhythm, Williams’ original was covered by seminal UK punk band The Clash that same year. Now the foundation singer has teamed up with the godfather of Jamaican deejays, U-Roy, and the Studio One house band the Soul Vendors for a new single “Ms. Cutie Cutie,” released through Williams’ own Drum Street label. This contemporary lovers rock track is a combination version of Williams’ “Natural Beauty,” both of which are available from all major digital distribution services and will be included on a full length release later this year, all backed by the Vendors. “My first recording was ‘Calling’ at Studio One in the late 1960s, and the Soul Vendors were Mr. Dodd’s house band at the time, working with every major act and helping create the Jamaican song book,” Williams explained. “The Vendors played on tracks from my Studio One album Armagideon Time, but this was the first time since then that we got in the studio and really worked together. I’ve been friends with U-Roy since the early 70s but we’ve never recorded together.” Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Boomshots Big Up: “Who Nuh Know Bella?”

    Boomshots Big Up: “Who Nuh Know Bella?”

    Who’s That Gyal?

    She’s lived life as a coked-out fairy with wings, launching into lanes of Oliver living legends, youtube rude and insta-famous. While Majah Hype remains ambiguous as to his indigenous, comedic lioness Bella Blair is unapologetic about her Jamaican genetics. She has been punching it on the Internet with the likes of “Poonchie,” a calling-card character, since 2011, blasting her Bella Blair Show and subsequent series. Bella Blair also caught eyes and ears with last year’s dancehall ditty “Good Gyal Anthem,” starring Poonchie, and the “Hotline Bling” parody, “Side Chick Bling.” BOOMSHOTS recently caught up with Bella at Irie Jam’s 23rd anniversary celebration concert during which Bella had made a well-received cameo. The Irie Jam appearance came amidst preparations for the official release of her island-pride-promoting single, “Jamaica,” a funky, sinister sonic, patois-peppered R&B tonic of a big up to Yard. Hard, smooth, cool and deadly on the rock steady with siren-like singing signifying that she ready. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Richie Stephens “Let’s Dance”

    HEAR THIS: Richie Stephens “Let’s Dance”

    Crucial Steely & Clevie Production Rescued From The Hard Drive

    When veteran musicians and connoisseurs of great music speak of the “good old days” there is an unfortunate tendency among some younger heads to roll their eyes and tune out. But what if they really don’t make em like they used to? How will the cultural traditions of any musical genre be upheld and kept alive without a portion of love and respect, not to mention patience and attention to detail? The greatness of Jamaican music, for example, was established by pioneers like Clement “Coxsone” Dodd. Countless immortal songs and instrumental tracks which originated at Dodd’s legendary Studio One have been passed down over the years and decades, creating a mighty musical legacy. John Holt’s “Let’s Dance,” for example, was first recorded by one of Dodd’s ace house bands, Sound Dimension. The original recording may be slightly lo-fi by today’s standards, but the brilliance of both the musicianship and Holt’s vocal performance are undeniable. A decade or so later, master saxophonist Richard “Dirty Harry” Hall produced a superior cover version, with vocals by the Cool Ruler himself, Gregory Isaacs. Both Dodd and Holt, Hall and Issacs have all passed away, but the music they made together lives on, built as it was upon a solid foundation. The latter recording inspired the great production team of Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson and Cleveland “Clevie” Brown, who laid down their own version of the sweetly lilting riddim track shortly before Steely took ill and eventually passed away on September 1, 2009. “Clevie just recently found back the riddim on a hard drive, and decided to voice Richie Stephens on it,” reports their associate and archivist Danny Pepperseed. This track will be featured on Richie’s forthcoming album Luv-A-Dub Style, which is due for release early next year. Judging by this tantalizing preview, the record can’t come soon enough. Listen keenly. Audio After The Jump…
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  • 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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  • Peter Tosh Unchained: “I’m Not A Politician, But I Suffer The Consequences”

    Peter Tosh Unchained: “I’m Not A Politician, But I Suffer The Consequences”

    Don’t Sleep—The Stepping Razor Is Still Dangerous

    “If you wanna live,” sang PETER TOSH beneath a full moon at Kingston, Jamaica’s National Stadium, “treat me good.” Standing firm as lightning flashed over the stage, the man called Stepping Razor spat bitter truths and ganja smoke in the faces of Prime Minister Michael Manley, opposition leader Edward Seaga, a gathering of their ghetto henchmen, and a large contingent of well-armed police—while thousands of Kingstonians bore witness. Tribal war between gangs loyal to Manley’s socialist PNP and Seaga’s right-wing JLP had claimed too many lives since the 1976 general elections, so on April 22, 1978, a big reggae show was held with the explicit aim of easing the tension. That same night, Tosh’s former bandmate Bob Marley managed to bring Manley and Seaga onstage for a symbolic joining of hands that did not exactly bring an end to the violence. It did, however, become an iconic tableau within Marley mythology, thanks in part to the documentary, Heartland Reggae. Tosh, on the other hand, refused to allow any American “pirates” to film his hour-long set. Thankfully an audio recording survives, preserving the songs and speeches that nearly cost him his life. Story Continues After The Jump… (more…)

  • Clive Hunt Pays Tribute to Bobby Ellis

    Clive Hunt Pays Tribute to Bobby Ellis

    Legendary Producer Remembers Jamaica’s Late Great Hornsman

    One of Jamaica’s most accomplished musicians, trumpet master Bobby Ellis, died on Tuesday at the University Hospital of the West Indies. The Jamaica Observer reports that he was admitted in late September suffering from pneumonia. During his 84 years on earth, Bobby Ellis and his trusty horn made a mighty legacy. A graduate of the famed Alpha Boys School, he often played alongside fellow alumni Tommy McCook, “Deadly” Headley Bennett, and the immortal tromphonist Don Drummond, and was awarded the Order of Distinction in 2014 for his outstanding contributions to Jamaican culture. His session works are too numerous to mention, from Boby Andy’s “I’ve Got To Go Back Home”  to Burning Spear’s classic Marcus Garvey album. Mr. Ellis arranged the horns for Jack Ruby’s stellar Black Disciples band and toured extensively with Spear over the years. He also collaborated with the noted jazz artist Herbie Mann. As news of Ellis’s passing has spread, numerous tributes have appeared on social media, but few more moving than that of legendary producer Clive “Uglyman” Hunt. Story Continues After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Lutan Fyah “Sweet Trichomes” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Lutan Fyah “Sweet Trichomes” Official Music Video

    Brand New Visuals Fi Di Ganja Man Dem

    Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica Lutan Fyah studied architecture and played professional football before launching into a music career in 1999. Cutting early records for Buju Banton’s Gargamel label, he would go on to collab with such culturally inclined artists as Lucinano and Turbulence. On his latest release, produced by Tim Dub, Fyah goes beyond the usual ganja tune cliches, giving a botanical lesson on the definition of “trichomes” and how these small glandular hairs growing from the epidermis of herb buds relate to the cultivation of the cannabis plant. 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…)

  • Damian Marley’s “Joint Venture” in the Ganja Business: “You’re not a Criminal for Smoking Herb”

    Damian Marley’s “Joint Venture” in the Ganja Business: “You’re not a Criminal for Smoking Herb”

    Gongzilla Sets Up Shop,  Forbes Takes Notice

    “It goes without saying that for marijuana the attraction is very natural,” says Damian Jr. Gong Marley in a new interview with Forbes magazine. “Damian Marley Invests in Marijuana Futures” reads the headline in the respected business publication covering the news about the reggae star’s joint venture with Ocean Grown Extracts. As part of their new start-up, Marley and Ocean Grown will be turning a vacant Coalinga, California prison into a medical marijuana manufacturing plant, which Ocean Grown will provide to dispensaries. “I want my kids to look back and be proud of me and say I didn’t sell my soul to earn a dollar, that is very important to me,” he told Forbes.  Continued After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Anthony Cruz “Where Would I Be” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Anthony Cruz “Where Would I Be” Official Music Video

    Giving Thanks For Guidance and Protection

    Anthony Cruz is one of those under-the-radar reggae singers whose understated excellence deserves more praise than it receives. We first noticed him when he was rolling with the 5th Element crew alongside Richie Spice and Chuck Fender (aka “The Poor People Defender). Although he can finesse a lover’s rock tune more sweetly than most, Cruz has always been at his best singing reality tunes. “Place Too Bloody” his combination with Buju Banton, and the Beres Hammond produced “Dem Block Di Road” on Harmony House’s “Feel Good” riddim are two outstanding examples. Yesterday Cruz released a new video on his official website revealing that his clean-cut look has been replaced with a ragga-ragga Rastafari image. In the song, produced by the legendary Bobby Digital, Cruz gives thanks for live, health, and strength—acknowledging that even when he feels he’s in “Cruz control” there is a higher power calling the shots. Dropping so soon after Jamaica’s close call with Hurricane Matthew, the message is as timely as the song is strong.  Audio After The Jump… (more…)