Boomshots

Category: Jamaica

  • WATCH THIS: Popcaan “Weed Is My Best Friend” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Popcaan “Weed Is My Best Friend” Official Music Video

    Poppy Goes Farrrrr Out In His New Visuals

    You know the tune—it’s the biggest hit off Justus JA’s “Life Support” Riddim, the one where Popcaan says he doesn’t trust friends, because “Mankind nuh trustable.” The Unruly Boss is normally a pretty sociable guy, but as he explained in an exclusive phone interview, life experience has taught him to be cautious. “There’s so much people weh sometime you would take out your heart and give them it,” he says, “and those are the same people who will turn ‘pon you.” But when people let him down, he adds with a laugh, “my weed is around.” And really that’s no joking matter. “Certain of my problems, ah just me and me weed go through them,” he adds. “Me just smoke weed and overcome obstacle.” In the video, which premiered today on Complex, Popcaan can be seen communing with nature in a field full of sticky icky. You know what they say, a friend with weed is a friend indeed. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Chino McGregor & Stephen McGregor “Zero Tolerance” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Chino McGregor & Stephen McGregor “Zero Tolerance” Official Music Video

    Chino & Di Genius Stirring Up Some Revolutionary Sounds

    Just because they haven’t been dominating the JA juggling like one time, don’t sleep on the Big Ship Crew. Di Genius has been keeping busy on the production tip, making hits with UK Afrobeat star Fuse ODG and earning a Grammy nomination for his work on Mali Music’s album. He and Supa Dups recently produced Michael Franti’s entire album—and he’s preparing his Labwork compilation featuring dancehall joints with artists like Konshens and Popcaan. Meanwhile the Captain himself, reggae legend Freddie McGregor, will be dropping an album of his own this year. To kick off what looks to be a big 2016, here’s the first cut off the G.M.T.A. project featuring McGregor brothers Chino and Stephen dropping revolutionary lyrics over a rub-a-dub riddim. Perfect soundtrack for troubled times. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Chronixx x Eesah “Perfect Tree” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Chronixx x Eesah “Perfect Tree” Official Music Video

    Chronixx x Eesah Engage in a Melodic Steam Session

    Chronixx opens with horns blazing, as he rides effortlessly over the beat from Black Star’s “Respiration” exhaling words of righteousness: “High grade never hurt nobody. Let herb be free on earth nuh daddy.” You’ve guessed it: it’s another ganja anthem, but this one requires a higher meditation to fully comprehend the meaning behind the “Perfect Tree.” Let’s begin with origins of Rastafari and the Legalize It movement. Bob Marley and the Wailers advocated for the legalization of herbs for the masses. Peter Tosh was a vocal proponent of green living throughout the ’70s. Before the Wailers, a man by the name of Leonard Howell built the Pinnacle as a sustainable community in colonial Jamaica with an economic base of agriculture and yup, marijuana. Video After The Jump…

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  • HEAR THIS: Chronixx x Federation Sound “Roots & Chalice”

    HEAR THIS: Chronixx x Federation Sound “Roots & Chalice”

    Steam Ministah Links Federation Fam To Give Us The Fullness

    Chronixx and the Federation family had a musical meeting of the minds to create this amalgamation of wicked instrumentals past & present. The 60-minute mix includes well known tracks “Like A Whistle,” “Alpha & Omega,” and “Tenement Yard” to warm up your ears to a familiar beat.  The heavy drum and bass breakdown stampedes in on “Spanish Town Rocking” (inspired by Mr. Levy’s crucial Channel One selection) as Chronixx executes a sound inna dancehall stylee. “Queen Majesty” is a top selection with a smooth melody that the ladies will be sure to love. Chronixx dominates the microphone as an emcee and singjay with special features from Eesah on “Perfect Tree”, Dre Island on “Puppy Nose”, Kelissa on “Best Love”, and Kabaka Pyramid on the title track Chalice & Roots. “Dem haffi wait likkle while for mi first album…” Chronixx ends the mix with a proclamation that leaves us wanting more. Behind the steam, the music disappears from whence it came, deep into the tallest peaks of Jamaica’s lush green dreams. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Assassin Talks “Theory of Reggaetivity”: “Roots Proponents See Me as a Baldhead Rasta”

    Assassin Talks “Theory of Reggaetivity”: “Roots Proponents See Me as a Baldhead Rasta”

    Agent Sasco Links Protoje & Chronixx, Returns To The Roots

    Yesterday Assassin aka Agent Sasco released Theory of Reggaetivity, his first album in over 10 years. The 14-song set shot straight toward the highest regions of the iTunes reggae chart, landing just below Bob Marley’s Legend, which is appropriate for the dancehall DJ’s first all-reggae project, which he describes as “my musical study of the principles of reggae music.” Conceived in Europe and recorded between Los Angeles, New York, and Kingston, JA, Theory of Reggaetivity features production by the likes of Sting International, Chimney Records, Silly Walks Discotek, Diggy British (aka Protoje), Niko Browne, The Drum Keyz, Theo Butler, MLMG, Sound Cheq, and W. Thompson. We first heard this gravelly-voiced lyricist ripping up the Diwali Riddim and trading bars with Spragga Benz and Vybz Kartel back in the early 2000s. More recently he’s become hip hop’s best kept secret weapon [LINK], making guest appearances on massive albums by Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West. Boomshots caught up with him the night after Kendrick featured his voice in a live performance on the Grammy Awards broadcast, and chatted about why he decided the time was right to make this decisive move forward to the roots of Jamaican music. Interview After the Jump… (more…)

  • Reasoning with Sister Nancy

    Reasoning with Sister Nancy

    Dancehall’s Original Muma Talks “Bam Bam,” Rihanna, and Kanye West

    Quick: what’s the most sampled song in reggae history? If you guessed “Bam Bam” by Sister Nancy you know your stuff. Her 1982 album cut has provided raw material for dozens of records for artists ranging from Chris Brown to Too $hot to Diamond D. The latest may be the biggest tune of all:”Famous” by Kanye West featuring Rihanna and Swizz Beatz, off The Life of Pablo. Yep, that’s the song where Yeezy disses Taylor Swift–the one everybkdy’s chatting bout although few have actually heard it. When Boomshots caught up with Muma Nancy for a recent Billboard piece the legendary foundation DJ had not heard the tune yet. Not that she’s in much of a hurry to do so. She’s unimpressed with the whole sampling thing, much preferring a live session. But trust and believe she will be picking up that royalty check. Pree the full reasoning below. Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Reggae Rajahs “Pass The Lighter”

    HEAR THIS: Reggae Rajahs “Pass The Lighter”

    Even in India, Where Ganja is a Way of Life, The Struggle Continues

    Based in the beautiful seaside state of Goa, Reggae Rajahs represent reggae music throughout India. It’s only right, considering the massive influence of Indian culture with Jamaica in general, plus reggae and Rastafari in particular. In this track from the Rajah’s December 2015 EP, Reggae Beach Party, the five-man posse utilizes the classic Studio One riddim “High Fashion Dub” to advocate for the legalization of marijuana in a country where ganja has been considered a holy sacrament since 2000 B.C. Go deh Rajahs! Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Busy Signal “Come Over (Missing You)” Acoustic Cover

    WATCH THIS: Busy Signal “Come Over (Missing You)” Acoustic Cover

    Great Songs Are Just Great Songs, No Matter Where You Come From

    Busy Signal is not just the most versatile artist in dancehall today, he’s also a great songwriter. The Turf Prezident’s powerful pen game inspired this acoustic cover version, which we discovered last night on his Instagram. The singer’s name is Jayne. The guitarist is Ramiro Malagon. The backing vocals are provided by the producer of this track, a youth called Maroon Riddimz. According to his SoundCloud page, he’s based in Pembroke Pines, Florida and his parents are Jamaican. There’s a bottle of Appleton on the table and a black gold and green flag on the wall. Judging by the sounds, they are definitely feeling the vibes. Start your Valentine’s Day off with these sounds and hold a romantic medz. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Tune For Tune: Battle of the “Hello” Reggae Versions

    Tune For Tune: Battle of the “Hello” Reggae Versions

    Who Did Adele’s Big Tune Better: Conkarah & Rosie Delmah or Alaine?

    Big up all Boomshots massive and welcome to a new feature we call “Tune for Tune.” Today we’re going to compare different reggae versions of Adele’s 2015 chart-topped “Hello.” In Reshma B’s latest Clash Music Reggae & Dancehall Column, she points out that a reggae version of Adele’s latest sad song shot to the top of the ITunes Reggae Charts. That version was recorded by Conkarah, a British/Jamaican artist, who discovered a fourteen-year-old girl from the Solomon Islands named Rosie Delmah. The other reggae version was recorded by Alaine, Jamaica’s “reggae songbird” and produced by Shane Brown for Jukeboxx Productions. Let’s get to the tunes. Videos After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Jully Black ft. Tanya Stephens “Bom Bom” Remix

    HEAR THIS: Jully Black ft. Tanya Stephens “Bom Bom” Remix

    Two Dancehall Divas Tackle The Track Sister Nancy Made “Famous”

    This weekend the Internet is buzzing about Kanye West dissing Taylor Swift on a track called “Famous.”  The song, which apparently features Rihanna and Swizz Beatz, is part of his new album, The Life of Pablo, and isn’t released yet. If you were one of the people who tuned in to last week’s big Yeezy Season 3 fashion show / album premiere, live-streamed around the world from Madison Square Garden, then you know the most-talked-about track on the most-talked-about album right now is built around Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam”—a dancehall classic on the immortal Stalag Riddim. Since it’s not much fun reading about songs you can’t hear, let’s turn our attention to another hot song that interpolates “Bam Bam.” This one was created by Toronto’s own Julky Black, who reached out to a real live Jamaican reggae star to spit some fire on the remix, riding a rough and rugged remake of the Stalag with drums that go extra hard. No more long talking. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Raging Fyah “Milk and Honey” PREMIERE

    HEAR THIS: Raging Fyah “Milk and Honey” PREMIERE

    New Music From The We Remember Dennis Brown Album

    It’s been just ten days since V.P. Records announced the highly anticipated roots reggae project, We Remember Dennis Brown, which will see a range of Jamaican and international artists paying tribute to the Crown Prince of Reggae, Dennis Emmanuel Brown by recording some of his classic cuts. Today Boomshots is proud to premiere the latest track from the album, an all-new version of the Rastafarian anthem “Milk and Honey” as performed by the red-hot Jamaican reggae ensemble Raging Fyah. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Marley Natural Mystic Blowing Through The Air

    Marley Natural Mystic Blowing Through The Air

    Excuse Me While I Light My Spliff

    Just last Friday in Los Angeles, Marley Natural announced the launch of their highly line of premium cannabis products. “We are fortunate to be living during a promising time of positive change, especially with regard to cannabis and how people understand it,” said Cedella Marley, Bob’s firstborn child, who heads up the family’s business affairs. “My dad would be so happy to see so many people appreciating the natural, healing power of the herb. We are thrilled to be sharing Marley Natural products with the world just in time for his 71st birthday.” The family-owned company, which has been in the works for more than a year, attracted investment from major players like Peter Thiel, the founder of Paypal.  Marley Natural’s inaugural product line includes four different strains of all-natural, locally-sourced, sun-grown cannabis flower (aka buds) and oil, which will be available in California for starters, but is expected to roll out nationwide as marijuana laws. (Last year legal cannabis sales exceeded $5 billion in the U.S. alone) Marley Natural also offeres a line of body care products made from hemp seed oil and other Jamaican botanicals as well as a collection of “smoking, storage and preparation accessories”—what Babylon used to call “drug paraphernalia.” More Details After The Jump… (more…)