Boomshots

Category: Jamaica

  • Sizzla, Popcaan, Aidonia, Teflon & Kiprich Shut Down Ghetto Splash 2014

    Sizzla, Popcaan, Aidonia, Teflon & Kiprich Shut Down Ghetto Splash 2014

    That’s What You Call A Grand Finale

    Christmas is high season in Jamaica, an endless string of packed-out parties and star-studded stage shows. Even if money gets tight around the holidays, there’s no need to buy expensive tickets for some of the best shows of the season as artists show love to their fans with plenty of free shows. Eith the return of shows like Ghetto Splash—a Yuletide dancehall showcase which has run on and off since the 1990s—the downtown community of Waterhouse gets a much-needed dancehall stimulus package to  community residents, and a great concert to dancehall fans everywhere. The highlight of last year’s show was the appearance of both Popcaan and Mavado on stage at the same time, a cherished moment of Gaza/Gully harmony. Anticipation ran high for this year’s show, which did not disappoint. Surprise appearances by Shaggy and Beenie Man were just the beginning—the grand finale was a whole ‘nother level. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Popcaan Pop-Up Shop Poppin’ Off in Kingston

    Popcaan Pop-Up Shop Poppin’ Off in Kingston

    The Unruly Boss Links With Reshma B Chains and We Are Massiv At Base Kingston

    Nuff things a gwan in Kingston this week. Tuesday night is Ghetto Splash at Waterhouse Mini Stadium, with an all-star lineup that gets heavier by the day. This weekend it’s all about Live From Kingston featuring Protoje, Kabaka Pyramid, and No-Maddz But the exclusive jump-off is going down on Thursday December 18th, when We Are Massiv joins forces with Reshma B Chains to host a Popcaan pop-up shop at Base Kingston in Kingston, Jamaica—Upper Manor Park Plaza, Shop #11 to be exact. You may have seen Reshma B Chains’ new Look Book, which just premiered on The Fader. [Check the gallery above to get a flavor for the new “stoner chic” designs.]’ The RGATxPopcaan TR8 and TR8NESS chains, as seen on @PopcaanMusic’s personal Instagram, will be officially available for the first time in Jamaica. The night will feature a live performance by Popcaan as well as legendary DJ Skrillex passing through to rep his OWSLA line. In short, the ting Tun Up! Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: DeMarco “Loyal” (Royals Remix) Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: DeMarco “Loyal” (Royals Remix) Official Music Video

    Mek Me Tell You This…

    Where does the time go? As we find ourselves in the middle of December (already!), it’s time to have a look back over the past year and take stock of the music, the vibes, the moments that stood out during 2014. There’s been a lot of good songs, but few that hit home quite as hard or rang quite as true as Demarco’s broadside against “badmind, grudgeful, envious people.” Sure it’s a cover version of Lorde’s 2013 worldwide smash “Royals,” but just because the song was originated by a teenage girl from New Zealand, does that mean it shouldn’t ring out in Cassava Piece, Cockburn Pen, and Tower Hill? “Me don’t care—me gun dem never deh far, it deh near.”  (Kapiche?) “From you pree me life me delete you.” Simple. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “Is it Worth It? (Gunman World)” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “Is it Worth It? (Gunman World)” Official Music Video

    Nabil Directs a Dark mini-Epic for Gongzilla’s Shotta’s Lament

    From the moment Jr. Gong hopped on the Rootsman Riddim, it was a major statement. For an established reggae superstar to join forces with a juggling that featured up-and-coming Jamaican artists like Chronixx, Jesse Royal, and Tarrus Riley. It didn’t hurt that Damian’s new song itself, “Gunman World,” ranks as perhaps one of Gongzilla’s deepest pieces of songwriting ever. “I’ve had that idea before working on the Welcome to Jamrock album actually,” says Damain of the tune, which is featured on the upcoming EP Ghetto Youths International Present: Set Up Shop Vol. 2.”The concepts and thoughts of what’s happening on the song. And I’ve kinda finished putting it together over the last year or so. And I decided that I would put the song on the Rootsman riddim because of wanting to support that movement and that energy. Cause the Rootsman riddim is produced by my keyboard player, Winta. So I wanted to support what he was doing as well as support that movement of new Rasta youths you see coming up in the music. I wanted to give some of my energy toward that also. That’s why I chose to go on that juggling. And we have a new video coming out for that real soon that was shot in Morocco. I’m not even in the video. It’s a nice kind of story based upon the lyrics and whatnot.” Directed by Franceso Corrozini & Nabil, we present the visual interprtation today for the first time. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Flashback Friday: Tenor Saw “Lots of Sign”

    Flashback Friday: Tenor Saw “Lots of Sign”

    Tenor Saw Dies Tragically, Leaving Behind An Anthology of Dancehall Poetry

               Clive Bright aka Tenor Saw was a prominent Jamaican singer with an exceptional voice and a conscious, spiritual vibe to his music. Discovered at 19 years old by dancehall legend, Sugar Minott of YouthMan Promotions, who describes the first time hearing Tenor Saw’s voice as powerful. The late icon speaks about this magical moment and the excitement of cutting the Pumpkin Belly Dubplate which ended up on Vinyl:  More After The Jump…

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  • Marlon James Interview: “I Might Stay Away From Jamaica for a Little Bit”

    Marlon James Interview: “I Might Stay Away From Jamaica for a Little Bit”

    The Author of A Brief History of Seven Killings  Has Had No Reaction from the Marley Family

    Marlon James was born in Kingston, Jamaica, the son of two police officers. After earning a living designing album covers, he developed his interest in creative writing via the Calabash Literary Festival writer’s workshop. His debut novel, John Crow’s Devil, was published in 2010 by the Brooklyn-based indie press Akashic Books. His second, The Book of Night Women, about a slave rebellion on a 19th century plantation, won several awards, while the third, A Brief History of Seven Killings, published this October by Riverhead Books, has been hailed by the New York Times as “epic in every sense of that word: sweeping, mythic, over-the-top, colossal and dizzyingly complex.”  Interview after the Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Tarrus Riley ft. Zagga “Free Up” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Tarrus Riley ft. Zagga “Free Up” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    Singy Singy and Zagga Got No Time For Bad Vibes

    Chimney Records’ Happy Hour riddim had a strong start out the box with Mavado setting the pace on “Nah Use Them” (aka “Mama son lock down”.) Now here comes another hit off the juggling—this time it’s Tarrus Riley and Zagga joining forces to banish all badmindedless as they remind youth and youth to “Free up!” All the action in the video, produced by Zojak Distribution, unfolds at a video-game arade rather than some old “up in the club” cliche, with random oversized cartoon characters lending a playful vibe to the proceedings. Like the DJ says, “We don’t give trouble we give thanks.” Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Ding Dong & I-Octane “Hold Yuh Own” PREMIERE

    HEAR THIS: Ding Dong & I-Octane “Hold Yuh Own” PREMIERE

    Brand New Dance Inna The Place

    Ah wah gwan? Brand new dance inna the place—Ding Dong and Octane connect with DJ Frass for a musical thing called “Hold Yuh Own.” Hot Ras and Ravers Clavers link up… When you see them in the dance just give them space. Audio After the Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Popcaan “Love Yuh Bad” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Popcaan “Love Yuh Bad” Official Music Video

    The Hotskull Finds An Empress To Cool Him Down

    The latest visual offa Poppi’s Where We Come From album is all about the love between one man and one woman. “Love Yuh Bad” (produced by Dre Skull) was the first track leaked off Popcaan’s debut album on Mixpak Records, and the accompanying video finds Hotskull and his queen in the rain forests of St. Thomas where the natural vibes flow (inna back-to-nature Adam and Eve style). This video should really be picked up by the Jamaica Tourist Board because after you watch it you will want to book two tickets to paradise like Eddie Money. Watching Popcaan and his lady boiling bananas, burning spliffs, and playing in the river serves as a timely reminder that you don’t have to have a big fat roasted turkey in the oven to give thanks. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Busy Signal “Money Flow” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Busy Signal “Money Flow” Official Music Video

    All The Turf President Wants for Christmas Is a Bag of Money

    You already know about Busy Signal’s versatility. He can sing you a country & western classic, chat pon a Major Laxer production, blaze up a cutting-edge dancehall riddim, or ease into roots rock reggae music. In his latest release “Money Flow” Busy takes it back to classic rub-a-dub dancehall style, riding the “Wah Do Dem” riddim made famous by Eek a Mouse and brandishes the “Ribbi Dibbi” flow made famous by Super Cat over Half Pint’s “Greetings” riddim. What better way to make preparations for the Yuletide season than by stacking paper? Run that… Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Chris Blackwell Speaks on “Countryman”

    Chris Blackwell Speaks on “Countryman”

    Island Records Founder Reflects on a Friend Who Had Nothing And Still Had Everything

    Most reggae fans know the Reggae Cult Classic film Countryman, but it’s less well known that the star of the film is real person. The 1982 film, which will be streamed online next Friday night, December 5th—following an exclusive BoomshotsTV chat with one of the original cast members, veteran Jamaican actor Carl Bradshaw—was directed by Dickie Jobson, and stars a Rastafarian Indian Tamil fisherman who lived in the seaside community of Hellshire outside Kingston, Jamaica. Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who backed the film project, reflects on the man he knew, a real Rastaman who truly undersood the meaning of the term Thanksgiving, and embodied it in his simple life and his every word and deed. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Strictly the Best Vol. 50 The Mixtape

    HEAR THIS: Strictly the Best Vol. 50 The Mixtape

    Rico Vibes of Natural Vibes and Da Flava Radio Pon The Megamix

    Over the past 35 years, VP Records has established themslves as the dominant distributor of Jamaican music, and the 50th and 51st installments of their Strictly the Best compilation series drops today. As per usual, the first volume focuses more on roots and lovers rock singers while the second dives direct into the dancehall. And because this year marks a landmark anniversary for VP—or simply to tickle the fancy of the “Don’t make em like they used to” posse—each volume of the anthology includes a second disc jam-packed with classic selections culled from earlier STB editions. Today we present a megamix of Volume 50 cuts curated by selector Rico Vibes. From Half Pint‘s Greetings and Luciano‘s “Sweep Over My Soul” straight back to Etana‘s “Trigger” and Jah Cure‘s “Life We Live,” this one is total niceness. No matter how cold it is where you are right now, press play and prepare yourself for a virtual vacation to Jamaica’s sunny shores. Audio After The Jump… (more…)