Boomshots

Category: Outernational

Crossover and outside of core

  • WATCH THIS: Teeezy ft. Meleku “Pillow Talk” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Teeezy ft. Meleku “Pillow Talk” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    When Compton Meets Judgment Yard 


    A wise man once said “it ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you’re at.” Case in point: the natural connection between Teeezy, born and raised on the South Side of Compton, and Meleku, son of Jamaican reggae legend Sizzla Kalonji. During a recent journey to Kingston, Jamaica the Cali spitter passed through Sizzla’s Judgment Yard cultural compound in August Town. No sooner did Teeezy link with Meleku than the two youths felt a musical vibration and wasted no time getting into the studio. The first fruit of their labors is “Pillow Talk,” a featured track from Teeezy’s latest project, 1st Quarter. Boomshots is proud to present the world premiere of the song’s official visuals. right here right now. Press play and you’ll hear both of these rising stars staying true to their own authentic style as the vibes flow naturally like an island breeze. Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Reshma B.  Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Spice Drops ‘Mirror 25,’ Reflects on 25 Years of Dominance and Celebrates Kartel’s Homecoming

    Spice Drops ‘Mirror 25,’ Reflects on 25 Years of Dominance and Celebrates Kartel’s Homecoming

    When Spice Pulls Up It’s Always a Movie

    The Queen of Dancehall’s third studio album Mirror 25 dropped today and like everything Spice-related it’s got the internet goin’ nuts. Lead-off single “2085 Tea” set the tone of hardcore dancehall with a dash up mix-up while the country-hip-hop hybrid “Round Round” featuring Busta Rhymes showed the album’s versatility. “Ex Boyfriend” is a masterpiece of melodic pop while her Chronic Law collab “Gangsta” shows a harder side of Grace Hamilton. Now we’ve heard the full 25 tracks it’s clear that Mirror 25 is Spice’s best body of work ever. The musical offerings range from inspirational tunes like “You Are Worthy” to mad collabs like featuring “Cry” featuring Lola Brooke and of course “Super Hero” featuring Pamputtae and Jada Kingdom aka Harley Quint, Bumpa Incredible and Tightimus Prime. Last time Spice was in NYC she sat down with Reshma B who dug into her archive and pulled out a very rare CD that brought back some emotional memories for Spice. You don’t want to miss this interiew.  Check out the full story on Complex.  Video After The Jump…  (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: King Cruff x Runkus “FallBack” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: King Cruff x Runkus “FallBack” Official Music Video

    “From Yuh Say Yuh Stand In Love You Never Can Trip”

    “Remember that the sword has a double edge,” King Cruff rapped on his 2022 breakout hit “Samurai Chop.” Raised in Jamaica and based in Toronto, Cruff was born Solomon Marley-Spence—his mother is Stephanie Marley, daughter of Bob and Rita. Yet despite his royal reggae lineage, Cruff’s creative focus is future fast forward. Along with Kendrick Lamar, André 3000 and MF Doom, Cruff counts new-generation Jamaican stars like Chronixx and Runkus as inspirations. So it was only natural for him to link Runkus—the similarly versatile son of dancehall legend Determine—on his latest collab “FallBack.” (Boomshots been rocking with Runkus for some time now—he first popped onto our radar at a Reshma B Chains pop-up shop alongside Popcaan.) Springing forth from Cruff’s forthcoming project intriguingly titled The Ackee Metaphor Part II, “FallBack” is one of the year’s most exciting collaborations. The hard-driving riddim was crafted by Jordan McLure and David Hayle of Kingston’s own Chimney Records and Banx & Ranx, a Montreal-based duo comprising Soké and KNY, who are best known for world-pop bangers like “Answer Phone.” Analyzing the creative alchemy is fun after the fact, but if the shit don’t slap nothing else matters. Press play to overstand why this one is a certified BOOMSHOT. Video After The Jump… 

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  • “Guess I’ve Been Here Before” Stephen Marley’s ‘Old Soul’

    “Guess I’ve Been Here Before” Stephen Marley’s ‘Old Soul’

    “Inside Me A Legacy Lives On,” Sings Ragga

    “Anything that sounds good is good,” says Stephen Marley, paraphrasing Duke Ellington. Don’t be surprised to hear the King of Reggae’s son referencing Harlem’s master of the jazz orchestra. Never one to limit his musical horizons, Stephen has always listened without prejudice, letting his inspiration set him free as a singer, songwriter, musician, and producer—whether collaborating with his illustrious musical family, or with Lauryn Hill, Nas, or Erykah Badu. Beginning his lifelong musical journey at the age of six, Stephen shared historic stages with his legendary father and toured the world with his brother Ziggy and sisters Cedella and Sharon, The Melody Makers. The Tuff Gong instilled in all of his children a strict work ethic and an awareness that “music is way more than just music.” Review Continues After The Jump…

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  • Buju Banton’s ‘Born for Greatness’ Sets The Gold Standard

    Buju Banton’s ‘Born for Greatness’ Sets The Gold Standard

    Gargamel Still Has The Stamina

    I first heard Buju Banton’s ragga-rough voice roaring in 1992, the first year the DJ really buss. Three decades later, as I laid eyes on the album art for Buju’s 12th studio album, Born For Greatness, one thing was clear: The artist who made his name with raw Dancehall Boomshots like “Stamina Daddy” and “Gold Spoon” has come a long way, over hills and valleys too—but The Gargamel still has the stamina to maintain the Gold Standard.  Review Continues After The Jump…

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  • WATCH THIS: Jack Johnson x Lee “Scratch” Perry “Traffic in the Sky” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Jack Johnson x Lee “Scratch” Perry “Traffic in the Sky” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    From The Album In Between Dub

    Jack Johnson is not a reggae musician, but growing up in Hawaii he’s been immersed in the sound and the sensibility as long as he can remember. “Reggae music was kinda like mainstream here,” he recalls. “That was something that was always around. When you jump in someone’s truck to go drive or go surf it was mostly reggae records playing.” On June 2 the pro surfer turned multiplatinum recording artist, film maker, and environmental activist will release In Between Dub, a selection of tracks drawn from Johnson’s two decade-deep catalog, served up “with a dub twist.” While Johnson never aimed to play reggae music, he recognizes its influence on his folk rock aesthetic. “I always identified the tones that I’m shooting for,” he reflects. “On all my albums we kind of go for a nice round bass sound.” When you check it deeply, Johnson did once accompany the legendary Jimmy Cliff performing “The Harder They Come” at a European music festival. Johnson and Ben Harper also joined backed Hibbert while performing “Pressure Drop” on Saturday Night Live. And Johnson will make a guest appearance on Stephen Marley’s forthcoming solo album. So perhaps it was not such a crazy notion for him to reach out to dub visionary Lee “Scratch” Perry in 2020 to work on a kind of greatest hits in dub project. “It didn’t feel like it would be going outside of our natural zone,” he says. “I felt it would be interesting to hear the songs dubbed out even if they’re not straight reggae. I felt they might fit into that pretty nice.” Boomshots is proud to premiere the dubbed-out visuals for “Traffic in the Sky,” a gentle acoustic tune from Johnson’s 2003 album On & On, which Scratch transforms into a spongy slice of digital dub sport. The video of Scratch was culled from actual studio footage sent by his wife after his passing. Run it!  Video After the Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Coolie Ranx “Keep Fighting” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Coolie Ranx “Keep Fighting” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    Brand new visualizer from the UK/BK/GTA Legend

     

    Ask around Brooklyn, and the real heads will tell you about Coolie Ranx who did his thing in the dancehall scene during the 90s, dropping rare gems like the 12-inch single “Roughneck” plus some choice BBC HiFi dubplate specials. Ask around London and they’ll mention Coolie Ranx who buss many a dance with the legendary Saxon Sound. Ask around Grand Theft Auto fans and they’ll tell you about Little Jacob, one of the legendary Yardie gangsta characters (alongside his bigger bredda Real Badman aka Seeborn RIP). Ask around the ska scene, and the man is a bonafide legend—rocking stages as the front man for the Toasters and The Pilfers before going solo. Today Boomshots proudly premiers the latest skacore anthem from Coolie Ranx. The song is called “Keep Fighting.” Sounds like the right song at the right time. So check out the cinematic visuals right now. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Post-Millennium Memories: On Tricky

    Post-Millennium Memories: On Tricky

    Story By Michael A. Gonzales

    In 1997 I was a Tricky fiend. Over a two-year period beginning with his debut Maxinquaye in 1995, Tricky and his musical partner Martina Topley-Bird were recording and releasing some of the most innovative material of that era. And what an era the ’90s were for reggae, hip hop, and the UK underground, which seeped its into my speakers all the way in Brooklyn. Follow-up projects Nearly God, Grassroots, Pre-Millennium Tension (recorded at Grove Studios in Ocho Rios) and the many remixes took his sound giant steps beyond the other artists were doing. Story & Videos After The Jump… 
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  • Blessed Earthstrong Super Cat

    Blessed Earthstrong Super Cat

    Big Up The Wild Apache Every Time

    On this day in 1963 a dancehall legend was born in the Kingston neighborhood of Cockburn Pen. The child of a Black mother and an Indian father, William Anthony Maragh was given the nickname Wild Apache by his lyrical mentor Early B the Doctor. He is best known to reggae and hip hop fans the world over as Super Cat. Stylistically, Cat’s DJ style was strongly influenced by the late great Daddy U Roy, a dancehall pioneer who also hailed from Cockburn Pen. Cat honed his skills on sound systems like Killamanjaro, mentoring future champions like Ninjaman. In the early 90s he relocated to New York City where he established his own Wild Apache label. While chilling at the Bronx nightclub Act III, Cat met rap superstar Heavy D and they would eventually collaborate on classics like “Big and Ready” and “Dem No Worry We.” Super Cat would continue to dominate the reggae/hip-hop crossover zone with early ’90s joints like the “Ghetto Red Hot” remix and the “Dolly My Baby” remix that shed an early light on a young up-and-coming Jamerican MC known as Biggie Smalls. The last time we reasoned with Sean Paul he made sure to give major props to Cat, who was a major influence on his own lyrical flow. (Little-known fact: Rob Kenner owes his whole 17-year VIBE career to Super Cat since his first article for the magazine was a feature-length profile of Super Cat, it’s only right that we Today we pay maximum respect to a ghetto youth and lyrical genius who blazed a trail for Jamaican music worldwide. Check out some of our classic interviews with Mr. Cat over the years. Respect in all aspect. Video After The Jump…  

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  • WATCH THIS: Sean Paul ft. Busy Signal “Boom” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Sean Paul ft. Busy Signal “Boom” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    Promoting Unity within the Dancehall Genre

    When Sean Paul began elevating uncut Jamaican dancehall into the pop charts during the early 2000s, the records that impacted popular culture were not crossover attempts dreamed up by major label A&R reps. They were juggling riddims like 2Hard Productions’ Playground riddim, Troyton’s Buzz riddim, Lenky’s Diwali riddim, and Tony Kelly’s Buyout riddim. Besides topping the charts, winning a Grammy for his 2002 breakout album Dutty Rock, and appearing on the cover of VIBE magazine, Sean Paul went on to work with global superstars from Beyoncé and Rihanna to Busta Rhymes and DMX. Despite his global achievements, Sean Paul never separated himself from the authentic dancehall sounds of Jamaica. His latest album Live N Livin, released on the artists’ own Dutty Rock Productions imprint, finds him collaborating with a galaxy of stars from Jamaican dancehall culture, ranging from household names like Damian Marley and Mavado to rising stars like Intence and Govana—giving them a strength and promoting a much-needed spirit of unity within dancehall. “I am still signed to Island Records,” says Sean. “They’ve done something real unconventional so I really have to tip my hat to them. They’ve always given me permission to work with local producers like Jordan from Chimney and Stephen McGregor. But this is something that’s never been done before. They’ve given me permission to release an album on my own label.” Today Boomshots and VIBE proudly premieres the brand new visuals for “Boom,” a wicked collaboration between Sean Paul and the Turf President himself, Busy Signal. “I rate him as one of the best lyricists in the genre,” Sean says of Busy. “For me this is an attempt to really shine a light on his career. He’s done amazing works from the hardcore dancehall to people like Major Lazer. So this song is my way of saying that I would endorse this dude as one of the dopest.” Video After The Jump…  (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Leno Banton “Big”

    HEAR THIS: Leno Banton “Big”

    Burro’s Son Keeps Elevating His Game

    Back in 2015 a young artist who was then known as Lord Leno released his first official project, a song called “Yardie” on Massive B’s Skateland Riddim. Singing the praises of his native land, the 19-year-old son declared his love for Jamaica under the proud gaze of his father, dancehall legend Burro Banton. As the youth followed his dad’s footsteps in the music industry, he adapted the name Leno Banton as a way of paying respect to the family legacy. Leno even went on to collaborate with his father on the 2020 selection “Better Days.” He explores new sounds and styles on his latest release, entitled “Big,” which was created with Juss Kool, who says he’s very proud to be working with Leno. “At his age I didn’t have the knowledge that he has,” says the veteran producer. “He’s an artist in the truest sense because he pays attention to detail in regards to everything—from the sound in the riddim, to his production, to his presentation, to marketing, to the business side.” The song’s aspirational lyrics speak success into reality. “The song ‘Big’ is about how I envision myself in the future,” says Leno. “How I see myself being a force to be reckoned with in multiple aspects, not just music alone, you get me? Like in real estate. Like in creating jobs for other people. Just being a very household brand.”  Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Badda General x ZJ Liquid x Stylo G x Shatta Wale “The Barrel” Remix Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Badda General x ZJ Liquid x Stylo G x Shatta Wale “The Barrel” Remix Official Music Video PREMIERE

    From Jamaica to America, London to Ghana

    Badda and ZJ Liquid are taking their barrel movement to a worldwide level. “A barrel is a traditional thing that keeps connections with people overseas,” ZJ Liquid explained to Reshma B in her latest Murda She Wrote column for Tidal. “You can put a lot into a barrel. When you get a barrel, you good for six months. You don’t need to buy anything — you got rice, ketchup, beans, peas, syrup, soap, clothes. It’s very helpful to families, and people can share with more than just their immediate relatives. Sometimes people don’t even have food, and you can give them something out of a barrel so they can cook dinner.” Ever since the release of “Barrel” this past February, Badda General and ZJ Liquid’s conversational collab has taken on a life of its own—being reposted all over social media and buzzing in the streets of Jamaica. “It just become a thing,” said Liquid. “Everywhere I go people are like, ‘Yo Liquid, what can I get out of the barrel?’” The song’s popularity prompted other artists to call in hopes of jumping on a remix. “A lot of people reached out,” said Badda. “But in my brain it didn’t make sense for an artist to send a barrel from Jamaica to Jamaica.” When U.K. dancehall star Stylo G called to say he loved the song, Badda jumped at the chance to collab — especially since some listeners have pointed out certain similarities in their vocal tone and lyrical flow. “Stylo is a great artist,” said Badda, who resisted “outside forces” who tried to draw them into a clash. “For someone to compare me and Stylo, that is not a minus, that is definitely a plus. I am ego-free,” he added. “I am just here to make music and put smiles on people’s face. We just unite and kill the noise.” Gold Up, the song’s producer, had a link to Ghanaian dancehall star Shatta Wale, who also jumped on the remix, adding some African flavor to the musical barrel. “I have actually never met none of them in real life,” Badda admitted, “but music is a thing that connects all of us together.” Video After The Jump…

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