Boomshots

Category: Outernational

Crossover and outside of core

  • WATCH THIS: Morgan Heritage ft. Eric Rachmany “Wanna Be Loved” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Morgan Heritage ft. Eric Rachmany “Wanna Be Loved” Official Music Video

    Another Video From The Reggae Family’s Grammy-Winning Album Strictly Roots

    As one of reggae’s most enduringly and successful veteran acts, Morgan Heritage is known to be in a category by themselves. From their Grammy winning album Strictly Roots they’ve redefined roots reggae yet again; with their upbeat hit “Wanna Be Loved,” featuring Rebelution’s front man Eric Rachmany. Shot on their landmark 2015 Catch A Fire US tour, the music video was directed by Morgan Heritage and Emmylou Mai, capturing various vignettes of their sold out performances and positive vibes, all in chromatic black and white. Watch closely to catch the various reggae superstar cameos, as this is definitely an anthem of enduring love, unity and upliftment. Video After the Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Wild Belle’s Reggae Cover Version Megamix: “Summer Tropical Show N°3: Island Soul”

    HEAR THIS: Wild Belle’s Reggae Cover Version Megamix: “Summer Tropical Show N°3: Island Soul”

    When They’re Not Collabing With Major Lazer, They’re Collecting Reggae 45s

    The cover version is a time-honored art form in Jamaica. Pioneering sound system owner turned record producer Coxsone Dodd used to travel to the United States in search of fresh clothes and rare vinyl to play on the mighty Sir Coxsone’s Downbeat. As his focus changed from spinning records to producing his own, he would sometimes pick up albums with certain recording artists in mind. It’s no accident that The Wailers’ classic “One Love”—which was first recorded at Coxsone’s Studio One—interpolates large parts of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions’ “People Get Ready.” Throughout the evolution of dancehall culture there was a strong tradition of karaoke-style reinvention as great Caribbean vocalists refashioned foreign soul and pop songs over the latest riddims out of Kingston. Many of those versions were cut on 45, reverberating back through the minds, bodies, and souls of music lovers in the U.S., Great Britain and beyond. Case in point: Wild Belle. The brother and sister band who collaborated with Major Lazer on the touching tune “Be Together”  also incorporate reggae and Afrobeat into their own music. (Their second album, the follow-up to Isles, drops next month on Columbia Records.) They’re also known for their reggae DJ sets. Today Boomshots premieres “Summer Tropical Show N°3: Island Soul,” an all-45 mix of reggae cover versions curated by Natalie and Elliott Bergman, an avid vinyl collector. Audio Afrer The Jump…
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  • 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…)

  • WATCH THIS: Kendrick Lamar ft. the voice of Assassin “The Blacker The Berry” Live pon The Grammys

    WATCH THIS: Kendrick Lamar ft. the voice of Assassin “The Blacker The Berry” Live pon The Grammys

    Agent Sasco Was Not In The Building For The Grammys, But His Words Rang In Our Ears

    Let’s start by saying that there were no losers at this years Grammys. Congratulations to Morgan Heritage on the Grammy they worked so hard for—for their entire lives. Big up The Weeknd and Kendrick and Adele and Lady Gaga and Alabama Shakes. We lovers of reggae respect all great music. (Wouldn’t be mad at some vicey versey love tho.) It was also a night when Rihanna canceled her performance due to bronchitis, Lauryn Hill didn’t turn up as expected for her “surprise” spot with The Weeknd, and Jah Cure wiped his Instagram clean shortly after coming up short in the voting for the Best Reggae Album. (Big up Iyacure said speed; just remember music alone shall live, and “we don’t need no visas to come thru your speakers.”) Still at the end of it all, we had Assassin’s voice, cutting through like a chainsaw while K-Dot released the chain.  Video 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…)

  • DOWNLOAD: Randy Valentine “Radio Music” Mixtape

    DOWNLOAD: Randy Valentine “Radio Music” Mixtape

    The Singer Ternt Rappa Now

    Valentine’s Day may be coming up, but don’t you ever try to put Randy Valentine in a box—not even a heart-shaped box. On his first mixtape, Bring Back the Love (which was downloaded over 50’000 times), RV voiced over  classic reggae instrumentals from the “foundation” era of reggae. Yesterday the singer with mad deejay skills dropped a new mixtape that heads in a completely fresh creative direction—call it a musical RVlution. “I bet the radio nah go chart this,” Valentine raps on the opening cut, over the beat to “Can I Kick It?” off A Tribe Called Quest’s debut album. “That’s alright, man ah no radio artist.” Radio Music is a 19-track excursion which takes the listener back to the ’90s, the golden age of Hip Hop. “Music has no boundaries,” says Valentine. “This project carries the same energies as all my previous projects—this time we’re stepping forward into the 90’s Hip Hop Era Via my Global Radio Station Conscious FM 98.checkYourself. Same energy, same message just a different formula. This is what’s on my Radio. FullJoy the Experience.” Presented by Hemp Higher and Tek-9 Movements, the new tape features guest appearances by Kabaka Pyramid, Gappy Ranks, Calip P, and Big Bullz. Hosts include Walshy Fire, Bobby Konders, Seani B, Jugglerz, Ninja Crown, and King Lagazee. Enoug of the long talking. Tracklist and Download Link After The Jump…
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  • Why Rihanna Might Just Drop “Anti” Any Time Now

    Why Rihanna Might Just Drop “Anti” Any Time Now

    BadGyal RiRi Still Teasing That Eighth Album

    It would not be an unfair generalization to say that magazine editors tend to ultra-competitive personalities who are not above a little schadenfreude now and then. I’m not too proud to say that, after pursuing my third Drake cover for several years while at Complex—and coming up empty, except for the time his publicist wanted us to go head-to-head with VIBE and we politely declined—I was rather amused when Drake bailed on a VIBE cover shoot and later Rolling Stone burned him and he swore off magazines altogether. The first two Drake covers I worked on—Lola Ogunnaike’s 2009 VIBE cover story “Rookie of the Year” (which earned a spot in DaCapo’s Best Music Writing anthology) and Damien Scott’s 2011 Complex cover story “The Long Way Home”—were pretty spectacular, so I was disappointed at the notion of Drake never doing press again. And I’m not so competitive that I was mad to see him finally do a Fader cover last year. As a music lover and a journalist I enjoyed reading a thorough profile of a fascinating artist. But here’s what did crack me up: When Rihanna snagged a recent Fader cover based on just five questions answered by email. There’s no doubt that her forthcoming release Anti is one of Most Anticipated Albums of 2016. But when a magazine gives you the cover, it’s just common courtesy to sit down for an interview—even a quickie, as Rihanna did for the 2013 Complex cover I edited. Not that she said much, but it’s just disrespectful to expect a writer to put a story together based on five emailed questions. Props to Mary H.K. Choi for doing a killer write-around, but I digress…  All of this is a long-winded reminder that Rihanna has already served noticed as to who calls the shots—like BRAP! BRAP! BRAP!  More After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Pressure Buss Pipe “Live Life” PREMIERE

    HEAR THIS: Pressure Buss Pipe “Live Life” PREMIERE

    Tune In Pon This Brand New Heatmakerz Production Because Live Is For Living

    “Everybody’s talking about the heartaches in the ghetto, and how it’s rough in the streets—and it is,” says Virgin-Islands born reggae singer Pressure Buss Pipe. “I wanted to turn it around and make people happy. Just make people see life in a different perspective and give thanks for what you have. We’re doing things different with the Heatmakerz.” Linking with the production team responsible for major hits by Lil Wayne and Dipset, Pressure created “Live Life,” his first original release on a hip-hop rhythm track. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Unified Highway “My Space” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Unified Highway “My Space” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    New Music & Visuals From Eric & Amp

    First things first, this is not a social media song. “There’s two words and no dot com,” says  vocalist/guitarist Eric Rachmany (also the frontman for Cali roots band Rebelution) of the latest release from Unified Highway, his collaborative project with renowned producer, DJ, and remixer Amp Live (formerly of Zion I). The duo’s self-titled debut on Audible Collision / Strange Focus Records embodies a fusion of reggae, electronic, hip-hop, alternative, and soul. “This song is kind of like inviting everyone into our vibe, the vibe we were feeling,” says Amp. “Me and Amp got together and we said ‘Let’s do this project’ and that was the first thing that came to mind,” Eric adds. “It just felt like an intimate guitar riff. I felt like the song was just asking me to sing about the mood, about being in my zone.” Unified Highway’s first song, “Stand Proud” ft. Keznamdi and Tahir Panton, premiered on Mass Appeal, who hailed both its conscious lyrics “unification of reggae basslines and dance-ready drum loops.” Since then they say the response has been “overwhelmingly positive” and when the album drops in March there are plans for live shows. “This album is actually pretty diverse,” says Eric. “Every song is a little bit different from the other, so we are excited for people to hear the diversity. Honestly, I’m not saying this to brag or anything but I really feel like this project is groundbreaking. It’s different from anything I’ve ever heard or been a part of… It’s weird, usually I don’t like listening to myself, but I thoroughly enjoy listening to this album. We do this for the fun of it and we want to keep on doing it. It’s a really fun collaboration and we’re really stoked that Boomshots is picking it up and promoting it.” Enough long talking let’s get into that space.  Audio & Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Nesbeth “My Dream” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Nesbeth “My Dream” Official Music Video

    From Trenchtown, A Next Star Arise

    Released last month, “My Dream” features the veteran reggae singer reflecting on the struggles he’s faced in Jamaica and focusing on not giving up. A superb track from start to finish, it’s a progressive take on roots reggae with a dash of picked pop guitar and a catchy bounce. The video release, directed by RD Studios, is a fitting complement to the unique sound of “My Dream” and captivates immediately. Opening with wide-angle montages of Jamaica’s breathtaking coast, Nesbeth appears draped in the flag singing “Mek wi start dah one yah, like how Martin Luther King would ah start it.” The song goes on to tell the story of a young boy who’s driven to success against all odds. The Jamaica-based artist finished 2015 on a high, thanks to “My Dream,” and the video certainly reflects the success of his aptly titled new album, Victory. From Trenchtown a next star arise. Video After the Jump…

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  • Dre Island Makes Mass Appeal’s List of “16 Artists To Watch in 2016”

    Dre Island Makes Mass Appeal’s List of
    “16 Artists To Watch in 2016”

    Anticipation Builds For The Now I Rise Project

    A graduate of Kingston’s Calabar high school—alma mater of both Jr. Gong and Vybz Kartel—reggae/dancehall producer turned performer Andre Johnson aka Dre Island is emerging as a living link between the vaunted “roots revival” movement and the sound of the Jamaican streets. “The revival is really within the people. Reggae music never stop. Reggae artists always been touring. So it’s just the people’s awareness.” On the strength of his growing body of work, Dre has been named one of Mass Appeal’s “16 Artists To Watch in 2016.”  More After The Jump… (more…)