Boomshots

Category: Outernational

Crossover and outside of core

  • WATCH THIS: Lucas DiPasquale ft. Popcaan “No Talking” Video Shoot Behind-The-Scenes

    WATCH THIS: Lucas DiPasquale ft. Popcaan “No Talking” Video Shoot Behind-The-Scenes

    Video After The Jump…

    Growing up in Markham, Ontario, which lies within the greater Toronto metropolitan area Lucas DiPasquale was exposed to a certain amount of Caribbean culture and Jamaica patois without even trying. But when he posted his “Popcaan mashup” on YouTube back in April 2014, few understood how a skinny white kid could perfectly master the Unruly Boss’s slippery slang, and sing it back with such sensitivity while accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. Fast forward one year and the yute has gotten himself a major label record deal. Like Omi, he’s careful to point out that he’s “not a reggae artist,” even though “Do It Like,” the first single from his Post-Secondary EP, featured Konshens, Stylo G & Kardinal Offishall. “When Popcaan invited me to perform with him in Jamaica it was just unreal,” he told Reshma B when the Boomshots crew caught up with him in NYC earlier this year. “But I have my own style and my own singing voice that I want to show the world.” Lucas links up with the Bad Chargie once more on his single “No Talking” and Boomshots has the exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. No long talking—run it! Video After The Jump…
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  • Download the House of Marley x Boomshots Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise Zeen

    Download the House of Marley x Boomshots
    Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise Zeen

    Our 2015 Zeen Is The Next Best Thing To Being On Board

    “All in the Same Boat,” Bob Marley sang on The Wailers’ 1971 Boomshot “Don’t Rock My Boat,” produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry, “Rockin’ on the same rock / Got to get together, loving each other.” This lyric isnpired the title for the 2015 Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise Zeen, the official guide to who’s who and what’s happening on our second annual seafaring excursion. The limited edition Zeen contains origjnal interviews and full-color photos of all 23 acts on board—Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Stephen Marley, Julian Marley, Ky-Mani Marley, Third World, Sly & Robbie, Maxi Priest, Super Cat, Bounty Killer, Popcaan, Elephant Man, Cham, Tarrus Riley, Morgan Heritage, Protoje, Tanya Stephens, and many more—plus all 10 champion sound systems. It also contains QR code links to exclusive Boomshots content—interviews and live performances direct from the cruise.  If you didn’t make it on this year’s cruise, the Zeen is the next best thing to being there. There’s even a discount code for House of Marley audio gear. Download Link After The Jump…
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  • WATCH THIS: Jamie xx ft. Young Thug & Popcaan “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Jamie xx ft. Young Thug & Popcaan “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” Official Music Video

    Unruly Boss Kick Ooout Far Ooout

    You know a dancehall artist’s career is starting to bubble when he or she starts getting those outernatinoal looks. Last year Popcaan had the “Kisses For Breakfast” collab with Melissa Steel that was all over pop radio in the UK. This year he’s featured on Jamie XX’s “Good Times” single alongside Young Thug. The video for the song just dropped today, and although Jamie, Thugger, and Papi never appear in the same shot, all appear to be enjoying themselves in their own unique way (who knew Popcaan was into pre-dawn roottop hoverboarding?) Plus the girls floating in a pool are always a nice addition. Mass Appeal says this joint is the song of the summer—I just hope we haven’t seen the last of Popcaan’s Hoverboard, which doesn’t get near enough screentime. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Bunji Garlin & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “The Message”

    HEAR THIS: Bunji Garlin & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “The Message”

    Zilla & The Viking Join Forces Because Music Gonna Teach Them One Lesson

    In 1982—the year MJ dropped Thriller—Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five released “The Message,” a record that forced hip-hop to evolve from throw-your-hands-in-the-air escapism to what Chuck D would eventually describe as “the black CNN.” Thirty-three years later two giants of their respective Caribbean islands and genres—Bunji Garlin and Damian Marley—join forces to release a record of the same title, a song capable of redirecting soca and dancehall reggae (and Trinidad and Jamaica) in a more constructive direction. “I look to the sky and ask Almighty when will it finish? Is this a sign of the last days? The last few minutes?” The answer lies in our hands. But while there is life there must be hope. As the song says, “There is music in your soul, minerals in your soil, children full of beauty worth way much more than oil. While history unfolds, don’t let the good things spoil.” Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Daniel Bambaata Marley “Waiting for the War” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Daniel Bambaata Marley “Waiting for the War” Official Music Video

    “We’re The Last of the Mohicans, Last of a Dying Breed”

    If you ain’t up on Daniel Bambaata Marley yet, time to play catch-up. His first release, “My Girl,” a combination with his cousin Jo Mersa, touched the road in 2010. He sang the rootsy love song “Treat You Right” on Ghetto Youths International’s first Set Up Shop compilation. More recently, his track “Free It Up” was a standout on Inner Circle’s “Tenement Yard” juggling. Boomshots now presents the video for his latest release, “Waiting for the War.” like his name itself, this tune reflects two mighty musical legacies. Rooted in the reggae his grandfather Bob first spread around the world, the song explodes (tick-tick-boom) into a fusillade of bars that bounce between dancehall and hip hop cadences that would bring a smile to the face of the Universal Zulu Nation founder. As the eldest son of Ziggy Marley, Daniel is wary not to be pigeon-holed as some sort of carbon copy. No danger of that—he’s inherited his father’s taste for restless musical experimentation, and for a second-generation Jamaican youth raised in Miami it’s only fitting that Daniel embodies a complex of cultural influences. “False prophets are prophesying on some shit they’ll never see / While watching television wondering who’s watching me,” Daniel rhymes on the gritty track, which presents a surprisingly bleak world view for a 25-year-old. “My aim is to love,” he asserts in the same verse before noting that “We’re the last of the Mohicans, the last of a dying breed.” Welcome to the new age. Video After the Jump… (more…)

  • Super Cat Confirmed for Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise

    Super Cat Confirmed for Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise

    The Wild Apache Will Be On Board—Nah Tek Back No Chat

    Not content to be merely awesome, the second annual Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise continues to up the artistic ante. Yesterday Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley’s official cruise Facebook page made a late-breaking announcement: dancehall reggae legend Super Cat has just been confirmed for both of the five-night cruises from Miami to Jamaica and back. (Cat joins an already excpetional lineup, ranging from Jr. Gong to Barrington Levy to Capleton and Popcaan and many many more.) After a lengthy hiatus from the music business, the Wild Apache rallied forward in 2013, taking the music scene by storm with a surprise appearance alongside Shaggy in NYC. Since then Cat made a historic return to Jamaica for Sting 2013 and has continued to perform select spot dates for various groups of fans fortunate enough to witness history in the making every time the Don Dada steps on the stage. With the all-star sound system lineup on board this year’s cruises (including Jammy’s, Saxon, Metro Media, and Black Scorpio to name a few) some truly legendary musical moments are likely to unfold on the high seas. Video & Booking Details After The Jump… (more…)

  • The Heatmakerz’ Baddest Reggae Samples

    The Heatmakerz’ Baddest Reggae Samples

    Rsonist Breaks Down The Reggae Roots Of The Heatmakerz’ Crack Music

    Gregory Green aka Rsonist was born in Mandeville, Jamaica and moved to NYC as a youth. He was fascinated by music all his life, and grew up to establish The Heatmakerz production team in the early 2000s. They made their name working with Cam’Ron and The Diplomats, as well as other big name rappers like Lil Wayne and Fat Joe. The Heatmakerz production style features lots of high-energy beats, sped-up soul loops, and reggae samples galore—a sound that came to be known as “Crack Music.” After shooting an episode of Rhythm Roulette for our peoples at Mass Appeal, Rsonist spoke with Boomshots and broke down the inspiration behind some of his best-known reggae flips. Interview After The Jump & Countdown Above In The Gallery (more…)

  • Chronixx & Dre Island Shock Out In Central London

    Chronixx & Dre Island Shock Out In Central London

    Zinc Fence Redemption Rock Out In A NeoClassical Courtyard Overlooking the River Thames

    As Chronixx  and his trusty Zinc Fence Redemption band continue stampeding through the UK on the Reparations Tour, certain moments seem to stand out as obvious milestones. This weekend’s historic performance at Somerset House, a landmark neoclassical building in central London just overlooking the River Thames, would surely qualify as one of those moments. Opening act Dre Island took the vibes way up, playing the piano, singing, and DJing with the Zinc Fence Redemption. Then it was time for the Steam Minister to come through and make sure everything stay way way up. Staging a massive reggae concert in such a stately setting as Somerset House a powerful statement, especially when the artist in question has embarked upon his “Reparations Tour” as is singing songs like “Captcha Land” and “Start A Fire” and “Here Comes Trouble.” Video & Photos After The Jump…
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  • Jah Cure Speaks on The Cure Album: “I’m trying something new with a new feel—we need that in reggae.”

    Jah Cure Speaks on The Cure Album: “I’m trying something new with a new feel—we need that in reggae.”

    “I’m trying to implement some of the old and modify it and move forward,” says Cure.

    From the first single, to the first video, to the first glimpse of the cover art, Jah Cure’s latest album—titled simply The Cure—has had in suspense for months now. At last the waiting is over and we can dive into the fullness of Cure’s sixth studio album. Featuring hits like “All of Me,” “That Girl,” and “Life We Live,” the fourteen-track album was produced by Cure himself, who says he hopes the album we help usher in a new sound within reggae music. Right now the #WorldSinger is over in Europe blazing a trail for Jamaican music. But in the days just before the album dropped, Boomshots caught up with Cure via telephone to talk about his latest work of art. Interview After the Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Michael Rose “Warrior”

    HEAR THIS: Michael Rose “Warrior”

    Bless Up the Grammy Winner From Waterhouse On Another Earthstrong

    “Life is a gamble,” sings Michael “Grammy” Rose on the title track from his powerful 2007 roots rock reggae album produced by the Twilight Circus crew. “Cease fire!” Since joining forces with Black Uhuru in 1977, Rose has remained at the forefront of reggae music outernationally—whether by cultivating and celebrating a “Stalk of Sinsemilla” or shaking up society with “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner,” bouncing to the “Sponji Reggae” or collecting the first ever Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album with Uhuru’s Anthem. As Mr. Rose marks his 58th birthday today, Boomshots salute a musical soldier who never cease fire yet, just like the youths of Eglington with them Remington. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Alborosie “Rocky Road” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Alborosie “Rocky Road” Official Music Video

    Puppa Albo On Some Real-Life Shit

     

    Alborosie reflects on the cycle of life and his own mortality in this thought-provoking video, portaying himself in a few years’ time, with grey dreads watching videotapes of the memories of his life. Come to think of it, the last time Boomshots caught up with Puppa Albo he was talking about being a father and contemplating retirement one day. Our bredren Frenchie at Maximum Sound just forwarded us this tune, which was produced, played, arranged, and mixed by Puppa Albo at Shengen Studios, so thankfully the artist shows no signs of slowing down at this moment. Still let’s make sure to apprecilove our artists while they’re here making sweet music. Bless up. Video After the Jump… (more…)
  • WATCH THIS: Fuse ODG “Top of my Charts” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Fuse ODG “Top of my Charts” Official Music Video

    The UK Afro-Beat Star Drops Some Straight Lovers Rock

    Born in Ghana and based in London, Fuse ODG champions a musical wave known as AfroBeat in the UK, but to island ears it sometimes sounds a lot like reggae music. On this particular track—which hits stoees next week—he’s taking it straight to Jamrock by way of West London. After all it was the UK that pioneered the whole Lovers’ Rock movement. The video has a nice block party vibes—special request to all the lovers who know they’re in it to win it. Video After The Jump… (more…)