Crossover and outside of core
Di Playground Riddim Ah No Play Play Ting
South London grimesters K&K serve up hip hop and grime on their new mixtape The Long Way Home. The breakout single, featuring DJ Mustard on the beats and Chi-town singer Jeremih on the hook, has a definite dancehall flavor—inspired by the mighty Playground Riddim—which inspired Beenie and Papi to give it a refix. Check the levels. Audio After The Jump… (more…)
Free Weezy Album Cut Says The Youth in New Orleans Have Two Choices
Who cares about a multimillion-dollar-lawsuit? Lil Wayne dropped his Free Weezy album on July 4th just as he promised his fans. Tunechi’s spitting straight fire on this album, especially Track #8. “First degree murda,” Jr. “One Blood” Reid sings on the hook. “Beg them don’t push it further / This ah no beef fe mek burger / The youth them strapped with them burner.” You get the picture. In his verse Weezy suggests that “we’re living in a time when the 10 Commandments are now suggestions.” Audio After The Jump… (more…)
Nuh Fraid Fi Bruck Out And Whine
Early July is such a great time for reggae music. There isn’t really one dominant song of the summer yet, but there’s lots of candidates for the title. The result is an explosion of creativity and excitement that goes on and on. Ricky Blaze just forward a link fresh outta his basement studio inna Flatbush BK. Seems the big bad producer linked up with the year-to-year singer Mr. Easy like bloodcleet Sunday Morning. The fruits of their label is a musical thing called “Bashment Gal.” Classical dancehall vibes, Boomshots certified. Audio After The Jump… (more…)
First Jamaican Release To Crack Top 10 Since Sean Paul’s “Get Busy”
What could be a more natural combination than reggae and summertime? Last year the Canadian band MAGIC! made the connection with their pop smash “Rude.” But it’s been quite a while since a Jamaican reggae song was the anthem of the Summer—twelve years ago, to be exact, when Sean Paul’s “Get Busy” was on its way to the top of the U.S. pop charts. But according to the latest Billboard Hot 100 chart, OMI’s 2012 jawn “Cheerleader”—which has been dominating the charts in Europe on the strength of a tasty remix by German DJ Felix Jaehn—is now a Top 10 single. And Billboard is already talking about OMI sneaking in to become 2015’s official “song of the summer.” Video After The Jump… (more…)
Bam Bam Inna Different Stylee
Born in the Bronx to parents from the Dominican Republic, Kat DeLuna’s music has always shown a strong Jamaican influence. Her 2007 breakout single, “Whine Up,” featuring dancehall’s “Energy God” Elephant Man, has racked up 43 million views on Vevo. Eight years later she’s back on that sexy raggamuffin flex, sampling Sister Nancy’s Stalag riddim classic “Bam Bam” and flipping the lyrics from a female empowerment anthem—”MC is my ambition”—into a celebration of her (remarkable) “Bum Bum.” Trigger Trey joins in the fun, throwing in a little Shaggy “It Wasn’t Me” to seal the deal. The video is definitely NSFW because, really, what else could it be? True dem nuh know it’s from creation. Video After The Jump… (more…)
Pretty Flacko Bigs Up Buju Banton’s “Boom Bye Bye” …And Others
A$AP Rocky reps Harlem all day as one of the biggest rap stars in the world, but his dad was born in Barbados and he grew up loving dancehall reggae. While he was doing press for his new album ALLA. Rob Kenner of Boomshots asked him to pick his favorite reggae artists, which led to an interesting discussion of Buju’s controversial hit “Boom Bye Bye” as well as a very interesting chat about M.I.A. Rocky also spoke about directing A$AP Ferg’s video for “Shabba Ranks” and what it was like meeting the Big Dutty Stinkin’ Dancehall Emperor on the set. Apparently Shabba’s so turnt up, even the A$AP Mob can’t keep up. Video After The Jump… (more…)
First Album for VP Records Set For July 10, 2015 Release
Ever since last June, when we first heard his certified Boomshot “Life We Live” the Boomshots massive has been looking forward Jah Cure’s sixth studio album The Cure. Then in February came news that the singer had signed with V.P. Records. Today we finally got a first look at the criss album art, a track listing, and best of all, a release date. Less than two months from now, the waiting will be over. Tracklist After The Jump… (more…)
Miami Welcomes The Big Dutty Stinkin’ Dancehall Emperor
There are few entertainers in any genre who can match the raw energy of Shabba Ranks live on stage. But when A$AP Ferg shouted out Shabba a couple of years ago many younger fans had never seen the dancehall legend do his thing live. This Memorial Day weekend May 24 in Miami, everyone will get the chance to witness the Dancehall Emperor ripping up Best of the Best alongside the likes of Capleton, Beenie Man, and Lady Saw. Shabba’s prediction: “Underpants wet, sweat man come fi sweat, money get!” Video After The Jump… (more…)
How Them Fi Say Ganja Evil?
In comes a fresh cut high-grade ganja tune from the man called “Sniggy” outta the Head Concussion Records posse alongside the man called Konshens Sojah. How them fi say ganja evil. You dun know if haffi legal. Blaze it up. Audio After The Jump… (more…)
The Fam Ain’t New To This, They’re True To This
When it comes to roots, rock, reggae music, the Morgan Heritage family is not new to this, they’re true to this. So when they hear talk about a “reggae revival” happening in Jamaica—as if Reggae Music had passed away and was in need of resuscitation—the members of Morgan Heritage are uniquely qualified to speak on the matter. “Reggae music never gone nowhere,” Peetah Morgan tells Reshma B in an exclusive Boomshots interview. Their latest album is entitled Strictly Roots, but “don’t get it twisted” says Peetah—they can still sing about the sexy body ladies on songs like “Perform and Done” and Gramps can even DJ a verse and dash likkle coconut juice pon de ting. It’s all a part of the culture—uzeet? Strictly Roots drops today, so what better time to check out the reasoning. Video After The Jump… (more…)
Unity Is Strength, And Love & Hate Can Never Be Friends
During his 10 years in the music business David Constantine Brooks aka Singing Blacks aka Mavado has come a long way. Several years back his name was linked to the Gully vs. Gaza war but times have changed. Now a member of DJ Khaled’s We The Best Music Group, the Gully Gad recently dropped an historic remix featuring his former rival, Vybz Kartel, who is currently serving a life sentence for murder (with an appeal pending). “After a storm,” Mavado explains to Reshma B, “There must be a calm.” Audio After The Jump… (more…)
The Upsetter and Subatomic Sound Soon Touch The Road
Our bredren Emch of Subatomic Sound just blessed us with some never-before-seen footage of Lee “Scratch” Perry performing live in NYC back on May 17, 2012. This was his first time performing with that lineup—Emch on the beats and mix, Larry McDonald on percussion. Paul Zasky of Dubblestandart on bass. That same crew is about to roll out a U.S. tour starting tomorrow in ATL and culminating with the mother of all 4/20 jams in Denver, Colorado—the mile high state. Video After The Jump…
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