Boomshots

Category: Rastafari

  • “LAVAAA!!!” The Irie Flame of I-Wayne

    “LAVAAA!!!” The Irie Flame of I-Wayne

    Lava Splash! Fire Dash! Everything Burn To Ash

    Sunday September 4th marked Irie Jam’s 23rd Anniversary concert spotlighting Sizzla Kalonji’s return-to-New-York performance after eight long years of absence. The supporting superstar line-up to the sizzling stage show included an artist who personifies lines from Kalonji’s “King in the Jungle.”  Seated up so high, yet so humble, I-Wayne brought his celestial presence and the hard/soft balance of his cool and deadly style to the Irie Jam Radio massive in the leafy green confines of Roy Wilkins Park. Mainstream airwaves aren’t the lane for I-Wayne. As the Prophet Capleton once put it, he is on a mission, not in a competition. To see him truly manifest is to catch him live in the flesh. After a seething set that made knowledge born that his musical ministry is service to the people—not about bulleting Billboard or gaining Grammys—we linked up with the Loyal Soliders Promotion crew backstage. I-Wayne broke it down with Boomshots as to what the Irie Jam performance meant to him, burning a righteous fire, and shedding light on the livity of a lava lyricist. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Reasoning with Capleton: “Music Is A Mission”

    Reasoning with Capleton: “Music Is A Mission”

    Throwback Q&A with The Prophet • New York City 2000 A.D.

    I had been listening to Capleton for years before I got the chance to interview him at Def Jam Records offices on Varick Street in Manhattan. He sat smoking beedies and a spliff with his manager Stuart Brown a.k.a. African Star in the record label conference room. Capleton’s first album for Def Jam, Prophecy, consisted of pretty much straight hardcore tracks from Jamaica, although the new one, I Testament, was a bit more “smooved out” shall we say, showing more influence from label A&Rs. But King Shango’s mental state was the same irresistible force it has ever been. He was named after a well-known local barrister, the lawyer Capleton, and the DJ’s reasoning is always forceful, like a prosecutor giving the closing argument on the biggest case of his life. Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Chronixx x Eesah “Perfect Tree” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Chronixx x Eesah “Perfect Tree” Official Music Video

    Chronixx x Eesah Engage in a Melodic Steam Session

    Chronixx opens with horns blazing, as he rides effortlessly over the beat from Black Star’s “Respiration” exhaling words of righteousness: “High grade never hurt nobody. Let herb be free on earth nuh daddy.” You’ve guessed it: it’s another ganja anthem, but this one requires a higher meditation to fully comprehend the meaning behind the “Perfect Tree.” Let’s begin with origins of Rastafari and the Legalize It movement. Bob Marley and the Wailers advocated for the legalization of herbs for the masses. Peter Tosh was a vocal proponent of green living throughout the ’70s. Before the Wailers, a man by the name of Leonard Howell built the Pinnacle as a sustainable community in colonial Jamaica with an economic base of agriculture and yup, marijuana. Video After The Jump…

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  • Reasoning With Rassi Hardknocks About “Legal,” A Reggae Song for the Movement

    Reasoning With Rassi Hardknocks About “Legal,” A Reggae Song for the Movement

    In Comes A Brand New Marijuana Anthem for 2016

    The stink of Marijuana vapors is creating a cloud cover that commands our attention. For the first time since the 1913 Ganja Law, which was strictly enforced by the island’s government, the citizens of Jamaica now have the opportunity to use recreational marijuana. Whether one smokes or not, the whole concept of legalizing the infamous green leaf  highlights the mainstreaming of the Marijuana Movement.  Audio & Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • Micah Shemaiah: The Man, Music and Message

    Micah Shemaiah: The Man, Music and Message

    Interview with The Original Dread

    During Yaadcore’s recent sets in New York at Downtown Top Ranking with Deadly Dragon Sound at The Delancey  and Sattama Sundays with Stateside Revolution at Bar 13, he played several Micah Shemaiah tunes that ignited the dance floor with skanking and flickering of lighters. Based on the audience response to his music, we interviewed The Original Dread and discovered that this artist has a breadth of experience which impacts his music and message. Interview After The Jump…

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  • Rastaman Refix: Ily Culcha featuring Isaac Faith

    Rastaman Refix: Ily Culcha featuring Isaac Faith

     The 2014 hit “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea featuring CharlieXCX was an instant  number 1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart. One of the main reasons for this was the jumpy beat which caused palpitations in reggae and hip hop. The beat was coproduced by The Invisible Men (Jason Pebworth, George Astasio, and Job Shave) and The Arcade (Kurtis Mckenzie and Jon Mills).

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  • Jah Cure: The Cure

    Jah Cure: The Cure

    Jah Cure’s third studio album, The Cure (VP records), holds steady at the number 1 spot on the Billboard Top Reggae Album Chart, for one month since its release on July 10.  On this new album Jah Cure’s superb vocals are presented with multiple lyrical themes. In addition, Jah Cure said he worked hard to step up the production on this album, in an effort to improve the quality of his overall sound.  He provided a creative platform for up and coming producers like Justin “Jus Bus” Nation, Llamar “Riff Raff” Brown, Christopher “Sketch” Carey and Trevor “Baby G” Washington. He also sought the expertise of  top of the line producer, Maurice “Clive” Hunt.

    Album Review After The Jump… (more…)

  • Til Shiloh: Blessed Earthstrong Buju Banton

    Til Shiloh: Blessed Earthstrong Buju Banton

    It’s not an easy road, but once we have life, we have the opportunity to live, dream and hope. On his earthstrong, we salute the reggae icon, Grammy winning artist, Buju Banton and the amazing music he blessed the world with so far. As Gargamel marks his 42nd birthday behind bars—having instructed his defense team to cease all appeals, and looking forward to his release in 2019—we remember the words he told Boomshots many years ago: Buju: “Well nothing last forever and one thing I hope and pray… that is that all man and all true works must receive their justice. We are not just pawns here to make you dance and gyrate. We are here to uplift, educate you, and to stimulate you in all ways and every way. Yes?”  More After The Jump… (more…)

  • FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Phillip Fraser “God of My Righteousness”

    FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Phillip Fraser “God of My Righteousness”

    Reggae Music Legend in the Mecca of Music and Culture, Brooklyn

    The sun was shinning bright as I walked along New York Avenue, in Brooklyn, New York. I was greeted by a Rastafarian King, left hand over the heart,  wearing a sunny yellow hat with a  polo to match. I tipped my black shades to take a closer look at the face of the person greeting me and it was the living legend himself, Phillip Fraser!  He was shocked that I recognized who he was. I said “Great music is great music!” Known for albums  like “Come Ethiopians” (1974, Freedom Sound Label), “Back to Africa” (1978, Different Records, original recording with Busta Riley, Winston Riley’s brother) featuring Earth and Stone, “Blood of the Saint” (1983), “Never Let Go” (1991, Razor Sound Records), “Phillip Fraser: Sharp Like Razor” (1993, Razor Sound Records),  “More Phillip Fraser” (2015, Razor Sound Records) and a plethora of complication albums and productions. If you appreciate roots reggae and lovers rock, you have to know this artists’ anthology of music. Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • Royalty In NYC: Jesse Royal and The King Suns at SOBs

    Royalty In NYC: Jesse Royal and The King Suns at SOBs

    The Palace Pickney Delivers An Emancipation Message During Bob Marley EarthStrong Weekend

    Not many artists can fill SOBs on a snowy winter night with temperatures in the twenties. But Jesse Royal is not just any artist. So this past Monday night, his first time performing at the legendary night club he had a toe-to-toe, overflowing crowd out early. The crowd got warm and cozy with some blazing hits by Lionface (Lion King), Max Glazer & Kenny Meez (Federation Sound), DJ Gravy & Micro Don (Rice N’ Peas), Rob Kenner, SeeBorn, and Charlie Brown (BBC Hi-Fi). The temperature kept rising throughout Jah Bami and Knight Blade’s live session—heightened by a rousing performance of their viral hit “I Got That Weed”—before the special surprise guest was announced by the Host, Rob Kenner.  More After The Jump…

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  • Jah9: Jazz on Dub

    Jah9: Jazz on Dub

    Roots Reggae Queen, Jah9 is all set and ready to deliver a Holistic Dub Experience to her New York fans at Milk River Restaurant & Lounge tonight!

    Jazz and Dub blends together for a musical massage with an extraordinary sound. The slow sound waves of dub, allow the lyrics to ride over the beat, in a synchronized fashion. This speed enables the listener to focus on the lyrics, so it comes as no surprise that, Janine “Jah9” Cunningham, entitled her East Coast Tour, “Jazz on Dub.” The tour to promote her debut album, “New Name” hits Brooklyn, New York tonight. More After The Jump…

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  • Flashback Friday: Dennis Emmanuel Brown “Here I Come (Love and Hate)”

    Flashback Friday: Dennis Emmanuel Brown “Here I Come (Love and Hate)”

    Timeless Words of Wisdom From Reggae’s Crown Prince

    Dennis Emmanuel Brown released his debut album, No Man Is An Island, to the world in 1969. At 12 years old, the singer saw instant success, which foreshadowed his bright career of nearly 80 albums. This Flashback Friday, we musically livicate the “Crown Prince of Reggae” on his Earthstrong weekend, through the lyrics of his 1977 smash hit, “Here I Come” (Love and Hate).  More After The Jump…

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