Boomshots

Category: Real Talk

  • Skillibeng Creates “Cinema for Ears” on ‘The Prodigy’ Skilltape

    Skillibeng Creates “Cinema for Ears” on ‘The Prodigy’ Skilltape

    Reasoning With Mr. Universe

    It’s not easy to make a name for yourself in the midst of a viral pandemic, but as Skillibeng explains on his smash hit “Mr. Universe,” he’s built for this. “From before Corona me social distance,” spits Skilli, who celebrated his 24th birthday today with the release of his highly anticipated project, The Prodigy Skilltape, and an interview with Reshma B of Boomshots. It’s been a breakthrough year for the artist known as The Fresh Prince. On the strength of his relentless creativity and tireless work ethic, Skillibeng has emerged as the face of dancehall’s new era. Video After The Jump…
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  • WATCH THIS: Jada Kingdon “Green Dreams” Official Music Video & Exclusive Interview

    WATCH THIS: Jada Kingdon “Green Dreams” Official Music Video & Exclusive Interview

    Twinkle Secures The Bag

    2020 will not go down as the easiest year in history, but Jada Kingdom has made the best of a tough situation. “It’s been a difficult year for everybody,” she says, “but I have channeled all my energy into being creative.” The Jamaican recording artist and swimwear designer can look back over a year of successes, from her mixtape E-Syde Queen: The Twinkle Playlist to  features on Popcaan’s red-hot Yiy Change Fixtape and Vybz Kartel’s soul-baring To Tanisha project. Back in August we premiered the music video for “Budum,” her first single for Diplo’s Mad Decent label, and watched her career launch to another level. She recently graced the cover of Tidal’s 2020 Reggae & Dancehall Rising playlist. And today she wraps the year up with a brand new music video, “Green Dreams.” Video After The Jump…
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  • Koffee Opens Up About “Lockdown”

    Koffee Opens Up About “Lockdown”

    “Where Will We GO?”

    There’s still a lot of time left in Summer 2020, but on this last day of July we are declaring Koffee’s “Lockdown” Boomshots official 2020 Summer anthem. Produced by Dane “Raygad” Ray from the Unruly camp, the song finds Koffee asking all of the questions everybody in the world is asking themselves right now. What will the future be like “when the quaratine thing done and everybody touch road?” As soon as we heard this tune we knew it was outta here! (That was way before we saw the video with cameos from Popcaan and Dre Island.) More than just a Covid-era contemplation, “Lockdown” is also a poignant love song that speaks to the challenges of romance during a time of viral pandemic. As such, it represents a milestone in Koffee’s catalog. At the ripe old age of 20, the youngest Reggae Grammy winner in history has given us her first love song—and without overthinking it one bit, she might just have given us a follow-up to rival her breakthrough smash “Toast.” When you hear Koffee sing “if you love me, you should let me…” it’s clear she is in her feelings on this one. Of course everybody wants to know who this song was inspired by, but all we can say about that is just cool. In her first interview since “Lockdown” dropped, Koffee tapped in with Reshma B via Instagram Live and spoke about the inspiration behind the tune.  Video After The Jump… 

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  • HEAR THIS: Unified Highway “The Truth” PREMIERE

    HEAR THIS: Unified Highway “The Truth” PREMIERE

    Brand New Sounds From The Dynamic Duo

    In the words of Robert Nesta Marley, “The truth is an offense, but not a sin.” The lyrics of Bob Marley’s song “Jah Live ” ring out even truer than ever in this era of fake news and propaganda spin with lives hanging in the balance. The latest single from Unified Highway finds the dynamic duo of Eric Rachmany (lead vocalist for Rebelution) and DJ/remixer Amp Live (formerly of Zion I) opens with an uncomfortably harsh statement “You’ve been lied to.” One of the last songs written for UH’s new album Headlines, which drops April 24th, “The Truth” floats along on a stark digital rhythm driven by synth chops as cold as a politician’s heart. “It couldn’t come at a more relevant time considering all the different statistics and statements presented by government and media,” said the band via email. “It makes you wonder what truly is factual. Even without lyrics, this song tells its own story instrumentally.” Audio After The Jump…

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  • IShawna Still Fighting For “Equal Rights”

    IShawna Still Fighting For “Equal Rights”

    The Battle of the Bow Cats Rages On

    Dancehall has long had  love/hate relationship with oral sex, but ever since Ishawna dropped her Ed Sheeran remix “Equal Rights and Justice,” a topic that’s been kept under cover for many years is not front and center. In an in-depth piece for Pigeons & Planes, the Reggae Girl About Town explores changes in social attitudes by-way-of song lyrics and insightful anaylsis.  “Most people think of dancehall as a very free and sexually charged genre, but Jamaica’s strong conservative Christian tradition extends to the music, particularly in “Bowcat” lyrics,” Reshma B writes. The story traces the origins of the Bowcat concept back to Shabba Ranks and traces it forward to Vybz Kartel and Wayne Marshall who sang: “Why you chewin’ it when you should be screwin’ it? I know you never see a curry or a stew in it!” With such a long-standing tradition Ishawna’s song was nothing less than a lyrical revolution with bars like ”Boy, me nah go compromise / Me wan’ feel how your head feels between mi thighs.” Coming 21 years after Lil’ Kim’s “Not Tonight” —the song where Queen B declared “You ain’t lickin’ this, you ain’t stickin’ this!”— “Equal Rights” has stirred up more backlash than Kim did in the ’90s.  Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Chronixx “Likes”

    HEAR THIS: Chronixx “Likes”

    The First Single From Chronology Arrives

    “Ah no everybody ah go like we,” sings Chronixx, “still we irie.” Over a pulsating electronic rhythm, produced by the artist himself, Chronixx defies “reggae revival” expectations as he reflects on what really matters to him, and to music lovers the world over. On the surface this is a song about artistic substance over social media hype, but a careful listen reveals a pointed critique of the state of Jamaican music at a moment when the world is rocking to reggae rhythms. “Nuff a them still stuck inna the quicksand,” he sings. “A Gentleman me hear ah play a Finland.” Point being that artists who are satisified with “running di place” in Jamaica may be missing the bigger picture. “We never buck them up pon no flight,” Chronixx observes. “We never see them pon tour life.” Speaking of which, the Chronology North America tour, supported by Jah9, Jesse Royal, and Kelissa, kicks off March 2nd and runs through April 30th. Who no like it vex.  Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Protoje “Blood Money”

    HEAR THIS: Protoje “Blood Money”

    Real Talk Without Any Apology

    From “Kingston Be Wise” to “Sudden Flight,” Protoje has made a habit of speaking unspoken truths without apology. His latest release “Blood Money” takes that fearless outspoken-ness to new heights. “Police cancel operation, cause no real badman go a station,” states (who changed his Twitter handle to BLXXDCLXT), dropping lyrical truth bombs over Winta James’ stark rub-a-dub riddim, which has been bubbling on Jamaican radio for the past several weeks. “Blood money run the nation,” he chants on the chorus. “This song is so socially relevant, people connect to it on first listen,” he told the FADER who premiered the video.” It’s speaking about things that are collectively on all of our minds, that we all want to talk about, and I’m using my voice to bring these topics to the forefront of conversation… With all that is happening in Jamaica, criticism is often one-sided and directed to the have-nots—the people who have less are made to seem like the problem in society. This is unfair, hypocritical, and widely inaccurate. This song seeks to bring about certain conversations, to talk about what is really happening in our society.” Check the red-hot visuals courtesy of Taj Francis. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Jah9 “Unafraid” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Jah9 “Unafraid” Official Music Video

    Lioness Order Lays Down The Law

    A lot of times when an artist starts to grow in popularity they tend to avoid rocking the boat and shun material that some may find controversial. That isn’t the case with Jah9 who has just released a video for the song “Unafraid,” which deals with the taboo subject of child molestation. When she sings “Nasty likkle teacher bwoy touching on my nephew, stirring up the dragon in my head,” the outrage is understandable. But lines like “Willing to stick a head ‘pon a fence” will definitely make some people uncomfortable. Boomshots reached out to the artist for some insight. “We’re not promoting violence,” she explained, “but we’re not promoting complacency about such a serious thing.” Video and Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Slim Smith “Rougher Yet”

    HEAR THIS: Slim Smith “Rougher Yet”

    Special Request to the Trump Posse

    Those who happened to be in London when the Brexit vote went down will recognize the sense of disbelief sweeping America on this morning after. It soon became clear that many people didn’t actually understand what they had voted for. (Google searches for “What is Brexit?” and “What is the EU?” spiked just AFTER the referendum was passed.) The same holds true in this disgraceful presidential race, and as with Brexit, the repercussions of Trump’s victory are just beginning. Audio & Argument After The Jump… (more…)

  • “Nothing Can Harm Me” Remembering Countryman

    “Nothing Can Harm Me” Remembering Countryman

    A Man Who Represented Rastafari In Real Life

    After battling cancer for years, the death of Edwin “Countryman” Lothan hit his friends and fans very hard. Though he passed away September 18th, obituaries are just starting to appear in the international press for this simple Rasta fisherman who appeared in a feature story in Rolling Stone magazine in 1973, a living symbol of Rastafari at a time when few Americans had even heard of reggae music. Nine years later he starred in the film Countryman, produced by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. He lived a simple life according to strict principles of Rastafari. All the obituaries mention these facts, but this is what I remember, the Countryman I knew. Essay After The Jump… (more…)

  • RIDDIM UP: The “Different Eyes” Juggling

    RIDDIM UP: The “Different Eyes” Juggling

    A Warm & Easy Reality Set Featuring Jahmiel, Vershon, Sizzla & Delly Ranx

    Over the past half century or so Jamaican music has evolved through so many different styles and sounds that it can sometimes be hard to discern the various strands of musical DNA. From mento and calypso to jazz and bluebeat on through ska, rocksteady, reggae and dancehall, the musical morphology continues to this day. Boomshots’ Riddim Up series digs deep into certain outstanding riddims, seeking to identify the unique qualities that make them certified Boomshots. We kick off today with “Different Eyes,” a new juggling from Pure Music Productions, distributed by the mighty 21st Hapilos Digital, which hit iTunes today. The understated, slow-burning instrumental is a prime example of the sonic changes within modern dancehall.  Because none of the usual hallmarks of vintage reggae or dancehall are present—from the drum pattern to the familar “skank” guitar or piano—we have to hear the Different Eyes with different ears. Even the bassline is subtle, overpowered by a mournful, hypnotic guitar figure and a few gentle rimshots. The minimalist riddim sets a mood that inspires all the vocalists to hold a similar vibe. Each tune on the riddim complements the ones that come before and after it, and the whole becomes one unified statement that’s greater than the sum of its parts.  Audio & Track-By-Track Review After The Jump… (more…)

  • Vybz Kartel or Buju Banton: Which Show Would You Attend?

    Vybz Kartel or Buju Banton: Which Show Would You Attend?

    Imagine: Two Big DJs, One Night Only—The Choice Is Yours

    If you’re a reggae and dancehall fan then you know some of the music’s biggest stars are stuck behind bars. While Busy Signal and Jah Cure have happily come home, Vybz Kartel and Buju Banton are still in captivity. And even though The World Boss finds a way to keep the streets supplied with new tunes on a fairly regular basis, we haven’t seen either artist live in YEARS. Just imagine if both artists were released for just one day, to perform a show for their fans. Now—hypothetically speaking—imagine that both shows were happening on the same night (not in the same place, mind you). In other words, if you had to choose between seeing Kartel or Buju live—right now—which show would you attend? That was the question Chiney K posed to a sampling of her fellow Jamaicans. The results were pretty interesting to say the least. Let’s just say which artist you choose reveals a lot about your personality. Video After The Jump… (more…)