Video After The Jump…
Rising reggae singer I-Voltage livicates this tune to all the hard-working people who hustle every day to put food on the table and support their families. The ones who create their own job, cause they know they’re not gonna tief and rob. From the bag juice man to the high grade and grabba, from Coronation Market to Arcade—you can’t knock the hustle. Video After The Jump… (more…)
Peep The Poetic Title Track From The American Reggae Ensemble’s Forthcoming Album
“This is the life for me,” proclaimed Joshua Swain on the bouncy single “Set Sail,”, backed by the rhythm section of Jason “Smiles” Schmidt on bass and Gary Jackson on drums—who together comprise The Movement. The members of the band, who hail from Columbia, South Carolina and Philadelphia, PA, do not speak in patois or pretend to be Rastas. They express their love for reggae simply by making good music. Since “Set Sail” The Movement’s music and fanbase have evolved considerably. The first single from their forthcoming album, Golden is called “Dancehall,” and while it features our bredren UK Mr. Williamz the slow-burning tune is not really a dancehall cut per se, and it’s actually all about a girl, as so many of the best things in life are. Today we premiere the title track of the new album (which drops April 8 via a intriguing new nonprofit reggae foundation called Rootfire Cooperative.) “Golden” features guest vocals from Elliot Martin of John Brown’s Body. Swain explains why “Golden”—with those frenetic junglistic drums (played live by the way)—is his favorite track on the new record: “Elliot Martin really adds something special that takes this song to another level.” The song itself is a a play on a Robert Frost poem dating from 1923. almost a rebuttal. We’re trying to say that some things that are “gold” can stay. Hearts, souls, emotions, and energy can linger forever even if only in another dimension beyond our understanding.” Got it? Good. OK, let’s get to the music. Audio After The Jump… (more…)
Songs For Deep Thought and Meditation
The color is purple, signifying a richness in color or potency. Purple lyrics have a wealth of consciousness that takes you to higher heights. Most of the songs were selected for purple lyrics or purple live performances in studio or concert that etch an indelible mark on the canvas of the mind. Playlist After The Jump… (more…)
The Gargamel Tells His Fans To Be Patient—A Boomshots Exclusive
It’s been 7 years since Buju Banton was incarcerated due to an extremely problematic federal drug case, and his voice has been sorely missed within the reggae industry ever since. The Grammy-winning artist responsible for classic albums like Til Shiloh and Inna Heights recently sent a message to his listeners exclusively via Boomshots. “Give a shout out to the fans for me,” said the DJ, who is scheduled to be released from prison in December 2018. “Tell them I send my love and I tell them: Do not be distracted by all the things that are taking place around them because it is designed to throw them off kilter.” Full Statement After The Jump… (more…)
Maybe You Can Handle The Ride—But Can You Handle The Truth?
It may be true that women are far and few between in the reggae industry. But there’s no disputing the fact that Tanya Stephen is one of the best in the business. And not the good for a female—she’s one of the greatest songwriters Jamaican music history, full stop. Tanya has written some of the baddest tunes ever and has never let herself be pigeonholed into other peoples perception of what an artist should be. Whether singing about taking another woman’s man or exploring other sensitive real-life situations, Tanya continues to keep it all the way real, bringing her listeners along wherever her imagination takes her. After two decades in the game she’s still growing as an artist, and we still haven’t found anybody to rival her talent. During the latest Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise, she blessed Boomshots with an in-depth interview with no subject off limits, from sex to religion to general stupidness and why she doesn’t like to clash. She even shared her true thoughts on marriage—”whoever decided that marriage should be an institution should be instituionalized!”—despite the fact that she is currently married. Tanya will be performing at SXSW during this year’s Irie Jam x Boomshots SXSW Reggae Showcase. Whether you’re in the house or not, take a moment to get to know one of the most fascinating minds around. Just make sure you fasten your seatbelt, cause this is going to be a wild ride. Videos After The Jump…
W&R Projects x Irie Jam x Boomshots Link Up To Make Music History
Launching as a regional music festival in 1987, SXSW (pronounced “South By Southwest”) has grown by leaps and bounds to become one of the biggest cultural events in the world—expanding to a nine-day marathon encompassing Film and Interactive as well as Music. Major motion pictures like Neighbors, 21 Jump Street, and Bridesmaids as well as the TV series Girls have premiered and secured distribution deals at SXSW. Major digital startups like Twitter and Foursquare debuted at SXSW. But music is the lifeblood of the festival, with over 28,000 artists participating last year, from unknown hopefuls (John Mayer and James Blunt are just two of the future stars to be discovered at SXSW in years past) to bonafide megastars (Kanye West, Prince, Lil Wayne and Jay Z have all performed there in recent years). One area that has been woefully under-represented at SXSW has been Reggae. But this year, W&R Projects have linked with Irie Jam and Boomshots to represent reggae and dancehall music to the world at this influential gathering of media tastemakers and industry power-players. Details After The Jump… (more…)
Revolutionary Sounds From One of Tuff Gong’s Finest
Back in 1980 Bob Marley was recruiting fresh talents as he prepared to build his Tuff Gong label into the Jamaican answer to Motown. One of his signees was a singer named Nadine Sutherland, who cut a single called “A Young One Like Me” for the Tuff Gong label. Unfortunately, Marley’s time on earth would be cut short and plans for Tuff Gong changed accordingly, but young Sutherland would continue her musical journey. She collaborated with Terror Fabulous on the Dave Kelly–produced 1994 smash hit “Action” and built a distinguished catalog of solo hits for producers like Donovan Germaine at Penthouse and Fattis Burrell at Xterminator. Most recently Nadine linked with UK dubmaster Mad Professor to record “Inna Mi Blood,” a blazing piece of rebel music that would surely make the Tuff Gong proud. “I am very passionate about the message in this song,” said the singer, who celebrates her birthday today. “It was written from observing the rise of racism in America and the subsequent deaths of African Americans as a result of it. I guess my roots have caught up with me. My association with Bob Marley was an influence too. This song is my tribute to Rastafari and our freedom fighters.” Video After The Jump… (more…)
Maximum Sounds Wraps Up Something Strong
Carving out a niche in the sweet spot between uptempo roots and modern vintage dancehall, Frenchie’s Maximum Sounds imprint has emerged as one of the most consistent sources of quality reggae music. He just blessed up with a megamix of his latest juggling, a warm & easy midtempo bubble entitled “Blueberry Haze.” As the title suggests, you might want to wrap up a draw before you take in this preview of a juggling that includes standout performances by veterans like Christopher Martin & Mr. Vegas as well as fresh voices like Randy Valentine and Vershon. And no, you’re not too high—Tairo is actually singing in French. Audio After The Jump… (more…)
Chino & Di Genius Stirring Up Some Revolutionary Sounds
Just because they haven’t been dominating the JA juggling like one time, don’t sleep on the Big Ship Crew. Di Genius has been keeping busy on the production tip, making hits with UK Afrobeat star Fuse ODG and earning a Grammy nomination for his work on Mali Music’s album. He and Supa Dups recently produced Michael Franti’s entire album—and he’s preparing his Labwork compilation featuring dancehall joints with artists like Konshens and Popcaan. Meanwhile the Captain himself, reggae legend Freddie McGregor, will be dropping an album of his own this year. To kick off what looks to be a big 2016, here’s the first cut off the G.M.T.A. project featuring McGregor brothers Chino and Stephen dropping revolutionary lyrics over a rub-a-dub riddim. Perfect soundtrack for troubled times. Video After The Jump… (more…)
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…
The Lyrics We Listen To Affect The Beat of Our Hearts
The music of the body is the heart beat. A healthy heart depends on good nutrition and exercise. However, in terms of overall homeostasis, emotional and spiritual factors also affect the heart. If one is scared, the sympathetic nervous system reacts in a “flight or fight” reaction to increase cardiac output by increasing the heart rate. Research shows that prayer and meditation can synchronize the vital signs (breathing rate, heart rate, blood pressure and temperature) of the body. Based on these observations, one can hypothesize that the music we listen to affects the heart rate. Even more so than the loudness of the bassline, the lyrics evoke feelings and thoughts. This is a positive playlist of songs that refer to God and Love for a peaceful mediation.
Healthy Heart Playlist After The Jump (more…)
A Song With The Clever Interpolation of A Reworded Nursery Rhyme
Tonight, we “Wheel and Pull Back” the hands of time to a song that touched the hearts of many in 1992 and continues to play with heart strings in 2016. Lindon Andrew Roberts aka Half Pint developed his vocals singing in the choir as a child, and that voice created some of the greatest releases in Reggae including: “Greetings,” “Substitute Lover,” “Winsome,” “Just Be Good To Me,”and “Giving/Sharing,” to name a few. Let’s hone into the reggae classic, “Substitute Lover.” Audio After The Jump (more…)