Boomshots

Category: Reggae

  • Sizzla’s European Tour Continues Despite Protest By Gay Activists

    Kalonji Muzik Issues Statement After A Gay Rights Group Pressured Stockholm Venue to Cancel Gig

    After kicking off last Friday in Milan, Sizzla Kalonji’s tour of Europe is off to a bumpy start. Even before the first show, controversy flared up over Sizzla’s fiery lyrical content. Gay activists pressured the Hornstull concert venue in Stockholm to cancel Sizzla’s appearance because they say his music advocates violence against homosexuals. Sizzla’s concert was soon re-booked at another venue and it appears that the show will go on. A statement sent by the artist’s Jamaica-based record company Kalonji Muzik asserted that the whole controversy stems from a misunderstanding of patois and dancehall culture: “The messages in the songs are based on words that have been misconstrued and mistranslated,” read the statement, which estimates that “90%” of Sizzla’s catalog is “uplifting, positive.” (No mention is made of the other 10%.) “We don’t see you attack Eminem or other musicians who make clear stances against these same issues in the hip-hop, rock, and pop industry,” the statement went on to say. “It makes us wonder if there is a bigger picture being painted here? Or is it the fact that they just have better lawyers and bigger companies making money from them?” Check out the full text of Kalonji Muzik’s official statement after the jump and let us know what you think… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS Damian Marley “Set Up Shop” & “Affairs Of The Heart” Live

    Damian, Stephen and Julian Marley Rock DJ Norie’s Anniversary Show In New York City

    The Marley brothers mashed up NYC’s Best Buy Theater last night—with a little help from the Ghetto Youths Crew, including Wayne Marshall, Spragga Benz, and Christophger Eliis, among others… Let’s just say it was a night to remember. In this exclusive video clip Jr. Gong thrills the crowd with a couple of his latest & greatest at DJ Norie’s anniversary jam.  (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Bruce Springsteen & Jimmy Cliff “The Harder They Come” Live Video

    The Boss Brought Out The Original Starbwoy For His Headlining Show At SXSW
    Photograph by Erin Fotos

    We’ve always liked Bruce Springsteen—he’s unpretentious by rock-star standards, his Born To Run album is a straight-up classic, and his E-Street band was no joke. Now we’ve got another reason. During his headlining set last week at SXSW 2012, the Boss brought out Jimmy Cliff, who tore the roof off the brand-new Austin City Limits concert hall.
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  • WATCH THIS: DJ Jazzy Jeff Droppin Boomshots

    Witness the World’s Greatest DJ at SXSW Mixing Rap, Reggae & Dancehall
    Red Bull’s Thre3Style Showcase saw the Magnificent Jazzy Jeff throwing down some tunes like he used to get thrown out of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’s mansion. (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Deablo “I Cry”

    Big Bad Reality Tune From a Fresh New Artist on the Scene
    “Although we feel like we’re living in hell, I keep a smile like we living is swell,” Deablo sings for the ghetto youths on this new selection from Black Spyder Productions and 21st Hapilos. Looking forward to more conscious tunes from this promising young singer. (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Marley Movie Trailer

    The King of Reggae Hits The Silver Screen At SXSW in Austin, Texas
    Last week at the South By Southwest film festival the long awaited documentary Marley had its world premier. Directed by Kevin MacDonald, this VH1 Rock Doc is the first official behind the scenes look at the life of the Tuff Gong featuring rare concert footage and exclusive interviews with his family and closest friends. (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Protoje “Our Time Come” Video

    Diggy’s Been On His Grind For A While Now, And It’s Paying Off

    Protoje has been blazing his own trail through the reggae industry for a minute now. Refreshingly hype-free with personality and talent (among other things) to burn. Judging by this new video, Protoje’s grind is starting to pay off. “From seven year old, mi haffi get a bust / To flow upon the riddim like Terror Fabulous.” (more…)

  • Reasoning With Monty Alexander

    The Grammy-Nominated Jamaican Jazz Master Nices Up The Blue Note

    With 50 years of making music and some 70 records under his belt, the Jamaican-born and world-renowned pianist Monty Alexander has finally received his first Grammy nomination. His live album Harlem-Kingston Express got the nod for the Best Reggae Album this year. Alexander is considered a first-rate pianist in international jazz circles, yet he got his start sitting in with mento bands on accordion, or recording for Coxsone Dodd and Randy Chin. He went on to play with Dizzy Gillespie, record with Quincy Jones, and accompany Frank Sinatra when he passed through Jilly’s on West 52nd Street. In other words—Monty bust big a farin’. Yet instead of turning his back on the Jamaican music that shaped him, he took it back to the foundation and found ways to blend the two with one sound coming through pure and true. That’s just what Monty has been doing during his two-week residency at NYC’s Blue Note, inviting 50 years’ worth of friends from the worlds of jazz and reggae to jam side by side, giving his lucky listeners “The Full Monty.”
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  • HEAR THIS: Clive Chin’s Pure Scorcher Mix

    Rinsing Randy’s Rarities At The Radio Lily Launch January 28, 2012

    The very first night Radio Lily began broadcasting the people’s music from Miss Lily’s Variety at the corner of Houston and Sullivan Streets in New York City, we had to come with something special. So we sent for the inimitable Mr. Clive Chin of Randy’s Records fame. The same one who designed the Impact! records logo. He showed up on a cold January night with a dapper tweed jacket and a briefcase full of dubplates and 45s. He promised to play one hour of “pure scorcher” but he ended up staying for 2 and a half hours, flinging down selections that ran the gamut from ska to rock steady to roots, rock, reggae, dubwise and otherwise. We’re talking rare and unreleased cuts from the likes of the Skatalites, Randy’s All-Stars, The Wailers Band, and Al & The Vibrators not to mention Delroy Wilson, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Errol Dunkley, I-Roy, Augustus Pablo, The Heptones and so much more. (He even previewed some new rock steady songs sung in Cantonese that he recorded during a recent trip to China.) (more…)

  • Vans OTW x The Blackouts Reggae Compilation

    Vans OTW x The Blackouts Link With VP Records On One Mad Compilation

    Vans OTW and The Blackouts (Ako and Atiba Jefferson) created a free reggae compilation using VP Record’s massive catalog of artists. Since VP is “Miles Ahead In Reggae Music” it was only natural that Ako and Atiba chose them as their base to meticulously select each artist for this vinyl (yes you read correctly) compilation. Once the tracks were chosen, the pair and Vans hopped on a plane for Jamaica to embark on the final piece of the project. (more…)

  • House Of Marley’s Bag Of Rhythm

    The Ultimate Booming System For Your iPod Is Boomshots Approved

    You already know House of Marley headphones are putting Beats By Dre to shame with their superior sound quality, rootsy design, and overall Irie-ness. Now H.o.M. is changing the game again with this rough & rugged iPod dock packaged in a military green shoulder bag that would be suitable for transporting copious amounts of fragrant vegetation—if it weren’t already full up of tunes! They call it the Bag of Rhythm. (Cool name—What genius thought of that?) (more…)

  • Mr. Vegas To Sing “Sweet Jamaica” Unplugged

    The Dancehall Singer Goes Back To His Reggae Roots On RadioLily.com

    2012 isn’t just the Mayan apocalypse. It also marks the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence—and to mark the occasion, Mr. Vegas will be releasing a hard-hitting double album called Sweet Jamaica. Tomorrow night he’ll preview the album in an exclusive acoustic set streaming live on RadioLily.com.

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