Boomshots

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  • WATCH THIS: Badda General x ZJ Liquid x Stylo G x Shatta Wale “The Barrel” Remix Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Badda General x ZJ Liquid x Stylo G x Shatta Wale “The Barrel” Remix Official Music Video PREMIERE

    From Jamaica to America, London to Ghana

    Badda and ZJ Liquid are taking their barrel movement to a worldwide level. “A barrel is a traditional thing that keeps connections with people overseas,” ZJ Liquid explained to Reshma B in her latest Murda She Wrote column for Tidal. “You can put a lot into a barrel. When you get a barrel, you good for six months. You don’t need to buy anything — you got rice, ketchup, beans, peas, syrup, soap, clothes. It’s very helpful to families, and people can share with more than just their immediate relatives. Sometimes people don’t even have food, and you can give them something out of a barrel so they can cook dinner.” Ever since the release of “Barrel” this past February, Badda General and ZJ Liquid’s conversational collab has taken on a life of its own—being reposted all over social media and buzzing in the streets of Jamaica. “It just become a thing,” said Liquid. “Everywhere I go people are like, ‘Yo Liquid, what can I get out of the barrel?’” The song’s popularity prompted other artists to call in hopes of jumping on a remix. “A lot of people reached out,” said Badda. “But in my brain it didn’t make sense for an artist to send a barrel from Jamaica to Jamaica.” When U.K. dancehall star Stylo G called to say he loved the song, Badda jumped at the chance to collab — especially since some listeners have pointed out certain similarities in their vocal tone and lyrical flow. “Stylo is a great artist,” said Badda, who resisted “outside forces” who tried to draw them into a clash. “For someone to compare me and Stylo, that is not a minus, that is definitely a plus. I am ego-free,” he added. “I am just here to make music and put smiles on people’s face. We just unite and kill the noise.” Gold Up, the song’s producer, had a link to Ghanaian dancehall star Shatta Wale, who also jumped on the remix, adding some African flavor to the musical barrel. “I have actually never met none of them in real life,” Badda admitted, “but music is a thing that connects all of us together.” Video After The Jump…

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  • “Strong Me Strong” Blessed Earthstrong King Yellowman

    “Strong Me Strong” Blessed Earthstrong King Yellowman

    Nuff Respect to a Dancehall Legend

    Today marks the 65th birthday of Winston Foster, the youth raised in a Jamaican orphanage who was once ostracized for the color of his skin but turned adversity to his advantage on his way to becoming King Yellowman. Born with albinism, the future international celebrity was disowned by his parents but went on to collab with Run-DMC and record a massive catalog of classic tunes, blazing a trail for Jamaican dancehall culture around the world. In honor of his earthstrong, we’ve dipped into the Boomshots archives to share his remarkable story.  Check out Reshma B’s in-depth interview with King Yellowman and his daughter K’Reema recorded backstage in New York City, as well as an in-depth profile published over 20 years ago. Nuff Respect. Video And Article After The Jump…  (more…)

  • What A Bam Bam! The Tune That Made Toots a Star

    What A Bam Bam! The Tune That Made Toots a Star

    “Fight For The Right and Not The Wrong”

    The best singers don’t need too many words to make their point. Otis Redding could let loose with a sad sad song like “Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa” and get you all in your feelings. Bob Marley got pulses pounding with his “Whoi-yoooo” rebel yell. Gregory Isaacs melted hearts with nothing more than a gentle sigh. Toots Hibbert, who died last Friday at the age of 77, could sing just about anything and make it sound good. One of the world’s greatest vocalists in any genre, Toots paired his powerful voice with the understated harmonies of Raleigh Gordon and Jerry Mathias to form The Maytals, a vocal trinity that never followed fashion and remained relevant throughout the evolution of Jamaican music—from the ska era to rock steady straight through to reggae, a genre named after The Maytals’ 1968 classic “Do The Reggay.” Whether they were singing a sufferer’s selection (“Time Tough”), a churchical chant (“Hallelujah”), or the tender tale of a country wedding (“Sweet and Dandy”), The Maytals blew like a tropical storm raining sweat and tears. The lyrics to Six and Seven Books,” one of The Maytals’ earliest hits, are pretty much just Toots listing the books of the Bible. “You have Genesis and Exodus,” he declares over a Studio One ska beat, “Leviticus and Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua, Judges and Ruth…” Having grown up singing in his parents’ Seventh Day Adventist Church in the rural Jamaican town of May Pen, Toots knew the Good Book well. Full Story After The Jump…
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  • Jay-Z Brings Damian Marley Out to Rock Meadows Festival

    Jay-Z Brings Damian Marley Out to Rock Meadows Festival

    Zilla Joins Hov to Perform “Bam” and “Jamrock”

    Last night at the Meadows Festival in Queens, NYC, Jay-Z brought only one guest out on stage. Tidal shareholder Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and his trust flag waver Donovan stepped out in front of a massive crowd to perform “Bam” with Jay-Z. The song went over so well that Damian stuck around to perform his signature smash “Welcome to Jamrock,” with Hov serving as his hypeman. The two previously performed together at the Made in America festival in Philadelphia, but somehow everything just feels bigger in NYC. Video After The Jump…
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  • Three Female Reggae Artists To Watch In The U.S.

    Three Female Reggae Artists To Watch In The U.S.

    More Lionesses On The Rise

    Recently there has been a rise in the number of female dancehall and reggae artists in Jamaica. On the roots and culture side you have Jah9, Kelissa, Hempress Sativa and Xana Romeo garnering international attention, and on the dancehall side there is Spice, Shensea, and Ishawna setting dances and stages shows on fire. But that rise in female artists is not limited to Jamaica, here in America there are three talented young women from the Tri-State area of NJ, NY, and CT ready to make their mark in the music industry. Half The Story Has Never Been Told… (more…)

  • PREMIERE: Hood Celebrityy “Unlock” Official Music Video

    PREMIERE: Hood Celebrityy “Unlock” Official Music Video

    New Visuals From JA-Born BX-Based Artist Who Calls Herself “The Female Kartel”

    We first noticed Hoodcelebrityy when she turned up on “Back It Up,” the dancehall-flavored Cardi B track that also features Konshens. Checking her Instagram profile, we noted that she described herself as “The Female Kartel” which was intriguing to say the least. Doing further research, we discovered her videos for “The Takeover” where she can be seen wilding out with Cardi’s sister Hennessy Carolina, and flipping 50 Cent’s Many Men hook over A Boogie and Don Q’s “Bando” beat. By this point it was clear that we had to reach out for an interview, which you can see below the jump—along with the brand new video for “Unlock,” a track from HC’s forthcoming project Can’t Believe It’s Just A Girl.  In this “Equal Rights and Justice” era anything is possible. Check the vibes.   Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • PREMIERE: K’reema “Drop It”

    PREMIERE: K’reema “Drop It”

    King Yellowman’s Daughter Is All Grown Up Now

    Pop reggae artist K’reema has a long list of musical influences, ranging from reggae legends Beres Hammond and Tanya Stephens to worldwide pop stars TLC and Beyoncé, but if you want which artist had the biggest impact on her career, look no further than her dad Winston Foster, aka King Yellowman. In case you missed the point, she did a song with him called “Father’s Love” and has toured extensively with the dancehall legend (Reshma B caught up with them during a recent tour stop—be sure to peep the reasoning below). K’reema was formerly employed saving lives as an EMT worker, but she’s been musical since she was a child. So three years ago she decided to give her first love a try—and of course her dad’s had her back every step of the way. But there comes a time when even daddy’s little girl must grow up, and that time has come now for K’reema. The first sign is when they start telling you they don’t give a…  Then pretty soon they’re ready to step out on their own. K’reema recently made quite an impression with “Sorry You’re Not Sorry,“ a lovers’ rock selection on the Taxi riddim taken from her upcoming EP. Today Boomshots proudly premieres “Drop It” another section from the new project. It’s been a long time coming, but the Brooklyn-based artist is ready to make moves.  Audio & Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Damian “Jr.Gong” Marley ft. Stephen “Ragga” Marley “Medication”

    HEAR THIS: Damian “Jr.Gong” Marley ft. Stephen “Ragga” Marley “Medication”

    Marley Brothers Together For The Healing of the Nation

    April 20th aka 4/20 is the official herbalists’ holiday—as well as Stephen “Ragga” Marley’s birthday. In Miami the celebration began with the launch of Kaya Fest, a celebration of music and herb with the theme of “Education Before Recreation.” During the recent election Florida was one of the states that voted to legalize the herb for medicinal purposes. Rastafari has been calling ganja the “Healing of the Nation” for years so it’s only right to see Bob Marley’s youths fulfilling the vision in this time. While Ragga was celebrating his Earthstrong by kicking off the first annual Kaya Fest in Miami, his younger brother Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley was blocking off the Sunset Strip for a 4/20 celebration in conjunction with High Times magazine. As part of the festivities he premiered a new tune off his forthcoming Stony Hill album—a wicked rub-a-dub style weed tune called “Medication” featuring Ragga Marley. Today, April 22nd—aka Earth Day—Stephen and Damian will come together on stage at Kaya Fest alongside their brothers Ziggy, Julian, and Ky-Mani. This is the first time that has happened since the brothers performed in Africa over 20 years ago—so if you find yourself in Miami today there is still time to witness history. Safe to say there’s going to be some musical magic in the air—and a little bit of medication too.  Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Vybz Kartel Appeal Moves Forward

    Vybz Kartel Appeal Moves Forward

    Gaza Fans Rejoice But There’s Still A Long Road Ahead

    Gaza fans are celebrating at today’s news that Vybz Kartel and his co-defendants have been granted “leave” to pursue his appeal. His Lawyer Tom Tavares-Finson told the Jamaica Observer that this was an important step in the case. “It’s the first but critical step in the appeal process,” the prominent attorney explained. “A single judge, Justice Frank Williams, has read all the papers from the trial and determined that there are grounds on which an appeal could be allowed, so he has given the green light to proceed. We will move on to a full appeal in September. It is a limited victory, but an important moral victory for my client, as it reinforces the notion in his mind that justice will be srved and he will be acquitted.” Full Story & Video After The Jump…  (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: I-Octane “Up In Di Sky”

    HEAR THIS: I-Octane “Up In Di Sky”

    The Hot Rass Is Not Coming Down

    It’s been a minute since I-Octane blessed his fans with some fresh material, so it was nice to see him drop something last week. “Up Inna Di Sky” is the first tune from his upcoming Love and Life album, which is scheduled for an April 2017 release. Voiced on “Light House” riddim, produced by JustUs, the song finds Octane in a party mood. “Who no come fi have fun, leave and shut up,” he says. You know that feeling when you’re under your grades and not trying to hear any stress. Those fluffy clouds on the cover art are a fitting reflection of JustUs’s trademark light and airy production style, as well as Octane’s meds. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Cardi B ft. Konshens & Hoodcelebrityy “Back It Up”

    HEAR THIS: Cardi B ft. Konshens & Hoodcelebrityy “Back It Up”

    Cardi B’s Dancehall Roots Are Showing

    People always compare her to Lil Kim and Foxy Brown, but like those legendary femcees Cardi B’s got more than a touch of Lady Saw in the mix. Shortly after she premiered on Love & Hip Hop New York, Cardi made her musical debut alongside Popcaan on the remix to Shaggy’s Sting International–produced banger “Boom Boom.” So it should come as no suprise that the Bronx-born girl of Trini-Dominican descent has returned to the bashment zone on her latest album, GBMV2 (Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 2). On her collab with Konshens (not to mention Hood Celebrityy—a tatted up dancehall queen whose IG bio calls her “The Female Kartel”), the stripper-turned-reality-star-turned-recording-artist tells Mr. “Bruk Off” to “Back It Up” and he sounds only too happy to oblige. Note: When is Konshens gonna get signed to a major label deal? Hint: Maybe sooner than you think! Audio After The Jump…
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  • WATCH THIS: Jojo Abot “To Li” Offical Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Jojo Abot “To Li” Offical Music Video

    Reasoning With Ghana’s Next To Bust

    As the new year begins, so does the quest for which new artist will make an impact on the scene. One of those artist could be ghanaian singer/songwriter Jojo Abot who seamlessly blends electronica, indie-soul, reggae, house, and acoustic instrumentation on top of vocals sung in either English or Ewe, a language spoken in southern Ghana. Abot spends her time between three different locations, her native Ghana, Copenhagen, and New York City. The first part of 2017 already saw her performing at Global Fest on Jan.8th at Webster Hall in NYC, three days later at the JFK Center for the Performing Arts, and the MLH (Ms. Lauryn Hill) Caravan at Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 25th. For the latter performance, Abot will be opening for Ms. Lauryn Hill along with Little Simz, and Kehlani. Video And Interview After The Jump… (more…)