Blog

  • HEAR THIS: Busy Signal “Kingston Town”

    Exclusive Premiere: New Music From Busy’s Album Reggae Music Again

    Busy Signal’s back with a refreshing new long-player that brings the dancehall star back to his roots. Reggae Music Again is full up of classical one-drop riddims and lyrics with real substance. One of the harder-edged selections on the album is this slow-burning rub-a-dub tune called “Kingston Town.” (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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  • WATCH THIS: Jillionaire’s Carnival Anthem Countdown

    Jillionaire Counts Down This Year’s Top 5 Soca Anthems

    With over 15 years in the game as a DJ, Trinidad’s very own Jillionaire might know a thing or two about Soca music. Having recently spent some time in Trinidad for the annual Carnival festivities Jillionaire compiled a list of the top 5 soca tunes guaranteed to have wine-ing your stress away like a bacchanalist. (more…)

  • 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…)

  • WATCH THIS: Busy Signal “Rural Guns” Video

    Busy Signal Unleashes A High-Caliber Video That’s Straight Bananas

    Busy Signal is one versatile artist. He can sing country duets, croon with the AutoTune, and he’s doing the roots rock thing with highly anticipated album Reggae Music Again. But don’t sleep on Busy’s gunman tunes. (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Popcaan ft. Busta Rhymes “Only Man She Want Remix”

    Gaza + Flipmode = Mad Ting

    The Flipmode general Busta Rhymes lends his vocals on a remix to Poppy’s smash hit “Only Man She Want.” Bussa Bus flaunts his trademark wittiness and signature wordplay over the Sonique Records produced “Lost Angel Riddim,” we enjoyed it so much that we wished they gave him a second verse.

    [audio:http://www.Boomshots.com/tunes/POPCAAN%20FEATURING%20BUSTA%20RHYMES%20-%20ONLY%20MAN%20SHE%20WANT%20-%20%5BREMIX%5D%20-%20%5BRAW%5D%20-%20SOUNIQUE-21STHAPILOS.mp3]
  • 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…)

  • HEAR THIS: Rihanna Birthday Dubplate Mix

    DJ Max Glazer Flings Down Some Dubplate Specials For RiRi’s Bornday
    Today is Rihanna’s 24th birthday, and wherever she is right now, we’ve got a feeling she’s celebrating inna fine style. Of course Rihanna’s not just one of the world’s biggest pop stars, she’s also a massive reggae fan. No wonder she chose DJ Max Glazer of Federation Sound as her touring selector for the first three years of her career. In fact she still calls on Max to fling down selections at special events—like, say her birthday party…. (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Damian Marley “Affairs Of The Heart”

    Junior Gong Sings About A Love So Real It’s Life-Saving

    The song that Damian Marley just dropped today is not your typical Valentine’s Day fare. No hearts, flowers, candy, or romantic cliches on this one. It’s a song about real people living real lives and finding a way to keep love alive despite all the challenges and distractions of life.

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  • 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…)

  • HEAR THIS: Cham ft. O “Tun Up”

    Cham On The Mic x Dave Kelly On The Riddim =  The Ting Tun Up

    Some artist / producer combos never fail. Think of Biggie & Primo. Snoop & Dre. Cham & Dave Kelly. Yes, the dancehall dream team behind “Ghetto Story,” “Vitamin S,” and “Man and Man”—just to name a few—is back with another certified boomshot called “Tun Up.”  (more…)

  • Reasoning With Cedella Marley

    The Author, Designer, Melody Maker, CEO & Mom Drops By To Chat
    Yesterday was a special day at Miss Lily’s Variety. Cedella Marley stopped by to sign copies of her latest children’s book, One Love and to kick off the celebration for what would have been her father’s 67th birthday… (more…)