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  • HEAR THIS: Leadpipe & Saddis Kick Off Evolution Sound Soca Mixtape

    HEAR THIS: Leadpipe & Saddis Kick Off Evolution Sound Soca Mixtape

    Porgie & Murda Bring Dreams To Life

    Crop Over 2016 may be winding down, but Barbados is still bubbling. This year the island revellers had to do without Rihanna (she spent the weekend in Toronto rocking OVO Fest) but the party continues on this exclusive Evolution Sound soca mix featuring Bajan soca duo Leadpipe & Saddis (aka Porgie & Murda). Their tunes—and a mix of fresh reggae/soca collabs like Jus D & I-Octane’s “Perform”—are a perfect way to set the mood for the Philadelphia Jerk Fest on Sunday August 28, 2016. Leadpipe & Saddis will be performing live and direct alongside reggae legend Luciano Jah Messenger and dancehall star Assassin aka Agent Sasco. No more long talking, DJ Jamol Jenius let off! Audio & Tracklist After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Hirie “You Won’t Be Alone” PREMIERE

    HEAR THIS: Hirie “You Won’t Be Alone” PREMIERE

    Brand New Music To Keep A Wandering Soul Company

    Back in 2013, Hirie sang a song about falling for a “Sensi Boy” and made a lasting impression with her intoxicating strain of lover’s rock. Today Boomshots proudly premieres the first single from her forthcoming album Wandering Soul. “‘You Won’t Be Alone’ is about our lives on the road and how it feels to leave everything behind, in order to pursue a dream,” the Oahu-raised, San Diego-based singer explains. “The song serves as a constant reminder to ourselves and our loved ones, of our imminent return. And when they hear us on the radio, they can be happy knowing we made it thanks to their love and support.” Keep up with Hirie on Facebook and just remember where you heard it first. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Sean Paul Comes Through To “Dutty Up” OVO Fest Night 1

    Sean Paul Comes Through To “Dutty Up” OVO Fest Night 1

    The Dancehall Superstar Even Dropped His Tory Lanez Remix

    Although Beenie Man was unable to attend OVO Fest Night One as planned due to health issues (The Doctor was undergoing treatment for the Zika virus), surprise guest Sean Paul came through just in the nick of time to dutty up the place.  Running through all his hits, from “Gimme The Light” to “Get Busy” and “Temperature” even “Like Glue,” SP even kicked a few bars from his remix to “Luv” by Toronto rude bwoy Tory Lanez. Did anybody tell him that Drake and Mr. Lanez are not exactly on the best of terms at the moment? The guest appearance from Rihanna wasn’t a bad look either. How Drizzy convinced her to skip her beloved Crop Over in Barbados we’ll never know. Maybe those two really are serious. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Stephen “Ragga” Marley ft. Jo Mersa & Cedella Marley “Revelation Party”

    HEAR THIS: Stephen “Ragga” Marley ft. Jo Mersa & Cedella Marley “Revelation Party”

    Ragga, Joseph & Nice Time Keeping The Party Of Their Life

    Talk about right on time. Between terror attacks and fearmongering folly-ticians, the world seems to have gone mad in recent days and weeks. Leave it to the Marley fam to bring about a cure for our ills—even if only for a while. Today Stephen Marley dropped his latest full length effort, Revelation Vol II: The Fruit Of Life. A handful of singles have been preceded today’s long-awaited release. The latest highlighted single, “Revelation Party,” proves to be a potential anthem not just for our current time, but for any future not so pleasant day ahead. The song is a real family affair as it features Stephen’s son Jo Mersa Marley and his sister Cedella Marley. The earliest versions of this song took the form of a father-and-son acoustic duet between Stephen and Jo Mersa, but this official album version features full-scaled live band. The instrumentation generates more life—a different kind of energy—accentuating the spirit and hope that drives this song. And weaving Cedella’s harmonies through the fabric of this recording maximizes this songs’ potential in a way I don’t think the acoustic version could’ve done. And that’s coming from someone who is a pretty big fan of the acoustic version. The song says it’s OK to celebrate life in a dark time. Thinking about it, what better time is there to celebrate? A dark time can manifest as a result of the lack of celebrating our every day to day. So consider “Revelation Party” both a cure and a preventative to any potential dark or hard day ahead. We all hope to avoid them, but should that next dark day come, rest assured you have a musical outlet to alleviate the stress.  Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Busy Signal “Colder”

    HEAR THIS: Busy Signal “Colder”

    The Turf Prez Touches Up A Classic King Jammy’s Riddim

    Some things just can’t be improved upon, but that doesn’t mean they should be left alone. King Jammy’s 1987 “Score” Riddim is a perfect example, a track that defines digital lovers rock. There was something about Steely’s warm and easy computer bassline and those crstyal-clear twinkling high notes combined with Clevie’s tastefully understated drum programming. The riddim became an instant classic when it first appeared on Frankie Paul’s “I Know The Score” from FP’s crucial Original Sara album, with additional  versions by Sanchez and Thriller U available on 12-inch discomix. A quarter century later Busy Signal has brought the riddim forward with a brand new song entitled “Colder.” Utilizing Edi Fitzroy’s distinctive stammer-phrase on the hook, the Turf Prez sings for the girls,  evokes bygone dancehall days, and pays homage to the elders who paved the way. The only thing worth changing is the title, cause this tune is definitely #Hotted. “Fe real, fe real, fe real pull up that one from top.” Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Meleku “What to Make”

    HEAR THIS: Meleku “What to Make”

    Sizzla Kalonji’s Son Links With XTM Nation & Keeps The Fire Blazing

    Asking the musical question “What to make of this world,” Meleku, the son of Sizzla Kalonji, steps forward on his own quest for wisdom, knowledge and overstanding. Continuing a multi-generational collaboration, Meleku has linked up with Kareem “Remus” Burrell, son of legendary producer Philip “Fatis” Burrell, the man who first championed a young Sizzla (born Miguel Collins) on the mighty Xterminator label. Just as Remus keeps carrying his father’s works forward with his new XTM Nation imprint, likewise Meleku is keeping his father’s lyrical fire blazing.  Audio & Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Reasoning with Christopher Martin: “I’m a Lover from Birth”

    Reasoning with Christopher Martin:
    “I’m a Lover from Birth”

    “SssMartin” Speaks on Spearheading the Sugar Reggae Movement

    Ever since winning Digicel Rising Stars way back in 2005, Christopher Martin has emerged as one of Jamaica’s premiere entertainers, topping the charts with hits like “Cheaters Prayer” and starring in the recent motion picture Destiny. But his rise to the top of the game stretches back long before he appeared on the television talent show. As he explains in an exclusive Boomshots interview, Martin started singing in church at the age of four, progressing through school choirs and glee clubs. “I sang every chance I got,” he tells Reshma B, “and it’s been niceness ever since.” The singer’s new album is due to drop on V.P. Records this October. The lead single is “Under The Influence,” a track on Anju Blaxx’s “Mildew” Riddim. He says he does in fact prefer making love under the influence—but not so much that he can’t remember the fun. Born on Valentine’s Day, Martin says he’s a “lover from birth” who understands that his core fanbase is female. “I feel like I do this type of music cause it’s real to me,” says Martin, who calls his specialty “sugar reggae” because it’s extras sweet. This coming Saturday Chris Martin will be pouring out some sugar at Reggae Sumfesr in Montego Bay. I the meantime check out the reasoning.  Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Akae Beka “Like Rhyme”

    vaughnBOOMSHOTSVaughn Benjamin’s Poetry In Song

    A master of word play, Vaughn Benjamin (Akae Beka), the prolific songwriter of Midnite Band, supersedes our expectations on his recent solo album, “Portals,” I-grade Records. This July, the artist from St. Croix  trods out for the “Portals Summer Tour.” Manager, Preston Powell predicts that venues will be bursting at the seams for fans who adore this “solo project,” with conscious hits about relationships, spirituality and life.  Fan favorite,  “Like Rhyme” really demonstrates the creativity and intellectual prowess of this lyricist. The entire song is poetry with each line reverberating a natural wave of consciousness.  Moreover it is not just the way the words sound but how the message is physically delivered and neatly packaged into one song.

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  • A Musical Response to Injustice

    A Musical Response to Injustice

    Lyrics for a Perilous Time

    This is a reflective Sabbath, with the killing of two African American males by police officers. What followed was an uproar on social media and peaceful protests across the United States. The recorded narratives of “what happened” reveal the loss of human life for trivial reasons such as a routine traffic stop or walking. This highlights an overt disparity in law enforcement in the United States.

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  • WATCH THIS: Protoje Talks “Can’t Feel No Way”

    WATCH THIS: Protoje Talks “Can’t Feel No Way”

    Diggy British Talks “Royalty Free”

    Since Protoje’s remarkable Ancient Future joined the legions of crucial reggae albums overlooked by the Grammy Awards, Diggy British hasn’t slowed down at all. The five songs comprising the B-side of his latest release, Royalty Free, have set the Internets ablaze since it was uploaded to his Soundcloud, demonstrating the full range of the artists’ creative powers. One track in particular, “Can’t Feel No Way,” produced by Tracker John, M.D., stood out from the rest—promptly getting added to BBC Radio 1 and showcasing sicker than your average flows and rhyme patterns that far surpass any “reggae revival” limitations. Today Boomshots proudly premieres the visuals for said track, along with Reshma B’s exclusive interview with Protoje, wherein Diggy British details the albums’ diverse influences, from Makaveli’s Seven Day Theory to Twin of Twins Stir It Up, and confirms for the record that he does in fact, feel no way whatsoever. Videos After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Micah Shemaiah featuring Rassi Hardknocks “Legal” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Micah Shemaiah featuring Rassi Hardknocks “Legal” Official Music Video

    Check out the new video for “Legal”  with Cameos from Yaadcore, Keida and Exile Di Brave

    The decriminalization of marijuana remains a huge topic of interest for reggae music in 2016.  Reggae has always been a medium for social commentary and these lyrics reflect global changes regarding this plant. The highly anticipated visual for the Uncle Ben (Channel One) produced song was released this week. The video directed by Sherkhan Chiffre of Raatid Magic Films features Micah Shemaiah, Rassi Hardknocks and friends handling the herb discretely. Video After The Jump…

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  • WATCH THIS: Omari Banks ft. Duane Stephenson “System Set” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Omari Banks ft. Duane Stephenson “System Set” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    Omari Fights The Right Fight

    The quest for wisdom knowledge and overstanding is not about having all the answers. The real major key—shout to DJ Khaled—is asking the right questions. The Crown Prince of Reggae, Dennis Emmanuel Brown, once sang a song that asked “Do you know what it means to have a revolution?” Elsewhere D. Brown observed “Them ah fight them mothers, them ah kill them brothers, some ah fight them sister, some a fight them father,” then he asked a musical question that was more like a challenge: “Who they gonna fight when the right fight comes?” Although Dennis passed away without receiving a good answer, there were other seekers who picked up his line of questioning. On Tarrus Riley’s seminal 2006 album Parables  Singy Singy sang a song called “System Set” (subtitled “Willie Lynch Syndrome” after a notorious speech attributed to a West Indian slave master who advised that the best way to control unruly slaves was to, in other words, to divide and rule.)  “In the race for a dollar, friends turn sour—even Mama ‘gainst Dada,” Riley’s song observed. “And I heard that gunshot ah shower over rice and flour—This we can’t allow yah. It makes no sense to fight for food. I’d rather wait for harvest.” And then he completes the thought with a powerful question: “Tell me who and what it profits?” (The modern day Willie Lynches of course, people like Donald Trump.) Today Boomshots proudly premieres the music video for Omari Banks’ song of the same name. But make no mistake, the 2016 version of “System Set” is not a cover. The melody and lyrics are completely new, although the fearless rebel spirit remains the same. This song is more like a continuation of an ongoing search for wisdom, knowledge, and overstanding—making use of word, sound, and power to ask a burning question, one that remains unanswered from that time till this time: “Do you know what  you’re fighting for?” Video After The Jump…
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