Boomshots

Tag: Bob Marley

  • Better Days: Reasoning With Steely & Clevie

    Remembering Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson Aug. 18, 1962 – Sep. 1, 2009

    Two The Hard Way: Steely & Clevie did it real big during dancehall’s digital era.

    Even after reading the sobering words of his musical sparring partner Cleveland “Clevie” Browne in this Sunday’s Jamaica Observer, the untimely death of ace Roots Radics keyboardist and pioneering dancehall producer Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson still comes as a terrible shock. The 47-year-old musician, composer, and groovemaster has played such a vital role on so many classic reggae recordings—from Gregory Isaacs’ immortal “Night Nurse” to the ubiqitous Punany riddim to “Sorry” (by “the other Foxy Brown”) to dancehall blasters like Tiger’s “When” and Shabba Ranks’s “Ting a Ling” even soulful cuts like Beres Hammond’s “Double Trouble” and the hit remake of Dawn Penn’s “No No No”—that it’s hard to imagine Jamaican music without him. [UPDATE: V.P.’s new Reggae Anthology pays tribute to Steelie & Clevie] (more…)

  • Tarrus Riley Spreads The Reggae Virus

    “Much Better Than The Swine Flu” says Tarrus, a Singer On A Mission

    Today’s Sunday New York Times calls Tarrus Riley a “Reggae Singer With A Legacy, A Following, And A Mission.” I know this because I wrote the blasted piece. (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Shower Posse Movie Trailer

    Irv Gotti brings the story of Jamaican O.G. Vivian Blake to Hollywood.
    [qt:/ShowerPosse.mov 540 410]
    Maaaaaad ting. Stay tuned for the exclusive Boomshots interview.

  • WATCH THIS: Tarrus Riley “Contagious” Showcase

    Singy Singy Reasons About His New Album. The Future of Reggae is Now.

    Tarrus Riley’s third album Contagious is both his strongest release to date and one of the best reggae records of the past decade. (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Junior Gong & Nas “Afrobeat” (snippet)

    Sneak peek at the latest collabo between Bob’s Son and God’s Son.

    ‘

    GONG: As we enter, come mek we take it pon the biggest adventure.

    NAS: Must be dementia that you ever thought you could touch our credentials… what’s the initials?

    (more…)

  • Bunny Wailer Show Them How Fi Rule Dancehall

    Original Wailer says Beenie, Bounty, and Sean Paul are “Lollipop Stuff.”

    When it comes to living legends, nobody can test Neville Livingston a.k.a. Bunny Wailer. At age 62, Bunny’s the last man standing from the original Wailing Wailers trio that put reggae music on the map internationally. Jah B recently announced plans to offer his entire back catalog for online download in association with Zojak World Wide, and as part of the promotional push, he took time out to reason with Boomshots.com. Needless to say, it was a lively conversation (check VIBE’s August issue for more highlights). Meanwhile, here’s a little taste of his thoughts about the state of reggae music. Who the cap fit, let them wear it. (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Julian Marley featuring Jr. Gong “Violence In The Street”

    “JuJu Royal” aka Julian Marley will soon release his third and best album to date, Awake. Besides referencing his father’s classic “Wake Up And Live” the album’s title also serves as a wake-up call those who may have slept on this laid-back Lion. But they won’t be sleeping for long. (more…)

  • Ziggy Marley Responds To The Buju Controversy… “We Don’t Put Down Our Heroes”

    Bob’s firstborn son speaks out in defense of his father

    (more…)

  • Damian Marley and Nas on Rap Radar

    Junior Gong and Gods’ Son in the lab working on their album, Distant Relatives. (more…)

  • Bob in Zimbabwe, 29 Years Later

    Twenty Nine years ago today, Bob Marley and the Wailers took the stage at Zimbabwe’s Independence Day ceremonies in Harare’s Rufaro Stadium. Prince Charles was on hand to witness the renaming of the former British colony Rhodesia and to see the British flag lowered for the last time, only to be replaced by the new Zimbabwean colors. Marley had declared solidarity with the African rebel forces on his 1979 album Survival in a song called “Zimbabwe” that he composed during an earlier trip to Ethiopia. “So arm in arms, with arms, we’ll fight this little struggle,” he sang—so it seemed fitting that he should make a joyful noise at the conclusion of said struggle. (more…)

  • VIDEO: Asa “Jailer” live

    Asa is the truth. The Nigerian singer and songwriter sets justice to music and makes bitter truths sound sweet, evoking the best of Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman, India Arie, Joan Armatrading… I could go on and on; the full has never been told. But Asa is telling it one song at a time. Listen well…

    “Let he who is without sin be the first to cast a stone Mr. Jailer.”

  • Reggae Grammy Rewind

    “Reggae Get The Grammy.” All These Years Later… do you still feel happy?

    “They nominate five ah we,” Yellowman chants over a bouncy Junjo Lawes riddim track. “Steel Pulse Black Uhuru and me / Peter Tosh and also Jimmy.”

    (more…)