Boomshots Magazine Presents Multi-genre Playlist for Father’s Day 2015
In honor of the wonderful fathers who present themselves as role models for their children, Boomshots Magazine brings you the finest selection of tunes dedicated to Dada. This 10 song playlist covers several genres including reggae, hip hop, gospel, dub, rhythm & blues and jazz. Countdown After The Jump… (more…)
The Last Living Rock Star Remembers The King of Reggae—And Reveals Why He Cut His Locks
Kids nowadays probably know Lenny Kravitz as that dude in The Hunger Games flicks, but the fact is that he’s one of the last great rock stars walking the planet. When he first came out, shredding his Les Paul and flashing his dreadlocks, haters used to call him a Bob Marley wannabe. But the fact is Lenny had more in common with the Tuff Gong than a hairstyle. The offspring of a black mom and a Jewish dad, he grew up between a Caribbean island (Bahamas, not Jamaica) and the U.S. Although Bob spent less time in Delaware than Lenny did in NYC, the island vibe is a party of his musical identity. Kravitz will rock Webster Hall tonight as part of his Strut tour, so this seemed as good time a time as any to hold a likkle reasoning. Interview After The Jump… (more…)
The Fam Ain’t New To This, They’re True To This
When it comes to roots, rock, reggae music, the Morgan Heritage family is not new to this, they’re true to this. So when they hear talk about a “reggae revival” happening in Jamaica—as if Reggae Music had passed away and was in need of resuscitation—the members of Morgan Heritage are uniquely qualified to speak on the matter. “Reggae music never gone nowhere,” Peetah Morgan tells Reshma B in an exclusive Boomshots interview. Their latest album is entitled Strictly Roots, but “don’t get it twisted” says Peetah—they can still sing about the sexy body ladies on songs like “Perform and Done” and Gramps can even DJ a verse and dash likkle coconut juice pon de ting. It’s all a part of the culture—uzeet? Strictly Roots drops today, so what better time to check out the reasoning. Video After The Jump… (more…)
Cham, Wayne Marshall, Jo Mersa, Christopher Ellis & Black-Am-I Touch The Road
There is a famous saying “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” and for the heirs of reggae legend Bob Marley, Damian, Stephen and Julian Marley, their actions prove just that. Just as their father founded the Tuff Gong imprint, his youths see big things looming for their fresh record label Ghetto Youths International (GYI). For lovers of the perfect mixture of blues, calypso and rock and roll, Jamaica’s own reggae, GYI has a tour in the works next week. With the Marley imprint behind this initiative one can expect nothing less than a star-studded lineup of acts including Cham,Wayne Marshall, Black-Am-I, Jo Mersa, and Christopher Ellis. Said GYI participants are of course featured on the Billboard chart-topper, Set Up Shop Volume 2, a compilation that represents a full spectrum of music, from reggae to dancehall and futuristic fusion. With such a stellar selection of artists on tour, backed by the Lawless band, who wouldn’t be excited? Tour Schedule After The Jump…
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Marijuana Laws May Be Changing, But These Rebel Music Selections Will Keep Playing Forever
Every day brings new headlines about voters in the U.S.A. passing medical marijuana
laws and American states decriminalizing reefer—even as the Federal government reserves the right to swoop in and prosecute whoever however whenever. Meanwhile venture capitalists continue to align themselves with the Bob Marley estate in order to build a global ganja brand. It feels like a bright new day in the long-running batttle to legalize Jamaica’s national herb. But don’t sleep: the Governor General has yet to sign the proposal that would allow Rastas to cultivate for personal use and corporations to cultivate for profit. And Jamaica’s Governor General still answers to the Queen of England, so there’s no telling what will happen. Meanwhile youths all over the world are still getting locked up for illegal possession of the wisdom weed. So the binghi drums have to beat and songs like these have to play, words sounds and power. These are not just “weed tunes” but songs about the real-life struggles surrounding ganja prohibition. say are they just one-line shout-outs, like the tune where Bounty and Cham said “tell the government free up the weed policy,” as wicked as that was. These are the rabble-rousing songs dedicated to defending marijuana growers and sellers and smokers from all forms of downpression. Some relate to the nitty-gritty details of the hustler’s life, others focus on police efforts to fight against the weed, while others make the case for legalization. Any topic that could inspire so much great music has to be important. Just like Josey Wales said on track #20, “It Haffi Bun.” And these songs have to play. Audio After The Jump; Countdown Continues Above (more…)
The Palace Pickney Delivers An Emancipation Message During Bob Marley EarthStrong Weekend
Not many artists can fill SOBs on a snowy winter night with temperatures in the twenties. But Jesse Royal is not just any artist. So this past Monday night, his first time performing at the legendary night club he had a toe-to-toe, overflowing crowd out early. The crowd got warm and cozy with some blazing hits by Lionface (Lion King), Max Glazer & Kenny Meez (Federation Sound), DJ Gravy & Micro Don (Rice N’ Peas), Rob Kenner, SeeBorn, and Charlie Brown (BBC Hi-Fi). The temperature kept rising throughout Jah Bami and Knight Blade’s live session—heightened by a rousing performance of their viral hit “I Got That Weed”—before the special surprise guest was announced by the Host, Rob Kenner. More After The Jump…
A prominent feature of Caribbean culture is carnival, a seasonal time of celebration and soca competitions. This Carnival season, rising star, Shirlan George aka “Skinny Banton,” and his incendiary hit “Soak It Good,” produced by MPS Studios, shines a spotlight of international interest on the Tri-State of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique. More After The Jump…
The Author of A Brief History of Seven Killings Has Had No Reaction from the Marley Family
Marlon James was born in Kingston, Jamaica, the son of two police officers. After earning a living designing album covers, he developed his interest in creative writing via the Calabash Literary Festival writer’s workshop. His debut novel, John Crow’s Devil, was published in 2010 by the Brooklyn-based indie press Akashic Books. His second, The Book of Night Women, about a slave rebellion on a 19th century plantation, won several awards, while the third, A Brief History of Seven Killings, published this October by Riverhead Books, has been hailed by the New York Times as “epic in every sense of that word: sweeping, mythic, over-the-top, colossal and dizzyingly complex.” Interview after the Jump… (more…)
Island Records Founder Reflects on a Friend Who Had Nothing And Still Had Everything
Most reggae fans know the Reggae Cult Classic film Countryman, but it’s less well known that the star of the film is real person. The 1982 film, which will be streamed online next Friday night, December 5th—following an exclusive BoomshotsTV chat with one of the original cast members, veteran Jamaican actor Carl Bradshaw—was directed by Dickie Jobson, and stars a Rastafarian Indian Tamil fisherman who lived in the seaside community of Hellshire outside Kingston, Jamaica. Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who backed the film project, reflects on the man he knew, a real Rastaman who truly undersood the meaning of the term Thanksgiving, and embodied it in his simple life and his every word and deed. Video After The Jump… (more…)
The Reggae Pioneer Tells The Fader About New Music, Old Studios, and Negative Influence
As Bob Marley Once Sang, We Were “All In The Same Boat, Rockin on The Same Rock”
When The Wailers linked with Lee “Scratch” Perry to record their classic African Herbsman selection “Don’t Rock My Boat” back in 1973, chances are Bob Marley had no idea that 40-plus years in the future his family would be rocking the biggest boat in reggae history. But when the Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise pulled away from the Port of Miami on Monday October 20th, the 2400 artists, selectors, and reggae lovers on board the luxury liner Norwegian Pearl were just as Bob sang, “All in the same boat, rocking on the same rock.” Continued After The Jump… (more…)
A Boomshots Playlist Inspired By The Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise
“Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean sea,” Super Cat once observed. “In case you never know, it fulla mic MCs.” The Land of Wood and Water is also full of boats and fishermen and as such it’s inspired countless reggae songs about the sea. Here’s a few of our favorite selections for all you Nautical Dreads. Audio After The Jump… (more…)