Boomshots

Tag: Dancehall

  • WATCH THIS: Teeezy ft. Meleku “Pillow Talk” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    WATCH THIS: Teeezy ft. Meleku “Pillow Talk” Official Music Video PREMIERE

    When Compton Meets Judgment Yard 


    A wise man once said “it ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you’re at.” Case in point: the natural connection between Teeezy, born and raised on the South Side of Compton, and Meleku, son of Jamaican reggae legend Sizzla Kalonji. During a recent journey to Kingston, Jamaica the Cali spitter passed through Sizzla’s Judgment Yard cultural compound in August Town. No sooner did Teeezy link with Meleku than the two youths felt a musical vibration and wasted no time getting into the studio. The first fruit of their labors is “Pillow Talk,” a featured track from Teeezy’s latest project, 1st Quarter. Boomshots is proud to present the world premiere of the song’s official visuals. right here right now. Press play and you’ll hear both of these rising stars staying true to their own authentic style as the vibes flow naturally like an island breeze. Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Reshma B.  Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Yee Haw! Spice Kicks Off Dream Weekend New York Cowgirl Style

    Yee Haw! Spice Kicks Off Dream Weekend New York Cowgirl Style

    The Queen of the Dancehall Live & Direct in NYC

    By the time Vybz Kartel shouted out Dream Weekend on his smash 2011 hit “Summertime,” the Negril-based super fete was already known as one of the biggest and wildest parties in the entire Caribbean. Catering to a sucker-free clientele who know how to tun up in style, Dream Weekend has evolved into a full-fledged festival and expanded its brand from Negril to New York City. The opening night of Dream Weekend New York 2024 was hosted by none other than the Queen of Dancehall herself, Spice. Despite the rainy weather, Manhattan’s Club Musica was packed with hardcore yet upscale party people raving to the sounds of DJ Kevin Crown and Platinum Kids Sound. The festivities happened to fall on June 29th, the same day Spice released “Round & Round,” her brand new cowboy-themed collab with Busta Rhymes. Queen Spice was in rare form, passing out cowboy hats to get everybody in the mood to shout “Yee Haw!” Photos & Video After The Jump… 

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  • MoBay Artists Shine at Sumfest 2018

    MoBay Artists Shine at Sumfest 2018

    Rygin King, Teejay, and Tommy Lee Rip Dancehall Night In Front Of Hometown Crowd Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest has been a world-class music festival since its inception in 1993, but the 2018 edition of the Greatest Reggae Show on Earth was more than that: it was a chance for redemption in Montego Bay. Since January of 2018, Jamaica’s tourist mecca had been under a state of emergency due to a spike in gang violence. While the military crackdown did manage to reduce the killings, it wasn’t great for the tourism industry. Sumfest has traditionally provided a boost to the local economy each summer, but this year they did more than that—they brought hope back to the Second City. A stellar performance by three of MoBay’s most promising artists—Tommy Lee, Teejay, and Rygin King—sent a message to the streets that there is another way to progress in life. In the words of Downsound Entertainment CEO Josef Bogdanovich. “It’s really about stop the killing and let’s get real and try to make some money and live a good life.” Video, Photos, and Full Story After the Jump… (more…)
  • Busy Signal To Headline The American Friends of Jamaica Gala In NYC

    Busy Signal To Headline The American Friends of Jamaica Gala In NYC

    The Turf Prez Represents Yard A Foreign

    The annual Hummingbird Gala hosted by The American Friends of Jamaica will take place this Monday 23rd October at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Manhattan’s Columbus Circle. This year all attendees will have the pleasure of a live performance by the Turf President, Busy Signal. Supporting the foundation’s important philanthropic work on behalf of Jamaica, Busy is carrying on a long tradition of giving back. Continued After The Jump… (more…)

  • IShawna Still Fighting For “Equal Rights”

    IShawna Still Fighting For “Equal Rights”

    The Battle of the Bow Cats Rages On

    Dancehall has long had  love/hate relationship with oral sex, but ever since Ishawna dropped her Ed Sheeran remix “Equal Rights and Justice,” a topic that’s been kept under cover for many years is not front and center. In an in-depth piece for Pigeons & Planes, the Reggae Girl About Town explores changes in social attitudes by-way-of song lyrics and insightful anaylsis.  “Most people think of dancehall as a very free and sexually charged genre, but Jamaica’s strong conservative Christian tradition extends to the music, particularly in “Bowcat” lyrics,” Reshma B writes. The story traces the origins of the Bowcat concept back to Shabba Ranks and traces it forward to Vybz Kartel and Wayne Marshall who sang: “Why you chewin’ it when you should be screwin’ it? I know you never see a curry or a stew in it!” With such a long-standing tradition Ishawna’s song was nothing less than a lyrical revolution with bars like ”Boy, me nah go compromise / Me wan’ feel how your head feels between mi thighs.” Coming 21 years after Lil’ Kim’s “Not Tonight” —the song where Queen B declared “You ain’t lickin’ this, you ain’t stickin’ this!”— “Equal Rights” has stirred up more backlash than Kim did in the ’90s.  Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Chronixx “Likes” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Chronixx “Likes” Official Music Video

    Like it or Love it, Chronixx Keeps His Culture In New Visuals
    Chronixx carries us on a journey through music in the video “Likes” from his forthcoming debut album Chronology. Directed by Joachim Maquet (@alleyesonit), the video was shot in London on the UK portion of his fore-running Chronology tour. Known for his intimiate performances and high-quality visuals, this video also features scenes from the sold-out Brixton Academy show. The upcoming U.S. tour with Nas and Lauryn Hill this Fall will not be one to disappoint! 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…)

  • The Worst of the ‘Best Of The Best’ Instagram Comments After Epic Mavado Fail

    The Worst of the ‘Best Of The Best’ Instagram Comments After Epic Mavado Fail

    How Them Fi Deal With The Gully Gad So?

    This past Memorial Day Weekend the Best Of The Best music festival put on their 11th annual stage show at Miami’s Bayfront Park. Just like every year the show kicked of in the early afternoon and went on until midnight presenting many of “the best of the best” acts in the reggae and dancehall fraternity. Over they years BOTB has brought some amazing musical moments. However this year’s show ended on a rather sour note. When midnight rolled around without Mavado—the show’s headliner—setting foot on stage to perform. Acts billed for this year’s show included the likes of Jahmiel, Spice, Konshens, Aidonia and Christopher Martin—not to mention veteran acts like Barrington Levy, Mad Cobra, Josey Wales and Brigadier Jerry. However the Gully Gad’s non-performance was a major disappointment to say the least. During the final hour of the show, MC and promoter Jabba paced the stage as Mavado’s band tried to set up as the final moments ticked down. Then at just a few minutes to midnight he called Mavado to the stage, then after a few moments returned to the stage to announce that due to Miami Police and  curfew regulations Mavado would be unable to perform. Confused?! Most of the thousands of patrons in the park were definitely unhappy. (One eyewitness spotted a heated argument going down backstage after the unpopular announcement.) Everybody including artists, promoters, and fans and patrons (who paid as much as $170 for VIP tickets) wasted no time taking to social media to vent their frustrations. Team Boomshots was in the park too. Here’s how the drama unfolded. More After The Jump… (more…)

  • How Gentleman Buss As A Reggae Artist

    How Gentleman Buss As A Reggae Artist

    The Tunes That Turned This Teenager From Köln, Germany Into A Certified Jamaican Star

    In late 2014 MTV invited Gentleman to record an “Unplugged” album, marking the first time any reggae artist had joined that respected series which has included the likes of Jay Z, Nirvana, and Lauryn Hill. With guest appearances by Shaggy, Ky-Mani Marley, Tanya Stephens, and Christopher Martin as well as the German duo Milky Chance, Gentleman and his acoustic band repped reggae music to the fullest. If it seems strange that a white man born in Germany should be chosen to represent a musical art form created in the Caribbean amongst the surviving descendants of African slaves, then you don’t know Tilmann Otto.  Boomshots recently caught up with the conscious German reggae singer—known to his fans as Gentleman—and spoke with him about his unlikely rise to the top of the reggae business, why it’s such an honor to record the MTV Ungplugged project, and what stories are dominating his attention these days and for the foreseeable future (Think: Songs About The Syrian Refugee Crisis.) Videos After The Jump… (more…)

  • Kingston Nights: A Jamaican Street Dance Photo Essay

    Kingston Nights: A Jamaican Street Dance Photo Essay

    Robert Cooper Photographs What Real Dancehall Looks Like Right Now

    “I started listening to dancehall during the late ’80s,” recalls photographer and videographer Robert Cooper, who’s covered the Hartford, CT dancehall scene for some time. “I began photographing dancehall parties and concerts 8 years ago, and began writing about dancehall also, so being able to finally go to Jamaica was a blessing. It took me only about two days photographing at the dances before people started recognizing me and I was a part of the scene.” With plans for an exhibit and a book in the works, Cooper shared some visuals from his first trip exclusively with Boomshots. This selection focuses on Jamaica’s thriving street dance culture, highlighting all the stars on the scene—not just the recording artists. Dancers, selectors, and other colorful personalities all help create the vibe that continues to entertain and inspire the world. Dancehall 2016: This is what it looks like. Photos After The Jump… (more…)

  • Vybz Kartel or Buju Banton: Which Show Would You Attend?

    Vybz Kartel or Buju Banton: Which Show Would You Attend?

    Imagine: Two Big DJs, One Night Only—The Choice Is Yours

    If you’re a reggae and dancehall fan then you know some of the music’s biggest stars are stuck behind bars. While Busy Signal and Jah Cure have happily come home, Vybz Kartel and Buju Banton are still in captivity. And even though The World Boss finds a way to keep the streets supplied with new tunes on a fairly regular basis, we haven’t seen either artist live in YEARS. Just imagine if both artists were released for just one day, to perform a show for their fans. Now—hypothetically speaking—imagine that both shows were happening on the same night (not in the same place, mind you). In other words, if you had to choose between seeing Kartel or Buju live—right now—which show would you attend? That was the question Chiney K posed to a sampling of her fellow Jamaicans. The results were pretty interesting to say the least. Let’s just say which artist you choose reveals a lot about your personality. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Konshens “Bruk Off Yuh Back” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Konshens “Bruk Off Yuh Back” Official Music Video

    Another Gyal Anthem—But Which Part Ah Get Bruk First?

    It’s no secret that Konshens is a ladies man. In the past five years, the artiste born Garfield Spence has expressed his affinity for the opposite sex and how much he enjoys seeing them Bounce Like A Ball and Walk and Wine. And in typical SubKonshus Music fashion, the Sherlock native delivers yet another female-friendly record for 2016. Produced by Birchill Records on the popular Moskato Riddim, “Bruk Off Yuh Back” is a call to Kons’ core audience to do just that—or at least bruk sumpn, depending on which version of the tune you prefer—as evidenced in these visual accompaniments (1.5 million & counting!) courtesy of Warrior Films.  Video After The Jump…. (more…)