Boomshots

Tag: Ishawna

  • 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…)

  • Easter Bun Playlist

    Easter Bun Playlist

    A Multi-Genre Playlist With Songs About Infidelity

    Easter represents a religious holiday with many associated traditions such as Easter eggs, baskets and bonnets. In the Caribbean, “Bun and Cheese” usually consist of one slice of a sharp, cheddar cheese encased between two slices of sweet, fruit bread. Besides a delicious holiday pastry, “Bun and Cheese” is an analogy for a love triangle and the term “Bun” itself  connotes cheating. There are a plethora of songs that describe various aspects of “Bun,” such as the physical attraction, excitement, lust, spontaneity, the heartache, the mental anguish, the retaliation and the irreversibility. This is a dancehall, reggae and rhythm and blues playlist of 11 songs that address the aforementioned phenomena. Playlist After The Jump

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  • IShawna Onstage Offstage & Backstage at Reggae Sumfest

    IShawna Onstage Offstage & Backstage at Reggae Sumfest

    Ooh La La! Ms Legendary Makes Her Dancehall Night Debut & RGAT Is There

    Ever since her highly publicized split with selector/producer Foota Hype, IShawna has been on a roll, stepping up her lyrical game and riding the wave of publicity to raise her career to new heights. Last month she made her Reggae Sumfest debut at Ladies Dancehall Night 2015 and the Reggae Girl About Town was there, rolling with Ms. Legendary onstage, offstage, and backstage to shoot an exclusive video special. This year the ladies were the talk of Sumfest, raising the possibility that Downsound’s dancehall diva might just be the future of dancehall. If you don’t believe it, watch IShawna take things to another level as she rips off her bridal gown and shows off some strategically placed Sirovsky crystals, and find out what she’ll do next in RGAT’s all-access report. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Sumfest 2015 Dancehall Night Preview: Will Thursday Be Ladies Night?

    Sumfest 2015 Dancehall Night Preview: Will Thursday Be Ladies Night?

    Do The Ladies Run This M@th@f@CK@?

    Yes, it’s that time again. The Summer blockbuster, the Greatest Reggae Show on Earth, Reggae Sumfest is about to go down in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Although international headliner Rick Ross was unavoidably detained due to a little pistol-whipping incident at his multimillion-dollar estate, word is that T.I. will be stepping in to fill his shoes. Meanwhile there’s no danger of Common or Jennifer Hudson pistol-whipping anybody between now and this weekend. But the reality is that people visit Jamaica to hear Jamaican music. As Morgan Heritage has pointed out, there isn’t even a reggae night at Reggae Sumfest, but the final two nights—previously known as International Nights 1 & 2, and this year renamed Show Time and Star Time—feature a blend of overseas rap, R&B, and pop stars mixed with legendary Jamaican acts like Beenie Man and Cocoa Tea, as well as artists like Jesse Royal and Kabaka Pyramid, representing Jamaica’s “Roots Revival” movement that’s been gaining momentum at home and abroad.  But if you ask us, Reggae Sumfest is all about Dancehall Night—which always seems to draw the biggest crowd. This years should be no excpetion, with stars like Capleton, Popcaan, and Dexta Daps on the bill. But this year, for the first time, Lady Saw will be headlining the biggest night of the festival. She is the first woman to close Dancehall Night, and it’s only fitting since she was officially crowned Queen of the Dancehall on this stage. But Saw is not the only dancehall diva who will be rocking the mic at Catherine Hall this year.  Details After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Busy Signal “What If?” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Busy Signal “What If?” Official Music Video

    The Turf Prez Stirs The Pot With Some Pointed Questions

    In Busy Signal’s latest song,  “What If?” the Turf President puts on his philosophical hat and generates thought-provoking lyrics about the unpredictability of life. His lyrics emphasize that good and bad things happen to everyone, and we never know when adversity will swing our way, in the pendulum of life.  More After The Jump…

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  • Post-Thanksgiving Tune: Ishawna “Domesticated”

    Post-Thanksgiving Tune: Ishawna “Domesticated”

    And Don’t Forget to Do The Dishes!

    After having some dirty laundry aired over the past few weeks, it looks like Ishawna’s ready for some housecleaning. The latest track by the Princess of the Dancehall and first lady of Downsound Records shows that she’s a domestic goddess at heart.  Coming off the big holiday weekend Ishawna’s here to remind all them boys they better be thankful for having a girl who doesn’t just rave all day long but keeps her dishes done just right. And don’t get it twisted—just cause she keeps the crib clean don’t mean she can’t get dirty between the sheets. “Me can wash, cook and clean AN’ quint, yeah” Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Ishawna Calls Out All “Murderers”

    Dancehall Princess Hits Back Against Domestic Violence

     

    With the disturbing footage of Chicago rapper Lil Reese’s assault on a young girl polluting the internets today, Ishawna’s latest cut on the In Memories riddim couldn’t have come at a better time. Besides the fact that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, there’s no  type of behavior just isn’t right—point blank. And dancehall princess Ishawna clearly agrees! With the combination of her smooth, soulful voice and strong words, the single is bound to catch the attention of many. (Not to mention the fact that she’s been making legendary tunes for quite some time now.) “You just killed our love” she sings, “And now it’s RIP.”  Audio after the jump.

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  • WATCH THIS: Ishawna “Legendary”

    This Girl’s About To Drop Something Heavy

    Foota Hype’s been telling us about this artist for a minute. And now here she comes with a new video (directed by Icey Jace) for her tune on the “Badda Dan” riddim. She says she’s “Legendary,” and who are we to argue? (more…)