For Sizzla Kalonji Every Day Is Mothers’s Day
Who bigs up the mothers of creation more than Sizzla? From his mid ’90s breakthrough album Black Woman & Child straight straight through to his latest cut on Breadback Productions’ crucial “Long Life” Riddim, Sizzla represents for the divine empresses every time. (more…)
The Front-Teeth-Gold-Teeth-Gun-Pon-Teeth Don Gorgon Has Spoken
“Reggae/dancehall music is dead,” Ninjaman told the Jamaica Observer last week. “As a matter of fact it is holding on to a tiny string,” declared the notorious Don Gorgon who coined the immortal phrase “anything test dead.”
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When The Big Ship Comes In, Everybody Wins
You already know Big Ship productions is a family thing. Chino and his brother Stephen McGregor have been holding each other down from birth. But on their latest tune “Rich 2Morro” Chino makes it clear that the when his ship comes in, he’s planning to share the love. Gotta love that.
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Mr. Vegas, Konshens, and Potential Kidd Have The Girls Flippin’
We’ve done some intensive research on the streets of Kingston, and from the street dances to the nail salons to the schoolers, the verdict is unanimous: three songs have the streets of Kingston on lock at the moment. Is there a common theme here? Peep the videos and you tell us…
Octane Drops A Big Video With A Simple Message “Man A Suffer Too Long”
Got to love when I-Octane kicks that realness. The video for “My Story,” a song produced by DJ Frass, keeps it extra-real, representing for struggling people in Jamaica and all over the world.
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Rita Marley, Chris Blackwell, Director Kevin MacDonald, Jah Cure & Many More Turn Out For The Big Show
Last night history was made in Kingston, Jamaica as the documentary “Marley” was screened for free in Emancipation Park one night before the rest of the world got to see the critically acclaimed film. Rita Marley, Cedella Marley, Rohan Marley, Chris Blackwell, Neville Garrick, and reggae star Jah Cure were just a few of those in attendance for the big show. And Boomshots was in the house.
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Jr. Gong’s Blazing Up The Place With A Brand New Video—Exclusively On Boomshots
Progressive youth must strive—and Damian Marley’s latest video is all about doing for self. Check out the blazing hot new clip directed by Winston “Tyson” Mayhew. Big up all inner city entrepreneurs.
Pree The Title Track From Busy’s Refreshingly Rootical New Album
“A different vibe is in the air” for real. Busy’s gone back to his roots with his much buzzed-about new album, impacting itunes on April 10. The title track says it all, the DJ is singing and the vibes are right. (more…)
Check Out This Inteview With The Director Of The New Documentary, Which Debuts On 4/20
The long-awaited documentary Marley hits theaters and VOD outlets in just over two weeks. But we know you don’t want to wait in vain. So just to hold you over, here’s an interview with director Kevin MacDonald (who also directed The Last King of Scotland). He says his goal was to get beyond the legend and show us the Marley the man. “I think people have a very wrong idea of Bob,” he says. “Yes he smoked a lot of herb, as they called it in Jamaica. But he was also incredibly hard-working. In one way he’s a very conservative role-model because he shows that you have to work very very very hard to be successful. Everyone thinks he just smoked and the inspiration came to him and he strummed his guitar. No–he worked hard hard hard…. I think the reason the original Wailers split up—which was him, Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston—is that the other two weren’t that ambitious. Bob was ambitious. He worked incredibly hard to get where he got to.” (more…)
The Grammy-Nominated Jamaican Jazz Master Nices Up The Blue Note
With 50 years of making music and some 70 records under his belt, the Jamaican-born and world-renowned pianist Monty Alexander has finally received his first Grammy nomination. His live album Harlem-Kingston Express got the nod for the Best Reggae Album this year. Alexander is considered a first-rate pianist in international jazz circles, yet he got his start sitting in with mento bands on accordion, or recording for Coxsone Dodd and Randy Chin. He went on to play with Dizzy Gillespie, record with Quincy Jones, and accompany Frank Sinatra when he passed through Jilly’s on West 52nd Street. In other words—Monty bust big a farin’. Yet instead of turning his back on the Jamaican music that shaped him, he took it back to the foundation and found ways to blend the two with one sound coming through pure and true. That’s just what Monty has been doing during his two-week residency at NYC’s Blue Note, inviting 50 years’ worth of friends from the worlds of jazz and reggae to jam side by side, giving his lucky listeners “The Full Monty.”
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Vans OTW x The Blackouts Link With VP Records On One Mad Compilation
Vans OTW and The Blackouts (Ako and Atiba Jefferson) created a free reggae compilation using VP Record’s massive catalog of artists. Since VP is “Miles Ahead In Reggae Music” it was only natural that Ako and Atiba chose them as their base to meticulously select each artist for this vinyl (yes you read correctly) compilation. Once the tracks were chosen, the pair and Vans hopped on a plane for Jamaica to embark on the final piece of the project. (more…)
Cham On The Mic x Dave Kelly On The Riddim = The Ting Tun Up
Some artist / producer combos never fail. Think of Biggie & Primo. Snoop & Dre. Cham & Dave Kelly. Yes, the dancehall dream team behind “Ghetto Story,” “Vitamin S,” and “Man and Man”—just to name a few—is back with another certified boomshot called “Tun Up.” (more…)