Boomshots

Tag: Kendrick Lamar

  • Assassin Talks “Theory of Reggaetivity”: “Roots Proponents See Me as a Baldhead Rasta”

    Assassin Talks “Theory of Reggaetivity”: “Roots Proponents See Me as a Baldhead Rasta”

    Agent Sasco Links Protoje & Chronixx, Returns To The Roots

    Yesterday Assassin aka Agent Sasco released Theory of Reggaetivity, his first album in over 10 years. The 14-song set shot straight toward the highest regions of the iTunes reggae chart, landing just below Bob Marley’s Legend, which is appropriate for the dancehall DJ’s first all-reggae project, which he describes as “my musical study of the principles of reggae music.” Conceived in Europe and recorded between Los Angeles, New York, and Kingston, JA, Theory of Reggaetivity features production by the likes of Sting International, Chimney Records, Silly Walks Discotek, Diggy British (aka Protoje), Niko Browne, The Drum Keyz, Theo Butler, MLMG, Sound Cheq, and W. Thompson. We first heard this gravelly-voiced lyricist ripping up the Diwali Riddim and trading bars with Spragga Benz and Vybz Kartel back in the early 2000s. More recently he’s become hip hop’s best kept secret weapon [LINK], making guest appearances on massive albums by Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West. Boomshots caught up with him the night after Kendrick featured his voice in a live performance on the Grammy Awards broadcast, and chatted about why he decided the time was right to make this decisive move forward to the roots of Jamaican music. Interview After the Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Kendrick Lamar ft. the voice of Assassin “The Blacker The Berry” Live pon The Grammys

    WATCH THIS: Kendrick Lamar ft. the voice of Assassin “The Blacker The Berry” Live pon The Grammys

    Agent Sasco Was Not In The Building For The Grammys, But His Words Rang In Our Ears

    Let’s start by saying that there were no losers at this years Grammys. Congratulations to Morgan Heritage on the Grammy they worked so hard for—for their entire lives. Big up The Weeknd and Kendrick and Adele and Lady Gaga and Alabama Shakes. We lovers of reggae respect all great music. (Wouldn’t be mad at some vicey versey love tho.) It was also a night when Rihanna canceled her performance due to bronchitis, Lauryn Hill didn’t turn up as expected for her “surprise” spot with The Weeknd, and Jah Cure wiped his Instagram clean shortly after coming up short in the voting for the Best Reggae Album. (Big up Iyacure said speed; just remember music alone shall live, and “we don’t need no visas to come thru your speakers.”) Still at the end of it all, we had Assassin’s voice, cutting through like a chainsaw while K-Dot released the chain.  Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Boris Gardiner Is A Star

    Boris Gardiner Is A Star

    The First Voice Heard on Kendrick Lamar’s New Album Is An Old-School Jamaican Legend

    When Kendrick Lamar’s eagerly anticipated album To Pimp A Butterfly dropped unexpectedly last weekend, it was streamed 9.6 million times the first day alone, breaking the record for the most streams per day in Spotify history. The first voice all those listeners heard, above the delightful sound of crakling vinyl, was Boris Gardiner singing the phrase “Every Nigger Is A Star” over and over to open the song “Wesley’s Theory,” which kicks off K.Dot’s hip-hop masterpiece. But who is Boris Gardiner? Like so many other Jamaican musical innovators, his work is much better known than his name. Let’s rectify that situation right now. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Reasoning with Assassin aka Agent Sasco—Rap’s Best Kept Secret Weapon

    Reasoning with Assassin aka Agent Sasco—Rap’s Best Kept Secret Weapon

    First Kardinal, Then Kanye and Kendrick—Assassin Is the Go-To DJ for Dancehall Features.

    He’s your favorite rapper’s favorite dancehall artist. But chances are you’ve never heard his name. That’s because Assassin aka Agent Sasco — his secret-agent alter-ego — has basically gone undercover for his two biggest records: Kanye West’s “I’m In It” off the Yeezus album, and Kendrick Lamar‘s latest single, the lyrical tour-de-force “The Blacker The Berry,” Although Assassin was not properly credited for either feature, word gets around and the DJ is very much in demand. Boomshots caught up with him by telephone to hold a reasoning, and wrote a piece for NPR about it. The full transcript is right here. Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • “Do Owl Shit Stank?” K-Dot Drops Bomb Pon Instagram

    “Do Owl Shit Stank?” K-Dot Drops Bomb Pon Instagram

    Grappling With Kendrick’s Enigmatic Imagery & Quarrelsome Queries

    Just before 1 a.m. Wednesday morning Kendrick Lamar set all of hip-hop social media ablaze by uploading an image to his official IG account. The black-and-white photograph depicts K-Dot standing on the White House lawn surrounded by his peoples, a happy throng of young, shirtless black men clutching large wads of cash and bottles of champagne. The image was accompanied by a series of enigmatic questions attributed to “Lil Homie”—who might just represent anybody in the photo, maybe even that cute little white baby in his arms. Lil Homie’s Got Questions? Let’s find some answers.  Alarming Revelations After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Kendrick Lamar ft. Assassin “The Blacker The Berry”

    HEAR THIS: Kendrick Lamar ft. Assassin “The Blacker The Berry”

    K Dot Links Sasco On A Revolutionary Record

    Assassin aka Agent Sasco is your favorite rapper’s favorite dancehall star. First Kanye West enlisted him to drop bars on the standout Yeezus track, “I’m In It.” Yesterday the consensus pick for best rapper alive dropped a new track from the forthcoming (and highly anticipated) follow-up to his classic 2012 album good kid, m.A.A.d city. The song’s a lyrical tour-de-force of course, touching on racism, mental slavery, violence and hypocrisy. It’s thrilling to hear two of the world’s greatest doing what they do best, coming together across cultural and geographical lines through the art of riding riddims. Of course, it would have been even more thrilling if Assassin were credited for the feature, but Boomshots went ahead and gave him that on the strength cause it’s only right. Audio After The Jump…

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  • Miley Cyrus Inna Dancehall Style

    Miley Cyrus Inna Dancehall Style

    When Pop Culture Gets Down and Dirty, Dancehall Doubles Down

    Who can forget the most provocative performance of 2013? Miley Cyrus at the MTV Video Music Awards, fully equipped with a foam finger, wagging tongue and twerking dancers in oversized teddy bears costumes. Robin Thicke wore black and white pin stripes which became “Blurred Lines” when Miley let him know the time was 6:30pm. 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar kept the twerking vibes flowing and the conglomerate made for a memorable performance. Check The Dancehall Remixes after the Jump…

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  • HEAR THIS: Kendrick Lamar ft. Jay-Z “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” Remix

    Brooklyn and Compton Together, Now You Know You In Trouble
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    OK so… the same day Mrs. Carter tells the world to “Bow Down,” Jay and Kendrick decide to roll out this official BDKMB RMX? Overkill? You bet. Too much ain’t enough, apparently. “Lookin’ to be the God MC,” K-Dot rhymes, “Look at my hat and see thorns there. Look at the game and see porn there.” Yeah Kendrick fucks with it hard. And Jay does what he does, presenting his verse from the Bombardier Challenger 850 that B gave him for Father’s Day. “Up in the clouds, me and my spouse.” And yeah that turbulence in the air might just be a touch of competitive juices flowing. Peep the Jordan and Kobe cover art then judge for yourself. Audio After The Jump… (more…)