Boomshots

Tag: Ninjaman

  • Reasoning with Capleton: “Music Is A Mission”

    Reasoning with Capleton: “Music Is A Mission”

    Throwback Q&A with The Prophet • New York City 2000 A.D.

    I had been listening to Capleton for years before I got the chance to interview him at Def Jam Records offices on Varick Street in Manhattan. He sat smoking beedies and a spliff with his manager Stuart Brown a.k.a. African Star in the record label conference room. Capleton’s first album for Def Jam, Prophecy, consisted of pretty much straight hardcore tracks from Jamaica, although the new one, I Testament, was a bit more “smooved out” shall we say, showing more influence from label A&Rs. But King Shango’s mental state was the same irresistible force it has ever been. He was named after a well-known local barrister, the lawyer Capleton, and the DJ’s reasoning is always forceful, like a prosecutor giving the closing argument on the biggest case of his life. Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Cutty Ranks “Nah Hitch”

    HEAR THIS: Cutty Ranks “Nah Hitch”

    The Lyrical Rocket Launcher Still Uses Dibby Dibby DJs For Target Practice

    Wait deh man—Mr. Six Million Ways to Die, the lyrical rocket launcher, the original Cutter is back to put all dibby dibby DJs in check. Just bucked up Cutty Ranks at a dance in Kingston the other day and he blessed us with some crazy new war tunes—and this is only the first of many. The Ranks talks reckless about Gage, Alkaline, I-Shawna, even Ninjaman and some other big-time DJs. Sounds like this could get nasty. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Ninja Man “Badman Law” (Bad Cowboy Riddim)

    Man A Real Badman Listen Badman Lawninjaman

    Ninja Man has been keeping himself very busy this year and seized every opportunity to remind DJs who is the baddest in the business. The airwaves still haven’t cooled off from the Don Gorgan’s last lyrical outing “Ninja Mi Ninja” (peep the video below) now today we get another tune cementing how bad Ninja really is, the appropriately titled “Badman Law.” Up to his usual tricks Ninja chats with his signature braggadocious flair even managing to give the Worlboss a shout out with:

    “Me Mek Kartel Wear Brand In There, So All Gaza Fans Gwan Hang In There.” 

    One thing is clear, Ninja Man hasn’t fallen off, and the rate he is going he’ll probably lay down his life before he lets anyone beat him in a clash. Run Tune After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Ninjaman Interview “We Create This, And We Set This”

    Ninjaman Talks Strictly Business with Winford Williams of OnStageTV

    Minutes after firing up an impromptu lyrical clash with Diamond during her own performance, dancehall legend Ninjaman took a seat across from Winford Williams for an unscheduled but typically awesome interview. The front-teeth-gold-teeth-gun-pon-teen Don Gorgon has lyrically “killed” many opponents over the years, as he says: “I still rule and will forever rule.” After many years of musical experience under his belt and a pending murder charge, Ninjaman has decided to slow it down a bit and focus on building a new business venture, an entertainment complex called Central Park by White River in Ocho Rios—to stabilize his future. But he’s still looking forward to this year’s Sting stage show. “Any war you ah bring, send valuable killers to face me.” As for facing a younger artist like Tommy Lee? “Me no fraid of no demon, caw me have five crocodile, two alligator, seven lion, seven tiger, and twelve hog… And me name Uncle Jesus.” Video after the jump… (more…)

  • Ninjaman Declares Dancehall “Dead”

    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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  • WATCH THIS: Ouch Crew & Ninja Man ’96 Throwback

    Straight From The Jack Sowah Video Archives Via The Afflicted Yard

    Another Hero’s Day has come and gone, and Desmond Ballantine the real big man still languishes in captivity. But let’s hop in the time machine and head back to ’96, when The Gorgon roamed free and the Ouch Crew was the only dance crew you needed to know. (more…)

  • Ninja Charge Fi Murder

    Things were already looking bad for Ninjaman last week, then over the weekend came even worse news that the man born Desmond Ballentine had been arrested in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Ricardo Johnson, aka “Ricky Trooper” (not the former Killamanjaro selector).  The Don Gorgon now faces charges of murder, conspiracy to murder, and illegal possession of a firearm. But how can the man get a fair trial with album covers like this floating around on google?

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  • Ninjaman Surrenders To Police

    Out Pon Bail: Ninja at Reggae Sunsplash 1996 Photo by Stella Magliore

    Whether you call him Brother Desmond or the Original Front Teeth Gold Teeth Gun Pon Teeth Bad Bwoy, Ninjaman always seems to be the center of attention. But attention from the Jamaica Constabulary Force is not the sort of attention anybody wants. In the photo above, he had just been released from prison to perform at Reggae Sunsplash 1996. In 1999, he missed the premier of Third World Cop, his first big-screen role, because he was unavoidably detained in General Penitentiary. But since that time, he’s been on some mostly positive movements, most recently the “One Umbrella Movement” against violence. Looks like history just keeps repeating itself. Ten years later Ninja is about to star in a new movie called Gangstas, and at the same time he’s in a next legal mixup.

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