Boomshots

Tag: Queen Ifrica

  • Etana, Ed Robinson, Nadine Sutherland, Keisha Martin, Richie Lou and Nello Vibes Headline The Lawman Lynch Foundation Music For Life Benefit Concert

    Etana, Ed Robinson, Nadine Sutherland, Keisha Martin, Richie Lou and Nello Vibes Headline The Lawman Lynch Foundation Music For Life Benefit Concert

    Reggae Artists Come Together to Raise Money for Underserved Children

    On Saturday, May 5th, 2018, the Benjamin Banneker Auditorium, brought together a diverse crowd for a great cause.  Music for Life is a philanthropic event launched by The Lawman Lynch Foundation in 2008, in Jamaica. The original mission of this organization was to raise funds to benefit marginalized children pursue education. This mission expanded over the years to include,  scholarship provisions, nutritional and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs for students of the Caribbean.  More After The Jump…

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  • PREMIERE: Queen Ifrica “Cease All War” Official Music Video

    PREMIERE: Queen Ifrica “Cease All War” Official Music Video

    I Guess I’m Not The Only Who Would Like To See…

    When Troyton Music released the Queen Ifrica song “Cease All War” this past January, it was clear—even amidst the deluge of new releases that flood our inboxes each day—that this one was special. The producer who made his name with Sean Paul’s worldwide smash “Gimme The Light” had shifted into a whole different vibe with a strong sense of purpose. The warm & easy riddim track was reminiscent of Luciano’s classic “Hands & Heart & Harmony” and with an artist like Queen Ifrica on the mic, it was no surprise that she came with that lyrical fire.  “Why are we fighting and killing each other off all of the time?” Queen asked passionately, even as her hometown of Montego Bay was locked down by a military curfew in response to an upsurge of crime and violence. The song struck a chord with listeners in Jamaica and beyond. Today we proudly premiere the visuals, helping to spread an important message to the world. Video 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…)

  • Greensleeves Records Celebrates 40th Year Anniversary at B.B. Kings Blues and Grill in New York City

    Greensleeves Records Celebrates 40th Year Anniversary at B.B. Kings Blues and Grill in New York City

    Star-Studded Event Captures Music in A Time Capsule

    The founders of Greensleeves Records, Chris Sedgewick and Chris Cracknell launched the record label in 1977 and sky rocketed the careers of many foundation artists and cross over artists, including: Barrington Levy, Shabba Ranks , Beeenie Man, Mr. Vegas, Shaggy, Elephant Man, Vybz Kartel and more. Partnering with VP records in 2008, only strengthened the label’s international ties. On Wednesday, June 21, 2017,  the two powerhouses came together at B.B. King Blues and Grill, to celebrate Greensleeves’ 40th year in the music business. On the summer soltice at New York City’s hottest musical venue, the label showcased it’s shinning stars: Alborosie, Queen I-frica, and Addis Pablo.More After The Jump…

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  • Purple Haze Playlist: Keida, Sizzla, Wiz Khalifa, Marlon Asher and More!

    Purple Haze Playlist: Keida, Sizzla, Wiz Khalifa, Marlon Asher and More!

    Songs For Deep Thought and Meditation

    The color is purple, signifying a richness in color or potency.  Purple lyrics have a wealth of consciousness that takes you to higher heights. Most of the songs were selected for purple lyrics or purple live performances in studio or concert that etch an indelible mark on the canvas of the mind. Playlist After The Jump… (more…)

  • Legalize it! Wiz Khalifa, Queen Ifrica, Jr. Gong, Chronixx, Sizzla, Tarrus Riley and Lee “Scratch” Perry Chat ‘Bout Ganja Legalization and the Healing of the Nation

    Legalize it! Wiz Khalifa, Queen Ifrica, Jr. Gong, Chronixx, Sizzla, Tarrus Riley and Lee “Scratch” Perry Chat ‘Bout Ganja Legalization and the Healing of the Nation

    Could Legalizing Ganja Really Make It The Healing of The Nation At Last?

    Four decades ago Peter Tosh sang “Legalize It” and countless Rastafarians have suffered at the hands of the law for the sake of the holy sacremental herb. Now the Jamaican government is taking steps to decriminalize ganja with an eye to full legalization and industral production of medical marijuana. At this historic moment the Boomshots crew caught up with a few musicians in Jamaica who have been spreading the message on behalf of the “Healing of the Nation” to get their views on this big news for the Legalization movement Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Rebel Salute 2015 Takes It Higher

    Rebel Salute 2015 Takes It Higher

    Roots Reggae stars shine at the 22nd staging of Rebel Salute

    Dressed in a sky blue suit, Tony Rebel took the stage at Grizzly’s Plantation Cove in the parish of St. Ann on Jamaica’s north coast. “Love you like a fresh vegetable,” he sang on 16th January 2015, the first night of Rebel Salute. “Tell me if you love Tony Rebel”. Although it’s been almost a quarter century since that song was released, the answer was still clear. Yes, the crowd loved the veteran dancehall entertainer who is also the promoter of the annual show that started 22 years ago as a simple birthday party and has turned into one of the most successful music festivals in Jamaica. Read More After The Jump…. (more…)

  • Reasoning with Queen Ifrica: “When You Speak You Become an Enemy of the State”

    Reasoning with Queen Ifrica: “When You Speak You Become an Enemy of the State”

    Reshma B Links The Fyah Muma at Flames Productions HQ in Kingston, JA

    On the last day of 2014, the Reggae Girl About Town dropped by Flames Productions HQ in Kingston, Jamaica to see wha gwan. She had a nice chat with the Fyah Muma about her new album and her hot new collaboration with Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley. Ifrica also expained how she came to sing “Lioness on the Rise,” which Tony Rebel originally wrote for Marcia Griffiths but which became one of the Fyah Muma’s signature songs.  Queen Ifrica also explained the real reason why her show in New York was canceled last year—and no it wasn’t really because of protests from gay community. She also takes a moment to big up all who fight for freedom of speech—the Mandelas and the Gandhis. She also talks about the growth of Rebel Salute over the years. Finally Ifrica lets everybody know how they can keep up with all the action at this year’s festival—going down in St. Anne, Jamaica January 16th & 17th—no matter where in the world they might be.  Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Queen I-frica Sacrificial Lamb for Music Censorship

    Queen I-frica Sacrificial Lamb for Music Censorship

    On May 23, 2014, Queens Councilman, Daniel Dromm, lead a 200 person rally outside of Amazura Night Club, in an effort to cancel tonight’s stage show, “Invasion of the Queens.” The all-female line up, feauring live performances from dancehall reggae stars Queen I-frica, Lady Saw, Etana, Spice, Sister Carol, Junie Ranks, Sister Nancy and Lady Ann, faced opposition from the Councilman and LGBT groups concerned about Queen I-frica headlining the show: More After The Jump…

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  • HEAR THIS: Queen Ifrica “Freedom of Speech”

    The Queen Fires Back At Her Critics
    QueenIfrica
    Queen Ifrica has been under fire of late for comments she made during an official “Grand Gala” event celebrating Jamaica’s independence at the National Stadium. Performing before a crowd estimated at 20,000 —including Prime Minister Portai Simpson-Miller and numerous other government officials—Ifrica spoke out in favor of ganja decriminalization and also urged the prime minister not to repeal Jamaica’s long-standing anti sodomy law. Coming just two weeks after a cross-dressing youth known as the Gully Queen was stabbed and shot to death by an angry mob, Queen Ifrica’s remarks touched off a firestorm of controversy. Jamaica’s Minister of Culture even issued an official statement expressing regret over her comments. Ifrica has defended her position in the press, and now she’s made a song asserting her right to express her views. Audio After The Jump…  (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: I-Octane ft. Queen Ifrica “Wonderful Feelings”

    Octane & Ifrica Sing About Love Inna Rootical Style

    When’s the last time your lover told you “Ask me for anything”? That’s the kind of love I-Octane and Ifrica are singing about on their new duet “Wonderful Feeling,” which adapts the hook from the reggae classic “Joy In The Morning” and chips in some dancehall delivery from the Rasta singjays. “All day long me glowing from simply knowing later tonight me ah go see you,” Ifrica sings. Remember that feeling? Yeah. Total niceness. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • HYPE TV Top 20: G Whizz “My Life” Holding Firm

    Sweet New Singer On The Scene Defends His Position

    “My life soon sort out,” sings G Whizz on the slow-rolling Moodswing riddim from TJ Productions. And now that his tune has topped the Hype TV Top 20 chart for two weeks in a row, his words are coming true. But the competition isn’t sleeping… (more…)