Irie Jam x Boomshots Make History at SXSW 2016
With tens of thousands of performers, panels, and premieres packed into nine short days, SXSW is all about FOMO. Whether you’re in Austin or not, Fear Of Missing Out is simply inevitable. So fret not thyself if you didn’t get a chance to witness Irie Jam and Boomshots making history with the greatest reggae and dancehall showcase in SXSW history. We’ve got you covered. Video & Photos After The Jump… (more…)
Maybe You Can Handle The Ride—But Can You Handle The Truth?
It may be true that women are far and few between in the reggae industry. But there’s no disputing the fact that Tanya Stephen is one of the best in the business. And not the good for a female—she’s one of the greatest songwriters Jamaican music history, full stop. Tanya has written some of the baddest tunes ever and has never let herself be pigeonholed into other peoples perception of what an artist should be. Whether singing about taking another woman’s man or exploring other sensitive real-life situations, Tanya continues to keep it all the way real, bringing her listeners along wherever her imagination takes her. After two decades in the game she’s still growing as an artist, and we still haven’t found anybody to rival her talent. During the latest Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise, she blessed Boomshots with an in-depth interview with no subject off limits, from sex to religion to general stupidness and why she doesn’t like to clash. She even shared her true thoughts on marriage—”whoever decided that marriage should be an institution should be instituionalized!”—despite the fact that she is currently married. Tanya will be performing at SXSW during this year’s Irie Jam x Boomshots SXSW Reggae Showcase. Whether you’re in the house or not, take a moment to get to know one of the most fascinating minds around. Just make sure you fasten your seatbelt, cause this is going to be a wild ride. Videos After The Jump…
W&R Projects x Irie Jam x Boomshots Link Up To Make Music History
Launching as a regional music festival in 1987, SXSW (pronounced “South By Southwest”) has grown by leaps and bounds to become one of the biggest cultural events in the world—expanding to a nine-day marathon encompassing Film and Interactive as well as Music. Major motion pictures like Neighbors, 21 Jump Street, and Bridesmaids as well as the TV series Girls have premiered and secured distribution deals at SXSW. Major digital startups like Twitter and Foursquare debuted at SXSW. But music is the lifeblood of the festival, with over 28,000 artists participating last year, from unknown hopefuls (John Mayer and James Blunt are just two of the future stars to be discovered at SXSW in years past) to bonafide megastars (Kanye West, Prince, Lil Wayne and Jay Z have all performed there in recent years). One area that has been woefully under-represented at SXSW has been Reggae. But this year, W&R Projects have linked with Irie Jam and Boomshots to represent reggae and dancehall music to the world at this influential gathering of media tastemakers and industry power-players. Details After The Jump… (more…)
Snoop Lion, Major Lazer & Mavado Mash Up Viceland at SXSW
Last week at SXSW, Snoop Dogg made history as he headlined Cashmere Agency’s “LIONFEST: A celebration of Reincarnated” at VICELAND, performing for the first time as Snoop Lion. In front of 2,000 fans, Snoop showed off his new reggae/dancehall repertoire, delivering songs like “So Long,” “La La La,” “No Guns Allowed,” and “Lighters Up,” from his forthcoming Reincarnated album (set for an April 23 release on RCA / Sony). There’s also a free app for the Reincarnated album that you can download now. Diplo & Major Lazer were also on the bill, getting the crowd hyped by tossing confetti, stage diving and crowd surfing in a plastic bubble. Shortly after Major Lazer, the Gully God himself took the stage to perform a set of his hits, but don’t vex cause you weren’t there—the Boomshots massive gets the live footage first so hit the jump right away. Video After The Jump… (more…)
Snoop Lion Premieres Reincarnated Then Mashes Up SXSW w Major Lazer & Mavado
Yesterday was a big day for the man called Snoop Lion. First his film Reincarnated had its official U.S. premiere at the Paramount Theater in Austin Texas. (The film opens nationwide today; check SnoopLion.com for show times and locations.) Then later that night he headlined Lionfest at SXSW’s VICEland stage, sharing the bill with Major Lazer—the team that produced his Reincarnated album—and Mavado, who collabos with Snoop on the tune “Lighters Up,” as well as DJ Max Glazer of BKNY’s Federation Sound. After all the debates, the skeptics, and the naysayers had spoken their minds, it all came down to Snoop Lion showing what he could do on stage for the first time ever. And the capacity crowd was definitely showing love to the Lion, who transformed into Snoop Dogg and back again many times through the night. Aside from performing cuts from the Reincarnated album like “La La La,” “Here Comes The King,” “Lighters Up,” and “No Guns Allowed,” Snoop also kicked reggae remixes of classics like “Gin & Juice,” “Drop It Like it’s Hot” and “Young Wild & Free.” He also covered Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved” as well as “Funkin’ For Jamaica” as well as bringing out Daz and Kurupt of Tha Dogg Pound for some straight-up Death Row /DPG rap jams. But Lionfest wasn’t limited to reggae or rap— Snoop even did straight-up versions of “Jump Around” by House of Pain and Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock & Roll.” Check the photo gallery above. Video After The Jump… (more…)
Snoop Lion Sings Young Polish Singer To His Berhane Sound System Imprint
Snoop’s got a busy schedule at SXSW this year; tonight he premieres his film Reincarnated and tonight he will perform at Lionfest along with Major Lazer and Mavado. But that’s not all—last night at the SXSW inside the Soundcloud Clubhouse, Snoop Lion held a private screening of Birds of a Feather a feature-length film consisting of several music videos—similar to Kanye West’s Runaway except that the featured artist was not Snoop himself but his latest discovery, a young Polish singer named Iza Lach. (Snoop does appear in the film as well, and their creative and romantic chemistry is plan to see.) Iza is the first artist signed to Berhane Sound System. the label imprint through which Snoop’s Reincarnated album was produced. Iza has a touch of reggae in her cut “Shame.” In the meantime check out their song “The One Who Leaves.” Video After The Jump… (more…)
The Boss Brought Out The Original Starbwoy For His Headlining Show At SXSW
Photograph by Erin Fotos
We’ve always liked Bruce Springsteen—he’s unpretentious by rock-star standards, his Born To Run album is a straight-up classic, and his E-Street band was no joke. Now we’ve got another reason. During his headlining set last week at SXSW 2012, the Boss brought out Jimmy Cliff, who tore the roof off the brand-new Austin City Limits concert hall.
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