WATCH THIS: AiRis “Without You”
Can This Nigerian-Egyptian Charmer Become The African Ashanti? Born in Cairo, Egypt to a Nigerian Father and an Egyptian mother, Asmaa Idrisu spent her young adult years shuttling between Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and Egypt.
WATCH THIS: Rihanna “Rude Boy”
Tonight She Gon’ Let You Be The Rider—Giddyup Giddyup Giddyup Well it sure looks like Rihanna has been studying that M.I.A. “Galang” video. And then she flips it into a Keith Haring moment. Gwan RiRi. That one ya sell offfff…..
Unforgettable: Reasoning With Sanchez, Part 1
From The Church To The Dancehall, Sanchez D Hits All The Right Notes. Sanchez is one of those year-to-year singers who’s too often forgotten. So consistently stellar are his crystalline vocals, so unwavering is his standard of excellence, that we sometimes take him for granted. In such cases the best thing to do is walk […]
WATCH THIS: Wyclef featuring Mavado “Hold On”
“No Matter What You’re Going Through… Even When the Earth Quakes” Like the song says, be strong. Simple as that. But the simplest songs are the ones we need the most. Sometimes an indispensible tune arrives before its purpose can be fully understood, and only in retrospect does the grand scheme reveal itself. Such is […]
HEAR THIS: Shaggy & Friends “Rise Again”
A Caribbean Collaboration For Haiti w Sean Paul, Sean Kingston, Etana… One good thing about music; when it hits you feel no pain. And from the first night the earthquake struck Haiti, the sound of hymns has reverberated through the rubble of Port au Prince.
HEAR THIS: Damian Marley & Nas “As We Enter”
DUNGLOAD The First Official Single from the album Distant Relatives. You already heard the leak, now check out the full I-fficial mix as Nas and D brandish their razor-sharp lyrical swords. Man a bad man, me no play Willy Wonka! Run the track… [audio:http://www.boomshots.com/tunes/AsWeEnterFINALMIX.mp3]
HEAR THIS: Damian Marley & Nas “As We Enter”
Dungload The Official First Single Off The Distant Relatives Project We brought you a snippet last summer. Now check the full version as Jr. Gong and Esco go in. Dungload the track here.
Steel Pulse: Tribute To The Martyrs, 1979
From Handsworth to Haiti—The Song Remains The Same On this MLK Day, let us pause to reflect on the words of the man who sacrificed his life to the struggle for equal rights and justice: “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the […]
WATCH THIS: Buju B “Sensimilla Persecution”
“Why They Fighting Sensimilla Making Way For Coke To Come?” While Buju’s legions of detractors celebrate his arrest this weekend on cocaine trafficking charges, those of us who actually listen to his music—all of his music—have been left in a state of shock, grappling with the possibility that his booming voice may be silenced. Who’s […]
WATCH THIS: WORLD PREMIERE Sheba & Bounty Killa “Love This Lifetime (Remix)”
Online Premiere Of New Video From The Real Sheba & The Warlord When Sheba Sahlemariam calls herself The Real Sheba, you best believe it. Descended from Ethiopian Royalty (King Solomon + Queen Sheba = Line of King David) Sheba carries herself with a certain majesty, and she thinks about time and space a bit differently […]
HEAR THIS: Beres Hammond “Giving Thanks”
Why Not Make Every Day Thanksgiving Day? “Gotta take time out to say much respect to the Father,” Beres remarks on this live cut from his double-disc retrospective Can’t Stop A Man. “Because without Him we couldn’t have made it here tonight. Wanna say thank you Father. Thank you, yes. Thank you from the bottom […]
HEAR THIS: Flexxx In The Complex “Fresh”
Next Up From The Gully Squad: Flexxx In The Complex—Ternt Singa You’ve probably heard Mavado shouting out Flexxx on records since day one, but half the story has never been told.