WATCH THIS: Teeezy ft. Meleku “Pillow Talk” Official Music Video PREMIERE
When Compton Meets Judgment Yard A wise man once said “it ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you’re at.” Case in point: the natural connection between Teeezy, born and raised on the South Side of Compton, and Meleku, son of Jamaican reggae legend Sizzla Kalonji. During a recent journey to Kingston, Jamaica the Cali spitter […]
Spice Drops ‘Mirror 25,’ Reflects on 25 Years of Dominance and Celebrates Kartel’s Homecoming
When Spice Pulls Up It’s Always a Movie The Queen of Dancehall’s third studio album Mirror 25 dropped today and like everything Spice-related it’s got the internet goin’ nuts. Lead-off single “2085 Tea” set the tone of hardcore dancehall with a dash up mix-up while the country-hip-hop hybrid “Round Round” featuring Busta Rhymes showed the […]
WATCH THIS: King Cruff x Runkus “FallBack” Official Music Video
“From Yuh Say Yuh Stand In Love You Never Can Trip” “Remember that the sword has a double edge,” King Cruff rapped on his 2022 breakout hit “Samurai Chop.” Raised in Jamaica and based in Toronto, Cruff was born Solomon Marley-Spence—his mother is Stephanie Marley, daughter of Bob and Rita. Yet despite his royal reggae […]
“Guess I’ve Been Here Before” Stephen Marley’s ‘Old Soul’
“Inside Me A Legacy Lives On,” Sings Ragga “Anything that sounds good is good,” says Stephen Marley, paraphrasing Duke Ellington. Don’t be surprised to hear the King of Reggae’s son referencing Harlem’s master of the jazz orchestra. Never one to limit his musical horizons, Stephen has always listened without prejudice, letting his inspiration set him […]
Buju Banton’s ‘Born for Greatness’ Sets The Gold Standard
Gargamel Still Has The Stamina I first heard Buju Banton’s ragga-rough voice roaring in 1992, the first year the DJ really buss. Three decades later, as I laid eyes on the album art for Buju’s 12th studio album, Born For Greatness, one thing was clear: The artist who made his name with raw Dancehall Boomshots […]
WATCH THIS: Jack Johnson x Lee “Scratch” Perry “Traffic in the Sky” Official Music Video PREMIERE
From The Album In Between Dub Jack Johnson is not a reggae musician, but growing up in Hawaii he’s been immersed in the sound and the sensibility as long as he can remember. “Reggae music was kinda like mainstream here,” he recalls. “That was something that was always around. When you jump in someone’s truck […]
WATCH THIS: Coolie Ranx “Keep Fighting” Official Music Video PREMIERE
Brand new visualizer from the UK/BK/GTA Legend Ask around Brooklyn, and the real heads will tell you about Coolie Ranx who did his thing in the dancehall scene during the 90s, dropping rare gems like the 12-inch single “Roughneck” plus some choice BBC HiFi dubplate specials. Ask around London and they’ll mention Coolie Ranx […]
Post-Millennium Memories: On Tricky
Story By Michael A. Gonzales In 1997 I was a Tricky fiend. Over a two-year period beginning with his debut Maxinquaye in 1995, Tricky and his musical partner Martina Topley-Bird were recording and releasing some of the most innovative material of that era. And what an era the ’90s were for reggae, hip hop, and […]
Blessed Earthstrong Super Cat
Big Up The Wild Apache Every Time On this day in 1963 a dancehall legend was born in the Kingston neighborhood of Cockburn Pen. The child of a Black mother and an Indian father, William Anthony Maragh was given the nickname Wild Apache by his lyrical mentor Early B the Doctor. He is best known […]
WATCH THIS: Sean Paul ft. Busy Signal “Boom” Official Music Video PREMIERE
Promoting Unity within the Dancehall Genre When Sean Paul began elevating uncut Jamaican dancehall into the pop charts during the early 2000s, the records that impacted popular culture were not crossover attempts dreamed up by major label A&R reps. They were juggling riddims like 2Hard Productions’ Playground riddim, Troyton’s Buzz riddim, Lenky’s Diwali riddim, and […]
HEAR THIS: Leno Banton “Big”
Burro’s Son Keeps Elevating His Game Back in 2015 a young artist who was then known as Lord Leno released his first official project, a song called “Yardie” on Massive B’s Skateland Riddim. Singing the praises of his native land, the 19-year-old son declared his love for Jamaica under the proud gaze of his father, […]
WATCH THIS: Badda General x ZJ Liquid x Stylo G x Shatta Wale “The Barrel” Remix Official Music Video PREMIERE
From Jamaica to America, London to Ghana Badda and ZJ Liquid are taking their barrel movement to a worldwide level. “A barrel is a traditional thing that keeps connections with people overseas,” ZJ Liquid explained to Reshma B in her latest Murda She Wrote column for Tidal. “You can put a lot into a barrel. […]