#TBT Buju Banton in VIBE Magazine October 1993
The Strength of the Gargamel The striking image of Buju Banton was shot by photographer Christian Witkin for the first major profile of the superstar DJ written by Joan Morgan and edited by Boomshots founder and publisher Rob Kenner for the October 1993 issue of Vibe magazine. The story was pegged to the release of […]
Soca Shakespeare: Skinny Banton
A prominent feature of Caribbean culture is carnival, a seasonal time of celebration and soca competitions. This Carnival season, rising star, Shirlan George aka “Skinny Banton,” and his incendiary hit “Soak It Good,” produced by MPS Studios, shines a spotlight of international interest on the Tri-State of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique. More After The […]
HEAR THIS: Addies Intl Presents: Mark Myrie AKA Buju Banton Dubplate Salute
Addies Intl Reminds Us How Deep Their Dub Box Really Is Addies bad from how long? Isn’t that how the saying goes. Addies Intl drops a wicked tribute to Gargamel better known as Buju Banton entitled “Mark Myrie AKA Buju Banton Dubplate Salute.” Their new selector A1 digs deep into the crates and pulls out […]
Reasoning with Buju Banton: “My Life is an Open Book”
Celebrating The Gargamel’s EarthStrong with a Classic ’95 Boomshots Interview from the Til Shiloh Era Forty one years ago today Mark Myrie was born in Kingston, Jamaica. By the time he was 19 he’d become the biggest dancehall star on the island with two smash albums—Stamina Daddy and Mr. Mention—under his belt. He soon signed […]
Reasoning with Machel Montano “You’ve Got To Be Yourself”
After (Almost) 33 Years in The Game, The King of Soca Tells Reshma B How He Stays Fly If you don’t know Machel Montano, you don’t know soca. He was nine years old the first time he represented Trinidad & Tobago at Madison Square Garden, and since that time he’s dominated the soca scene from […]
Spragga Benz’s Bongo Bash in Jamaica
The Dancehall Icon Celebrates A Career Without Compare With 22 years in the music industry, Carlton Errington Grant aka Spragga Benz, tours the world, on long journeys from his home in Dunkirk, Kingston, Jamaica. However, despite his worldwide success, the dancehall icon remains deeply rooted to his humble beginnings with LA Benz sound. This weekend, […]
WATCH THIS: Aidonia “80s Dancehall Style” Official Music Video
Aidonia Salutes Veterans and Vinyl Many of Jamaica’s musical legends never predicted the millions of fans, felt the weight of money or received instant gratification through social media the way today’s artists do. These musical soldiers earned their stripes the real way, with unquestionable authenticity. One must remember , as Supercat indicated in his recent interview with […]
FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Buju Banton “Wanna Be Loved”
Dedicated To The Lovers It’s that dreaded day, Valentine’s Day, the day most people find out where they stand with their significant other. Heartbreak for some but a day to rejoice in the emotion that is love of to feel loved for many. Let’s focus on the latter (sorry side pieces). Love is a beautiful […]
WATCH THIS: Smif N Wessun ft Junior Reid “Solid Ground” Official Music Video
Boot Camp Vets Stand Firm With Mr. “One Blood” In the past couple of months, a wave of reggae collaborations has surfaced across genres of music—from the lover’s rock of Shaggy’s “You Girl” featuring Ne-Yo to A$AP Ferg saluting “Shabba Ranks” to Nicki Minaj and Busta Rhymes providing dance lessons with “Twerk It” to Selena Gomez […]
Melanie Fiona Picks Her 10 Favorite Reggae & Dancehall Songs
The Grammy-Winning R&B Star Is A Bashment Girl At Heart Melanie Fiona is best known for heart-wrenching hits like “It Kills Me” and “4 A.M.,” which have made the soulful singer a major star among American R&B fans. The two-time Grammy winner grew up in Toronto as the daughter of first-generation Guaynese immigrants. Her Caribbean […]
Sean Kingston Talks “Back 2 Life,” Reggae Music
The Miami-Born Jamaica-Raised Pop Star Picks His 10 Favorite Reggae Jams Kington isn’t just Sean Kingston’s last name, it’s also the place where he spent years growing up. The young pop star was born in Miami and grew up in Jamaica where he used to kick it with reggae artists like Buju Banton as a […]
Sean Kingston Gets Back to His Jamaican Roots
Sean Kingston’s 10 Favorite Reggae Songs—PLUS His New Tune w Busta Rhymes Ever since Sean Kingston first burst on the music scene as a teenage pop sensation with a runaway debut hit “Beautiful Girls,” we’ve been hearing how he grew up in Jamaica and his music was influenced by reggae. As hard as we listened we never […]