rolling dancehall & reggae 2014

that Fader story

What other afrobeats songs has Busy signal "covered"? That one sounds great.

have to admit it's pretty nice how much attention this is getting. Fader cover wasn't too surprising, but pitchfork gave it an 8.0 today

― rob, Tuesday, June 10, 2014 10:41 AM (40 minutes ago) Bookmark

he's got big indie rock-focused PR behind him now

http://www.npr.org/2014/06/06/318267775/first-listen-popcaan-where-we-come-from

xp
Busy also did "Professionally" on P-Square's "Personally" recently, and last year he did "Same Way" on Sarkodie's "U Go Kill Me". They're all pretty great imo.

only listened once but "Where We Come From" is something of a triumph for an artist who could easily be written off as inconsistent. the Mixpak producers are a really good fit for his voice, and his personality works better in a context that feels once removed from Kingston. and Pusha T drops a boring verse on the only dud track so it feels au courant

would be nice if the indie PR pushed this onto some people's radar even if it isn't really representative of the sound of JA dancehall.

Oh nice. Thanks for the tip.

p4k called it the best dancehall record this year. not good enough though to be "best new music"

As noted up thread Spice has been excellent this year. Her new single 'Like A Man' is terrific, particularly lyrically.

http://youtu.be/qH94HLRQMKI

yes, brilliant! video is awesome too.

i don't really follow dancehall, but i did check out popcaan because the pfork review talked up its POP ALBUM virtues

so far it's been kind of tedious, it's way overlong - 'pop album' as a big commercial proposition more than an endlessly-now earworm sort of thing

but i dunno i'll try some more

yeah, "POP ALBUM" more in the context of dancehall since it sounds closer to hip hop/r'n'b/dance stuff than dancehall mainstream. otoh, I'd be hard pressed to define that mainstream right now--nonetheless, I thought it telling that in at least two of the gyal/sex tracks Popcaan says he wants to impregnate the girl in question. maybe POP ALBUM in the sense that there's an openness to this album that's really distinct--lyrically, it's much more rootsy than I expected even with "The System" as a harbinger. that solitary steel drum sound in "Ghetto" feels really important in terms of subverting party vibe expectations. shit, maybe this is more of a PROG ALBUM.

idk, I'm pretty in love with this album right now. maybe skip to "Waiting So Long" which Matt DC correctly posted to the summer jams thread today?

i'm not into the popcaan album beyond "pleasant background vibes" yet. if it's a POP ALBUM where are the bangers?

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jun/16/playlist-reggae-dancehall-soca

Ocassional ilxor Erin M.'s list of summer faves

http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/VIDEO-Chronixx-Makes-US-Debut-Performs-Here-Comes-Trouble-on-TONIGHT-SHOW-20140723

Chronixx on Jimmy Fallon tv show last night

http://www.hulu.com/watch/664371

Better link if you like his more trad sound

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/07/21/_rude_by_magic_is_the_no_1_song_on_billboard_s_hot_100_why_video.html

This is #1 in the US...oh my

some excellent stuff on Erin M's list. love that Gyptian tune

Road Elf's "Tribal Touch" (the second song in this video) is great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWPL5t0bs8s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmqlYjFlmgk

lol this is a top 5 hit now?! poor lea-anna

A few of my favourite tracks at the moment.

Denyque - How To Rave
This should probaly go in the summer jams thread, seemingly explicitly designed to sound perfect in the sunshine. As usual Denyque is great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAYQxL1OnG4

Tifa - Back It Up
A banger. Up there with 'Mamamcita', 'Reverse It' and 'Snake Charmer' as one of my favourite tracks of the year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmdHAyUMAVg

Aidonia - Coco Powda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0opd8kS4dFw

Denyque track is very nice (thought I'd posted it here already but it was tumblr). working my way through this epic mix, I might have a few more to share too: https://soundcloud.com/so-shifty/summer-cyaan-done

Gyptian's "Stunta" deserves more than an offhand mention:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzQo80LlSHE

missed this groove-y Popcaan song in spring:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahplg8hq4vs

can't believe I missed that Tifa track, gregus! thanks for posting that

Mr Vegas holds such an interesting, hard to define place in dancehall right now, he's really channelling the recycle everything to make it new reggae ethos. really dig "Pop One":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUwbSWOO1KA

Yeah its great isn't it. She's got an American record deal now so it would be nice to see her get the same level of coverage that Popcaan is currently receiving and hopefully crossover.

'Stunta' is great, I also love that Zoelah track that you posted upthread that uses the same riddim.

I really like that Mr. Vegas track as well. That's the first thing I've heard by him, is there anything else you'd recommend.

His Sweet Jamaica album is awesome.

i did not know TIfa had been signed to an American label--that's great, I can't think of someone I'd be more excited to see break out right now since Natalie Storm is taking a break.

that Stunta riddim (Uptown Julie) is by Ricky Blaze, who I've like basically everything I've heard from so far this year. annoyingly "Stunta" is the only track not available on itunes, though the Zoelah and Kes the Band versions are. Blaze also did a nice remix of Omi's "Cheerleader" (http://youtu.be/iCB8riHVV7U) which iirc we were talking about on one of these threads.

I actually still need to check out the whole of Sweet Jamaica, but I can recommend its single "Bruk It Down":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5EBrftUKBY

and this duet with Latty J that's an homage to an amazing late 80s Lady G & Papa San track called "Round Table Talk" (if you don't know that one be sure to seek out the video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1y9TWWYG6w

i've only just noticed that lea-anna's three-year-old "kisses for breakfast" became a top ten hit last week, except by someone called melissa steel and with a popcaan verse? great song obv buttttt why

oh uberweiss mentioned it already

xposts

thanks for all the recommendations i'll check them all out

I love the Burna Boy track at the top of the thread

feeling pretty stannish about Ricky Blaze this year: https://soundcloud.com/fmerecordings/ricky-blaze-n3xt-lin3

the Fader have been putting out so much good stuff this week I don't even know what to link. Definitely check out the Bunji and Lady Saw pieces

Alaine's "Better Than This" (previously seen on the summer jams thread) has a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0rQDET4-3k

I've mentioned him throughout the year, but ftr Chronixx's Dread and Terrible EP is terrific. all the singles have been great, and the video for "Capture Land" was just released today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoHzqwLxk_Y

this is just a teaser for Ricky Blaze's "Overrated" but damn:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeoYTnp6hkU

"Nobody Has to Know" came out over a year ago, but just showed up on the (somewhat dubious) Jamaican music chart I check:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxuDYFAKB7g

Wau @ "Overrated"!

the sample here is almost sacrilege, but it's a fun rework of stylo g's 2011 hit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmO9LmvLVyM

xxpost

I think we check out the same chart because i was surprised to see one of my summer jams from last year show up on it. Although 'Back It Up' by Tifa cracked the Top 25 this week so i hope it is at least some indicator of popularity.

I've been obsessed Ishawna's 'Restraining Order' recently. The lyrics are fantastic as she eviscerates a possessive ex while questioning why women have to put up with these controlling influences with very little cause for redress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJUiP9mTej4

J Capri's new track 'Lyrics To The Song' is great as well. Initially i thought it a step down from the other tracks she's been involved with, but its really clicked with me after a few listens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5J2_PJoDtw

I quite like that J Capri! much better than the other ones she's done since "Reverse It". not that those were terrible, just not as special.

This is the chart I look at: http://www.reggae-vibes.com/jamtop20/jamtop20.html. No idea how legit it is, but I want to believe.

Full version of "Overrated" is out: https://soundcloud.com/fmerecordings/ricky-blaze-feat-kranium-shaggy-overrateddirty.

"Lyrics to the Song" has become one of my favorites of the year

also quite like Agent Sasco's Badman Declaration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olEhom3AhVA

this from him too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPN_87Qamjw

Spice & Vybz Kartel's "Conjugal Visit" is pure O_O

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INAqa1PUfTk

'Conjugal Visit' is really something isn't it. Even if you leave aside the moral questions, the song is just an incredibly poor relation to 'Ramping Shop'. Although in saying that i would be of the opinion that the art created should separated from the the artist themselves and i do like Kartel's 'Miami Vice Episode', although I've refrained from posting it, because i wasn't sure how posting a track by a convicted murderer would be received.

Conjugal Visit aside, Spice has been incredible this year. 'Back Bend' is another great track from her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvCCewuGTlg

I've been generally been pretty disappointed with Agent Sasco this year, after he was probably my favourite dancehall artist of last year, but 'Woman We Seh' is pretty good.

I really like Beenie Man's 'Rifle Behaviour', but i can't figure out where the sample is from. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4C97WNV91g

I thought i'd repost 'Restraining Order' as it now has a video and is one of my tracks of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=422QJFDfXmg

that Beenie Man is great! no idea about any samples though, sorry. basically co-sign everything else you said. I like Sasco's "Sekkle and Cease" and "Woman We Seh" but yeah, neither are as good as "Tell Unuh" or "Shell". He should

Has Ishawna done anything else worth checking? I had relegated her to "don't bother" status a while back, but that track is nice.

Spice has been amazing this year. I wish her she and VP had put a few more tracks on her EP ("Back Bend" would have been smart addition). It's a nice little set, but it could have stood alongside Where We Come From and Dread & Terrible for me. Good cover though:

http://a2.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Music5/v4/51/58/c2/5158c2a0-db8c-5193-3922-6d59b41d2069/cover170x170.jpeg

Not sure how to go about listening to Vybz Kartel these days. I might have been less conflicted if "Addi Innocent" hadn't been appended to his name, cuz come on. "Mamacita" is still one of my favorites this year though.

this Ishawna track is #1 on that Reggae Vibes chart I posted a while ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXv4cMx77hU

Beenie Man's 'Rifle Behaviour' sampling Usher 'Good Kisser', right? Is that what we're talking about?

could be. think I only ever heard that once

yeah imo "Mamacita" >>> "Reverse It"
I do like "Mosquito Net" and I loved "Ghetto Gal" and am generally very pro-QQ -- I really like this Fader profile where he says "I'm not a homophobe. If you're gay and you support my music, I respect you", which could be interpreted uncharitably, but any progress in that arena is welcome.

other 2014 faves in no order:
So Mi Like It -- Spice
Never Be -- Ricky Blaze
Who Knows -- Protoje & Chronixx
Fall In Love -- Popcaan
Pop One -- Mr Vegas
Stuck -- Gyptian (also Stunta, though it hasn't been released properly yet)
How to Rave -- Denyque
Better than This -- Alaine

like a lot of Equiknoxx, this is a little overproduced but still pretty great, Charly Black "Bike Back"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OpWySdOtp0

Daniel Esq just nominated the Kartel track on this riddim, which reminded me I've been meaning to post this Christopher Martin version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8re2F3K9zBg

Large Up's top 10 riddims of the year:

1. Boom Box
2. Happy Hour
3. Gwaan Bad
4. Promiscuous
5. The Good Book
6. Wul Dem
7. Rvssian
8. Greatest Creation
9. Nuh Fraid
10. Work Permit

Leans a little too hard on 90s-ish throwback stuff, but some good stuff there. They've got albums, mixtapes, and soca lists too, with the dancehall tracks one presumably to come.

And here's that track list:

2/1. Spice -- “Like A Man”/”So Mi Like It”
3. Popcaan -- “Everything Nice” (Remix feat. Mavado)
5/4. Vybz Kartel -- “Miami Vice Episode”/”Do Di Maths (Wah Do You?)”
6. Kranium -- “Nobody Has To Know”
7. Popcaan -- “Where We Come From”
8. I-Octane -- “Wi Bad”
9. Major Lazer feat. Sean Paul -- “Come On To Me”
10. Alkaline -- “Gyal Bruk Out”
11. Aidonia -- “80s Dancehall Style”
12. Assassin -- "Sekkle and Cease"
13. Vybz Kartel featuring J Capri -- “Mamacita”
14. Gully Bop aka Countryman -- “Body Specialist”

obviously pleased at that 1/2 tie for Spice. kind of surprised they've got three cuts on the Boom Box riddim on here, but that's a lot more interesting than their kinda boring predilection for anything retro.

rolling dancehall & reggae 2015