rolling dancehall & reggae 2016

I guess I'm finally a little bored of the "annual summer" song thing that r|t|c used to criticize in past threads, but I'm more into that one -- nice to hear Dexta on something breezy.
The disconnect of an incarcerated murderer specifically celebrating this summer 2016 was too weird for me I think. I kinda like "Summer 16" as the title of an unasked for sequel in an exhausted franchise though (I don't really hate it that much, just liked that idea)

I like the annual summer songs, lol. It's as simple as that, really. I still think One Phone Call and Fever are better summer songs but I'm not mad at Summer 16.

I used to too! not sure what happened

just mentioned this in the summer jams thread, but Alkaline has really been great this year. the lyrics to this are like Drake without the hand-waving (not sure if that's better or worse), but he's developed enough vocal charisma that it mostly just washes over me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VMd7G0vZTs

damn, here's a bittersweet combination I never imagined we'd get the chance to hear (J Capri & Jahmiel):

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

Zen riddim is interesting in that I didn't really feel it when it first arrived but then I heard it again a few days ago in the blazing June heat and it just felt... right.

re: Alkaline, I'm still loving Champion Boy. Don't know what effect he puts on his voice on that one but the line 'Unless your name Jody-Anne Maxwell you cyaan talk to me' is all time.

ha, yeah that is a great line. I need to revisit the Alkaline I gave short shrift too. He's been a highlight on most of my favorite riddims this year.

agreed on Zen, I can't even recall who else versioned that one right now

They all did, lol. Except Kartel, I guess. Popcaan has a nice version on it but he's not touching Alkaline's.

This Vybz track is such a banger, def my fave of his thus far in 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdcfnlGmZuw

Yeah, it's between that one, One Phone Call and Fever for me atm.

Playlist updated through now.

ILM's Rolling Dancehall & Reggae Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

cheers ulysses

Gyptian with some summer pandering that works for me on the if-you-can't-beat-em Tropical House riddim:

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

new Spice // "Indicator":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4JXsZpmBdI

on the Skelewu riddim, which doesn't sound that much like the Davido song to me but I guess it has a kind of afrobeats feel?

for some reason it took me a while to appreciate this riddim and it seems wrong to not have posted "Roast or Fry" itt, esp the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGdtxQM8TuI

Lifestyle Rich has a video out too. Teetimus's young thug cosplay is kinda too much, but I still love this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3EalnPWaT0

Lol, that video is hilarious. I love it.

playlist updated.

this Alkaline & Mavado joint is going to be huge no?

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

Most of the other Kick Off versions I checked were kind of a mess (eg, Popcaan), but Busy Signal's is great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUOjd6pE3eE

I like a couple of Kick Offs, Tifa's in particular.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS28N0jNjXI

Also love Konshens - Gal Dem Sugar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmiD18dyP1I

I think Kick Off might be one of those riddims that works best in a mix context - few of the songs hold up as such but there are a few lively parts on most of them.

I'd missed the Konshens, thanks, that is a good one!

overall I think Kick Off is kind of overloaded (the bit of instrumental you get at the end of the Konshens yt is maybe the best part!), so the versions that come on strong like Popcaan's or Dexta's feel too chaotic to me. I don't hate the Tifa, but I've been pretty underwhelmed by her output as a whole this year -- maybe it's just me but a lot of it sounds uninspired compared to the amazing stuff she was doing couple years ago, which is too bad because so far 2016 might end up worse than 2015 in terms of the lack of women putting out tracks I like. Spice's ongoing video brilliance being the notable exception.

True. I really like Tifa on The Champ (especially) and Moscato though.

yeah I put on Moscato after posting that and had the same thought. Also, whoever Mink Jo is she has a nice version on All Inclusive. But I was listening to a playlist I made at the end of 2014 the other day, and it was loaded with women's voices. J Capri's death was a serious loss, but what is going with Denyque?

Denyque has been good on the Success, Firefly and Cold Heart riddims but there's no breakout hit in sight. Mink Jo is great on All Inclusive, yes. Hope we'll hear more from her soon. On a reggae tip I'm enjoying the Shanique Marie album. Coconut Jelly Man is a jam.

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

On another note I'm surprised at how much I'm feeling Gyptian's belated Jambe-An-Riddim contribution, Jiggle Jiggle. That's partly because the riddim is a modern day classic, of course. It might also have something to do with me having a tiny crush on one of the dancers in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rt-7WdMWDY

byw, my favourite Mink Jo song is probably this one, with Busy Signal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19657-tV9ZU

*btw

I really like the I-Octane on the Tropical Punch Riddim. Some other nice versions on that too of course (Kartel, Spice etc) but this one is just so... sweet.

https://youtu.be/_2h9VXPdjyM

missed this bouncing Christopher Martin tune back in June:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKinPLrRrR4

lmao: http://www.thefader.com/2016/08/03/mr-vegas-nuh-play-pokemon-preview

also, missed this great, catchy and melancholic Aidonia track in the spring:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyeXy0LMVPo

Mr Eazi
‏@mreazi
My bro @DiGenius1 jus sent me the stuff we did!!! Already sounding like an album!!!! Spiritual!!

airhorn emoji

Never would have anticipated how good Alkaline sounds on these gentler riddims this year, Toll Road in this case--lots of other good versions on this (Tifa, Beenie Man, Chi Ching Ching):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hi7pF3bep0

(that's Block and Delete since embeds aren't working)

filthy as hell on a great Equiknoxx riddim: https://soundcloud.com/swingting/equiknoxx-music-ft-devin-d-dakta?in=swingting/sets/swingting010-equiknoxx-music

Lol. Devin di Dakta is in the zone these days. He's also a lot of fun on the Horse Tonic Riddim:
https://soundcloud.com/madbast/devin-di-dakta-gyal-dem-a-workie-horse-tonic-riddim

that bangs. glad someone is out there channelling Ragnampiza/Zunguzung verbal gymnastic nonsense

Playlist is updated.

this mix from The Large is banging (and seriously nsfw): http://www.susannahwebb.com/fever

another great Popcaan track, his hit ratio has jumped so high this year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bc3Vf9myNE

nice find from that Large mix, Konshens' "Gal Gov":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r92hdlI8SfA

been hearing Popcaan's "We Still a Win" all over the place too:

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

new video for Aidonia's "Dat A Di Ting", which iirc was the best version on Pile Up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPi5VYfK_D8

here's another good Alkaline song thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVhUB6Bjx_s

Jubilee album could be pretty great? https://soundcloud.com/mixpak/jubilee-wine-up-feat-hoodcelebrityy

Keep up the good work, rob! I'm a bit behind because of... well, first the vacations and now all the work I've been neglecting for so long, but I'll get to posting more soon.

heh, no problem, though admittedly I was starting to feel like only forks's intern was reading this thread

Equiknoxx's mix for FACT is excellent: http://www.factmag.com/2016/08/29/equiknoxx-fact-mix/. Anyone listened to their new album, Bird Sound Power? The mix makes me intrigued, but apparently the album is all instrumental, which is kind of yawn and just why? when they obvs know lots of great vocalists.

I don't think any good tracks came out of the Popcaan/Mavado/Demarco/everyone in Kingston according to YouTubers 'feud' so here is Mavado's Progress, which is for some reason on Khaled's new album, instead:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lrdVWbNb24

Mavado seems to have dropped the ball in not positioning himself closer to the Drake/Rihanna/Tropical/Afrothing mainstream when he is in the poisition he is in in the US, imo. Also, what is this beef/feud thing aboutthis time, really? Mavado has had two or three okay, four) good tracks this year but no real hits while Popcaan just keeps on bringing it so it all just seems... weird?

The most I have been willing to learn about the 'feud' was reading this Star article: http://jamaica-star.com/article/entertainment/20160829/deejays-feud-heats-mavado-demarco-and-popcaan-drop-new-diss-tracks, and then listening to a few tracks, hearing a lot more "fish" and "batty" talk than I've heard in a long while sigh, and rmde. There's also this, though I don't know if it really clarifies much: http://urbanislandz.com/2016/09/09/mavado-vs-popcaan-a-timeline-of-their-beef/

fwiw Popcaan seems to have realized he had more to lose than gain: https://www.instagram.com/p/BKKrMkqDOFu/, though internet hardmen are taking that as a sign of his weakness of course. Seems telling that Alkaline didn't really bother with it from what I can tell, even though some wistful youtubers were trying to position that track I posted^ as a diss track when I believe it's about a friend of his being murdered.

Christopher Martin's version on the 47th Floor riddim is just delightful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vtk67WA5aE

The whole riddim is a good one to rinse

Definitely. Best new riddim in a good while.