There's an excellent thread called Crucial Reggae which started on January 22, 2013 and is still going strong, up to 193 pages. But it's primarily about Jamaican music from the 1960's and 1970's with the very occasional foray into the 1980's and almost never beyond that. Jamaica continues to produce music at a higher level for capita than any other country right up to this day so I thought I'd start a thread about Jamaican music from more recent times. The year 2000 is not a fixed cut-off date, after all the 1990's has to be discussed somewhere, but this thread is for more recent music. There's another, great, thread for the earlier stuff. Here's a song from 2019 which got to #1 on the local charts. Hillside by Chronic Law on Elite Generation Records: I hadn't heard of him before this came out but he has released many tracks since and been around for several years beforehand. Here is the video: The song itself starts at 1.57. Here's the lyrics: [Intro] Elite Generation Records Woah oh...hmmm Ye-e-yeah Aye Shaqstar Oo na na na na na Oo na na na na na Oo na na na na na Ohh Oo na na na na na Oo na na na na na Oo na na na na na [Chorus] Rather deh pon a hillside Weh nobody no deh fi turn to Rather deh pon a hillside Than deh 'round people weh will hurt you Rather deh pon a hillside Hillside a build vibes, and know say mi heart clean inside Rather pon a hillside Weh nobody no deh fi turn to [Verse 1] Rather deh pon a hillside Hillside with no friends, nigga Rather run from wild hog than friend killer Rather sleep inna tree, weh picherie put dem nest inna Than fi see vehicle and fence, nigga Rather sleep up a Blue Mountain peak Than be a big baller and siddung pon bench in yah Me no G-SAT, so weh dem wan' test me fa? Draw, dem wan' fi draw the killer out Well, see a pencil yah [Chorus] Rather deh pon a hillside Weh nobody no deh fi turn to Rather deh pon a hillside Than deh 'round people weh will hurt you Rather deh pon a hillside Hillside a build vibes, and know say mi heart clean inside Rather pon a hillside Weh nobody no deh fi turn to [Verse 2] Rather deh pon a hillside 'Cause the energy dem push bad Rather build 'round some cricket and bullfrog Talk to mosquito fi just relax, enuh When me ignorant me go kill crab No like parrot, if me see one me ago still mad A bees pitch pon me and say still trod Crocodile smile and say mi Timbs bad Weh you know 'bout this? [Chorus] Rather deh pon a hillside Weh nobody no deh fi turn to Rather deh pon a hillside Than deh 'round people weh will hurt you Rather deh pon a hillside Hillside a build vibes, and know say mi heart clean inside Rather pon a hillside... Rather pon a hillside... Yo, Chester! [Outro] Oo na na na na na Oo na na na na na Oo na na na na na Ohh Oo na na na na na Oo na na na na na Oo na na na na na I love it.
There is great music coming out of Jamaica and hardly ever covered in mainstream Western media. Examples: Chronixx - huge star in Jamaica with his mix of Conscious Roots and modern music Koffee - A 19 year old who made history by being the first female Grammy award winner for best Reggae album Jah9 - Highly original and great music
Hillside is a great song. I am a regular purchaser of new Dancehall. Besides the (great) artists optoman mentioned, let me add Ding Dong, Konshens, Protoje, Tafari, Busy Signal, Lila Ike, Skip Marley.
All good. And can be discussed here. Hillside is all about getting back to the country. Escaping the turmoil in the city. to relate to the music more often discussed here think about the abck to the country movement in the late 60's with Traffic, the Band, Crosby Stills & Nash, or Canned Heat's Going to the Country.
Popcaan - Best/Blessed. A Top 5 hit in Jamaica in 2019, we'll get current eventually. Popcaan has had dozens of hits and is one of the biggest acts current in Jamaica. He has released 100's of songs. He broke through in 1988 as part of Vybz Kartel's Gaza Music Empire. Here's the youtube video, which I quite like. NSFW if your workmates understand patois, though you're probably in self isolation right now: This is dancehall but dancehall has slowed down in the last few years.
Think Twice Riddim Medley. Here's where we might diverge from many here's understanding (or overstanding as Jamaicans would say). When a musical track is developed then many artists may be asked to put their voice on the track, or riddim as it is known. In this case we have the Think Twice Riddim developed by producer Dameon Gayle for the Warriors Musick Production label. 10 artists recorded on the riddim that I know of. Nine of them appear on this mix which was made of the riddim. It's not 1 song rather it's nine songs plus the backing track at the end strung together. Much as when you go to a disco or club the DJ will mix songs into each other. Here's one mix, several may be made by different mixers. 1. Duane Stephenson Think Twice 2. Devano In This Jungle 3. Luciano I Can You Can 4. Fantan Mojah Rasta Got Soul 5. Lutan Fyah Rastafari Leads the Way 6. Lymie Murray Your right / Situation Room 7. Sir Ford Oh Lord 8. Anthony B Too Much Gun In Town 9. Turbulence Stay Away 10. Zamunda Forever Loving Jah 11. Version I often play the mixes rather than the individual tracks though I play both. Some interesting points. 1. The riddim is from 2011. 2. The opening track, from Duane Stephenson, uses Phil Collins "Another Day In Paradise" as it's starting point to set the lyrics in Kingston. What a lovely voice he has. He should get recorded more. 3. We get some Bob Marley here when Zamunda covers his Forever Loving Jah. 4. Most mixes are not made by the original producer but in this case it's by Warriors Musick and it's neat that we get to see all the artists do their bit on the riddim. ENJOY!!
From Wikipedia: T.O.K. were a dancehall group from Kingston, Jamaica. The group consisted of Alistaire "Alex" McCalla, Roshaun "Bay-C" Clarke, Craig "Craigy T" Thompson, and Xavier "Flexx" Davidson. They started their band in 1996, and announced its dissolution in 2015. T.O.K. were described as "the world's greatest dancehall-reggae boy band" by The New York Times in 2004. They were best known for such hits as "Footprints", "Gal You Ah Lead", "Chi Chi Man", "Eagles Cry", "Guardian Angel", "Money 2 Burn", "She's Hot", "Hey Ladies", "The Voice" and "I Believe". Here's their cut on the Scriptures Riddim, a fantastic riddim on the Don Corleone label released in 2013. T.O.K. - When You Cry: It's a shame that they broke up. They've all released solo cuts but with only moderate success. Such beautiful voices. They should have had worldwide success. They weren't helped by having homophobic lyrics in an early tune.
All of these artists are getting some push internationally. Barrack Obama reference Koffee well before she got a Grammy nomination and at an early stage in her career. Here's a song from Chronixx alongside Proteje another rising artist. A great video: Here's the lyrics: And this a Protoje Chronixx a weh you say Ok, (oh well) Who knows, who knows, who knows, who knows I just go where the trade winds blows Sending love to my friends and foes And I suppose I'm pleased To be chilling in the West Indies Jah provide all my wants and needs I got the sunshine rivers and trees Green leaves oh yea When me see jah me see a way Drastically stray from hiprocrosy I say (yea) Every man to they own philosopy I live the proper way and then mi read a chapter a day Man deh in a city hungry and nuh eat And food deh down a country just a drop off a di trees dem You say proverty nuh real den Is what the reasoning revealing Who knows, who knows, who knows, who knows I just go where the trade winds blows Sending love to my friends and foes And I suppose I'm pleased To be chilling in the West Indies Jah provide all my wants and needs I got the sunshine rivers and trees Green leaves oh yea When the rain pitta pat pon the roof Herb just a steam pepper pot pon the still Life is a dream if you got gratitude Go tell the regime dem can't stop what we do now Information you think on your own Or else you are a slave to the things that you know What do you know if you learn everyday So be careful a things weh you say Who knows, who knows, who knows, who knows I just go where the trade winds blows Sending love to my friends and foes And I suppose I'm pleased To be chilling in the West Indies Jah provide all my wants and needs I got the sunshine rivers and trees Green leaves oh yea Africa in a we soul but a Jah in a we heart Its of importance for i n i fi gather If we cannot show now a balance that we had How do we proposed now to carry it abroad Cannot go to Ethipoia and don't have a plan The building of a nation a hand a help a hand Everyone a love a one, every man is just a man It shall be a coronation when we land, land, land Who knows, who knows, who knows, who knows I just go where the trade winds blows Sending love to my friends and foes And I suppose I'm pleased To be chilling in the West Indies Jah provide all my wants and needs I got the sunshine rivers and trees Green leaves oh yea Who knows, who knows, who knows, who knows Am pleased to be chilling in the West Indies Jah provide all my wants and needs Songs like this, and all of the above should be getting played around the world!
This thread is for everyone to contribute their thoughts on modern music out of Jamaica. Feel free to contribute any songs you have heard that we may all enjoy. There is an enormous amount of music continuing to come out of Jamaica. The music did not stop when Bob died. I'll try to post a song each day, not just for those who already enjoy this music, but to put it in front of those unaware of it. Today a joyous song from Chevaughn. Sing It With Me. On the Real Life riddim.
Great new thread!! Will be diving in... first off is this cover of outstanding beauty... Raging Fyah - Milk and Honey
Another for Koffee... I'm in awe of this exceptional girl and could have picked any of the 9 or so songs released so far... this is a wonderful uplifting vid...
my favorite DeeJay from the late 80's on to now Ninjaman with Shaggy in GREAT shape (he's a super songwriter too)
Agent Sasco 'Mama Prayed' with the exquisite Glacia Robinson... this is what the whole world needs right now...
New school dancehall artists doing it old school, produced by my friend Frenchie for his Maxximum Sound label
There are a lot of Marleys out there. Some of the music/songs I adore... and though this may offend some people, IMHO some are as good as Dad (and I bet he would agree)... Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley - 'So A Child May Follow'
This was played in every bar and club (lots of girls 'daggering') for almost all of my 2012 year in Jamaica... Mr Vegas - 'Bruk It Down'...
She do a dutty dance to a Matterhorn song. I must have played this hundreds of time. Hadn't seen that video before though.
