St. Vincent's creatives are keenly active these days and here comes another fresh from the mint package of Vincy artefacts for you.
Skinny Fabulous has the biggest part of the ensemble with three tuff tunes: "Crazy Vibe" is a synthie-stabs and pan driven combination with Jamesy P, who is also on three releases these days (more below).
The Blakie/Skinny F-A-B combi "No More Long Talk" comes with a easy vibe plus a drifty funky guitar. Not bad. And "Pack Up And Done" is groovy, catchy, but in a serious mood. Generally it's good to have Skinny back.
Skinny Fabulous Ft Jamesy P - Crazy Vibe
Skinny Fabulous Ft Blakie - No More Long Talk
Skinny Fabulous - Pack Up And Done
Bomani makes a good-humoured point with this one, I would say Classic St Vincent material, but nothing to be evocative of. Just like Dennis Bowman, Vincy legend and 1997 winner of I-don't-remember-what-help-me-out.
Bomani - Til Morning Come
Dennis Bowman - Dem Bodies
Jamesy P pastes te Nookie-groove ones again for "Tipsy", but maybe I'm biased.
The other chune is a real 80s-in-mind, catchy one in return and works very well for me.
Jamesy P Ft Luta - Tipsy
Jamesy P - We Will Surviveb
Wet Paint! Fresh Vincy Supplies
The Fader x Coupe Decale
The Fader, more precisely Ghetto Palms realized it:
Coupe Decale is the new überhype in Europe (besides Koduro and Cumbia) and in the when-it-comes-to-dance-music-Europe-following-rest-of-the-west plus all over the African diaspora.
Fader resident selector Eddie Stats made a nice blend for everybody who wants to enter the topic.
Eddie Stats - Decale/Afro-Trance Blend
Tony Allen vs. Bonde do Role - Awa Nare Remix
Usher vs. Chief Boima - Love in this African Club
Bablee - Tout Est Dedans
Elephant Man vs. Chief Boima - Free Your Soul (Decale refix)
DJ Znobia - Mono Mono
Radioclit - Secousse
Konono No. 1 - Paradiso
Read his article!
Fine St Lucian Wine
St Lucia's Teddyson John makes his offer for 2008.
Teddyson John - Wine Up On Me
Teddyson John - Home For Carnival
Dutch Cumbia
Masala discovered Sonido Del Principe's impressive blend of heavy synthies and sweet african Cumbia for us. Thank you, I dig that, dig that, dig that. Ehhm, totally.
Sonido Del Principe - Barranquilla
Sonido Del Principe - Cartagena
Sonido Del Principe - El Principe
Mélanges
Grandpamini give a balkan brass shiver a blind date with Coupé-Décalé. À tout casser.
Grandpamini - Les Princes Du Tiers Monde
And the french producer Zox remixes Fat Joe on his "Coco Ice Cream Soca riddim". Pas mal.
Fat Joe - I Won't Tell (Zox Coco Ice Cream Remix)
Fresh Vincy Supplies
Lots of Vincy tunes landed in my mailbox lately. Here comes the gift pack.
Starting with Busta Ski, who attract my attention the last time in 2005 on some Vincy Soca sampler. The tune is highspeed action Soca straight, but nothing special.
Busta Ski - Another Year
The Nookie image will stick forever to Jamesy P. And this riddim sounds like the Nookie-pattern, too.
Jamesy P - Fever
The mad conductor Maddzart drops a more groovy jam with this one. I wonder whats about the advertised Madd Symphony, any news?
Maddzart - Ah Guilty
Problem Child is in a groovy mood, too, escorted by guitar chords and bongos. Promising a caribbean lapdance, aka private wine.
Problem Child - Private Wine
The last tune today is the very busy "carnival-police officer" Skarpyon, who gots the authority to arrest you if you are not wining and jumping and he is not yelling freeze at you, guaranteed.
Skarpyon - The Authority
Everyone Nose
The lyrics sound like the Chutney version of Clipse, but of course unintentionally. Who's liming after powdering, anyway?
Surendra Ft Saucy Wow - Rum And Coke
Calling All The Bridgetown Massive
Barbados' Cropover was great last year and seems to get even better this year. The first premature tunes arrived. Krosfyah features his members Edwin Yearwood and Anthony Bailey plus Adrian Dutchin and also Peter Ram is a Crop Over Early Bird.
Krosfyah Ft Edwin Yearwood - Not Missing Me
Krosfyah Ft Tony Bailey - There For You
Krosfyah Ft Adrian Dutchin - We Chippin
Peter Ram - Carnival Praise
Jamtech x Busy Signal
Jamtech Foundation from Sweden foisted a new ravy danctrumental on Busy Signal and up jumps the boogie. Large!
Jamtech Foundation Ft Busy Signal - Pounds Of Dro
Previously: Jamtech danced with King Kong
Gangsters Wobbel
Folks, you may have noticed that I am truly in love with that Bassline stuff and DJ Q is Bassline's luminary. Here's Q's latest wobbel sampling Wiley's selfproduced "Gangsters" off "Playtime is over". Niceness.
DJ Q - Gangsters Remix
Wiley - Gangsters
RWD Mag on Bassline
May I Have The Pleasure Of The Next Dance?
Moving your body to the rhythm of a beat. Dancing. I got three tunes about dancing that make you wanna dance today:
The first one is Elephant's new dancing class move chune called the "Gully Creepa" on the "Creepa Riddim". Ehhm, creepy, it sounds like Lollipop. The video is pretty grimey (the guys look like Machel's Jumbies) and the move looks like crumping squatted. Production by Daseca or Seanizzle???
Elephant Man - Gully Creepa
The next tune bounced in my mailbox today and its accidental about dancing, too, so I decided to do this little dancing-special. Anyway. The tunes is by Skinny Banton from Grenada and features a nice 80s basslinesynthie and I would dance to it. Fits.
Skinny Banton - Grenadian Dancers
The last one was probably the biggest Baile Funk hit in Rio for the last months. I'm a little late on it, but thats ok if your living on the other side of the world.
MC Creu - Dança Do Créu
Urgent advice: Check the seen.-blog twice a day in the next two weeks, because Tobias took the flight off to New York today, meeting some of the hypsters of the moment.
Tim Turbo Engages The Turbo-Gear
Tim Turbo of Mischke's does it again very turbo and presents us, just 12 days after his last one, another remarkable free mix cd. This one is nearly a hour long and has everything, starting with E-Dancehall and Synthie Hip Hop, going across Electro and Baile Funk and closing at some nice House Remixes. Recom mended!
Tim Turbo - Neon Rox
01 Warrior Queen - Things Change (Remix)
02 N.A.D.I.A - O.H.
03 Lenky Don - More Hardcore
04 Vein Ft. Pitbull - Get Up, Stand Up
05 Natalie Storm - Talk The Ting Dem
06 Bangers & Cash - Loose (ESTAW Gets Spanked Fix)
07 Thunderheist - Bubblegum (Ghislain Poirier Remix)
08 Toddla T - Sound Tape Killing
09 Crookers - Atomic Baile Boy
10 Samim - Heater (Diplo Remix)
11 Electrovamp - I Don't Like The Vibe In The VIP
12 Young MC - Bust A Move (Don Rimini Ravekid Remix)
13 Busy Signal - Wine Pon The Edge
14 DJ Sega - Be
15 Tony Cha Cha - Speler (Jeff Doubleu Remix)
16 Edu K - Hot Mama (Bondo Do Role Mix)
17 Miss Odd Kid - Sperm Donnor (Plimsouls Remix)
18 MTSTRKRFT Ft N.O.R.E. - Bounce
19 Kid Cudi - Day'n'Nite (Crookers Remix)
20 Edu K Ft Deize Tigrona - Mavisany (DJ Mavi & DJ Sany Funk Carioca Mix)
21 Mc Gringo - Föcki Föcki
22 Montagem - Rebolando (DJ Caverna e Juninho)
23 South Rakkas Crew - Mad Again (Boy 8-Bit Remix)
24 Wiley - Wearing My Rolex (Zombie Disco Squad Remix)
25 Three 6 Mafia - But I'd Rather (Douster Remix)
Hammer Time
These guys in JA have just some much creative energy, maybe there are not enough riddims, eehm, new riddim ideas to fullfil all requirements. This one is a cheap cheap cheap MC Hammer cover. At first. After a few seconds it gets mad and jumpy.
Speaking from the energy above: Energy God deh ya! "Gyal me know you can't resist, me dig, when its stiff."
Elephant Man - Bruk Dis
Lick Lick No Lady Like A Lollipop, Never U
Bad ass quality. Good idea. Grotesque ideology. Jamaican business as usual. Nothing new here.
Vybz Kartel - Pussy Nuffi Suck (Lollipop Remix)
Pre
"Unstoppably Underage Riddims" - Di Genius
Ex-'Mickey Mouse Club'-inhouse-producer Stephen McGregor did it again. His latest opus is called "Work Out Riddim" and comes up with everybody who is somebody plus upcoming cats on it. The instrumental itself is a smooth hip hop beat, with trancy chorus synths and danceable as fuck. Big tunes by too many-to-mention and the yet-studio-hustlers got some nice customizing.
My favourite hipstermag Fader had a little story about McGregor lately by Edwin 'Stats' Houghton:
Stephen McGregor first caught the attention of bashment aficionados as the 15-year-old boy genius tapping out stuttery clap-and-kettle drum patterns behind the curtains of the "Red Bull and Guinness" riddim (produced in collaboration with, and officially credited to, veteran deejay Delly Ranx). Before long the "Red Bull" had given wings to Mavado's "Weh Dem a Do", propelling the singer into rotation on New York's Hot 97 (not to mention the cover of [..Fader..]) and soon non-bashment aficionados were paying attention too. In the two years since, the now almost-a-man-genius has built a riddim resume more suited to a studio vet twice his age. In fairness though, McGregor, the younger son of roots reggae legend Freddie McGregor, got a monster of a head start, literally growing up in the Big Ship studio his father built, picking up proficiency in five different instruments and taking his first turn behind the boards by the time he turned ten.
Besides a strong work ethic and natural ease at the controls, the junior McGregor's productions so far have little in common with his father's trademark lover's rock, instead favoring a darker double-time sound more suited to gun tunes than sunny cultural jams. "Red Bull" was quickly followed by the "12 Gauge" riddim, a similar stutter-step rendered in rockish guitar and cold funk synths that could have been lifted from "Give It to Me" or any recent Timbaland production, but flipped into a straightforward, '90s-style dancehall track—a perfect bed for Bounty Killer's hit "Bullet, Bullet!" McGregor's next riddim, "Power Cut", spawned Mavado's "Top Shotta Nah Miss", one of the hardest songs on Gangsta For Life.
Yet a departure from his formula may end up defining McGregor in the long run. "Always on My Mind", an acoustic composition for crooner Daville, was re-done as a collaboration with Sean Paul, and the platinum DJ's "Watch Them Roll", a trap-tempo, strip-joint take on a bashment track voiced on McGregor's "Tremor" riddim, soon followed. The pairing is threatening to develop into a more solid relationship now that Sean Paul's mentor Jeremy Harding has signed a management deal with McGregor—an unprecedented move for Jamaica, where producers are not rated as "talent" until they've made a name by bankrolling their own labels. Discussing these developments by phone from Kingston, McGregor sounds just as precocious as his resumé, reeling off assured platitudes like "Sean is an easy artist for me to work with because we have the same love for music". But he's quick to point out that his real strength lies in not growing up too fast. "I think I definitely have an upper hand when it comes to making 'young music'. I don't have to guess what kinda vibes young people are into, cause I'm on a level with them."
Some chunes I liked by skipping thru:
Vybz Kartel - Work Out
Sean Paul - Don't Tease Me
Assassin - Money
Mavado - Inna Di Car Back
Elephant Man - We Ketch Dem
Voicemail - Give Her
Wayne Marshall - So Di Gangster Ride
Mr Evil - She Waaa
Shema - All About Me
Autotune x Weezy F Baby x Kanye x Demarco
Kanye twirls heavy on Antares Audio Technologies to get eye to eye with Weezy F Baby on "Lick-lick-lick-lick me like a Lollipop, Yeaaahhh". Big.
Lil Wayne Ft Kanye West - Lollipop (Remix)
Demarco probably gets his bread at his baker around the corner speaking on Autotune:
Demarco - Police
"Give give give give me croissants and a roll, yeahhhh."
Speak Spanglish?
Luta 'D Crowd Motivator' meets the Nookie-Man Jamesy P.
There was a Calypsonian from TnT by the name of Luta, too, ehh?
Luta Ft Jamesy P - Muevete
Apropos Nookie: This nice blend/remix of the "Nookie"-drums and "Network"-synthies is already waiting some days on my hardware to get in the bright light of these pages:
Kamau Ft Jamesy P - Network (Nookie Man Remix)
Bsssss, The Sand Fly
S-Peezy thuds twofold on the nice reduced "Sand Fly Riddim". Nothing jamrockshaking, though "Grip" has something special, but where is the single for the forthcoming (is it?) album?
Sean Paul - Grip
Shano Ft. Sean Paul - Girls Territory
Toddla T
Sheffield’s rising e-dancehall don dada Toddla T blows my mind not for the first time. too many big chunes and killa remixes to mention. He knows how to control the symbiosis between Electro and Dancehall and brings it to perfection. rwd mag wrote on him:
He’s wary of being touted as trendy, but Toddla T is one of the foremost new talents in a scene that is pretty frickin’ cool right now. we pop to Sheffield to have a cuppa T.
On the surface, M.I.A., Diplo, Sinden, Kid Sister, Santogold, Spank Rock, Aaron LaCrate, Rye-Rye, Cool Kids, Flosstradamus, Yo Majesty, Radioclit, Cassette Playa, CSS, Kesshia, Zezi, Diplo, Super Super, Anti-Social, yOyO and this young man above, Toddla T, might not have much in common. But these assorted stylists, club nights, writers, DJs, producers, rappers and singers are all somehow connected, whether they live in Sheffield, London, Sri Lanka, Florida, Chicago, Philadelphia, Sweden, Brazil or Baltimore. Co-joined by a love of living outside the norm, the above list revel in taking all types of inspiration; grime, dubstep, jungle, day-glo, rave, electro, rap, booty bass, baile funk, new jack swing, bashment, slogans, rides, grillz, art and fashion all play a part in their creative make-up. Thanks to MySpace and YouTube, the world is a much smaller place and somehow or other, this collective of creative types are all linked; now all they need is a name! “Yeah it’s amazing that people see it like that, like a scene, rather then just one person doing something on their own,” says Sheffield soundman Toddla T who sometimes works with Kiss/ M.I.A. DJ and increasingly renowned producer, Sinden. “I don’t know what to call it; I’m just a DJ who makes tunes.”
Whether he’s spinning or sound-sculpting, expect to hear a whole lot in ’08 from Toddla T, who is also in the duo Small Arms Fiya. “I make tunes that people can jump about to,” he laughs in thick Yorkshire brogue. “I’m influenced by a lot of things, but it is quite grimy sometimes, the drums are reet heavy, the vocals are usually dancehall. I’m not really going above 110bpm, so it’s hip hop/ dance speed but with electronic, grime sounds. I suppose it’s quite jump up, but I want it to have a sonic and an accent as such,” decides the man born Tom Bell.
Although he might still be working at Size selling sneaks (“I’m not gonna lie, some people’s feet do stink”), T’s becoming increasingly in demand; Jack Penate and Roisin Murphy have both requested remixes, while Sinden just reworked Toddla’s own smash-in-waiting Do You Know. Last year, Fact mag named his genre-bending Ghettoblaster as ‘Mixtape of the Year.’
Still officially unsigned, Toddla releases through label 1969, though they’re yet to ink a deal just yet. “It’s quite relaxed really; they just put records out for me. I don’t really feel ready yet to do an album yet, so until then we’ll keep just doing EPs and stuff.”
Indeed, next up is another mixtape and a single called Soundtape Killing that features remixes from bassline’s Nastee Boi as well as Ireland’s Dat Boy. It looks like Toddla won’t have much time to tie his shoelaces, let alone sell them. “I’m happy that people are looking not only at what I’m doing, but also at Sheffield - I think the standards have really gone up over the last few years...now it’s time to take them even higher.”
Do You Know is out now, Soundtape Killing is out now
A excerpt:
Toddla T - Sound Tape Killing
Toddla T - Sound Tape Killing (Det Boi Remix)
Toddla T - Sound Tape Killing (Nastee Boi Remix)
Toddla T - Do You Know (Count Of Monte Cristal & Sinden Dub)
Toddla T - Fill Up My Portion
Skarpyon
Skarpyon from St Vincent already killed it side-by-side with my Vincy-number-one-hipster this season. Here he goes with another two joints for 2008. "Freaky" is more of a "Kopa"-style Dancehall chune and "Forever" is a groovy Soca chune using a familiar pop-melody.
Skarpyon - Freaky
Skarpyon - Forever
Cyan Wait's Development: Top or Flop?
You may have noticed, that I'm getting away a little bit from making a pure caribbean related audio blog. Lately I tried to give you a little piece of everything I'm up to, mostly electronic varieties with bond issues of caribbean styles. Please let me know if you like that development or not, while you listening to the never-failing Hot Chip covering my lawful wedded:
Hot Chip - Wearing My Rolex (Wiley Cover) BBC Live Lounge
And I will never neglect the whole Soca issue, boys and girls, trust me.
All The Girls Standing In The Line For The Remix
Isn't this the best N.E.R.D. chune since "Lapdance" came out and Pharrell had an nice likkle moustache? But from those two tracks already released and leaked "Seeing Sounds", the new N.E.R.D. album, sounds like a return to those days. "Everyone Nose" is nice (the remix is betta) and the leaked one, "Spazz", is like back in those moustache-days, too. Btw: Pusha T (Clipse) is unfuckable!
N.E.R.D. Ft CRS & Pusha T - Everybody Nose Remix CRS = Ye, Lupe & Skateboard P
N.E.R.D. - Spazz
Finally! x Diplo!
It finally happend: after I talked Tobias' ear off on Thursday bout it, before we both got mad like a motherfucker on Diplo's set @ Tape Club Berlin (I just say: "mental"), it landed in my mailbox today:
a Rapper like "Usually Dance-usually drink-usually bubble"-Wiley gets down on a Bassline beat.
I'm totally in love with it (and I married "Wearing My Rolex), it was a missing step. Squash that lame female-vocal-bassline-stuff!
Wiley - Grime Kid (off his streetalbum "Grime Wave")
Wiley - Wearing My Rolex
Two more things to say:
1. Check out seen.'s garmz!
2. Dubstep is way better, if u are drunk.
Peppeppeppeppeppa Dem
Tim Turbo (Mischke's) endows us another half an hour mix. This time it's more focused on Bassline and Bassline-Soca (Tim Turbo Trademark) plus Trancehall.
Tim Turbo - Peppeppeppeppeppa Dem
01 DJ Q & MC Bonez - Get Mad
02 De Tropix - Bad Name
03 Destra Garcia X Dizzee Rascal X DJ Q - I Wanna See U Dip, Wine It (Tim Turbo Remix)
04 Team Shadetek Ft 77Klash & Jahdan - Brooklyn Anthem
05 Ricky Blaze Ft. Tony Matterhorn & Elephant Man - Cut Dem Off (Remix)
06 Ghislain Poirier - Blazin' (Modeselector Remix)
07 Toddla T - Soundtape Killin ft. Serocee (Nastee Boi Remix)
08 Destra Garcia X Tony Matterhorn X DJ Q - High (Tim Turbo Remix)
09 Dru - Ting In De Waist (Tim Turbo Remix)
10 DJ Q and MC Bones - You Wot
11 Demarco - Send Dem Home
12 Elephant Man - Liberty
13 T.o.k - Peppa Dem
14 Trenches Riddim Instrumental
Pre
Breathless Remix
This remix of "Breathless" by the Roy Cape All Stars featuring Blaxx & Chutney star Andy Singh is mental.
Roy Cape All Stars Ft Blaxx & Andy Singh - Breathless Remix
Usually Drink Usually Dance Usually Bubble
Tim Turbo of the Berlin based Mischke's Cru sent me this little 30-something mix, containing everything from Baile Funk, Trancehall and the multiple varieties of Caribbean meeting Electronique Styles. Btw check Tim Turbo's new Web 2.0 Toy.
Tim Turbo - Usually Drink Usually Dance Usually Bubble *REreup*
01 Busy Signal - Grades
02 Goldie Locks - Learning To Brap
03 Miss Odd Kidd - Don't Be Afraid To Sweat
04 Elephant Man - Wine
05 Tony Matterhorn - Don't Let Dem See
06 Mavado Ft Smalltown DJs - Strike A Badman
07 Assasin Ft Mykal Rose - Gang War
08 Elephant Man - Warm Up
09 Bonde Do Role - Marina Gasolina (Peaches Remix)
10 Hot Chip - One Pure Thought (Toddla T Remix)
11 DJ Zoki - Trubaci Cik Cik (Reggaeton Remix)
12 DJ C Ft Zulu - Body Work (Murderbots Britny Work Refix)
13 Fully Fitted - 100 Million
14 DJ Beware Ft MC Gringo - Tamborzão Con Scratchy
15 Toddla T - Inna Di Dancehall (Count of MOnte Cristal and Sinden Remix)
16 Teddybears - Cobrastyle (Diplo Remix)
17 Noble Society - The Swarm (DJ Theory Remix)
18 Munga - Shake Ladida (Paul Beats Remix)
19 Buraka Som Sistema - Yah! (feat. Petty)
20 Wiley - Wearing My Rolex
21 Santogold - Shove It (KMFX Remix)
Previously
Mr. Vegas - Mus Come A Road
Mr. Vegas - Mus Come A Road
The Fader issue 44 featured the Vegas-Story written by Edwin Houghton:
Through the Wire
Dancehall veteran Mr Vegas did it his way
The story of Mr Vegas is the stuff of dancehall legend. A modest career doing reggae covers like “Killing Me Softly” was sidelined in the mid-’90s by a broken jawbone, but rather than miss the chance to jump on Jeremy Harding’s classic “Playground” riddim, Vegas voiced “Nike Air” with his jaw wired shut. Unable to mold his mouth around the notes, he half-rapped Mi wan’ fi see yuh hand inna di yeeairr… in a nasal monotone that became the trademark on a string of oddly addictive ’90s hits. A pitch-perfect counterpoint to his dancehall schoolie Sean Paul on tracks like “Hot Gal Today,” the two fell out dramatically when the 12-inch appeared minus Vegas’s name. “I still believe to this day that if you’re my friend, it’s for life and no record label or nobody can come between,” says Vegas. “If you and me put in heart and soul to blow a song up in Jamaica and then it’s promoted as just you when it start takin on wings overseas…I can’t see eye to eye with that.” Although long since squashed, the beef proved penny-wise and dollar-stupid for Vegas, who disappeared from the juggling around the time his sparring partner went platinum.
Suddenly, however, in 2006, Vegas transformed his status from MIA to comeback kid with hits as wildly disparate as the sweetly sentimental one drop “Do You Know” and the raunchy uptempo bashment of “Hot Wuk” (aka “Hot Fuk”). “I didn’t want to just come back in and record a lot of songs like ‘Nike Air’ and ‘Heads High,’” Vegas says of his strategy. “When I did [’90s throwbacks] ‘Constant Spring’ and ‘Taxi Fare,’ people said, ‘Ok, he’s making some noise.’ But when I said ‘Do You Know,’ they start believing.”
Between the cover tunes, the veteran status and the interpretation of material from all over the dancehall map, you might legitimately think the name “Mr Vegas” was in tribute to Sinatra or Wayne Newton. In fact, Vegas was named for a local strip club (for rocking shirts in go-go dancer pink “long before pink started wearin in Jamaica!”), but he seems to have grown into the name’s other connotations. “When I look at a great performer, I have to see why them stick around for years and years—it’s the stage show. In order for me to be around this long I can’t come to no show an’ flop. I rock any crowd: Spanish, Japanese…I’m just an entertainer.”
First Magazine X Video
The previously mentioned First Magazine goes Video with some serious Fight-Club-action. Big.
On a Thursday Night in the middle of the concrete jungle, the Lions come out to play. Already notorious for its garrison politics, this particular downtown community cements its reputation by adding brute sport to its list of attributes. Unyielding to outside authority, its proud residents are often misunderstood by outsiders who fear what they don’t understand. As a population detached and growing larger each week the anticipation is thick in the air as we witness an incredibly entertaining release.
The crowd that surrounds is jovial, boisterous and dense and since we’re late it takes great effort to penetrate this barrier. It’s a privilege to stand close; everybody wants to see what’s going on. It’s ‘Thursday Night at the Fights’- street brawling in its most organized form; a makeshift ring constructed of two ropes held in place by feeble pieces of wood, lodged not too securely in the ground and a couple of nearby lampposts.
There’s no pretense here. No one bothers about things as trivial as mouthguards or doctors or even a bell. Many are dressed in rags and bear a slight resemblance to guttersnipes. To others, these are the dregs of society. Anyone brave enough (or drunk enough) to step inside must be prepared to take a beating; the crowd doesn’t react well to boring fights. So when two boys calling themselves ‘Tall Man’ and ‘Tupac’, (neither looking a day over twelve) knock fists to start their fight, little Tupac stares up at the other with a lust for blood in his eyes.
tupac.gifTheir style of fighting is a combination of traditional boxing and raw street-fighting. Fists are flung without mercy, covered with nothing more than thin bag-training gloves, each blow connecting with a reverberating thud as the commentator echoes “Boop!-Bap!-Boop!” provoking the crowd to roars of laughter. But this only whets their appetite, they want blood.
Though the tall one has the advantage of height he is reluctant to use it, and the smaller is angrier with each blow he receives, eyes bloodshot and filled with tears he lunges at the other.
Dizzy from the impact and only about five minutes into the fight Tall Man asks for water. It’s all he can ask for, all he can get. If he falls there’s no doctor by the ringside or any cars that could transport him to one. Many taxi’s aren’t caught here this close to midnight.
More cackles from the pack as they tease the boy for his weakness and during these water breaks, the DJ plays some tunes to keep the crowd bubbly.
True enough to the crowd’s judgment, the boy punks out after about two more rounds, retreating, in shame to the crowd amidst shouts of disappointment, he will have to answer to whomever forced him in there.
The mob grows restless, they’re hungry for another. In jumps a heavy-set female. She is missing a tooth or two. Apparently she has been here before; it’s a weekly tradition here, and people will gladly take a punch or two, as long as they can prove themselves the more merciless by the end of the fight.
The man on the mic sips his beer and calls for a contender. She is viciously intimidating, this beast of a woman, and although the crowd wants blood, none seem too willing to spill their own, until a pretty adolescent with nothing but skin on her bones steps into the ring. Though she is reputed to be quite an agitator the crowd objects with shouts of “murder!”
She is already wearing her gloves, her face is fixed with a stare that means that she is serious, and it is with a great amount of persuasion that she eventually yields to the wishes of the crowd. It is they who rule this arena. Easily, the girl would have shattered under the weight of the whale’s blow.
Out steps another, equally as intimidating as the one who awaits her; her arms covered in scars and her face bleached to its second layer of skin, there is an sinister grin across her face and the crowd screams in excitement, as she dares her opponent to cross her.
This promises to be a fun fight.
They strike each other with intense force and speed, and the pack must move with them, ducking out of the way because of their proximity to the ring, and when one person shifts, another slides into his space if it means having a better view, and when the crowd shifts again, one squeezes in friends. But in this crowd we are all one and we lean on each other for support, it is one big rollercoaster ride we all enjoy.
girls.gifThe contender smiles though the blows to her face have turned it purple and she is blinded by the hair extensions that keep falling over her face and she is being beaten as a consequence.
We are distracted for a moment as a fight breaks out in the middle of the crowd. Someone falls to the ground collapsing under the force of a punch, but no one really cares. If they wanted an audience they would step into the ring. There’s not much respect for those not brave enough to display their skill in front of the crowd.
Such distractions only last for only a moment.
A little boy has managed to sneak to the front while we are distracted and he is blocking the others from where he is standing. “Go roun’!” shouts an older youth whom he must obey. In this community everyone is everyone’s parent.
Without further delay it’s time for the real rumble. Lu, the reigning King of the ring looks to be about 6 feet tall and 300 pounds heavy. It is he we have come to see. The Dancehall music blares from the speakers as he teases the crowd by pretending to charge at people he could easily knock unconscious and we’re anxious to see him fight someone ominously known only as “Strength.”
After maybe fifteen minutes of the charade the crowd grows restless, the music cannot fool us any longer, we want to see him fight and we’re realizing that a worthy contender has yet to challenge him, Lu disappears with promises to return, but the music can hold us no longer.
The crowd disperses like ants escaping rain, the streets are empty. It’s as though noone was ever here; and seven days seems much too long to wait for another Thursday Night at the Fights.
via seen
Method Man's Patois
Two minutes of Meth selling Josh Peck some sensi in the forthcoming movie The Wackness and Mary-Kate Olsen is involved, too, juhoo.
via
Ricky T
Back-to-back Roadmarch-titleholder Ricky T from St. Lucia makes his offers for 2008.
2006 he won the Roadmarch title with his chune "Container" and 2007 with "Pressure Boom" on the "Lehgo Me Riddim".
Ricky T - Party Cya Done
Ricky T - Toxic
Related: Ricky T is representing St Lucia in New York @ Machel Montano’s HD Experience at MadisonSquareGarden
Shanti - Wine On Your Boom Boom
I couldn't find any infos about Shanti, though it's a nice tune. Link me, if you know somebody who knows something knowable, you know?
Shanti - Wine On Your Boom Boom
Make A Pose And Say Cheese
Another intoxicating chune by Zoelah from the small island of St Vincent, joining the one I posted previously this week.
Zoelah - Zoom In
Minimal Dancehall
The folks at Fader called this Busy chune on the new Freestyle Riddim "Minimal Dancehall" and I co-sign this, but I don't agree on the claim that it's too much trance in the music thats around, I want more! Production by SSMG.
Busy Signal - Cool Baby
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Kerwin Du Bois - 2 Days
Kerwin Du Bois, who placed third at Groovy Soca Monarch 2007, for 2008.
Kerwin Du Bois - 2 Days
77Klash x Johnny Osbourne
77Klash, the man behind Turbulence's monster hit "Notorious", released his "Code for the Streets" these days. Johnny Osbourne provides a familiar hook on the one below. Check Jamaican Observer, Yard Flex, mudd up! and the omnipotent Fader for more infos.
77Klash Ft Johnny Osbourne - Mad Again
Plus:
Team Shadetek Ft 77Klash & Jahdan - Brooklyn Anthem His 2006 buzz
77Klash Ft Jahdan - Fight
Noble Society - The Swarm (Remix) produced by 77Klash
Blogariddims 40
You should necessarily check issue 40 of the great great great Blogariddims gang, it's epic! John Eden & Grievous Angel track and x-ray grime in dancehall-music and the facets of dancehall in grime with attention to details.
Blogariddims 40: John Eden & Grievous Angel present grime in the dancehall
New Birch
A new Chris Birch riddim (Big Yard) by the name of "On The Block Riddim". It sounds like Birch linked up with Modeselektor and the instrumental was not picked for the recent Britney album: "So, let's give it those crazy Jamaicans, they voice eeeeverything, trust me." Maybe I should do a Trancehall-only-blog.
Elephant Man - Wine
Tony Matterhorn - Don't Let Dem See
Christopher Birch - On The Block Riddim Version
Previously On Cyan Wait
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