rolling dancehall & reggae 2013

the Sweetness riddim is sounding quite nice in frosty January:

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

this Mavado tune also bringing in some warmth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ckchq5IkU

after "So Mi Tan," "Militancy," and "Kingston Town" I feel like 2013 might be the year I develop a huge soft spot for throwback snare-heavy tracks like this Di Genius song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St1EV25aD2w

That retro Di Genius track is nice--his vocals and the riddim.

yeah, I wonder if, having that voice and being arguably the best producer in JA right now, it doesn't cross his mind to reserve all the best riddims for himself (and maybe his family--I don't know if there's a McGregor who isn't in the music business).

Enjoyed the synth harps on the Concerto riddim yesterday, almost has a Fatima al-Qadiri quality to it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2VAQRGxYXI

Denyque & Di Genius: very very nice. Maybe the best thing I've heard from her yet? I like her in this sadder mode, and Di Genius seems poised to have another amazing year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJoGm7djT0s

thats nice! good to hear some new denyque

tommy lee's been making some really odd music and videos recently, any thoughts on it? definite image he's going for lately and seems to be making him somewhat of a polarizing figure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftaMebUjR3I

Fizzles and I talked a bit about Tommy Lee toward the end of last year's thread: Rolling Dancehall & Reggae 2012.

Which reminds me that I've been meaning to post Soundclash's year-end round-up here: http://soundclash.wordpress.com/2013/01/09/2012-in-reggae-and-dancehall/.

In that post, Erin MacLeod (who used to post here for many years, I believe) dismisses him as nothing new and even compares him to Marilyn Manson--actually I'm not clear if she's genuinely citing Manson as a legitimate comparison or is kind of lite trolling. Anyway, as I mentioned in the previous thread, I think horrorcore is a much better comparison/influence, which bolsters her argument that this isn't entirely novel. However, there's a good discussion in the comments to her post with some push back based in the fact that as you mentioned Lee is genuinely "polarizing" to JA audiences.

To carry on repeating myself: I really like the second half of the track you posted. Dude has definitely got *something* going on if he can make nearly a cappela tracks that have that kind of impact. And yeah, the videos are a cut above the usual half-assed dancehall offerings (as charming as those often are).

thanks, i missed that. yeah brotha lynch hung was what immediately came to mind for me, i don't see the manson comparison as much. it would be easy to make that point that he's taking a page out of vybz's playbook and going for shock value, especially since adidjaheim is splintering at the moment. i'm sure that's an element, but musically it's not a huge step from his earlier hits like "some bwoy." interested to see where he'll go with it anyway. thanks for posting that, really liked some of the things linked there, the top 10 francophone list particularly has some great songs on it

interested to see where he'll go with it anyway

yeah, me too. so far I'd say his miss-to-hit ratio hasn't been too inspiring compared to someone like Konshens who had a relentlessly consistent year, but I'm hopeful he'll come up with something surprising this year.

can't remember if posted this last year or not, but here's the official video for Vybz Kartel's "Weed Smokers" with properly spaced production from Russian:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1sSH-Zx8mA

more Denyque, this time with Voicemail. This is a bit busy for me right now, but I can see this opening up a little on repeat listens:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk7U1xMQkG0

russian's a bit hit and miss but he had some great productions last year. in a similar vein, i'm not sold on popcaan's deejaying here but the video is really entertaining, love the cobain shirt:

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

also, how did vybz stay so prolific last year? did he make bail or does he just have a huge backlog?

He did not make bail, but I have not really seen anyone explain it adequately. I think huge backlog is a factor. Some tracks sound like they could be recorded over the prison phone but supposedly they're not: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120909/lead/lead7.html

I really liked Russian-produced "Moneyfinger" (Gappy Ranks & Busy Signal) and "Done See Dem" (Demarco) from last year, but imo Popcaan was a pretty big disappointment. That is a cool shirt though.

Cashflow's "1990s" riddim is great. Spice partic mind-blowing here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=MZTOnhMOv4w

lol, I guess that came out in October, but still:

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

Soca is completely unexplored territory for me, but I'm really digging this mix: http://www.hipstersdontdance.com/2013/01/so-shifty-presents-unfuckwithable-37/

konshen's gyal a bubble songs are pretty consistently good. newest one in the "series" if you haven't heard it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeBb3IJFuso

That's excellent chilli.
Not sure what all this retro business is about *strokes chin* (wasn't the 50th last year?), but here are a couple more throwback tracks that I like.

Ward 21 "Dead Tonight":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vvH8Dwv60w

Unsurprisingly, Sizzla and Bounty Killer are nice on that riddim too.

The production on this one is kind of a mess, but I can never really get enough Tanya Stephens being filthy & witty:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vbrkMSOfpw

Potential Kidd making a bid to avoid one-hit-wonder status:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYmo2rpQcKg

Don't think he'll pull it off, but I quite like the production on that. Pretty lol that the "official video" is so terribly lo-fi.

DANCEHALL COVER OF TAYLOR SWIFT YESSSSSSSS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQnH_b1S-Qk

Pretty good! Love the pronoun reversal. Nice to see this-- feels like the omnivorous appetite for covers has waned in dancehall.

Masicka really seems like he's coming into his own lately. This isn't mind-blowing, but I dig it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ax4ahsZmrY

Still picking through that great soca mix I posted upthread, this Bunji Garlin tune is fantastic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVd-_B_Ry_Q

And this Olatunji song "Bam Bam" is absolutely bonkers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDfN5sDW9og

newest tommy lee, still biblical themed but the lyrics are interesting here ("demon just a phase," render unto caesar ref etc.) — doubt it means anything wrt his musical direction mind you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE79Ux3PhjI

love the taylor swift flip, wish dancehall artists would do that more often. busy signal's song off "fireflies" was one of my top tunes a few years back.

I like that Tommy Lee quite a bit. He's not exactly running from the Marilyn Manson comparison though huh? Actually Meatloaf would be a better choice, and campy rock opera dancehall really would be unique.

ha, I had never heard the Busy "Fireflies" flip, that's pretty fantastic. Aidonia just steals a Wiz Khalifa chorus here, but:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td80kAPyyLA

LOVE those two soca tunes you posted rob

XD yeah, those are massive! Been thinking about starting a thread for Differentology, since I think a lot of people who might not read rolling dancehall would be into it.

Christopher Martin's understated charm is always welcome:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYZtQQh82Uc

vocals still sound like they were recorded in the penitentiary waiting room, but this new Vybz Kartel track is good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaJ1CD-chYs

Happy to say that Ward 21 have put out a bunch of good stuff in 2013 after being almost totally off the radar last year.

Biting Ants riddim has an Elephant Man track that I was a bit shocked to like as well as "Di Pree" from the promising Marcy Chin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8CNuzhMz5E

Impossible to choose between Spice and Tifa on the Dandymite riddim, though "Goodaz" is also great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDvdVbo6a1c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P5BGoolgZ4

Like "A Yuh So Nice" and "Bruck It Down" last year, this song--QQ "Ghetto Gal"--struck me as too simplistic at first, but now it's totally wormed its way into my life. I also showed the video to my wife to explain what "wining" is, so it's handy for that too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoAiL7ZlPRM

I could get used to a steady stream of Denyque tracks:

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

btw, if you like that^ riddim, there's a bunch of other good voicings on it: Konshens, Chris Martin, Alaine & Bugle

good stuff! great denyque track, as always, and love the biting ants riddim. really cool throwback sound to it, as with a lot of ward 21 riddims.

just so you're not the only one posting, this popcaan track is the best i've heard from him in a while (fwiw):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOGeaCtT67Y

those spice and tifa songs O_O

lex, i actually thought of you when I heard this song--Tifa at her brattiest. like a teenager trolling you. that "diarrhea" aside is so weird:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAXv4hS6_yc

xp
poor old Popcaan. I've probably indulged my disappointment in him a little too much. That track you posted is nice, chilli. I'd never seen the official video for "The System" until the other day, but it shows dude does have something, even if he frequently misplaces it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7trsy11auM

if that's not sad enough, tommy lee and gaza slim started a label without him after adidjahiem collapsed (i wrote the wiki page for lee recently, lame but true). that video is pretty neat yeah, everything mixpak puts out is pretty cool if just for the production budget.

chilli, thanks for that wiki. learning Tommy Lee has five kids makes this make much more sense:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi9f_l4bKAQ

and then there's this too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8cH03uIpJU

it's still a pretty bizarre single, but maybe it will take a few listens to come around to it. cool to see a video for "children are our future," gaza slim as kartel is awesome

yeah, I think it's probably just a little too strained to really work, but I also enjoyed her lip-syncing deep-voiced kartel. Clicking through versions of the Afterlife riddim, this really stood out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kuOn4VS5sw

Bombshell riddim is A+. At the risk of this turning into the rolling Denyque thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVw6_29g_Jc

But Stacious, who I don't often enjoy, is nice on this too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqi4yuY87Bs

chilli, you heard this new Masicka?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP9InjeoLlE

i haven't, no—i like it! haven't been on top of my dancehall lately but the track "cheerleader" by omi is on a lot of dancehall stations for some reason and is ridiculously catchy

could've sworn it's been posted though—maybe on the 2012 thread?

Ha yeah I posted "Cheerleader" last year because the video was filmed in Oregon (where I live) and I thought that was pretty odd. Listening to it now and it is nice, interesting that it's being played a lot 6 months later.

i-octane is really on top of it lately, the bounty killer track and "gimmi bun" were great and i'm liking the new stuff i hear from him:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pF6UjRw62Y

also new tommy lee single, supposedly to be followed with a comic-strip style video for "captain sparta" later in the week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls3JQDJ4l6k

oops, meant to post this for the second one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgFKN11zkSI

Was just about to post that I-Octane medley video, which I enjoyed more than each of those songs on their own. I like that the video looks like it was filmed between takes of a dream sequence for a third-tier 90s indie film. Video for "Gimmi Bun" has this amazing looking dude cast as the Other Man:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9jeiNx5nVM

I ignored Chronixx all last year because the hype around him--"finally a conscious rasta is here to save dancehall and bring it back to itself"--is so tired and familiar, but damn I love this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW2K1enbkzs

The Bill Cosby-esque "pull up your pants, son" lyrics are kind of lol from such a young guy (and basically just the conservative version of the usual lyrical trope of singing one's own praises), but man that flute riff is so sweet and i love how melodic his voice is.

Speaking of flutes. I could really get behind a trend of spare flutes + percussion riddims. This Blak Ryno track is nice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URoRBxp0970

yeah, "behind curtain" was great but listening through his mixtape Hooked On Chronixx got tiresome w/ the socially conscious aspect. i-octane can have a similar effect, though his music is generally more varied. new genius/aidonia is pretty nice, like the contrast in vocals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6BHRDkjoeQ

on the one hand, this is really obvious; on the other, it pushes every button i want pushed in the summer

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

this is lots of fun too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrskxzl2Aek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU54hyb474c
liking this assassin, he's really excellent at his top form. good to see di genius still producing too, he seems to have gravitated away from riddim releases recently

I see that Chronixx is doing some US East Coast shows in a few weeks.

Been without Internet access at home for a couple of weeks and I got a few things I wanted to share here, but this is taking precedence right now. Probably doesn't quite belong in this thread but this Lea Anna song is gorgeous:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oDNoKWfbiA

I see that account has been terminated. Not sure if this will stick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIakw7OD7uM

While I miss their collaborations, O and Cham on Madhouse's Boom riddim are my favorite thing from the past couple of months:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq7ytw8M75g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq7ytw8M75g

lol having youtube troubles today:

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

Shouldn't the summer jams thread have started by now? J Capri & Charly Black's "Whine & Kotch" (prod. by Russian, er it's RVSSIAN now I guess)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKJIIHgy1E0

I'm already sick of the Year of the Comeback, but damn Ninjaman's new tracks this year have been fiery:

"Dawg Nyam Yuh Supper"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOiB8Cpy5cA

"Ninja Mi Ninja"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD03R0aPd6Y

recognition is due that Popcaan probably has 2013's maybe-trying-too-hard-but-still-apt summer anthem here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWUfahDBcs0

rebel mc returns and pulls in a few chums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Guc3xSj7wQs

loving this.

Mavado + Spice, who has been on fire this year (Mavado not so much):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSqm64JnO4c

Blak Ryno "#1 Stunna"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sef897XINcw

Konshens "Tan Up An Wuk"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXXR7QWLJbw

that Agent Sasco/Di Genius track, "Tell Unuh," chilli posted a couple months ago is great. Sasco is also my favorite on the hyper infectious Moggela Riddim:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC8cBncDRyk

Konshens is good on that one too ("How We Living").

Agent Sasco has been great this year.

'Next Top Model', 'Tell Unuh' and 'Shell' are all terrific.

Very true and I haven't even heard Yeezus yet.

poor neglected thread, here is a great Chronixx tune:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ7Yoj5QwiA

this should probably be noted though I'm not sure it works (Mavado f. Nicki Minaj):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ylbysq2r90E

it's a bit of an attempt to rewrite "hold yuh" on nicki's part

have been feeling these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yhIUmJjJrI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKJIIHgy1E0

I'm coming around to it, but the Mavado/Nicki thing feels a little undercooked. Nicki's rap is definitely a near carbon copy of her "Hold Yuh" appearance. I quite like her singing at 2:38 and the last minute or so works much better imo. It's too bad they decided to use both her vocal approaches, which is something no one has ever said about Minaj before.

both those songs you posted are great and they remind me that there are a few major hits that haven't been posted in this thread yet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAnrv0Kye0w

hi dere Vybz Kartel, this is a total jam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiVPv8kI2Kw

there's been a ton of great 90s influenced stuff this year. JA music is so adept at using its past this stuff all sounds fresh to me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOvUW2NOcdQ

this is nice too, though the intro with Konshens voicing So Mi Tan over the Real Rock riddim is such a tease, would love to hear more that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQyGMHNR614

great finds! that "hi" is taken from some stock rap sample, no?

can any of you guys ID this song/artist?

http://vocaroo.com/i/s0NGiffZvTwg

RIP Prince Jazzbo

http://www.factmag.com/2013/09/12/legendary-reggae-artist-prince-jazzbo-has-died/

dwfx, that song doesn't ring any bells. What's it recorded from?

I have played "hi" on repeat since I posted that. The lyrics are amazing.

I don't live in the UK but this new Stylo G seems poised to be pretty massive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz-LhRmIJno

lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dOGyzVzVk8

It's curious that it's coming out in 2013, but Busy Signal spitting over Sarkodie's "U Go Kill Me" is nice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vlsCRnoDlg

I kind of stopped paying attention to Tommy Lee Sparta after he swerved from the horrorcore/goth stuff and got goofy, but this video makes a strong case for his aesthetic remaining potent, the vibes anything but pure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5Dci1u6L3s

Samantha J's "Tight Skirt" making a compelling argument for teenpop-dancehall:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqs4uuq8cPY

Loads of good stuff on the Toasted riddim, all of it super slack (apart from Kartel's brilliantly out of character "School"):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4j1keZzX5k

Busy should be getting subsidized to release these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3WYse6XfCQ

This Shy FX and Liam Bailey song sounded good when it came out, but in this freak snow & freezing cold we're having in Oregon, it's like a revelation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW-AHPZ5YEM

I need to finish going through everything on this thread and your ilx nomination list...lots of good stuff

thanks man! I plan on posting an EOY list with links at some point, probably closer to christmas. I've been super busy and need to catch up on recent stuff. interesting to see what dancehall others nominated--quite a few tracks where I couldn't pick between two songs from one artist (like "Chronixx's "Here Comes Trouble") ended up getting nommed--I was trying to be a bit more strategic with my nominations this year, though tbh I think Differentology is the only one with a shot.

Yep, seems like that's the one crossing over a bit

signs of life from Ward 21:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqBopETgbd4

I already mentioned this on the Bunji Garlin "Differentology" thread, but I really love this melancholy comedown:

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

and this imperious viking call to arms:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3c5gH9UzvU

the year in making fun of dancehall artists:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xyAAjIiDSA

listening to more soca will be my new year's resolution for 2014

argh, missed that s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xyAAjIiDSA

resisted this all year, but it's christmas right:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zCoCa6b6cU

missed this Cham a few months back. rediscovered on this excellent mix by The Large:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmSGDaW1btw

also just realized I never posted Dye Dye here (this couldn't be much more NSFW, even the nominally clean version):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s47FeilYwQs

my favourite dancehall of the year, in no particular order:

agent sasco - tell ununh
aidonia - fi di jockey
blak ryno - #1 stunna
denyque - all night long
konshens - drink and rave
lea-anna - find my love
popcaan - unruly rave
samantha j -tight skirt
stylo g - soundbwoy
tommy lee - maniac
vybz kartel - hi

I'll heartily cosign that whole list and add:

chronixx - odd ras & here comes trouble
ninjaman - dawg nyam yuh supper
tifa - lyrically educated
macka diamond - dye dye
qq - ghetto gal
j capri and konshens - pull up to mi bumper
vybz kartel - school
shy fx - soon come
denyque - make me believe you

glad someone here likes that Samantha J track. I posted that to my women-in-dancehall tumblr and picked up like 100 teenaged followers.

i have to thank you rob, i'm pretty sure my first listen to most of those tracks came as a result of your posts on this thread.

i cosign those tracks in your list, many of them nearly made my list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7L7PTS_4jY

new thread: rolling dancehall & reggae 2014