rolling dancehall & reggae 2019

I honestly feel kind of bad about holding him to a double standard. The dirtier songs on Forever don't bother me at all; last night I was unselfconsciously blasting Alkaline's "Fine Whine"; "Banana" is one of my '18 faves; etc. Maybe there's something specific about Dexta's voice/vibe that makes it less agreeable? The heavy-breathing intensity of it? In contrast, there's a casualness to all the counter examples I cited. Exception that proves the rule might be Popcaan's My Type which sounds gorgeous but I couldn't play very often.

That said, the clean version of Weak To You works fine, but the radio edit of Dash It Out has that curiously hollow quality of bad/lazy censoring.

Listening to ILX Listen: 2019

Koffee - Throne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQJZ9NIRKSo

Her style + rootsy.

Wow that's awesome, very excited for the EP to drop

yeah, that's great

I'm really enjoying the Peppa Mint riddim these days:

Busy Signal - Know You Good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT8QUDcIYDg&frags=pl%2Cwn

Konshens - Set It Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8txqRj9AMz8&frags=pl%2Cwn

A riddim mix:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMgCuSnvM_M&frags=pl%2Cwn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V4ZDNV4si0
Throne repost with the video

I love the rootsy "unsexiness" of all her outfits in those clips, looks very deliberate (coupled with the raw camera quality / 80s worship)

same tbh. she's definitely one to watch; all the singles are great.

Her gender presentation is definitely interesting, but she's like 16...not that 16-year old female musicians aren't routinely sexualized. But yeah so far she effortlessly splits the difference between roots revival and crossover-appealing dancehall in a hugely exciting way

Great song, great video.

Ah, nice, I knew what age she was, but good that you made me check. Koffee was born on the same day as me (!), which means she'll turn 19 on the 16th.
That said, I thought the same as you from seeing the clips, but check the video where she's live in the studio doing Ragamuffin, she's a woman alright and... err very cute imo.

ah ok, that's good to know really--I was mildly worried about her blowing up before she'd graduated high school (possibly metaphorically speaking, idk). I wonder if what I heard was she was 16 when she started

I was gonna wait for the EP, but fuck it: gratitude is a must: the Koffee thread

this takes about a minute to achieve lift-off, but then damn:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M9HoNHdwj8

Tee-Jay, "Owna Lane"

I was kind of vaguely aware that Tee-Jay was getting popular last year, but never really clicked with anything I listened to--I expect this will be huge (the view count is already impressive on that video).

lol sorry it's just TeeJay, no hyphen needed

Speaking of lanes, Masicka isn't exactly swerving out of his usual zone here, but "Darkest Times" is nice:

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

I'm not sure the lyrics video approach does Quada's "Celebration" any favors but the mood is sweet (I really like that brief instrumental break at the end):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-r9EwdxJYs

The Supreme riddim has a few good voicings. Dexta's songs are always so dense, I'm never quite sure what I think on first contact, but "Squeeze" is excellent?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krNN2z-Bigs

Masicka's "Headshot" is more immediately accessible--the contrast really shows what's unique, possibly to a fault!, about Dexta:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwZjy-y5JKc

Did we ever post Shenseea's rather good "Trending Gyal"? There's a mediocre video now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kou6dgRQY64

On that topic: A/C COOL TURN UP DI TEMPERATURE WITH A PRETTY GYAL WEH FAVOR SHENSEEA is in my head like 60% of the time these days

This Stefflon & Sean Paul tune isn't particularly outstanding but should be noted in support of longneck's thesis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO4Zrf2o92Q

Dexta Daps' "No Underwear" does exactly what it says on the tin, but I'm on board:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAj7CP6yTfM

should i assume this was posted last year? love this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7agMxttD7A
squash - money fever

We are kings music channel
5 months ago (edited)
Bloodclat dem feel like ..dancehall trap all day.
6 out here .
121

that one's new to me but I like it. I was checking this Squash tune the other day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNtrZW3CC1g

I'm curious what rap fans think of "dancehall trap." Some earlier attempts were p derivative and uninspired, but I feel like it's stepped up in the past year or so.

I love this fantastic Govana and Tarrus Riley collab on "Unanswered":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwZlD8RToA0

feeling the bass line on this new Jada Kingdom ("Business"):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY4TfKrrnwk

btw Jada fans should watch this excellent, elegant & jazzy live 1Xtra set: https://youtu.be/r73MT8eSvpU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7Vp_TBf9wk

Alkaline, "Eva High"

Squash with a video for "Trending":

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

I wasn't completely sold on him at first tbh, but that's vibes.

This new Stylo G knocks:

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

So far I'm pretty strongly in favor of the dialectical response to trop house eating everyone's lunch being rap

You posted Stylo G twice! This is that Squash video for real:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hplD4QyV4Q8

Great track btw. Plus it namechecks Suriname, I like that!

Oh, and “Whoop Whoop” is a bop of a banger!

(I don’t really get your comment about rap vs trop house?)

Ah thanks for posting the right vid! The trop house comment was my obscure way of presenting an extremely undercooked thesis: after “tropical house” (i.e., watered down dancehall + soca) became mainstream global pop’s default setting, I got the sense that dancehall producers were at a loss to move to a new sound. Over the past year or so trap/rap more generally has emerged as a touch point for a bunch of the most exciting dancehall tunes. So basically I’m saying that dancehall has given up on trying to beat trop house at its own game and moved on to a new, rap influenced sound. However there are tons of exceptions to cite but I think it’s a legit trend now

idk if Jordan checks this thread, but I dig this new Epic B: https://soundcloud.com/immortal-instruments/meno-eddie-hill

I'm listening to the Little Simz album and no surprise or anything, but between this, Estelle's, and Mr Eazi's albums, Chronixx is a feature secret weapon, hope he puts out something new soon.

two excellent new Popcaan tunes

Unstoppable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwrLF3i_cjk

Redress:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDNExKFS3iA

thanks Rob!

Apologies for killing anyone's browser with this post...

I'm thrilled the "Alkaline fell off" narrative has been definitively refuted. His collab with Kranium (Just the Style) hasn't quite clicked for me yet, but "With the Thing" is dope:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-QW3JcGJi8

Good stuff on the G6ixx Riddim, including Kartel's "Any Weather"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fs5aOhyMIY

and Teejay's "Shub Out"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es9qQi_doyM

(his tune with Ding Dong, "Braff," is fun too)

Great riddim on Popcaan's "Trouble Deh Deh" (couldn't figure out if it has a name, though I didn't try too hard):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0C7nTgA9pM

Also feeling Masicka, "Heights"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9ZtAlIC_IU

and Squash, "Rifle"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REdko4dolGM

Of the above, I’m especially liking “With The Thing”, “Braff” and “Trouble Deh Deh” so far. (Have no access to “Shub Out” and “Rifle”)

I guess continuing to have multiple artists version a riddim, but then only officially releasing one lead single (at least initially, I assume "Shub Out" will show up on Spotify eventually) is how things are going to be for a while in our confusing streaming era.

and since we praised it on the afropop thread, here is Kranium's "Mind Blown"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyMn5iVAvRk

Caught an all-Lady Saw 'In Focus' mix in NTS this morning, made my day. I'm sure it'll be archived soon.

Belated, but I'd like to express my appreciation of Kranium's (and Young John's) "Mind Blown".

I wouldn't say no to a whole Drogba riddim album tbh (this version is Busy Signal):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S04ADSueF0

More brilliance from the 6ix bench, Chronic Law's "Hillside":

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

(skip to 2:00 if you're impatient)

oooooh, busy!

his ad libs are pretty inspired on that. I wonder if there'll be any original afrobeats on his new album, he always sounds fantastic versioning them

speaking of Busy, this is quite good: http://www.largeup.com/2019/04/22/busy-signal-gotta-tell-ya-zum-zum/

I’m here for Busy!

I’m only aware of his Afro triptych from five (!) years ago, I think:

“Same Way” (=Sarkodie’s “You Go Kill Me”);
“Bou Yah (Vampire Teeth)” (=Mafikizolo’s “Khona”);
“Professionally” (=P-Square’s “Personally”)

Has he done any others since?

In somewhat related news, Popcaan jumped on the remix of Ghanaian reggae/dancehall singer J.Derobie’s “Poverty”, one of the year’s biggest songs in Ghana so far.

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

And fusing things up even more, follow up “Irie” was produced by Juls:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbER2DByWVg

hm, yeah that might be it for afro-Busy, I can't really recall--I definitely forgot those were 5 years old!

Very interesting to hear Juls do basically straight reggae like that; the tempo and empty space on it almost sounds like Rhythm & Sound. I wasn't totally wowed by "Poverty" though.

new Protoje with Lila Iké, Agent Sasaco, and a very welcome melodica:

https://youtu.be/sEy-49w-BYs

Poppy is on an absolute tear this year:

"Traumatized"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF9YWPilc7g

Doin’ it, again:

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

Vybz Kartel & Spice • Back Way

Really excited about the new Equiknoxx record (all vocal, digital release not out yet)
https://boomkat.com/products/eternal-children-6de063b0-5e0f-472a-94f9-4a399812d1a1

One track has a video - Brooklyn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YVmx4TfDDk

that's great news

thread is especially underfed this year (sorry) but Shenseea's "Blessed" blowing up deserves mention:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg3myULHqiE

Yeah, that one goes hard. And Tyga is the right choice for a guest feature.

I think maybe my favourite summery dancehall jam this year is I-Octane's Riviera / Born Gyalis::

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtbfOUekJR4

huh. yeah I can't decide if that's excitingly offbeat (literally and figuratively) or a shambles

Came across this on the Jamaican Deezer chart, where it’s the number one - he has the whole top 5 in fact, which might simply mean that only he and his peeps are using it. I *think* I like it, but/and I keep playing it to make sure.

Finding useful & accurate information about JA music has become really difficult! I look at this site sometimes, but I think it's just aggregating YouTube views (arguably better than most other metrics though, but gets too influenced by intl views): https://popnable.com/jamaica. I haven't seen a single EOY or EOD list.

On that note, I found Marvin Sparks' critical retrospective on the decade worth thinking about: https://marvinsparks.blogspot.com/2019/12/wrote-about-dancehalls-deadest-decade.html

I don't endorse all of it--(being American?) I have much more time for the trap-influenced sound than him--but I do think the narrowing of lyrical horizons has been detrimental, especially for women, and helps explain Koffee's instant appeal. Plus I think the slow withering of these threads over the decade does have something to do with the music not just ILM's concurrent depopulation. And his point about the lack of major stars is interesting.

here's a big hit we never posted (iirc), Munga Honorable's surprisingly jubilant kiss-off anthem "Nah Mad":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40H_Qrq94Lo

enjoying that one, as well as Ding Ding’s “Gyalis Story” from somewhere upthread.

https://reggaetop40.com/

Just saw this site linked to on twitter

http://www.largeup.com/2019/12/31/the-30-most-essential-dancehall-tunes-of-the-2010s/

Thanks for what you folks post here

I am not in touch these days that much, and appreciate your efforts

thanks curmudgeon! and thanks for posting that LU list--I checked a few times earlier in Dec and then gave up. It's definitely telling that they didn't do a '19 list (plus I don't think there's a '19 release on the decade list).

I'll start a 2020 thread eventually (though anyone should feel free to if they've got something to post).

Well I mean you COULD do a 2019 list. I think Robbo Ranx refrained from doing a top ten countdown this year too. Gabriel Heatwave complained about the lack of good riddims in 2019 but I could name a few decent ones. He also chose Stylo G as the artist of the year, which, I mean, ok, but also not okay, lol.

There was some good dancehall in 2019, although most of it might as well have come out in 2018. No big departures, no monster hits, Koffee as the big breakout artist and Kartel still going relatively strong. Superhero Love is the one I play the most.

Weak year from Popcaan (overall) and Alkaline though. Shenseea is still stepping up her game, but a few more clear strong voices would definitely be appreciated.

I wrote up a long response to that, so I think I'll just start a new thread...

new thread: rolling dancehall & reggae 2020