War of Words: Tarrus Riley Called “Rasta Fake” in New Song by Anthony B
A war of words has developed between Anthony B and singer Tarrus Riley, both of whom are Rastafarians. The argument between the musical rivals entered a new phase when Anthony B released a single with the title “Rasta Fake.” Recorded over a dancehall rhythm, Anthony B questions the sincerity of Riley in regard to his […]
Veteran Reggae Singer Ronnie Davis Dies
The reggae foundation roots singer Jerome Ballin, known as Ronnie Davis, has died after suffering a stroke on January 23, 2017. He was surrounded by family as he peacefully passed on January 25. Davis, a native of Westmoreland, was a music legend a a former member of the Itals and The Tennors. He also founded […]
Rebel Salute 2017 Chronicles
It’s January 2017 and Rebel Salute the cultural music fest with its express intention of preserving reggae; and added bonus of accessibility to all things herbal (ganja); has its own milestone – 24 years of celebrating Tony Rebel’s earthstrong. What started out as a one night event in St. Elizabeth at the Kaiser Bauxite site […]
Rebel Salute 2017 grounds patrons in Reggae
DOWN TO THE wire, the slew of last performances of the anticipated Rebel Salute 2017 on Sunday morning, was the segment that properly sealed the over 20 hour fiery package. Next year Rebel Salute arrives at its 25th silver anniversary. So this years show seemed to be a teaser for 2018’s silver lined production. Simmering […]
Maxi Priest Top Fifteen Hits Songs
English reggae vocalist, Maxi Priest is the soul singer of reggae music. He grew up listening to gospel, reggae, R&B, and pop music. Dennis Brown, the crown prince of reggae is his greatest’s influence, Priest is one of only two British reggae acts (along with UB40) to have an American Billboard number one. (1) Close […]
Billboard Names Producers Responsible for Bringing Dancehall Back to the Charts
Billboard Music has noted that the dancehall sound has been absent from the music charts in recent years, but now it has been brought back by several producers who got the attention of American listeners. 1. Sean “Sevn” Thomas Sean “Sevn” Thomas, 25, of Toronto, had his breakthrough with Drake’s “10 Bands” in 2015 and […]
Jamaican Producer Moves Usher into Dancehall Genre on “Hamilton” Tune
Popstar Usher has joined in on the popularity of dancehall music in his “Wait for It,” which is produced by Jamaica’s Dwayne “Supa Dups” Chin-Quee. The track is from “The Hamilton Mixtape” from Atlantic Records, which hit the top of the Billboard 200 Album Chart on the opening week. This was the first compilation to […]
Poco vs Dembow: Reggae Dancehall’s mislabeled roots
In wake of the ongoing gentrification of Reggae music and even more so, It’s popular sub-genre dancehall, I continue to find articles from non-Jamaican or of no Jamaican descent music commentators describing a “Poco” beat as “dembow”. This is a mistake and when put into contexts, a pretty silly one. Here’s where keeping it real […]
Billboard Picks 2016’s Ten Best Reggae Albums
Reggae music fans had an exceptional year in 2016, with an increase in dancehall popularity and the music tagged with labels like “tropical house” and “Caribbean bass,” which bothered reggae aficionados. That said, Billboard selected the following as the ten best reggae albums of the year. 1. Vybz Kartel with “King of the Dancehall.” At […]
5 Things You Did Not Know About Konshens
Dancehall reggae singer Konshens burst onto the scene in 2005 and has been making hit songs since then. His hits include “Winner”, “Rasta Impostor”, “This Means Money”, “Good Girl Gone Bad”, “Gal Dem A Talk”, “Realest Song”, “Represent”, “Do Sumn” and “Forward”. Born Garfield Spence, he has stated his primary musical influence is Beres Hammond. We […]