It’s Thursday night in downtown Johannesburg and some 500 people are packed into Bassline, a warehouse-like club in a hipster-friendly neighborhood. They’re here for South Africa’s longest-running sound system, or crew of reggae DJs. But tonight they get something extra: a young woman with dreadlocks and an army cap gets on the mic to freestyle. [...]
Remembering Bob Marley’s Jamaica Homecoming on His 68th Birthday
February 6, 2013 | Posted by
When Bob Marley arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport in late February 1978, it had been two years since he had left Jamaica. He had fled the country in December 1976, following an assassination attempt on his life. The reggae star returned to Kingston for the “One Love Peace Concert,” scheduled for Saturday, April [...]
Snoop Lion ft. Angela Hunt, ‘Here Comes The King’
December 4, 2012 | Posted by
Yesterday we heard Snoop Dogg revert to his old tricks by dropping a rap tape with long-term collaborators and fellow West Coast legends Tha Dogg Pound, but he hasn’t forgotten about his rechristening as Snoop Lion. Here’s the latest single from the Lion’s forthcoming reggae album with Major Lazer, a collaboration with Magnetic Man collaborator [...]
Snoop Lion Drops Kid-Friendly Reggae Video, ‘La, La, La’
November 1, 2012 | Posted by
Snoop Lion loves the kids and he shows it in his new reggae video “La, La, La” which he premiered on MTV.com on Wednesday (October 31). Not only did the S-N-Double O-P create a visual to compliment the kid-friendly holiday, he hooked up with director Eli Roth to bring it to life. “A lot of [...]
Peter Tosh Receives High Honor from Jamaica’s Government 25 Years After His Murder
October 19, 2012 | Posted by
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Twenty-five years after his murder, Jamaica’s government on Monday honored the contributions of firebrand reggae musician and songwriter Peter Tosh, one of the Caribbean island’s musical giants. Tosh’s daughter Niambe, an educator from Boston, Massachusetts, received the posthumous ‘‘order of merit’’—the country’s third highest honor—on behalf of her late father during an [...]
Skrillex, Damian Marley: ‘Make It Bun Dem’ – Video
September 8, 2012 | Posted by
Skrillex and Damian Marley team up for a monster mashup of dubstep and dancehall in “Make It Bun Dem,” and in their video for the track, the pair make a statement against oppressive authorities and poverty’s injustice. As an overzealous sheriff leads his cops in foreclosures and evictions, a young man and his father watch [...]
Ranking Trevor, Pioneer in Hip Hop, Dies in Traffic Accident
August 8, 2012 | Posted by
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Ranking Trevor, a pioneer of rap reggae during the 1970s, has died in a traffic accident in Jamaica. He was 60. The musician’s brother, Robert Grant, says he was crushed by a car Tuesday after being knocked off his motorcycle. Police did not respond to calls about the fatality. Born Maxwell [...]
Jimmy Cliff’s ‘Rebirth’: Reggae Icon Knows Success Comes Hard
August 5, 2012 | Posted by
Without a doubt, the two artists most responsible for bringing reggae to the world stage are Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff. Cliff became one of Jamaica’s first international superstars in the 1960s, scoring hits in the U.K. and Brazil. He’s best known for the 1972 film The Harder They Come, both as its lead actor [...]
Snoop Dogg, er…Lion, Says Conversion is No Gimmick
August 3, 2012 | Posted by
Earlier this week, Snoop Dogg held a news conference that left many wondering if the chronic was finally getting to him. On Tuesday, Snoop Dogg announced that he was changing his name to “Snoop Lion” and recording a reggae album. Yep, that’s right, a reggae album. Apparently, a recent trip to Jamaica gave Snoop a [...]
Beenie Man’s Emotional Apology To The Gay Community
May 21, 2012 | Posted by
A repentant Beenie Man has issued an emotional apology to the international gay community. Beenie Man is booked to perform on the Rototam Sunsplash in Spain in August and seemed to apologize in an effort to stem any protests from the gay community which may prevent him from performing. The entertainer has posted a video message [...]
