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My Top 5 Tunes For Summer

Sun is in the sky, music sounds so much better with sun, especially my chosen genre, reggae/dancehall. Well obviously, it's made in the sun so naturally it feels summery.

Anyways, I always get asked about hottest songs, 'cos many people don't keep up with dancehall/bashment and reggae like I do plus they appreciate my ears to the streets and the speaker box. I appreciate that trust greatly, there are DJs I rate that rate my opinion. My top 5 picks for summer from a Euro-centric point of view, as of songs released to date, in no particular order are:

First up, the "Gully Gad" Mavado's seductive 'Come Into My Room' featuring vocals on the chorus from the Gully Squad's first lady Stacious. Guys you are guaranteed to get a slow whine this summer to this tune, unless it's the stush UK Funky girls that like high-tempo music so they can dance with their girls



Next up, Gyptian's 'Hold You'. Bwoy, this tune has the reggae world in the Caribbean, mainland Europe and US going crazy but yet to take off in the UK. As blogged before, I see 1Xtra playlisting this in due course, not sure if it'll take off in them top 40 urban clubs with the UK funky/Choice FM crowd. but I can see it taking off in Africa for sure. Verging on 2million hits on audio + 70,000 hits for the video in one week is big, especially for a reggae tune with near enough 0 marketing spend! Most played on US radio, UK usually on a follow back tip, so possibly.



I have 100% faith that 'Clarks' by Vybz Kartel is going to be a smash in top 40 urban clubs. Everyone will mix it with 'Click Mi Finger' by Erup (quote me on that). One of the staple songs in every DJ's "bashment" playlist.



Clarkes by Vybz Kartel, Popcaan & Gaza Slim is available to own legally via iTunes. Click here

For those who don't understand what I mean by "top 40 urban clubs", they are the mainstream crowd, those that don't really have a passion for music, they go out to clubs to dress up, be out in a safe/corny club/event, have fun dancing to the most popular songs then go home. They play the most dated, cliche reggae/"bashment" songs known to man, and that's all they play. For a new song to be played in there, it's like dancehall breaking into the UK commercial top 40 to me.

Anyways, on to the roots reggae listeners, I got you. All my mainland Europeans will love this too, as I'm sure the Africans will. Jazzwad, producer that went from UK to Jamaica (worked heavily with Bounty Killer when he just buss, plus many others including Sizzla, Capleton etc.) turned Autotuned up singer drops what I feel will be the lovers tune for 010 in Your Place or Mine. Pirates will rinse this. Ahh man, this is straight evening, sunset, dinner on the balcony, car windows down bass thumping, stroll in the park music. Love it!



Click to buy 'your Place or Mine' by Jazzwad from iTunes

Lastly, this is a riddim want to do well. Isn't getting much play at the moment, but I think it's a bloody good riddim, so DJs if you can hear me, get the Rose Gold produced, Christopher Birch (member of Shaggy's Big Yard camp) built 'Roof Top' riddim. This is off the back of the popular Street Bullies riddim (Vybz Kartel 'Slow Motion' which may actually do well cos it buss quite late), as well as the Baddaz riddim (Lisa Hype ft. Vybz Kartel 'How You Do It Like That'). Previously known for Elephant Man's Gangsta Rock, plus many other big riddims in the early to mid 00s.

Listen out for the Flippa Mafia ( free Flippa), Beenie Man and Mavado (give them back their VISAs), and Charley Black who is doing well.



Honourable mention to Cosa Nostra riddim. It was a toss up between Cosa Nostra and Roof Top.





If they do well, refer to this post

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