Skip to main content

Marvin Sparks mixes his Best of Bashment 2011 Story (so far) Free Download

Marvin Sparks, the undefined guy (not a DJ/blogger/journo et cet) from Skengness (no typo) made a mix... In fact, he made it while his chicken wings and chips were in the oven (did you shout "Skeng chef from Skengness" as well? Nah). Well, he does get a lot of requests for mixes by friends who aren't dancehall/bashment-savvy thus making him comparable to bashment's Tour Guide.

Despite not being a DJ, his mixes are tighter than a hipsters jeans that shrunk in the wash, because hipster was too busy practicing the dougie to bashment instead of the washing machine setting.

He uploaded it at the request of Rubi Dan from the TheHeatwave.co.uk DJ gang upon hearing a preview in Marvin's car after Madd Raff Wednesday's at The Social (Little Portland Street, right there in the heart of London town... on Wednesday's. Try it one day). A firm believer of the words Jimmy Cliff sings "You can get it if you (really) want," he left it for anyone to hear or download. And yes, this is he writing in 3rd person. Mad cool.

All tunes are something Marvin Sparks will put his hand on heart and buss a gun finger or grab a gyal and whine too. They aren't on the mix because they're necessarily the hottest or newest tunes/riddims of the moment - that's coincidental for some. All those that follow the blog will know the hottest tunes get co-signed before they buss anyway. And not all the songs are popular (yet) anyway. If you like it, thanks, if not, unlucky. We're moving digital out here you medium wave chief.

The "bashment's just about sex" perception is dispelled here. That isn't a deliberate attempt either, it's a misunderstanding by pop club frequenters judging it by songs that YOU respond positively to in clubs (@ English folk first and foremost). In addition to that, there are only 4 or 5 swear words (yes, "only". Dancehall is a hardcore genre. Imagine a hip hop CD with 4 or 5 swear words... Exactly), 2 radio edits and 1 song I missed out on purpose because it's exceptionally rude (the freaky girls love it though). Neither of the radio edit songs are Vybz Kartel songs. That should shatter another one of your perceptions.

The mix launches with chasing off the crosses of badmind courtesy of Mavado, Chan Dizzy and I-Octane before switching into hardcore dancehall floor filler flavour with TJ's Star A Star riddim, Boardhouse Run Di Place riddim, Stephen McGregor's Pepper before making way for reggae fusion flavours of newcomer Justus Augustus' infectious smash 'Overproof' riddim . This is an example of the versatility in dancehall reflected over the course of the mix. Anthems set on island pop/reggae fusion flavours, stereotypical hardcore traditional dancehall riddims and subjects (boasting and clashing) on the Gaza World riddim to light-hearted Matrimoney riddim which centres around marital affairs, celebratory summer songs (Summertime, Summer Fling riddim) and sexy dancehall (Gyptian 'Wine Slow', Beenie Man 'Go Go Club', Sex on di Beach riddim). There's even space for Nigerian uprising star Wizkid to give his interpretation of dancehall on 'Tease Me' (it's Nigerian bashment, not Afrobeats, soz), UK popstar Daniel Bedingfield on an actual dancehall riddim and Ms Dynamite's Labrinth-produced cut Neva Soft in the mix as well. There are quite a few singles in the mix too.

Finally, I'm not someone that sides with the old/traditional OR new sound. If it's good, I like it and dashed it up in the mix. There's more than enough room for both sides to co-exist and I personally don't think I lean to one side over the other on this mix. Nor am I biased to the Gaza camp.

Follow him (me) on Twitter ting dem http://Twitter.com/MarvinSparks or read his blog @ www.marvinsparks.blogspot.com

Guidance

Marvin Sparks 'Does (his) 2011 so far' by MiNameMarvinSparks

Press the arrow pointing down to download

Tracklist

Mavado - Love Mi Life
Chan Dizzy - Hello Badmind
I-Octane - Badmind Fi Di Year
Flippa Mafia - Star a Star
Lady Saw - Wife A Wife
Assassin - Run Di Place
Bounty Killer - Ready Fi Dem
Beenie Man - Nah Talk Too Long
Assassin - Nothing At All
Mavado - Pepper
Shabba Ranks - None A Dem
Stephen McGregor - Bounce A Gal
Daniel Bedingfield - Sometime You Just Know
Demarco - Nuff Gal
Kurup ft. Wayne Marshall - Give You Love
Khago - Tun Up Di Ting
Mavado - Settle Down
Gaza Slim - Always
Vybz Kartel - Summertime
Popcaan - Ravin
Tarrus Riley - Summer Fling
Munga, Supa Hype, Ding Dong - I'mma Need Security
Mavado - Final Destination
Assassin - Wife Material
Wayne Marshall - Good Old Wife
Sean Paul & Fambo - Wedding Crashers
Popcaan - Can't Believe
Popcaan - Middle Day
Chan Dizzy - Dat Mi Know
Vybz Kartel - Real Badman
Aidonia - Nuh Par Wid
Wizkid - Tease Me
Stylo G - Call Mi A Yardie
Vybz Kartel - Sick Head
Popcaan - Clean
Beenie Man - Go Go Club
Popcaan - Only Man She Want
Vybz Kartel & Russian - Get Gal Anywhere
Vybz Kartel - British Love
Aidonia - Touch You Tonight
Assassin aka Agent Sasco - Talk How Mi Feel
I-Octane - Nah Wash (Too Licky, Licky)
Popcaan - Nuh Box Pon Jaw
Vybz Kartel - Stronger We Get
I-Octane - Tell Some Bwoy
Bugle - Friend
Mavado - Do Road
Tony Matterhorn - Ugly
Gyptian - Wine Slow
Hyah Slice - Out My Head
I-Octane - Come Close
Tarrus Riley - Come Over
Wayne Marshall - Great Escape
Dj Powa ft Cliff Twang - Nobody Canna Cross It
Mavado - Star Bwoy (released in 2010 but shot in 2011)
Overmarz - Now You See Me, Now You Don't (see above)
Aidonia - Mek Her Say (and again, so don't try it)
Neyo & Mavado - I Know You Want Me
Laden - Come Mek Me Touch You
Ms Dynamite - Neva Soft
Aidonia - Bad People (2010 for the sake of it)
Laza Morgan ft. Mavado - One by One
Demarco - Love My Life

p.s. if you're wondering how a dude that isn't a DJ nor groupie has shout outs from Vybz Kartel, Busy Signal, Wayne Marshall, Popcaan and Gyptian, they are a few of the many artists I've interviewed. You can check those out here

You can download my 2010 equivalent "Product of My Ears" here

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Marvin Sparks x Raekwon interview

Wu-Tang's in-house "Chef" better known as Raekwon proved he is still a force to be mentioned alongside the hottest rappers in the hip hop game with the release of Only Built For Cuban Linx... pt. II - sequel to his 1995 debut album. Marvin Sparks caught up with the hip hop legend to discuss rapping for drug dealers, people caring "more about stats than raps", his inclusion in MTV's Top 10 Hottest Rappers list, and converting to Islam. Marvin Sparks: It has been almost fifteen years since the first Only Built For Cuban Linx, an album that was a 5-mic classic when The Source magazine held weight. Why did you decide make a sequel?

White band win Reggae Grammy x Koffee x Skillibeng

So a white American reggae band called Soja won the Best Reggae album award at the Grammy's? And you care because? You feel Jamaicans are losing reggae because the Grammy's (a white institution) gave their white American man award to a white American reggae band? You blame the Jamaican government for not showing enough love and support to the music because this is the result? But you don't realise you are giving the Grammy's that much power and don't see where the problem lies? Well let me tell you; the problem is within you. I understand the outrage. Jamaicans built the music and are rarely compensated for all the hard graft. There have been countless examples of the music being used by someone else, often to better results because we live in an ignorant and racist Western world. Historically, white reggae artists like The Police or UB40 are able to achieve better results in the white man's world than reggae artists that are far superior to them. Bruno Mars , J

Bounty Killer vs Vybz Kartel - Father vs. Son

Unlike Ele vs Flippa this war actually has substance. If you don't know here's a brief: After being written a few songs by said artist, Bounty Killer (Killa) introduces and mentors (sons) Vybz Kartel Kartel appeared & performed at Beenie Man (Killer's arch-enemy since 190-long) wedding Kartel declares emancipation from Bounty Killer-led Alliance camp stressing the need to grow his own wings to fly Killer calls Kartel ungrateful Mavado and Kartel war begins, Killer makes a whole heap of subliminal songs directed at Kartel... Kartel has made a few songs directly dissin Killer, but Killer never really outright replied causing many and even Kartel ( Click for Vybz Kartel dissin Alliance "Suck pu**y Killer can't diss me" ) to suspect the once fearless Killer was running scared of the 'War Angel' aka Gaza yout' Vybz Kartel. Killer finally plucked up the courage to send shots at Kartel But most notably with Chatta Box Vybz Kartel allegedly missed a b