Marvin Sparks

Just gonna re-post my tweets here cos they sum up everything about Sting 2014. "Sting was worse than I thought it would be [and that was bad]. Its the lack of professionalism and man taking on the war ting too far that kills it Sting could be a great show on paper. Make the up comers work, reggae artists, clash vibes, then end it with the top man doing hits Instead Laing gives us reggae artists, Capleton > EDHM > Tarrus > nobodies > clashes > nobodies > Demarco > Gully Bop > dead clashes Killer, Cobra, Spice, Lady Saw and Ninja Man should be at Sting every year. They have Sting-friendly catalogues. I-Octane should be there too Sting's problem is it no longer books headline artists to compensate for lack of worthy newcomers. That was a (lack of) new talent showcase Capleton should've closed the show. I-Wayne penultimate performer/after the clashes. Would've softened the nonsense that came before it In the end, we waited for nothing.

Catch my review of dancehall in 2014 on Red Bull dot com We can also start with Logan speaking similarities between grime and dancehall here and Sticky & General Levy talking early ragga raving experiences and Jamaican influences here . Absolute pleasure speaking with all three dons. It's that time again; end of year reviews come rolling it. The time we all look at happened in the year while asking where has time gone? But seriously, I remember this time last year quite well. Anyway, as they say, time waits for no one. As Oasis said "You gotta roll with it!" (Previous yearbooks can be found  here .) So let's have a butchers at what happened in the world of bashment-influenced music, mainly from a UK perspective (but not restricted to). Oh, and as much as I'd love it to be, it isn't in any chronological order. They just appear as they appeared in my brain, ya dig wah me ah seh?

So, this is a bit late, but I didn't have the time to do it last year, nor find it suitable at any other point this year. I'm not even gonna write up because its a waste of both our times. Straight links, couple embeds and a sentence or few about the notable ones. Amplify Dot - " I'm Good " feat. Busta Rhymes samples Buju Banton "Champion" MO - " Hot " Tanika ft. Sneakbo - " Hooker Heels " Daley - " Silly Games " - Janet Kay cover Show N Prove - " Zimmer Frame " (samples Prince Buster " Al Capone ") J Spades ft DVS - Live Life  (dancehall style mic chatting) Giggs - Yes Yes Yes  (first four bars of each verse), " Cool Nuh " ft. Wretch 32 Shy FX - " Soon Come " ft Liam Bailey Ms Dynamite & Shy FX -  Cloud 9 Ellie Goulding " Burn " #1 Sean Paul and The Saturday's " What About Us? " - UK #1 Stylo G - " Soundbwoy " - #18 - first UK bashmen

As much as I'd love to tell you all the stories and things I witnessed on my travels to a reggae show in Europe (except UK obviously) for the first time, please remember I have a biography to sell in a few decades. I hope you understand my rights to withhold certain aspects of my life until then. If not, tough innit. You won't know now. So anyway, went to Boulogne for the first time in my life apart from those times I got dragged along on coach trips to stock up the alcohol in time for Christmas. And I'd like to add, none of the alcohol was bought for or by me nor consumed by me. My sole purpose was extra hand to carry bags. Some might call this child slavery, I just know it as "You ah di bwoy, ih!" as another carrier bag is shoved into my hands. Bearing in mind, I'm short and slight, I'm definitely not a contender for "People you can depend on when you need bag carriers" lists. But we digress. So yeah, Boulogne. I don't recall meeting an

One of Jamaica's greatest talents left earth in physical form on this day 20 years ago today aged just 28. It is reported that the fire started after a gun hit a canister in the house causing a fire. Dunno who or why the gun was fired, however, all that matters to me is he tried to rescue his mum from said fire in the house and they both died. I was only young when he died so most of what I know about Garnett Silk are how his songs made me feel. And on that note, I'm just gonna post some of my favourite tunes.