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?
I think Giggs' album dropped this year. Either this year or last year. It was missing a vital element to me. In trying to be a "hip hop" album, it missed what I (and majority of the people) want from Giggs - bashment! Giggs combines bashment timing and delivery with road rap/hip hop lyrics. This is why he has the most crossover club bangers of all the UK rap lot.
I think this tweet is a shorthand version of what I just said. I hope he realises that. We want more "Talking The Hardest" and "Look What The Cat Dragged In" bashment-friendly UK rap. That's Giggs' lane from day.
"Punani" samples Baga Worries 90s banger, Ride De Punanny.
Sneakbo is the main other guy from the UK rap scene to follow in Giggs' footsteps. He burst onto the scene with a reworking of Vybz Kartel's "Touch A Button", followed by a heap of bashment and bashment-inspired material.
Half of Sneakbo's Certified EP is bashment, including productions from Wundah (I'll mention him again later) and a feature from Gappy Ranks. His most explicit link to Jamaican bashment however wasn't on there. Sneakbo linked up with Timbo to give a afrobeats-style chorus on "Holiday". Where's the bashment in that, I hear you ask. "Holiday" is on Anju Blaxx's criminally-underappreciated Dark Skies riddim
Related to Sneakbo, he worked with UK r&b singer Angel on "Run This", but the song I'm here to speak about is the Punani riddim sampling "Window" with Afrobeats/dancehall artist Burna Boy from his Possession With Intent EP.
Then related to Angel (I'm trying this degrees of separation bit), he worked with Fuse ODG on T.I.N.A., but we're gathered here to talk about other singles. Fuse ODG kicked off this year with the surprise success of dancehall "Million Pound Girl" which peaked at a career high (at that point) of #5, selling over 100k. The remix featured Konshens which was even more surprising.
However, all of that was blown out of the water by "Dangerous Love" feature the absolute legend Sean Paul. Debuting at #3 in the UK chart (it was never gonna beat Sam Smith "Stay With Me". Can't remember what was #2,) without a video is a don move. Think it went gold (400k sales).
Melissa Steel's debut single featured Gaza post graduate, Popcaan on the Wundah (that's the mention I spoke about earlier) produced "Kisses For Breakfast". Long time people will remember it was a Lea-Anna song from about two years ago. Good to see another good bashment song didn't go to waste. At the point of this hitting the national charts (#10 (#7 on sales only)), there were three Jamaican-related songs in the chart at the same time, including a transatlantic #1 I'll speak on a bit later. (Read about that here.)
Melissa Steel teamed up with her Atlantic records label mate and Barrington Levy's son, Krishane, for the top 20 (based on sales) "Drunk & Incapable".
Great pop song, a fact Justin Bieber's manager tweeted.
Chart-toppers (and bashment fans) Clean Bandit requested services of Stylo G for their third single "Come Over". Sigma tapped him up for the VIP remix of their second #1, "Changing". Stylo, himself, released "Move Back" and "Call Me A Leader", and featured on Jus Now's "Tun Up".
Back to Scooter Braun though, he has a boyband called Rixton. Together with hit-producer Benny Blanco (made a lot of Katy Perry and them lots music + Sean Paul's recent pop successes "She Doesn't Mind" and "Other Side of Love") for both of their singles, UK #1 "Me & My Broken Heart" and top ten "Wait On Me" (also hit . Both have a reggae-influence. BBC Sound of 2015 list and Brit's Critics' Choice award nominated act Years & Years made a reggaeton/bashment-sounding song "Take Shelter"
Speaking of Brits, Ellie Goulding confirmed my "that's bashment" claims about "Burn" during her performance at this year's awards. Check the Willie Bounce and them dances.
Will.i.am nabbed a quick number 1 with Cody Wise with "It's My Birthday". Samples Aidonia "Pon Di Co**y/Fi Di Jockey" and Bounty Killer saying "Big Ship" (don't know what song its from though).
Canadian pop reggae band Magic! burst onto the music world in a big way. I was really impressed when I heard the "Rude" around this time last year, never expected it to take on the world the way it did though. I noticed it did well in Australian charts around late January, then creeped up the American charts in around June, eventually knocking Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" off the top spot. It's chart domination didn't end there - replacing Cheryl's return single at the top spot despite losing the initial race to #1 the week before.
"Rude" was the third best-selling single of the summer in the UK, biggest seller of the third quarter of the year (July-September) and probably end up top 20 best seller of the year.
Magic! gave Shakira reggae song, "Cut Me Deep" from her comeback lead by ska-infused single "Can't Remember To Forget You" featuring Bajan beauty Rihanna.
Iggy Azalea featured Mavado "Lady Patra" on her album and chatted some patois on "Iggy SZN" (skip to 2:08 so you don't have to suffer) from the reissue.
Gwen Stefani's comeback single "Baby Don't Lie", as produced by Benny Blanco. Fergie's comeback singe "LA Love" is more like LA with a bit of JA Love.
Catch the Tek Weh Yuhself and Chaplin dances in here performance at the American Music Awards.
Pharrell ft. Alicia Keys "Know Who You Are" is like a reggae in a 80s new wave fashion. That Beyonce song where she's cussing her dad to her mum on her repackaged album aka "Ring Off" is a reggae-based song. "Standing on the Sun", her song from the H&M advert, had a dancehall vibe. They asked Mr. Vegas to get a proper dancehall remix it and its also on the re-release.
Nicki Minaj borrowed Tiger's "When" flow on Usher's "She Came To Give It To You". Omarion and Chris Brown use Pliers's "Murder She Wrote" pre-chorus melody on the aforementioned's "Post To Be". Tinashe pays homage to Sean Paul's "We Be Burnin'" recipe for a party on the bridge for her own summer floor filler "2 On". Both the two latter examples were produced by serial melody borrower DJ Mustard.
Tyga hopped on the official remix to Nigerian star boy Wizkid's banger of a single, "Show You The Money", showing his love for Vybz Kartel's "Benz Punany". Not forgetting Wizkid "Dutty Whine" on the same album. Burna Boy "Don Gargon" checking a bit of Shabba Ranks while dressed like Super Cat over the Baddis riddim. "Check and Balance"
Big up Seyi Shay and Patoranking because "Murda" is such a vibes. As is Ayo Jay "Your Number". And big up Sean Paul for joining Timaya on last year's banger, "Bum Bum".
I thought Enrique Iglesias was finished after the single with pop/EDM-sounding bollocks with Flo Rida, but how wrong was I? As wrong as can be. He touched back into his Spanish origins with a song he's reported to have made then rejected until he saw the collaborators were bussing up the place. "Bailando" went on to become the longest reigning #1 on the Latin chart in America for 32 consecutive weeks. Charted in thirty countries, topped them in thirteen countries, also won Song of the Year at the Latin Grammy.
The original's in Spanish, so naturally, he made a Spanglish version to reach the non-Spanish speaker. And as is has a reggaeton beat, there's only one really well-known Jamaican artist who'd be able to capture the vibe - Sean Paul. 83 million views.
"Espina De Rosa" by Andy Rivera ft. Dalmata is one of the best reggaeton songs I heard this year. "Animales" by Romeo Santos featuring Nicki Minaj was produced by Don Corleon. "Buscandote" by Mike Bahia out of Colombia. Reggaeton don Yandel (of Wisin y Yandel) dropped his album this year. Had couple bangers, but this is the favourite of mine - Dejate Amor. "Plakito" single features El General Gadiel & Farruko. I know it's reggaeton at this point, but let's not forget the roots. This is the Dem Bow strand of reggaeton. Farruko grabbed a platinum-selling, 76 million views single with a Jamaican - yep, you guessed it, Sean Paul. "Passion Wine" produced by dancehall's Rvssian.
Major Lazer tapped up Sean Paul for their summer song, "Come On To Me". You can catch my post where I said Sean Paul's features are better than his album. I'm definitely not surprised everything in that post came to pass because it's everything his album should've been - well, at least what I thought when I listened to it. I tweeted he should tap back into Latin that buss him and increase in the African market + work with Major Lazer before his album landed.
Cris Cab reggae-fusion singer finally got a hit with the Pharrell and Dallas Austin-created "Liar Liar" in Europe. OMI "Cheerleader" is one of those should've been a hits from a couple years ago. It got the remix treatment by one German DJ called Felix Jaehn and hit #1 in Sweden and #4 in Denmark, and was #32 most played on Spotify the other day. Probably hit a few more territories next year. French winner of The Voice, Kendji Girac, hit #4 (his highest chart position) with dancehall-tinged "Andalouse". And there's this song too, Aurora - "Eilosen Aurinko". Djames Braun "Fugle" #2 in Denmark.
Late entry from Madonna "Unapologetic Bitch" off her new album. There had to be one with Diplo producing.
And Usher on Graham Norton doing "Good Kisser" with a little taste of Stalag riddim. Remember the one he performed "Climax" over at Red Bull Culture Clash in 2012?
Until next year. (Check out the previous editions here)
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?
I think Giggs' album dropped this year. Either this year or last year. It was missing a vital element to me. In trying to be a "hip hop" album, it missed what I (and majority of the people) want from Giggs - bashment! Giggs combines bashment timing and delivery with road rap/hip hop lyrics. This is why he has the most crossover club bangers of all the UK rap lot.
I think this tweet is a shorthand version of what I just said. I hope he realises that. We want more "Talking The Hardest" and "Look What The Cat Dragged In" bashment-friendly UK rap. That's Giggs' lane from day.
"Punani" samples Baga Worries 90s banger, Ride De Punanny.
The way Punani keeps ringin off in the club is mad,Mans definitely got that formula
http://t.co/1jFbQQgUvw
— GIGGS (@officialgiggs) November 14, 2014
Sneakbo is the main other guy from the UK rap scene to follow in Giggs' footsteps. He burst onto the scene with a reworking of Vybz Kartel's "Touch A Button", followed by a heap of bashment and bashment-inspired material.
Half of Sneakbo's Certified EP is bashment, including productions from Wundah (I'll mention him again later) and a feature from Gappy Ranks. His most explicit link to Jamaican bashment however wasn't on there. Sneakbo linked up with Timbo to give a afrobeats-style chorus on "Holiday". Where's the bashment in that, I hear you ask. "Holiday" is on Anju Blaxx's criminally-underappreciated Dark Skies riddim
Related to Sneakbo, he worked with UK r&b singer Angel on "Run This", but the song I'm here to speak about is the Punani riddim sampling "Window" with Afrobeats/dancehall artist Burna Boy from his Possession With Intent EP.
Then related to Angel (I'm trying this degrees of separation bit), he worked with Fuse ODG on T.I.N.A., but we're gathered here to talk about other singles. Fuse ODG kicked off this year with the surprise success of dancehall "Million Pound Girl" which peaked at a career high (at that point) of #5, selling over 100k. The remix featured Konshens which was even more surprising.
However, all of that was blown out of the water by "Dangerous Love" feature the absolute legend Sean Paul. Debuting at #3 in the UK chart (it was never gonna beat Sam Smith "Stay With Me". Can't remember what was #2,) without a video is a don move. Think it went gold (400k sales).
Melissa Steel's debut single featured Gaza post graduate, Popcaan on the Wundah (that's the mention I spoke about earlier) produced "Kisses For Breakfast". Long time people will remember it was a Lea-Anna song from about two years ago. Good to see another good bashment song didn't go to waste. At the point of this hitting the national charts (#10 (#7 on sales only)), there were three Jamaican-related songs in the chart at the same time, including a transatlantic #1 I'll speak on a bit later. (Read about that here.)
Melissa Steel teamed up with her Atlantic records label mate and Barrington Levy's son, Krishane, for the top 20 (based on sales) "Drunk & Incapable".
Great pop song, a fact Justin Bieber's manager tweeted.
Just heard this song in the Uk for the 1st time. Mark my words it's a hit. @KrishaneWorld well done. Love this song http://t.co/wWHW2oTm9u
— Scooter Braun (@scooterbraun) October 16, 2014
Chart-toppers (and bashment fans) Clean Bandit requested services of Stylo G for their third single "Come Over". Sigma tapped him up for the VIP remix of their second #1, "Changing". Stylo, himself, released "Move Back" and "Call Me A Leader", and featured on Jus Now's "Tun Up".
Back to Scooter Braun though, he has a boyband called Rixton. Together with hit-producer Benny Blanco (made a lot of Katy Perry and them lots music + Sean Paul's recent pop successes "She Doesn't Mind" and "Other Side of Love") for both of their singles, UK #1 "Me & My Broken Heart" and top ten "Wait On Me" (also hit . Both have a reggae-influence. BBC Sound of 2015 list and Brit's Critics' Choice award nominated act Years & Years made a reggaeton/bashment-sounding song "Take Shelter"
Speaking of Brits, Ellie Goulding confirmed my "that's bashment" claims about "Burn" during her performance at this year's awards. Check the Willie Bounce and them dances.
Will.i.am nabbed a quick number 1 with Cody Wise with "It's My Birthday". Samples Aidonia "Pon Di Co**y/Fi Di Jockey" and Bounty Killer saying "Big Ship" (don't know what song its from though).
Canadian pop reggae band Magic! burst onto the music world in a big way. I was really impressed when I heard the "Rude" around this time last year, never expected it to take on the world the way it did though. I noticed it did well in Australian charts around late January, then creeped up the American charts in around June, eventually knocking Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" off the top spot. It's chart domination didn't end there - replacing Cheryl's return single at the top spot despite losing the initial race to #1 the week before.
"Rude" was the third best-selling single of the summer in the UK, biggest seller of the third quarter of the year (July-September) and probably end up top 20 best seller of the year.
Magic! gave Shakira reggae song, "Cut Me Deep" from her comeback lead by ska-infused single "Can't Remember To Forget You" featuring Bajan beauty Rihanna.
Iggy Azalea featured Mavado "Lady Patra" on her album and chatted some patois on "Iggy SZN" (skip to 2:08 so you don't have to suffer) from the reissue.
Gwen Stefani's comeback single "Baby Don't Lie", as produced by Benny Blanco. Fergie's comeback singe "LA Love" is more like LA with a bit of JA Love.
Catch the Tek Weh Yuhself and Chaplin dances in here performance at the American Music Awards.
Pharrell ft. Alicia Keys "Know Who You Are" is like a reggae in a 80s new wave fashion. That Beyonce song where she's cussing her dad to her mum on her repackaged album aka "Ring Off" is a reggae-based song. "Standing on the Sun", her song from the H&M advert, had a dancehall vibe. They asked Mr. Vegas to get a proper dancehall remix it and its also on the re-release.
Tyga hopped on the official remix to Nigerian star boy Wizkid's banger of a single, "Show You The Money", showing his love for Vybz Kartel's "Benz Punany". Not forgetting Wizkid "Dutty Whine" on the same album. Burna Boy "Don Gargon" checking a bit of Shabba Ranks while dressed like Super Cat over the Baddis riddim. "Check and Balance"
Big up Seyi Shay and Patoranking because "Murda" is such a vibes. As is Ayo Jay "Your Number". And big up Sean Paul for joining Timaya on last year's banger, "Bum Bum".
I thought Enrique Iglesias was finished after the single with pop/EDM-sounding bollocks with Flo Rida, but how wrong was I? As wrong as can be. He touched back into his Spanish origins with a song he's reported to have made then rejected until he saw the collaborators were bussing up the place. "Bailando" went on to become the longest reigning #1 on the Latin chart in America for 32 consecutive weeks. Charted in thirty countries, topped them in thirteen countries, also won Song of the Year at the Latin Grammy.
The original's in Spanish, so naturally, he made a Spanglish version to reach the non-Spanish speaker. And as is has a reggaeton beat, there's only one really well-known Jamaican artist who'd be able to capture the vibe - Sean Paul. 83 million views.
"Espina De Rosa" by Andy Rivera ft. Dalmata is one of the best reggaeton songs I heard this year. "Animales" by Romeo Santos featuring Nicki Minaj was produced by Don Corleon. "Buscandote" by Mike Bahia out of Colombia. Reggaeton don Yandel (of Wisin y Yandel) dropped his album this year. Had couple bangers, but this is the favourite of mine - Dejate Amor. "Plakito" single features El General Gadiel & Farruko. I know it's reggaeton at this point, but let's not forget the roots. This is the Dem Bow strand of reggaeton. Farruko grabbed a platinum-selling, 76 million views single with a Jamaican - yep, you guessed it, Sean Paul. "Passion Wine" produced by dancehall's Rvssian.
Major Lazer tapped up Sean Paul for their summer song, "Come On To Me". You can catch my post where I said Sean Paul's features are better than his album. I'm definitely not surprised everything in that post came to pass because it's everything his album should've been - well, at least what I thought when I listened to it. I tweeted he should tap back into Latin that buss him and increase in the African market + work with Major Lazer before his album landed.
Cris Cab reggae-fusion singer finally got a hit with the Pharrell and Dallas Austin-created "Liar Liar" in Europe. OMI "Cheerleader" is one of those should've been a hits from a couple years ago. It got the remix treatment by one German DJ called Felix Jaehn and hit #1 in Sweden and #4 in Denmark, and was #32 most played on Spotify the other day. Probably hit a few more territories next year. French winner of The Voice, Kendji Girac, hit #4 (his highest chart position) with dancehall-tinged "Andalouse". And there's this song too, Aurora - "Eilosen Aurinko". Djames Braun "Fugle" #2 in Denmark.
Late entry from Madonna "Unapologetic Bitch" off her new album. There had to be one with Diplo producing.
And Usher on Graham Norton doing "Good Kisser" with a little taste of Stalag riddim. Remember the one he performed "Climax" over at Red Bull Culture Clash in 2012?
Until next year. (Check out the previous editions here)
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