Browsing Tag

dancehall

Fresh Sounds from IsraelBeats

Posted on 24 January 2023

It’s not often I get to write about the people behind the scenes, crafting the beautiful beats that singers use for their canvas in making their masterpieces. I suppose it is somewhat sad that we, as audience and appreciators don’t spend more time acknowledging the contributions of these folks. We’re looking at “IsraelBeats” today – a collective of Israeli producers selling their instrumentals to artist around the

world. Their catalog boasts well over 800 professionally produced beats and rhythms – I haven’t heard one that I considered substandard.

One example from the beat-line-up is “Sting,” an up-tempo hip-hop track full of synth squeels, low end bass and a pulsating rhythm that would sound absolutely native in a Miami club. It features delayed xylophone samples, whistling sine-waves and relentless dance-drums, definitely party music here.

I had a bit to look over their website and they sport a very easy to navigate layout. There, one could select the genre and overall style of what you’re looking for. One wonderful thing worth mentioning: I was surprised to see they were giving away 20 royalty free beats (with email signup) which is a rather generous offer. It’s rather heartening that professionals of this caliber are willing to throw young upstarts some help in getting themselves established (or simply having some tracks to practice with). So, I say good on you IsraelBeats.

Me and You: Peanut Butta knows who she is feeling love for on MEET ME IN DI GARDEN

Posted on 30 November 2022

Wishing for love to blossom and for no drama to ruin their romance, Peanut Butta just wants to dance all night with a sweet soul with striking blue hair on the sensual new single MEET ME IN DI GARDEN.

Peanut Butta is a New England, USA-based Afrobeat dancehall wizard who certainly has those natural skills to keep the party alive all night long.

As he chills out the steamy skies with a sizzling single to be enthused by, Peanut Butta is at his peak form, with a rather eye-opening track to play loud all night. Mellow to the core and never losing our attention, we are engulfed in a release with so much star quality to be impressed by.

MEET ME IN DI GARDEN from New England, USA-based Afrobeat dancehall artist Peanut Butta is a loving anthem for those who wish to slow things down for a little while. There is so much thriving energy attached to this single it might make some blush, as the sweet reverberations make everything better again.

When you know who you want to be with, everything shall fall into place if two hearts love each other.

Check out this new video on YouTube and see more on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Rapper and producer, JaefKae is razor-sharp in his Reggaeton hip hop single, New Machete

Posted on 25 November 2022

With a danceable versatile flavour like no other, the Chicago-hailing rapper and producer, JaefKae, burst onto our radar with the genre-fluid beats in his latest single, New Machete.

The tropic earworm picks at the roots of hip hop, Caribbean Dancehall, Reggaeton and Soul and plants the seed for a fresh new sound, defined by kaleidoscopically colourful instrumentals and the effortlessly high-vibes in the vocals.

During his career, JaefKae has opened for Nas and Pusha T, taken his high-energy performances across Chicago, and used his platform to represent his Afro-Purto Rican and Japanese descent, be a force of resistance against police oppression and to fight for black liberation.

His moniker comes from JFK because his 200-song discography “will blow your f***ing mind”. Considering that New Machete completely dominates your psyche before flooding it with dance-worthy rhythms and elevated talent, JaefKae had every basis to be that bold when settling on the pseudonym that will ripple across the globe attached to his infectiously upraising tracks.

New Machete is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get your good vibes straight from the source in ORAL P’s blister of Afropop bliss, Give Me Love O

Posted on 10 September 2022

East Nigeria-hailing Afropop artist ORAL P has captured international audiences since his 2018 debut; in his first release of 2022, Give Me Love O, he’s as soulfully versatile as ever.

With its jazzy undertones and rich Afrobeat flavour, Give Me Love O falls into that rare category of music that throws away commercialism, embraces a brand of soul that knows no borders and oozes commercial potential as a result of the vibrantly innate good vibes. With Give Me Love O on your playlists, you will always have a source of serotonin.

The Radio Edit of Give Me Love O is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

King Nick Rob shares the heat in his latest lascivious rap track, Poppy Show

Posted on 28 August 2022

King Nick Rob perceptibly saved his best sonic moves for his RnB hip hop track, Poppy Show. The slick with seduction dancehall grooves are just as aphrodisiacal as the bars that perfectly capture the heat of the moment, but this sexually-charged rendezvous delves far beyond superficial affection, becoming the ultimate drunk-in-love hip hop playlist staple for 2022.

Even at this early stage of his career, the Long Island, NY native is proving that he’s got what it takes to smooth talk (harmonise) his way into the charts.

Poppy Show is now available via SoundCloud and Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nu Deal x Cityboidre – Going Live, featuring O. Reynolds: Prepare Your Summer Hip Hop Playlists

Posted on 19 August 2022

‘Going Live’ is the latest urban genre-fluid track from the Orlando, Florida production company, Nu Deal Music Group, which platforms and promotes talents from across the states to Nigeria.

Chicago’s Cityboidre and Orlando’s O. Reynolds made sure that the collaborative chemistry flowed through the definitive summer hit, which doesn’t break the wheel; instead, it adds some exotic Afrobeat dancehall flavour to classic hip hop signatures.

Any fans of Vybz Kartel, Spice, Elephant Man, and Bounty Killer will want to make Going Live a firm fixture of their summer hip hop playlists. The sun-kissed and enigmatic vibes take are taken to evocative new heights with the infectiously bright energy and the polished production.

The official music video for Going Live premiered on July 29th; check it out here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Suraeh brought the dance hall high vibes in his latest afro-pop single, Rest of Our Lives, featuring Bvle

Posted on 25 February 2022

After a seemingly endless bitter winter, Suraeh is bringing in the smitten summer high vibes in his latest afro-pop hit, Rest of Our Lives, featuring Bvle. The track starts in the fairly archetypal way of two strangers falling in love at first sight at the club, but Suraeh put a sticky-sweet spin on the familiar trope.

There’s always the connotation that the good times can’t last and they only come in fleeting and non-committal form but with the hooky chorus of “let’s just have a good time for the rest of our lives”, you don’t have much of a choice when it comes to your soul surrendering to the dancehall-inspired pop track that celebrates perpetual passion.

Rest of Our Lives will officially release on February 25th, 2022. You can catch it for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

You Fooled Yourself: Dallas Pyron closes the door on heartbreak and opens the window to ‘Shine’ again

Posted on 5 May 2021

As she glitters so bright to get over the bad light that had her down for a bit, Dallas Pyron has found her true King now and is all about that ‘Shine‘, to glow so right away from the undesirable darkness.

Dallas Symone’ Pyron aka Dallas Pyron, is a quickly-emerging Christian singer-songwriter, who blends in dancehall, pop, RnB and hip-hop into her music. She sings with a pure love for her chosen craft and is highly motivated to go as far as her dreams take her.

This is the message of getting up after falling down, you were hurt and the scars remain but you have covered them up and will never let anyone take you for granted again. They lied and didn’t remain true to their word, so they have since left and you have started over again.

You feel this catchy beat so much in your beating heart as the production captures the mood like a quality Polaroid, her stunning voice is on top form here as he sings from the bottom of her heart. Each note is passionate and you feel like she is only headed for the top — the desire is flowing from her soul — as she wants it more than most.

‘Shine‘ from the pure-voiced Dallas Pyron, shows you into the world of feeling hurt and disappointed with their actions. The trust was there but now its folded like a pack of cards, as you dust off the rubble and vow to shine again with someone who truly believes in you. You will love again and be wiser from this experience.

Hear this real new single on her Soundcloud and check out the IG for more.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Mr. Relax teamed up with D-Fish for their 90s Dancehall Reggae single ‘Feelings’

Posted on 25 March 2021

For his latest release, ‘Feelings’, Mr. Relax teamed up with Dutch hip hop artist, D-Fish to create a visceral, vibrant high-vibe mix which grooves to reggae rhythm and grinds to RnB pop beats.

You could see it as an ode to 90s RnB – think Peter Andre, Sean Paul and Shabba Ranks, or you could see it as a timely arrival of a sun-soaked reggaeton track, powerful enough to pull us out of the most depressing winters in living history.

The official video which has already racked up over 70,000 streams since premiering on January 18th is available via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kimo Jeepaz gives us a shot in the arm with his ‘Vaccine’ 

Posted on 7 March 2021

Mixing a heavy patois from his native St. Andrew, Jamaica, with a harder, more urban UK-style rap, Kimo Jeepaz new track ‘Vaccine’ – a lockdown hip hop story of quarantine and Covid. There’s elements of Jamaican dancehall in here alongside Jeepaz’ melodic flow and R&B groove, a touch of Sean Paul and Beenie Man alongside the R&B grind and bounce.

Jeepaz has already performed alongside the likes of Mavado, Not3s, Shenseea, Aidonia, and Dexta Daps; on the basis of ‘Vaccine’, 2021 is going to be the year the lockdown is let out for Kimo Jeepaz.

Check out ‘Vaccine’ on Spotify, and follow Kimo on Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes