Hip-Hop News

When HAVANA MEETS KINGSTON - when Cuba meets Jamaica. This idea was born thanks to Australian globetrotter producer Mista Savona. In 2015 he decided to bring together all the best from
Kingston and Havana. So, Sly & Robbie,Bongo Herman, 'Bopee' Anderson, Ernest Ranglin, Rolando Luna and Barbarito Torres from BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB, Los Van Van, Havana Cultura and many more met together and experimented with young musicians from the two islands. An histrorical intergenerational and intercultural exchange!

Drawing from the styles the islands are best known for - roots reggae, dub and dancehall on one hand and son, salsa, rumba and Afro-Cuban on the other - 'Havana Meets Kingston' sees an incredible team of musicians come together to bend and twist genres effortlessly, and the results are exceptional.

Limited edition of 300 on coloured vinyl.

With their debut album, "Burning Inspiration" garnering high praise and strong reviews, together with highly acclaimed performances supporting Natty on his 2017 UK tour, the future is looking bright for Royal Sounds and UK reggae. The track "Love" is suitably upbeat and has the positive message of 'Love will save the day!' How the world needs that message in 2018. But rather than using the previously released album version of 'Love', the masters have been handed over to label mate Compendulum to work his usual magic.

The results of the collaboration are four exclusive mixes, the A side gives us "Compendulum Mix", a vocal mix that gives a different emphasis to the individual elements, partnered with "Drub A Drub" which is something of a drum and bass version with guitar. Side B takes things in a heavier direction starting with a "Dubplate Mix" and rounding things off rather nicely with the sparse stripped back dub of the "Drub A Drub Mix" taking the original guitar line and contrasting it with some heavy drum and bass which to this listener is reminiscent of early eighties Sly and Robbie at their best.

Compendulum's mixes use the latest technology, but are firmly anchored in reggae's long history, he adds elements, but does so subtly enhancing the core strengths of the track and giving each of the mixes that unmistakeable Compendulum feel.

On the deep & rootsy 'Clean Reggae Music', veteran artist Horseman reminds us all that reggae has a powerful, positive message. Riding a heavyweight riddim built by The Elementz, Horseman calls for 'no slackness, no nastiness and no gun lyrics'. Following the success of our debut record, 'Karma' by Tippa Irie, 'Clean Reggae Music' reaffirms Reggae Take Over's commitment to the music as a vehicle for consciousness. This hand-numbered, limited edition run of 250 copies comes in hand-stamped eco card sleeve.

Following the huge success of the lead single "Settle Down" (played twice on one show by David Rodigan!), Blend Mishkin and the Roots Evolution band deliver their stunning debut album "Survival Of The Fittest" for NICE UP! records. Having spent most of his professional career behind either a computer screen or pair of turntables, Athens based producer Blend Mishkin (real name George Mantas) has been putting in work since the mid 90s with releases on labels such as Pork Recordings, Tru Thoughts, Shadow Records and many more. For this, actually his 8th studio album, he decided to do something a little different and step out from behind the computer. A chance meeting with some like minded musicians led to a conversation about them re-creating some of his past tracks for a potential live show, but after much thought it was decided that something brand new and fresh was needed. After numerous sessions and jams, a collection of tracks had begun to take shape. Recorded live and then taken back to the lab for mixing and dubbing, "Survival Of The Fittest" is the fruits of these sessions. The next step was to scout for vocal performers to bring the rhythms to life, with the focus on using both international and local talent to give a wide breadth of influences and themes. Lining up are Rebel Salute show-stopper and Juno award winning Exco Levi and seasoned veteran Skarra Mucci from Jamaica, UK reggae/dancehall don Gappy Ranks, Italian raggamuffin KG Man, Mandinka Warrior from Denmark and fellow Greek BNC amongst many others. Retaining an authentic vibe whilst keeping it current, "Survival Of The Fittest" is a truly modern roots reggae album.

The special edition 7' release of Protoje's hit single 'Blood Money' features the original track, an exclusive Gregory Morris' dub mix, and is pressed on blood red vinyl.
The song lyrics provide hard-hitting, raw and unapologetic commentary on the current state of Jamaica, touching on several
recent grievances and social injustices that have afflicted Jamaican society.
Protoje masterfully describes the air of discrimination, classism, and oppression prevalent in the Jamaican political landscape, calling out corrupt practices, and conveys the meaningful message to his audience of awareness, activism and the need to call for change and accountability.
This message has been championed across the world, with 'Blood Money' becoming a firm favourite with both reggae fans, as well as those outside of the scene. 

Late 70s classic, with version.

Moment In Time - This song is being released to mark the end of an era.

A catchy song inspired by Usain Bolt and his Jamaican team mates when they secured a record beating 1st 2nd and 3rd places in the 200 metres of the Olympics...The phrase 123 ARGUMENT DUN was coined immediately.
Written and produced in the heat of that incredibe moment by the Jamaican sax man Ray Carless & bass man Colin 'steamfish' McNeish, this anthem is performed here by UK rapper Watusi87 and soulful vocalist Emzee Haywoode.
This is our musical tribute in recognition of our legendary and Iconic Jamaican sprinter who has been showing a clean pair of heels to all-comers for quite some time now.
Lets face it, sain's been breaking records faster than us musicians can make or compose them, and we just wanted to sing his praises and express our love to the champ through song... #TheGreatest

Soul Jazz Records are releasing Studio One Dub Plate Special, an exclusive Record Store Day collectors 7' box set featuring 10 amazing unreleased Studio One tracks, only ever released as extremely limited edition hand-etched one-sided dubplates (250 copies!), available only directly to Soul Jazz Records subscribers (most of these sold out in less than 2 hours!). This box set brings together all 8 of these exclusive dubplate unreleased cuts, plus two more also never before released alternate cuts. Featuring Alton Ellis, Cedric Brooks, Brentford Road All Stars, Jacob Miller and more!

They are now available worldwide for the first time ever, only for this collectors' box set RSD special release. This unique box set edition is only available as a one-off pressing for Record Store Day 2018!

Excellent instrumental dub sound, Rough and melodious. Ritch sound !

After a disjointed childhood that saw him raised largely by two aunts between eastern Kingston and rural St Mary, Melbourne James became the toaster Jah Stitch after running away from home and linking with the Spanglers street gang, whose Princess Street headquarters was also the base of the popular Tipper Tone sound system. After cutting his teeth on Tipper Tone alongside Big Youth and Dr Alimantado, friction over financial recompense saw him forming the rival Black Harmony set in 1975, but because the new sound was based in a district that was on the other side of the political divide, Stitch was shot in the face at point-blank range, his miraculous survival immortalised in the Bunny Lee-produced hit, 'No Dread Can Dead,' which became the title track of Stitch's debut album. Watch Your Step Youthman was the follow-up set released by Bunny in 1977, and again places Jah Stitch's understated Rasta-oriented chanting over a set of rock-hard Aggrovators rhythms, recorded with Johnny Clarke, John Holt, Derrick Morgan and others.

Roots harmony trio Tetrack formed in the Mountain View area of east Kingston in the early 1970s, borrowing the name from a local sound system (which had taken the moniker in reference to the Tetrarchy established by the Roman Emperor Diocletian in the 3rd Century). Although Paul Mangaroo was the primary lead singer, Carlton Hines wrote most of their material and was the real figurehead of the group, Hines and Dave Harvey were typically employed as backing vocalists, but each also sang lead. A mutual friend introduced them to the visionary producer Augustus Pablo, leading to impressive debut recordings at Lee Perry's Black Ark and the stunning debut LP, Let's Get Started. Despite the album's widespread acclaim, the lack of ready finance and slow pace at Pablo's Rockers stable led the group to shift base to Gussie Clarke's Music Works in 1983, with Hines also being employed as a songwriter for other artists there. The resultant album Trouble was cut for Gussie with Sly and Robbie, the engineer Soljie and a range of other stellar players, including guitarist Willie Lindo, the material issued in extended 'disco mix' format, to make the most of its captivating rhythms, British and Japanese editions complimented its initial Jamaican release.

Ewart Beckford, aka Daddy U Roy, changed the focus of Jamaican popular music by turning the sound system deejay from an incidental figure that told jokes in between records and made announcements about where the next dance would be held, to a major star whose rhyming toasts were as important as the lyrics for any singer. U Roy's command on the microphone on sets like Dickies Dynamic and Sir George the Atomic paved the way for his influential residency on King Tubby's Hi Fi. Keith Hudson, Lee 'Scratch' Perry and Bunny 'Striker' Lee were some of the first producers to bring him into the studio, but the breakthrough hits came for Duke Reid in 1970, with Roy toasting over old rock steady rhythms. Work for Prince Tony subsequently brought him international fame through a contract with Virgin, but he continued to record grassroots efforts at home. The Originator gathers some of the greatest tracks U Roy cut for Striker, voiced as usual at King Tubby's studio over hot hits by Johnny Clarke, Cornell Campbell, Gregory Isaacs, and others, King Tubby's Skank' celebrates Tubby himself.

Back to back in-demanders from producer - King Jammy's vaults recorded and mixed by Jammy at Channel One studio, Two of Johnny Osbourne's finest roots classics seeing first time single release complete with their lethal dub companions. Hi-Times band in full effect, top draw vocal and dubs cut loud and proud and housed in the classic Greensleeves 12" bag.

Stepper a-Class with one french tune sang in french. And 2 instrumentals on the flip.

Excellent Kris Kemist instrumental with nevertheless Solo Banton pusher !! Big one with a wicked printed sleeve ! Comix Epic Dub !

Delroy Wilson, one of Jamaica's best loved vocalists, got his start with Coxsone Dodd's Studio One label, scoring his first hit when he was just 15 years old! His career soon took off and Wilson spent most of the following two decades producing hits for Dodd, as well as Sonia Pottinger, and Bunny Lee. These six tracks, recorded at Channel One and produced by Gussie Clarke, feature the unbeatable drums and bass of Sly And Robbie.

PRINCE BUSTER ALL STARS BONGO-LED HORNS VERSION OF ALL TIMES ABYSSINIANS CLASSIC SATA MASA GANA THE 'PRAISE TO GOD'. EARTH SOUND RECORDS EXCLUSIVE REMASTERED REISSUE LOADED WITH A DRUMS & BASS COOL OPERATOR CUT.