0 Comment(s)
Words by Eddie STATS Houghton, photo by Martei Korley
Our Panabay dudes Los Rakas just dropped this video for “Ta Lista”–their newest track to leak off the upcoming EP Chancletas y Camisetas Bordada, which drops in August. Watch below or stream/download over at FADER–we recommend the video though, cause if most music videos strive for maximum eye-candy then this joint is like a eye-pinata.
1 Comment
A LargeUp Exclusive Webisode – Words by Eddie STATS
For our newest edition of Now Things series (see the features on Maluca and Kid Daytona here and here, respectively) we caught up with Panaman via Oakland rappers Los Rakas, chopping it up with the duo when they passed true NYC to destroy a show at SOBs. These dudes have generated a lot of buzz lately in all quarters, from the turfing scene in the bay to the Caribbean with their ability to jump from a playero riddim to some of the most exciting Spanglish rap happening right now. Bigger things are obviously in store cause in addition to touring with Collie Buddz, they just announced their August 20th appearance at Central Park Summerstage alongside Meta & The Cornerstones today. Click play to get the full story on them, their forthcoming EP Chancletas y Camisetas Bordada (artwork after the jump) which drops around the same time and catch a little vapor of their onstage presence. It’s going to be a Raka redhot summer.
0 Comment(s)
Words by Jesse Serwer and Eddie STATS Houghton
This time every year the US music industry shuts itself down and heads to Austin, Texas for the annual orgy of live music, informal politicking and drink-ticket-bought tequila shots that is the South by Southwest music conference. There isn’t much in the way of proper Caribbean music showcases this year (Come to think of it, we’re not sure if there ever have been) but there is a healthy sprinkling of Caribbean and Caribbean-influenced acts scattered throughout the program, which officially begins tomorrow and concludes on Sunday. Here’s 10 we recommend seeking out.
0 Comment(s)
Words by DJ Gravy
In honor of the Hallmark holiday, we had to bring you a roundup of (relatively recent) lovers tunes today (and check out last year’s V-Day post for some more bedroom heat). No long talking! It’s dutty love time.
4 Comments
Words by Eddie STATS Houghton, photos via FADER
This started out as a list of the biggest Caribbean jams of the year–like the top dancehall, soca, merengue, et cetera songs all thrown in a bag together. But as we winnowed out the bullshit it quickly became clear that it had to be a list of Pan-Caribbean anthems, not just the biggest crossover or the champion tune in a given sector but the rhythms and melodies that resonated most within the Caribbean and its diaspora, whether through collaboration innovation or sheer popularity.
6 Comments
Words by Eddie STATS Houghton
The stereotype about latin dancehall (and I have probably been as guilty as anybody in perpetuating it) is that it all sounds the same–that Puerto Rico basically co-opted the Pocoman/Dem Bow riddim that was the sound of JA circa 1990 and never looked back. The criticism is not totally unfounded–the genre was simply called ‘dembow’ for years before someone coined the term reggaeton–but if you look at the phenomenon around the crossover of Gyptian’s “Hold Yuh” the equation gets reversed. While every Jamaican artist and them old-time granny is jumping on the beat trying to piggyback it’s success, Panama via the Bay singjays Los Rakas conscripted Large Up Homey Uproot Andy to rework it into a wholly original masterpiece, fleshing out the chords (themselves co-opted from an Algerian pop jam anyway??) with chutney drums and deeper, more intricate synth-lines.
