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Words by Jesse Serwer—
The Courtney John Project’s “Black Cinderella” opens with a sample of the original version of the song, recorded in 1972 by Errol Dunkley. (a song which was also recently sampled by Protoje on his new album, The 8 Year Affair.) But the falsetto singer’s 2013 spin on this timeless reggae staple quickly changes gears, its beat morphing into something dark, heavy and electronic, nearing dubstep territory.
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Words by Jesse Serwer, Photo by Aaron A., via OAccessJamaica—
Nelly Furtado spent some time in Jamaica while working on her new album The Spirit Indestructible, collaborating with Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor on a (deluxe-version only) one-drop track called “Don’t Leave Me.” She also recorded with the legendary Sly and Robbie, at Kingston’s Anchor Studios, for an unrelated project.
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Words by Jesse Serwer—
“The average female uses the bathroom five times a day…alas!…Not when this riddim a play.” So says the credit screen in the video for “No Batchoom Break,” the first single from The Wizard, who we’ve just learned isn’t just Jamaica/dancehall’s sharpest up-and-coming producers but a vocalist, too. While she voiced her own Batchoom Break riddim she cedes the spotlight in the “No Batchoom Break” clip (don’t worry, you can see what she looks like at the top of his post) to some very talented dancers. Now, tell us what do you think of “No Batchoom Break”—does this tune have what it takes to get you ladies dashing from out the WC? And fellas, do the ladies in the clip hold that same power?
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Words by Jesse Serwer, Photo by Martei Korley—
We can always count on Mr. Lexx to bring the high entertainment value to everything he does, and his latest video, for “Rugu Rugu,” is as entertaining as dancehall clips come. Produced by The Wizard, the brief, unorthodox and comical single tells a story of some gunfire that goes “rugu rugu rugu rugu,” sending the deejay on a mad dash to get away. The Vaudevillian video by Terminal 4 Media literally illustrates the whole silly sequence, from the various fences Lexx has to hop (“Miss Patsy fence, Miss Jackie fence”) to his hilarious interaction with a cop who stops him on the road (“Ah no really coward dat, big man ting,” he tells the officer, rationalizing his panic). Lexx’s timing couldn’t be better, either, as he finds himself an unwitting competitor in a hurdling competition. Meet Jamaica’s newest track star!
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Words by Jesse Serwer—
Recently, we introduced you to up-and-coming producer The Wizard—Beres Hammond’s daughter, Nastassja—and her productions for Courtney John and Mr. Lexx. Well, now here we’ve got the vocal debut from Jamaica’s leading female beatmaker: “No Batchoom Break,” on the new riddim of the same name.
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Words by Jesse Serwer—
If you automatically think vintage/throwback sound and dreadlocks when you hear the name Courtney John, you’re liable to do a double take watching the falsetto singer’s video for “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.” Rocking a newly cropped hairstyle and modern, up-to-the-time pop production courtesy of his first cousin, The Wizard (read our interview with the rising female producer here), the always-dapper John complements the uplifting song with some beautiful scenery, taking to Jamaica’s roads and hitching rides from rural St. Ann to his uncle Beres Hammond’s Harmony House Studio.
