Blog: Shimmy Shimmy

Dave Kelly's comeback is like a tornado right now, destroying dancefloors and getting stronger and stronger just when you thought it was dying down. Here's the third blast, the Turn It Up riddim. This is the first full riddim release out of Madhouse since the classic 85 riddim. We already featured the riddim when Bounty Killer voiced over it a month or so ago with 'The Message', though now Killer's got a new version called 'Enemies'. The two Cham tracks are great as always, but the real surprise is from Pinchers (above), with the aptly-titled [...]

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Here's the latest wicked production from Delly Ranx , with a whole heap of young names on the vocals, not to mention a great voicing from Delly himself, some serious Major Mackerel-esque squeaks from Macka Diamond and a roots vibe from good ole Gramps Morgan. This is yet another Middle Eastern themed riddim with not a lot to do with its name: see Arab Attack and Arabian Jam for more.

Christmas is a time for giving, it is also a time for getting celebrities to flog stuff on TV... it's traditional! This year though, Caribbean telecommunications giant LIME have gone all out securing the services of Beenie, Ele, Mavado & Cecile (along with Di Genius remixing your favourite Xmas classics) to let you know that this is going to be the best Christmas ever! Also that you should buy a new phone.

It's hard being a music artiste and trying to keep up with the latest trends. Busy definitely does not have this problem. He's up for getting your Blackberry, BBMing you, all kinds of peng ping stuff. But FYI, girl, he's just trying to say hi. Busy Signal - FYI

Here's a fresh slice of dancehall nepotism, Beenie hooking up all his friends on this new riddim - called 'Beenie & Friends' - by Danny Browne (and even Beenie's son gives the voice to the instrumental). No wonder he and D'Angel (above) are having the time of their life. It's quite impressive that Beenie manages to voice this track differently 8 times over. Beenie addicts, this is for you. Apparently he tried to get Bounty to join him too, but it was a 'logistical' nightmare, with Vybz and Mavado yet to respond to his offer. [...]

I had a nice long phone chat with champion DJ, David Ramjam Rodigan, a couple of weeks back for a big story on Kiss FM, set to hit the next issue of Shook Mag . He kindly also told me about his Fabriclive mixtape, out this week, which runs through some of his favourite roots, dancehall and even a dubstep tune: I have been very excited to have been invited into the world of dubstep in the last two years. One or two dubstep DJs have sampled my voice and I've been [...]

The one and only Wrongtom is back, hot on the heels of his peerless production work on the Duppy Writer project with Roots Manuva comes his remix of The Nextmen's new single, the anti-laziness anthem Sofa . WT gets his Jammy on and digitizes the track, giving it a Digi-Dub reworking that will surely nice up the dance from UK to France. Sofa (Wrongtom Remix) by The Nextmen The Nextmen ft. Pupajim - Sofa (Wrongtom Remix) [...]

The One Draw riddim started off life back in '82 with Rita Marley singing about just how high she wanted to be (SO high). It's infectious clap and skank-ready one drop inspired Shanachie to re-hash (eh-hem) it in 2006 at as a whole riddim, with a whole heap of big names. They're all about weed (who'd a guessed? It's not about a small filing cabinet) and the best vocals are probably Vegas on 'Crack Town': 'Hey JA, it's a weed day' and Wayne Marshall's 'Weed Smoke'. There were also some strategic remakes: [...]

I have one thing to say about this video: KEMIKAL'S HAIRCUT!

Here's a pretty visually boring video of Vybz & Busta in studio with Don Corleon voicing a new record. It's really a sneak preview of the track, so just take a listen to the instrumental - the bass is stinking . And of course, you get another listen to Busta doing his oh-so-necessary and oh-so-good patois accent.

Daseca ARE MAD. This is a brand new but wickedly throwback riddim featuring Aidonia, Ele, Assassin, Beenie, Vegas, Matterhorn, Serani and more. Try not to rewind them ALL. Assassin (above) has one of the top vocals, on the title track 'Dancehall Again', telling how he definitely ain't following hip hop: 'Stagalag, Real Rock, Pepperseed and Giggy, Nuff a dem a rap like Tupac and Biggy New York represented by Jay-Z and Diddy But I and I represent Kingston City' With production & vocals like this, it's clear that dancehall nuh dead yet!! [...]

So it's a week after halloween and you're probably missing it already and thinking cor I wish I had a nice new steppers record to help keep the vibe alive. And hey presto... Scotch Bonnet records roll out this heavy number from Tayo & Acid Rockers, 'Vampayaa'. The Scotch Bonnet team have long been supporting new and original reggae/dancehall voices (see their impressive back catalogue here ) and this new release is no exception. The record features Pupa Jim on vocals, who's on a serious 80s dancehall tip (touch of the Horace Andy in [...]

This is one of the first dancehall videos that has actually made me like the song more. It's a good, not-so-old-fashioned ho-down...(and QQ looks all grown up). Bobble bobble!

Seeing as Dave Kelly and Madhouse are seriously back in the game (with this and this ), thought it might be the moment to have a little dip back into the Madhouse camp archive. Madhouse badgyal Spice is probably now best known for being Vybz's partner in crime on 'Ramping Shop', or for being Lisa Hype(r)'s rival but in the early 00s it was Dave Kelly that outed her as being a tuff MC, producing hits like 'Mi Gone' and then the insane 'Fight Over Man' . It was really her mad performances [...]

New Sean Paul on the Gyal Pharm (sounds like a pharmaceutical company) Riddim. S. Pizzle comes correct as usual, Keep Left Records have a habit of releasing super hype tracks and this is no exception. Makes me proud to be a leftie. Sean Paul - Ready For Dis (Gyal Pharm Riddim) Speaking of lefties, Leftside's contribution to the Riddim My Opinion is awesome too. In Leftside's opinion you shouldn't wear 'funny jeans' and if you're in a club full of girls don't dance with your pals, [...]

If you're like me when you saw the name of this riddim, you probably thought uh oh it's a dancehall take on JT (and they've spelt it wrong, nice touch). Turns out it's actually a wicked Christopher Birch riddim with not a Timbaland 'Yeah' in sight (though the synthy riff and pitch bend aren't far off a Timba production). Busy & Vybz are on it. Need I say any more.

Slap on my wrist for sleeping on this one. Lexx going in over a heavy, schoolground inspired production - the Boomerang riddim. Swag dag diggy! Mr. Lexx - Chat 2 U Back

So, Vybz, if you had to describe yourself in two words?

Get down early tomorrow night, cos if last month was anything to go by, it's going to be ROADBLOCK! Check the Facebook page for details.