Ghetto Palms 82: Style and Swagga!

Photographer John Francis Peters
December 09, 2009

This astronomical new brand production from Ballaz aka Damian Hall and Nigel Whitfield has been breaking my head open all week, probably because Max Glazer has been getting behind it extra extra heavy in his sets at Rice n Peas and Santos Fridays. Not only does it provide a great vehicle for Beenie Man sounding like the old Beenie and Assassin sounding like the new Buju, but the beat itself has a bigness that to paraphrase Mr. Glazer, “actually sounds like fucking dancehall.” Which is to say it sounds like Giorgio Moroder improvising on synth live at Passa Passa while lit on Red Bull and Guinness.


Style & Swagga blend
Banana Clipz, “Talking Drum” (white label)
Assassin, “ Wanna Be Ballaz”
Einstein, “Stronger”
Beenie Man, “Good Inna”
Focus, “Name Brand Moggling”
Mr. Lexx, “Mi Waah Know”
Tifa, “Boasy Wid It”
Wayne Marshall, “She’s All”









Download: Ghetto Palms Style and Swagga Blend

Both the intro and outro are me dubbing the riddim track in and out over “Talking Drum” a nice little oddment from Banana Clipz aka Chief Boima and DJ Oro11. A beautiful polyrhythm but also a good excuse to mention that Boima’s new EP African by the Bay is available right now at Dutty Artz. Translation: FREE PALM WINE –and the Gaza/Gully war is over, so hice it up!

From The Collection:

Ghetto Palms
Ghetto Palms 82: Style and Swagga!