Ghetto Palms 78: Creator Riddim / New Spragga Benz / Polyriddimatical Madness
- story Eddie "Stats" Houghton
- photo Andrew Dosunmu (F34)
Last Ghetto Palms I shouted at the devil of prefab dancehall, and this week the universe did shout me back in the form of veteran sessions player and producer Colin “Bulby” York, who released the polyrhythmic spree called the Creator riddim on his Fat Eyes label. Irrational rhythms may be replacing auto-tune as the new trend in JA, at least judging from the Weapon riddim and the new Spragga joint included below, which flips the clicky polyriddim of “Sweet Georgia Brown” (Cf. Brother Bones, Harlem Globetrotters, R. Kelly). This last should not be too surprising, since it’s produced by Salaam Remi whose previous collabos with Spragga include the Acid Hall riddim, a pre-millenium high point in dancehall creativity.
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posted on Nov 4, 2009 in GHETTO PALMS tags Beenie Man, caribbean, Catchdubs, Sizzla, Spragga Benz, Truck Back
Ghetto Palms 75: Flare Riddim / Giants / Ze Bula remix / Baobab
- story Eddie "Stats" Houghton
- photo Debbie Bragg (F38)
A certain operatic feel connects these two new jump up riddims from ZJ Sparks and Ding Dong’s Ravers Clavers crew, respectively. To be specific, Giants is scored to the opening shots of a suspense thriller, the pulsing cello-and-synth foreshadowing the drama that’s about pop off. Flare on the other hand sounds like the climactic point when the violinists in the orchestra pit look they’re trying to saw the necks off their instruments. Maybe someday, when people from this soundsystem generation are old and rich, the New York Philharmonic will be actually be playing these parts while Ding Dong and Chi Ching yell on the mic and make them pull up every five seconds.
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posted on Oct 15, 2009 in GHETTO PALMS tags Beenie Man, caribbean, Chief Boima, Ding Dong, GHETTO PALMS, Mad Decent, Vybz Kartel
Ghetto Palms 63: Nas & Damian Marley / Weapon Riddim / Ethiopia Soul
- story Eddie "Stats" Houghton
In a perfect world every Ghetto Palms should connect at least three disparate dots on the map, and today’s multi-colored thumbtacks are puncturing the dread capitals of New York, Kingston and Addis Ababa.
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posted on Jul 24, 2009 in GHETTO PALMS tags Africa, Beenie Man, caribbean, Damian Marley, ethiopia, Mulatu Astatke, nas, Vybz Kartel
Freeload: Beenie Man, “Streets Is Gettin Hot”
- story THE FADER
Controversy! Or maybe not! Cookin’ Soul is sending this around as a new Beenie Man track, but from what we can tell, they didn’t alter Massive B’s Truth and Rights riddim very much at all. We’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and hope some credit (cash) changed hands between the two parties behind the scenes because we haven’t seen any given in public. Regardless, a great song whether it’s Beenie freestyling some shit or Richie Spice talking some real talk, as he does in the video for “Youths A So Cold” above on the original riddim, which is the vocal sample you hear in the new version. Check video of Beenie doing his verses after the jump.
Download: Beenie Man, “Streets Is Gettin Hot”
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posted on Apr 3, 2009 in MUSIC VIDEO tags Beenie Man, caribbean, Cookin Soul, freeload, Massive B, Richie Spice, Truth and Rights riddim
Freeload: Beenie Man, “Gimme Gimme Gimme” + Two More
- story THE FADER
As far as we can remember, subtlety was never one of Beenie Man’s strong suits. Making high energy dancehall jams about his superhuman libido, however, is exactly what we’ve come to know and love about the good doctor. In two of the latest, we get the refreshingly honest “I’m Gonna Fuck You,” produced by Mario C. and the respectfully assertive “Gimme Gimme Gimme,” produced by Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor. While Beenie continues to hold it down on the real talk express, be sure to check out bottled lightning in the form of “Gimme Gimme Gimme’s” wild out mix, probably most appropriate for the college radio selector, as you’d pretty much need complete autonomy over your playlist to even think about running this shit.
Download: Beenie Man, “Gimme Gimme Gimme”
Download: Beenie Man, “Gimme Gimme Gimme” (Wild Out Mix)
Download: Beenie Man, “I’m Gonna Fuck You”
Video: Beenie Man, “Wine Gal”
- story THE FADER
Our regular column on dancehall Ghetto Palms is on hiatus (ED: Stats came through with a column!) this week because its writer Eddie ‘Stats’ Houghton is off hiatus writing a story in Jamaica for us. So if you’ve come here for that, please accept the new video for FADER 23 coverstar Beenie Man’s chart-dominating #1 smash “Wine Gal” as a consolation. “Wine Gal” was at the top of Jamaican charts for a few weeks, battling it out with Mavado’s “On The Rock” and Jr Gong’s “The Mission” and slipped all the way to #3 this week, but knowing how these things go, it might be back up top next week. And also, just because, ZAGGA ZOW.
Ghetto Palms: Quarter to Twelve / Tear Up Jeans / ‘90s Throwback
- story THE FADER
Every week resident FADER selector Eddie STATS runs through dancehall riddims and other artifacts from the ghetto archipelago.
Yeah I know y’all are just wrapping your heads around bringing ’88 back what with the Retro Kids rocking gumby fades and Mars Blackmon wears but in Jamaica doopses are living so fast-forward that they have already been brought back the ’90s. In fact, it seemed like them shits were not even over before people in Kingston started talking about ’90s throwback riddims, like shouldn’t there be a 10-15 year statute of limitations on something before you bring it back? I can remember the term being applied at least as far back as Assassin’s “As A Man” and Leftside and Esco’s “Tuck in your Belly” when the Gigi and the Sleepy Dog riddims were the next big thing in dancehall. That was 2005, which is like bringing the ’50s back in 1965. Hell, the SIXTIES had barely started in 1965. Jamaicans; can’t you let a decade get it’s own sound properly established before you get so bored with it that you start recycling previous ones?
Freeload: Bugle, “Doh Be No” (Tear Up Jeans Riddim) + Corduroy Riddim
- story THE FADER
Out of the many good versions on the Tear Up Jeans riddim, we have selected Bugle’s because it is the best and also the most creative with it’s instrumental embellishments. Why is that important? It’s not really, but since Tear Up Jeans is basically a redo of the Corduroy riddim from 1994, we demand CHANGE. If you need more, other FADER faves, Serani and Voicemail kinda kill it on “Iz This Real” and “Booty Call”, respectfully. And if you really really need more, find Mad Cobra and Beenie’s Corduroy versions.
Download: Bugle, “Doh Be No” (Tear Up Jeans Riddim)
Mad Cobra, “More Them Talk” (Corduroy Riddim)
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posted on Jun 4, 2008 in MP3 / STREAMS tags Beenie Man, Bugle, caribbean, freeload, Mad Cobra, Serani
