It may be a wet weekend thanks to a couple Tropical Storms throughout the Caribbean, but we’re giving thanks for life, and praying for those who are battling the bad Weather. We hope you all have been staying safe in your own way. We’re bringing a different vibe on today’s Oldies Sunday. Today’s selection comes from Reggae/Dancehall Artist Determine with the track, “Rappin Up Rhymes“.
Produced by Steely & Clevie on the “Nine Night Riddim” and released in 2001 through Studio 2000, Determine stepped out on a song that showcased his unique flow, and his ability to control any Riddim that was thrown his way. Determine had a few hits in the 90s, and he presented himself as an Artist that stood out no matter what. “Rappin Up Rhymes” was just one of his many examples, and the track was a hit. In promotion of “Rappin Up Rhymes”, a music video directed by Llewellyn O’Reggio was released. The video found Determine chilling with the ladies at the River, interacting with many people in his hometown of Portland including his fellow Rastafarian brethren, and we see an appearance from members of his family including a young Runkus. Determine is still an active member in the Jamaican music scene, and many of his fans still remember “Rappin Up Rhymes” and his previous releases.
Check out the selection below, and share with a friend. Show us some love/follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @13thStreetPromo.
The Summer holidays are over, but in this Covid 19 world, everyone’s stuck inside. With Schools and jobs handling (most) things the online way, we’re seeing the “new norm” everyday. Nonetheless, creators create, and many of them released music in time for Summer 2020 in Jamaica. Today, we look back at a few tracks that were released in the 2nd Volume of the “Las’ Lick Playlist“!
Following up the 2018 Playlist, this 2020 edition features 32 tracks from Jamaican artists. Whether your taste is Dancehall, Reggae, Pop, or Hip Hop, you get dope offerings from emerging artists like Royal Blu, Leno Banton, Blvk H3ro, and Skillibeng, to established acts like Protoje, Beenie Man, Aidonia, Vybz Kartel, and Popcaan, to new acts like Marcilli, Prizal, Niyne, and GyalKapone. Check out songs that may have missed your radar, or ones that got you hype during the past few months. Don’t forget to share!
Check out the Playlist below, and share with a friend. Show us some love/follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @13thStreetPromo.
In a world where a pandemic is forcing divisions, 5 artists made a move promoting unity. Repping St. James, St. Mary, Spanish Town, and Portmore, Runkus called up Kabaka Pyramid, Munga Honorable, Royal Blu, and Jesse Royal for “5Gs“! With a Mykal “Kush” Cushnie directed video, the quintet not only showed that they could join forces at this time, but display their prowess in the lyrical arts as they share social commentary on the happenings in the world today. This collaboration can only be described as one that’s “Badder than Covid 19“!
With each artist being dominant in their respective fields, this is just one of the few collaborations that we expect to see in the coming months. Covid 19 may have slowed things down, but nothing can overpower the strength and reach of the music. Spray Lysol on their lies, wash your hands so you don’t catch the corruption bug, hold the faith, and remember that “Black Lives Matter“! Check out the video below, and share with a friend. Show us some love/follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @13thStreetPromo.
Recording Artist Leno Banton looks to close off his 2019 in “light-speed” style, but first he had to swing the sword a few times. Who are the recipients of the attack? The ones he refers to as “Pirates” in his latest single! Produced by iotosh and Runkus, Leno Banton calls out the “Leaders” and Politicians who claim they are for the country’s people, but are just leeching away all the Nation’s resources and leaving people to suffer. The song is just one of many that call out the people in power and warn them to do away with their corruptive actions, or there will be consequences.
The youth will continue to be the voice of change in Jamaica, and very soon the walls that the elders have built will be torn down to make way for a better country. We have all suffered for too long under the tutelage of Pirates, and they need to make their exits like those who have walked the plank. Leno Banton promises more music in 2020, with a possible release of the follow up to his “REM SZN” project!
Check out the track’s visualizer below (done by Jordan Mars & Tivar Seivwright), and share with a friend. Show us some love/follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @13thStreetPromo.
A “Last Lick” is defined as having the last hit in a given situation. In Jamaica it is a fun thing to do with peers. Today, we’re giving you the last hit to end your Summer vacay with our “Las’ Lick” Playlist! Featuring 33 tracks that popped up during the Summer, get your fix from some of your favourite upcoming and established Artists. Check out songs that may have missed your radar, or ones that got you hype during the past few months. Don’t let Monday catch you groggy and grumpy, let this Playlist put a smile on your face. Check out the “Las’ Lick Playlist” below, and show us some love on Instagram at @13thStreetPromo.
Recently, Recording Artist Royal Blu and Producer Tim Foresta finally released their long anticipated project, the “sinG with God EP“! Featuring 5 tracks, listeners were treated a mix of awesome lyrics, melodies, and production that will have you rocking and rewinding to catch the lines. Recently we got a behind the scenes look at the creative process with Blu and Foresta, more specifically the situations that led to the making of each track. Tune in!
Royal Blu: For “Let’s Get High”, I remember being in studio and one of my Engineers who helped with recording the session was intentionally smoking near the booth so it could aid in me capturing the feeling of the song (haha). Leno Banton and some of the REM crew was in the studio session as well, and they’re like the Ganja gurus. So it made even more sense.
Tim Foresta: “Let’s Get High” was a very interesting process. I only had this rough loop of the hook part of the beat. I had no clue where this could go, but it had a vibe, so I sent it to Blu. He then was able to write an entire song with three verses, hook, basically a whole arrangement on this simple loop. He sent it to me via voice note. I was blown away and it instantly became clear what kind of a song this will be. Within an hour most of the ideas you hear now came to my mind. That’s also what I like about working with Blu. The process doesn’t follow the simple pattern of I send a beat, he writes a song – done. It’s always different.
Blu: I haven’t really said this anywhere else, but the song “Believe” was actually written out of me being hurt. I had a song called “Wrote You This Song” that was originally set to be a part of this EP, but didn’t make the cut. It was the first song Foresta and I ever did, but we didn’t work in studio together for it. He was still in Germany. But basically, that song was about singing to my past self and letting him know that things get better in the future. Because the past self I was singing to at that time lost all the files for his song, the studio I was working with got ripped down, I was betrayed by friends, lost loved ones. It was a depressing time. So that energy carried over into writing “Believe” because I wrote those two songs very close together.
Foresta: Believe. In 2014 I was in South Africa shooting a Documentary about Zimbabwean refugees, living in the streets of Cape Town looking for work. It was an idea by director Thandi Sebe, who at the time wanted to write a Theatre play about it. Growing up in Cape Town, she always saw these groups of men gathering and always wondered who they were and what they do. So, while doing this Documentary I composed some music for it as well and this is where the idea for Believe came from. In the end I didn’t use that beat in the documentary, but interestingly enough the topic Blu found for it perfectly fits the scene of the film that inspired me coming up with it.
