Hip-Hop’s Qwote Interview 2008

QWOTE – Soulful Hip-Hop Performer Makes Musical Sense

By Melissa Gonzalez

May 26, 2008 – Miami, FL – R&B and Hip-Hop have shared a bond since early on. The love between the two music forms stayed strong through East & West, Nas & Jay-Z. Even while Common and Cube called each other “bitches,” they stayed strong. Many out there may wonder what the secret is. Could it be that Hip-Hop can’t get enough of those melodic love tunes?

This is probably what the execs at Slip-N-Slide Records were thinking when they signed, Qwote, one of their newest soulful, Hip-Hop artists. The 25-year-old Miami resident Born Jimmy Leonard) is enjoying regular airplay, while sharing the spotlight with label-mate, “Still the Baddest” Trina, on his debut single, “Don’t Want to Fight.” It may seem like over-night success to those who do not keep up with the behind-the-scenes happenings of the music industry, but in all reality, Qwote has been working for many years to get to this point. Continue reading

Rootz Underground CD Review 2008

ROOTZ UNDERGROUND – MOVEMENT

Mystic Urchin/Riverstone Records
Movement introduces Rootz Underground, a six-man group that has come onto the Reggae scene like a storm. The band has a genuine desire to move listeners to a higher consciousness and to revolutionize Reggae music. Yes, these guys breathe new life into a sector of the genre that is sometimes relegated to oldies and vintage festivals.

Rootz Underground members include Steve Newland, (lead vocals and lyricist), Charles Lazarus, (lead guitar), Jeffrey Moss‑Solomon, (rhythm guitar, backup vocals and lyricist), Colin Young, (bass guitar), Paul Smith (keyboard), and Leon Campbell (drummer). Continue reading

Cipes and the People CD Review 2008

CIPES AND THE PEOPLE – CONSCIOUS REVOLUTION

KG2 MUSIC
From the first strains Conscious Revolution, the Cipes and the People debut CD, you are made aware of the subtle differences between this and a regular Reggae album. First, not all of the songs are what would be considered Reggae in their rhythmic form.

Fusing elements of Hip-Hop, surf music, traditional pop, and new age/old wisdom spirituality with a generous dose of devotion to Jah, the listener feels the vibe and wants to get involved once the first anthem-like chorus is heard. Where this revolution is headed is a divine mystery that the voice of Cipes can guide us towards, to explore spirituality and self-knowledge, the face of which is full of animated expressions interspersed with a whimsical inviting wink. Continue reading

1995 & IT’S HIP TO BE RASTA Buju Banton, Capleton, Dermot Hussey, Cat Coore

It’s 1995 in Jamaica and It’s Hip to be Rasta

By Howard Campbell    V13#1 1995

Buju Banton cries out for divine help in “God of my Salvation”; Capleton gives assurance that the Emperor still sits on the throne with the constant reminder that “Selassie liveth every time,” while Garnet Silk’s equally prolific shouts of “Jah Rastafari” have given the proclamation Bob Marley made internationally famous new flavor.

buju banton, rasta got soul, reggae, dancehall, reggae report
Buju Banton’s Rasta Got Soul LP

Such are the lyrics of cultural change that have been blaring through the speakers of Jamaica’s dance halls in recent times, replacing the gun and ribald lyrics of the DJs that dominated for the greater part of a decade. The cultural rebirth in the dance halls has also sparked a second coming of the Rastafari religion that traces its roots back to the late 1950s and which gained worldwide prominence in the 1970s with the international emergence of the dreadlocked Marley.

Buju’s newfound faith has been wholly accepted by the youth with whom he can do no wrong. The same can be said of fellow DJ Capleton and charismatic singer Silk, one of the forerunners of the revival. Their impact is there for all to see. It’s in vogue to wear locks again. It’s even cool to openly acknowledge Jah without fear of being ridiculed. It’s Jamaica 1995 and it’s hip to be Rasta. Whether a “God of my Salvation” will hold relevance as a “Roof Over my Head” 10 years from now is left to be seen. That could all depend on whether Buju and Capleton decide to forsake their still growing locks and Rasta rhetoric for the latest “talk,” or look, in the coming months. Continue reading

Steel Pulse – Door of No Return DVD

STEEL PULSE – DOOR OF NO RETURN

VOICEPRINT

Steel Pulse DVD

The timeless revolutionary sound of Steel Pulse lives on in this well-produced DVD. Door of No Return is a documentary that includes footage of many of their shows, backstage clips, and on the road perspectives. This DVD provides the entire Steel Pulse experience, and the 5.1 Surround Sound provides a realistic concert experience.

Drawing on his experiences in Senegal, December 1999, for an Amnesty International Human Rights Festival, David Hinds brought the memory of being on African soil with him to his subsequent US tour. In prepping for the album to follow, he especially remembered the door of the slave house on Gory Island where the ancestors departed – the Door of No Return. Continue reading

Artists Willing to Change Lyrics

In Response to Buju Banton’s call for unity:

Artistes Willing to Change Lyrics

By Teino Evans, Entertainment Coordinator, The Star Online

May 15, 2008 – Kingston, Jamaica – Following Buju Banton’s call for other artistes to clean up their music, some have answered the challenge and are in agreement that some change in lyrics need to take place. Buju issued an appeal to his fellow entertainers to clean up their lyrics in order to help Jamaica to recover from its present social decay.

The deejay, who posted a message in his newsletter, The Gargamel Gleaner, said, “We are suffering a social decay yet not one, not a single one of our entertainers, has seen the need for a change in the lyrical content they are selling.”

However, that estimation may not be entirely accurate. Veteran dancehall artiste, Lady Saw, although admitting to performing “raw songs” in the past, told The STAR, “I’m down with cleaning up the music.” Saw said that this must to something that every artiste is willing to do if it is going to have any effect on the tone of the music. Continue reading