Words by Deejay Theory and Richard “Treats” Dryden
With summertime flying by, we’ll always keep the vibes warm and easy around here at #MixtapeMondays. Carnival settings in full effect this week stretching from Barbados to Brooklyn to Brixton. Ease out.
Private Ryan, Bim Bangers: With 2016 Cropover going strong in Barbados throughout July right into Grand Kadooment August 1st, T&T soca / liming ambassador DJ Private Ryan steps in, as always, to make sure everyone is up on all the years biggest tunes from all the stars as and breakout artists. Press play on this to get up to speed quick – and, to get more familiar with Cropover and the vibrant music and culture of Barbados, check out our brand new video series on the topic right here. Stream below:
DJ Jam Central, Afro Dancehall Mixtape: Our breddy Jam Central out in Brooklyn just served up another sure-shot in the mixtape department, skillfully blending the infectious worlds of Afrobeat and dancehall into one cohesive package. Afro Soca has been a term heavily circulating these days – peep Jam Central’s exclusive mix we did for best results – but this one touches more on the cross-section of Afro-Caribbean sounds permeating the dancehall, R&B and commercial crust right now in a big way. Run chune below:
Hipsters Don’t Dance, Truancy Volume 152: The Hipsters Don’t Dance family in London have been studying the delicate science of raving for a minute now, juggling the best of Caribbean music with the sounds of Africa, the UK and beyond. Comprised of Hootie Who and Kazabon, the duo recently sat in for the latest mix in the awesome Truancy mix series delivering their signature style and fashion. Some summer anthems in dancehall plus Afrobeats, UK riddims and more make this a vibe for sure. Stream below, tracklist, download and interview here
Chromatic Sound, Reggae Gold 2016: Chromatic The Ultimate Mix: VP Records’ annual Reggae Gold compilation, renowned as a signpost for the current direction of reggae and dancehall, enters its 24th year with a two-disc set that includes a bonus CD featuring songs from the album, mixed in a dancehall style by Heavy D of Chromatic Sound.
Chromatic, who previously collaborated with Popcaan on his Yiy Change mixtape, kick off the mix with “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times), which brought Poppy, Young Thug and Jamie XX together on 2015’s In Colour. Reggae Gold not only represents dancehall’s diversity, but also how West Indian artists are influencing hip-hop, R&B and pop. OMI’s “Cheerleader” (Felix Jaehn Remix)—distributed by Louder Than Life/Ultra/Columbia—was a major win for the Jamaican singer when the song was No. 1 for six consecutive weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. And “Watch Me Now” has all eyes on Busy Signal, since it appeared in LG’s G5 commercial starring Jason Statham. Reggae Gold also stays on trend with Chi Ching Ching’s “Way Up N Stay Up” Remix, a record that helped popularize the “way up” phrase now a staple of hip-hop slang. Closing out Reggae Gold is the uplifting anthem, “The Message,” a landmark collaboration between Bunji Garlin and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley that bridged the music and culture of Trinidad & Tobago with Jamaica, respectively. Stream/purchase/download Reggae Gold 2016 here.