Interview Archives - Page 5 of 12

LargeUp Interview: A Last Chat with Wayne Smith

Words and Interview by Sherman Escoffery— In August 2012, I heard from my friend Dwayne Smith, son of reggae singer Wayne Smith, that his dad was moving back to Jamaica in a few weeks, asking if I wa... Read More...

LargeUp Interview: Paebak on Island Rap + ‘Rock City’

Words by Jesse Serwer, Photos by Justin Pallack— We hear a great deal of hip-hop from the Caribbean here at LargeUp HQ, and the reality is very little of it holds any appeal for listeners beyond the re... Read More...

Impressions: Super Cat Returns

Words by Desmond Alphonso, Photos by Martei Korley— Super Cat is the Don Dada. As a young artist in the '80s dancehall era, he brought unprecedented lyrical depth and infinite swagger to the sound t... Read More...

LargeUp Exclusive: God Loves the Fighter’s “Laventille” Soundtrack

Words by Tishanna Williams— Port of Spain is still recovering from the spectacle of God Loves the Fighter, following the feature film's standing-room-only screenings at September's Trinidad and Tobago ... Read More...

LargeUp Interview: On the Loose with Red Fox

Words by Jesse Serwer, photos by Ashley Sebok— You can't talk about dancehall in New York City without the name Red Fox. The rough-voiced deejay's combination tunes with Screechy Dan ("Pose Off") and N... Read More...

LargeUp Interview: Samantha J, The New Face of Jamaican Pop

Words by Michellee Nelson, Photo and Video by Kevin Ornelas— She might prefer to be at home in Ocho Rios, indulging in some of her mother's jerk pasta, but Jamaican singer/songwriter Samantha J has bee... Read More...

Jamaica’s Tosh Alexander on Dancehall, R&B and Working with Pharrell

Words by Jesse Serwer Photos by Martei Korley If you've heard Busta Rhymes' recent single “Twerk It,” you may have wondered, “who is that mad Jamaican ooman shouting Yuh dun kno! and all that we come fi... Read More...

Mixtape Mondays: DJ Prince’s “Test My Sound” (LargeUp Premiere)

Words by Jesse Serwer— This week on Mixtape Mondays we've got a little something different. Earlier this year, our dude DJ Prince from the Duck Down Records family hit us up about a dancehall- and reggae-i... Read More...

The LargeUp Interview: Jesse Royal

Words by Chenee Daley, Photos by Martei Korley— Reggaedom has been buzzing lately with the name and sounds of newcomer Jesse Royal, the 24-year-old, charismatic, self proclaimed “palace pickney” curren... Read More...

Pose Off: The Story of Screechy Dan

Words by Jesse Serwer, Photos by Mark Dixon— "Prospect Park is like a home away from home," Robert "Screechy Dan" Stephens says of the massive park at the center of Brooklyn, ground zero of New York's ... Read More...

Behind the Boards With Computer Paul, Pioneering Dancehall Producer

Words by Sabia McCoy-Torres Photos by Martei Korley Reggae music is always evolving, layering new sounds over classic percussive phrases, and incorporating musical trends of the moment in original ways. D... Read More...

The LargeUp Interview: A Q+A with Ricky Blaze

Words by Emily Shapiro, Photos by Martei Korley— At age 17, Ricky Blaze, produced Ding Dong's "Bad Man Forward, Bad Man Pull Up," a dancehall track that, eight years later, is still in rotation at club... Read More...