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Words by DJ Theory —
In keeping the summer vibes in full motion at Mixtape Mondays, we have a mixed bag of carnival heat from Miami, a heap of classics from NYC, and a humorously sick concept from Britain. Pull it all up below.
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Words by Jesse Serwer—
As you may have heard, Snoop Dogg has been undergoing a transformation into Snoop Lion, trading in his “Gin and Juice” for some rum and Ting. If you’re confused as to what this is all about, we hear Snoop is getting ready to illuminate things at a special announcement/press conference at Miss Lily’s set to start at 5p.m. ET. In fact, you can click on the YouTube embed below, to watch the live stream below.
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Words by Jesse Serwer—
The Snoop x Diplo/Major Lazer x reggae project we’ve been hearing about—and which we now know to be called Snoop Lion—has born its first fruits: “La La La,” a reworking of Ken Boothe’s mournful, masterful dirge “Artibella.” And wait—that’s our girl Jovi Rockwell coming through with the supporting vocals. Diplo’s actually used the Artibella riddim before, for the Major Lazer x La Roux Lazerproof mixtape but “La La La” is definitely a different feel, subtly nodding to G-Funk with its spoon sound effects. We could have used a little more lyrical meat from Snoop, but the important thing is the vibe nice. Whatever your views on this unlikely teamup, “La La La” is definitely going to pique your curiosity for more Snoop Lion.
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Words by Jesse Serwer, Photo by Terrence Jennings—
Amidst all the rappity rap and R&B madness at this summer’s Roots Picnic, the electro-dancehall carnival known as Major Lazer turned what would come to be dubbed “Diplo-tent” into a rain-soaked rave of legend. Major Lazer being family (yuh dun no Jillionaire and Walshy Fire are LargeUp contributors), we linked with our Afro-wearing overlords at Okayplayer for a behind-the-scenes peek inside the madness that is Major Lazer, covering everything from Diplo’s Philly roots to the influence of Machel Montano and carnival culture on the crew’s live attack. Watch the webisode below, head over to Okayplayer for more highlights from this year’s momentous (and two-day long) edition of the Roots picnic, and be sure to check our LargeUp TV episode with Diplo in Jamaica for more Philly-JA connectivity.
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Words by Jesse Serwer, Photo by Ashley Andrea Beliveau—
Music video premieres rarely achieve event status anymore but the unveiling of a new No Doubt video—their first in 10 years—is definitely a big deal. Apparently, half-hour, Ryan Seacrest-hosted E Channel special big. For those of us more curious about how much Jamaican flavor the Lady Saw/Bounty Killer collaborators will squeeze onto their upcoming, Major Lazer-produced Push and Shove LP than what Gwen will be singing about, the dubby “Settle Down” definitely offers an idea, though not nearly as much as the street dance-inspired video they’ve just premiered. The clip sees each of the band’s members driving personalized big rigs (guitarist Tom Dumont’s boasts a massive mobile sound system setup) before convening in a sort of family reunion that quickly turns into a vaguely Passa Passa-esque street party. Authentic yard vibes? Hardly. But a worthy sequel to “Underneath it All”? Perhaps.
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Words by DJ Gravy—
A few years ago when Diplo was finishing up Major Lazer’s debut album Guns Don’t Kill People, Lazers Do, he approached me to ask for my help—he needed a few more songs to complete the project, and was also looking for an over-the-top hype man for world tours. While I ended up A&R-ing a few tracks on the record, it was when I brought Skerrit Bwoy to Downtown Studios that truly altered the course of the project and, perhaps, pop culture. Diplo was already a Skerrit fan and really just wanted to meet him and confirm that he can travel worldwide. They hit it off and soon enough Skerrit was made official frontman for Major Lazer.
