Words by Marcha M. Johnson
Bunji Garlin has joined forces with Major Lazer’s Jillionaire for “Television,” which sees the soca star breaking out of the confines of season and genre with a blend of hip-hop and heavy bass. Produced by Jillionaire and his NY-based production partner Richie Beretta, “Television,” finds Garlin revisiting his roots in ragga soca on a track which also brings to mind the playful late ’90s rap of Busta Rhymes and the Flipmode Squad.
While Bunji has taken a similar route on previous collaborations, “Television” is cleverly crafted, fun and incredibly catchy, focusing on Garlin’s simple-yet-rich lyricism, while maintaining the integrity of a captivating instrumental base.
Firmly established as a trailblazer in the soca arena, Garlin continues to carry his artistry into uncharted territory, experimenting and expanding his repertoire. “Television” is the first single from Garlin’s and Jillionaire’s highly-anticipated collaborative EP set to be released in the summer and, if this track is any indication, I think we can expect more party bangers out of these two.
Stream “Television” in full below and then take a listen to Jillionaire’s guest set from this morning’s Sway in the Morning, on Sirius XM’s Shade 45. The Trini-born DJ debuted the track on the mix, which consisted entirely of hip-hop from the Caribbean, from the likes of R. City, Trini duo Mark Hardy & Yung Rudd, and Chromatics.