The video for Vybz Kartel - “My Scheme” on the Darker Shadow Riddim by Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor:

Reggae riddim producer Andre “Sukku” Grey (a member of Ward 21) recently composed and recorded Dem Gal Sittin riddim. Grey says the riddim “just had this all female vibe. You rarely have a dancehall rhythm which is dominated by females.” But that’s exactly what Grey got - a riddim with only female artists on board! So far, Lady Saw, Lady G, D’Angel, Tifa, Natalie Storm, Timberlee and Stacious have all recorded vocals on Dem Gal Sittin, but not a single male has. This may even be a first for dancehall music!
Big Up The Dancehall Queen Massive!!! ([More →])

Freddie McGregor is working on his next album, while his son Stephen has been busy in the studio producing a dark series of riddims, such as “Darker Shadow” and “Dark Again.” A handful of major record companies have been vying for Stephen’s signature lately and the producer chose to go with EMI. This will gain him a lot of attention internationally and will open a lot of doors for him to bring his music to his fans. He’s been working on albums for Vybz Kartel, Sean Paul and Elephant Man this year and I hope that he will create a tune or two for his father’s next album. Vibe Magazine recently named Stephen MacGregor a “producer to look out for.” ([More →])

Maybe it’s coincidence that “Brooklyn Anthem” hasn’t left my turntable for the last week (except of course to occasionally flip it over and play “BK Assassin”) but this week we’ve been getting a swarm of news from the Team Shadetek front. I’ve seen pieces of the story on FADER, Reggae Country and other music blogs, and even I have been covering new developments at my “day job.” But it wasn’t until Matt Shadetek emailed me recently that I saw the full picture. Now that I see what the buzz is about, I am excited to share it with you! Shadetek has been at the forefront and in the middle of the best new music coming out of the Brooklyn dancehall scene. It’s urban and electrified. It gets bass bins pumpin and booties jumpin from Jamaica to NYC to SF to London. Matt Shadetek has been building a name for himself for many years now, but in 2007 he’s come like a storm with a killer single 12″ release, smokin dublate specials, and collaborations with other fantastic producers that just ooze talent and originality. There have been various reports of this storm and its effects on different communities. I’ve gathered some of the stories and present them for you here. The first major impact came when “Brooklyn Anthem” hit the streets… ([More →])