Video: Style & Swagga riddim medley

The hottest dancehall rhythm around right now gets the video medley treatment featuring RDX, Assassin, Tifa and more. This is a big collection of vocals even without the tunes by Beenie Man, Einstein, Mr Lexx and Focus Ryte...

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Sunday 10 January 2010 | 2 comments

Silver Star at Hot Wuk this Thursday

It's the second Hot Wuk bashment of 2010 this Thursday and we're pleased to welcome former 1Xtra DJs Silver Star Sound.

For a preview of what to expect from North West London's finest, check this video of them playing at the legendary Uptown Splurt:

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Monday 11 January 2010 | Add a comment

Alborosie - Blue Movie Boo

Alborosie calls out "futuristic ting, ah no joke ting" in the intro to this song. If this is what is in store for the future it’s okay with me. Still, the Sicilian takes it old school on Blue Movie Boo, flipping the script back to the 90s. Admittedly it's not as old school as Spragga Benz went recently.

Alborosie - Blue Movie Boo | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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It is refreshing to hear a riddim driven by a big thumping bassline, with an MC riding it in the classic, infectious ragga style. I've always rated Alborosie for his foundation dancehall flow.

Posted by Dan_Bean | Tuesday 19 January 2010 | 4 comments

Vybz Kartel - Marie

Marie is another successful link-up between Vybz Kartel and Russian of Head Concussion Records.

Vybz Kartel - Marie | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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Whatever you think about Kartel, his wordplay of late has been so sick. He seems to be particularly strong with weed lyrics, such as Mr Officer on the Triple Bounce riddim.

There's already a promo video for Marie:

The instrumental (Bomb Drop riddim) reminds me of Head Concussion's Beach Front riddim with its laidback vibe and strumming guitar.

As with Beach Front and Go Go Club before it, the Bomb Drop riddim started life with a one-off Kartel single before the full rhythm track was released. Other good vocals on the riddim come from Konshens and Jah Vinci.

Posted by Dan_Bean | Thursday 21 January 2010 | 2 comments

Chris Goldfinger at Hot Wuk this Thursday

This week at Hot Wuk we've got a guest set from the UK's number one dancehall DJ Chris Goldfinger.

We're excited to have Goldfinger play at our weekly event, not least because his Saturday night radio show played a large part in my introduction to dancehall back in the early noughties.

I'm sure all dancehall fans in the UK will remember tuning into his legendary Radio 1 shows to hear him guiding the nation through the biggest and baddest tunes from Jamaica.

To celebrate this rare central London appearance from the Dancehall Master, I dug out one of the many cassette recordings that I've got of his old shows:

Chris Goldfinger on Radio 1 (2003) | Download MP3 (left click for Mediafire link)

This particular show from March 2003 sees Goldfinger rounding up the tunes that were running dancehall clubs at the time, including big riddims like Surprise, Diwali, The Buzz and Renegade.

Notice how Sean Paul's Get Busy isn't yet a staple of the Diwali riddim juggling section; it came out later than the first round of Diwali vocals (spring 2002) and didn't hit the big time until later in 2003.

Don't miss this rare opportunity to catch Goldfinger for FREE in central London. Expect to hear exclusive dubplates back to back with the freshest music from next week. Time to buy a new gas canister for the air horn.

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Monday 25 January 2010 | 2 comments

Busy Signal vs Madonna - Smoke

Busy Signal's burning take on Madonna's 80s classic Like A Prayer. What else is there to say? Very large.

Oh wait one more thing to say: Busy rapping the second verse. Wasn't sure at first but I got convinced after a few listens. Interesting style.

Busy Signal - Smoke | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 27 January 2010 | 3 comments

The Heatwave Chart - January 2010

Just like pretty much the whole of last year, January belongs to Busy Signal.

We can't decide which we like more out of Gal Need A Man and Good Good for the top spot, so we just lobbed in both of them. Busy's soca tune with Fay-Ann Lyons is on here too, at the expense of the also-excellent Wooeeii Gal Wooeeii with Machel Montano.

And there was no space at all for Bed or Smoke, which in any other month could well take the number one.

Elsewhere on here there are funky bashment vocals from Ms Dynamite and Face-T, soca from Mr Vegas and Machel Montano plus electro dancehall from Beenie Man.

1. Busy Signal - Gal Need A Man / Good Good
2. Face-T & Poirier - Enemies (Sticky Remix)
3. Mr Vegas - Fresh (AMA Riddim)
4. Ms Dynamite & DJ Zinc - Wile Out
5. Timberlee - Pretty Pretty (Kamera Trick Riddim)
6. Beenie Man - Swagga Mi Flow
7. Fay-Ann Lyons & Busy Signal - Start Wining
8. Mr G - Healthy Body (Zero Tolerance Riddim)
9. Machel Montano - Bumper To Fender
10. Mavado - Starlight

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 27 January 2010 | 1 comment