Ward 21 & TNT - Fyah Wyah Riddim

Ward 21 are undoubtedly one of the most innovative, creative, original and versatile production outfits in Jamaica. Check our Rinse FM feature from last year if you didn't already know that.

Their latest rhythm track, Fyah Wyah, brings together cellphone bleeps and full bodied celloes with shuffling shakers, tablas and a driving kick drum.

As on previous riddims like Dem Gyal Sitt'n and Ole Geezer, the TNT ladies aka Timberlee, Natalie Storm and Tifa are on vocal duties.

Timberlee is in a no nonsense mood, giving very direct instructions to her man in an effort to make sure he doesn't run off and bust some synchronised dance moves with his mates:

Timberlee - Push Back | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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Natalie Storm is joined by some deftly played tinkling ivories as she embarks on a musical metaphor in Mr Piano Man:

Natalie Storm - Mr Piano Man | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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Tifa turns in an exuberant performance with an odd but certainly rewind-demanding introduction. Plus she joins the likes of Tony Rebel, Super Cat and Tia in a small but hallowed category of 'Jamaican vocalists who sing about vegetables':

He twists me up and turns me into a vegetable of love
He makes me see the twinkle twinkle stars dem above
He gives me love

Tifa - RockMeSo | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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And of course Ward 21 themselves are as brilliant behind the mic as they are behind a drum machine, keyboard or mixing desk.

Ward 21 - Never Sell Out | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Thursday 04 March 2010 | 2 comments

Young Lion comes to Hot Wuk

This Thursday at our weekly bashment affair we'll be joined by special guest Young Lion (BBC 1Xtra).

Young Lion was one of the first dancehall DJs in the UK to push the funky bashment crossover sound, featuring the likes of Lady Chann, Aidonia and Maxwell D on his BBC 1Xtra show.

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Monday 08 March 2010 | Add a comment

Busy Signal - Jafrican Ting and Bare Gal

In our January chart we couldn't choose between two Busy Signal tunes and had to make both of them number one. In February Busy got even more serious with this pair of tunes on the Jafrican riddim and we were forced to give him a double number one again. He's not normal.

Last year's Da Style Deh was the pre-cursor for Jafrican, with its chanting and call and response chorus. But Jafrican Ting went further. Big up the Coppershot team for producing such a crazy riddim.

When I played this tune to Gabriel and Benjamin for the first time on the way back from a gig in Reading we had to stop the car. It got 23 reloads. Twenty three. No exaggerating.

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

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Then we heard Bare Gal on the same riddim and things got out of hand. Gabriel started sounding the horn on the motorway and everyone got very over excited. We had to pull over onto the hard shoulder.

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

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We've opened our Rinse FM show with these two tunes twice and they've already been on heavy Heatwave rave rotation for a few weeks, starting to get forwards even though they're just a month old.

The irony is I haven't been able to get through the whole song in one piece yet; everytime it gets to "hey gal, me put yuh pon a block" I have to start the whole thing over again.

Posted by Dan_Bean | Monday 08 March 2010 | 2 comments

25 Years of Dancehall

Last month marked the 25th anniversary of the day that Wayne Smith's Under Me Sleng Teng was first played in a dance. Tuesday 23rd February to be exact.

To celebrate the 25th birthday of digital dancehall we looked back over the last quarter century of this brilliant music and had a quick party on our Rinse FM show. It was mad to look at how things have developed over two and a half decades.

I couldn't quite keep it to one tune per year as I was also trying to make sure that all the key artists from this period were represented. I think I did pretty well in the end but I'm sure I left out some notable vocalists. I KNOW that there are hundreds of BIG TUNES that didn't get featured.

I suppose there's always someone who gets left out at a birthday party. Big up Kiprich, Cecile, TOK, Terry Ganzie, Serani, Spice and all the other artists whose invites got lost in the post.

So here's The Heatwave's history lesson aka bashment birthday party. 25 years of dancehall. As Benjamin points out at some point, this is one for the iPod.

The Heatwave - 25 Years of Dancehall | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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Tracklist

• Wayne Smith - Sleng Teng (1985)
• Admiral Bailey - Punaany (1986)
• Super Cat - Mud Up (1987)
• Ninjaman - More Reality (1988)
• Shabba Ranks - Wicked Inna Bed (1989)
• Cutty Ranks - Retreat (1990)
• Buju Banton - Stamina Daddy (1991)
• Chaka Demus & Pliers - Murder She Wrote (1992)
• Terror Fabulous & Nadine Sutherland - Action (1993)
• General Degree - Papa Lover (1994)
• Spragga Benz - Dem Flop (1994)
• Capleton - Tour (1995)
• Lady Saw - Sycamore Tree (1996)
• Beenie Man - Who Am I (1997)
• Mr Vegas - Heads High (Remix) (1998)
• Bounty Killer - Look (1999)
• Baby Cham - Man A Man (2000)
• Ward 21 - Don't Push It (2000)
• Sizzla - Pump Up (2001)
• Mad Cobra - Press Trigger (2001)
• Tanya Stephens - Touch Me No More (2002)
• Elephant Man - Genie Dance (2003)
• Vybz Kartel - Tek Buddy (2003)
• Sean Paul - Temperature (2004)
• Leftside & Esco - Tuck In Yu Belly (2005)
• Assassin - As A Man (2005)
• Tony Matterhorn - Dutty Wine (2006)
• Natasha - Calabria (2007)
• Mavado - So Special (2008)
• Demarco - She Can't Wait (2009)
• Busy Signal - Bare Gal (2010)

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Thursday 18 March 2010 | 3 comments

Major Mackerel - Pretty Looks Done

Step into the Heatwave time machine a moment. We'll take you back over 20 years to listen to Major Mackerel riding the Love Punaany Bad riddim.

Major Mackerel - Pretty Looks Done | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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Despite being a fairly unknown artist, Mackerel has been a major influence on two of today's biggest female MCs in Jamaica and England.

Before her noughties reincarnation which kicked off when she counteracted Vybz Kartel's Tekk Buddy, Macka Diamond was known as Lady Mackerel for over a decade. As well as borrowing his name, early Macka tunes also riffed on the Major's high pitched vocals.

Around the same time as Macka Diamond's comeback in Jamaica, ragga/garage bad gal Stush was making her name in the UK thanks to the smash hit Dollar Sign, produced by Sticky. Stush's trademark squeal, as featured on Me Nuh Run and Get Down since then, also owes a debt to Major Mackerel's eccentric vocal ticks.

Stush will be appearing at our weekly bashment affair, Hot Wuk, next Thursday (25th March).

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Thursday 18 March 2010 | 3 comments

Stush & Sticky - Chrome Dollar Sign

Calling all Londoners >>> this Thursday (25th March) we have bad gal Stush performing live at the last ever Hot Wuk night to be held at the Big Chill House.

We've seen how Major Mackerel's style influenced Stush's trademark sound and we are looking forward to hearing her tear up our weekly bashment affair. With massive tunes like Dollar Sign, Get Down and Mi Nuh Run getting performed live, you can expect some MAD reloads.

Stush's breakthrough hit came with Sticky back in 2002. It will be a suitably monumentous occassion to see them perform alongside each other again, as we wave goodbye to the Big Chill House. As a treat in advance of Thursday we're giving away a bashment remix of their classic track Dollar Sign reworked on the Chrome riddim.

Stush & Sticky - Dollar Sign (Remix) | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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Do remember, this Thursday's Hot Wuk will be our final dance at Big Chill House. The night will carry on though; stay tuned to the Hot Wuk Facebook group or email info@theheatwave.co.uk to be kept informed.

Posted by Dan_Bean | Tuesday 23 March 2010 | Add a comment

Mr Lexx & Ward 21 - Dem A Pree (Cosa Nostra Riddim)

Ward 21's Cosa Nostra is the hottest rhythm track in dancehall right now. It's your new best friend: it will make you want to dance but it will also make you want to break something.

Riddims like this - and vocals like Mr Lexx's Dem A Pree - are why we love dancehall so much.

Lexx's repitched and cut up vocals on the intro build things nicely for his deep voiced delivery on the opening verse. Add the familiar shouts ("hey!") and a chest-rattling bassline and you get a sum that equals MAD.

Mr Lexx - Dem A Pree | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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The other vocal cuts are good too. Ward 21, Timberlee, Natalie Storm, Tifa, Assassin aka Agent Sasco and Point O all deliver versions that get big forwards.

In case you're wondering why it's called Cosa Nostra, Ward 21's Kunley explains it on the new Bada Bada Gang blog.

Posted by Dan_Bean | Tuesday 23 March 2010 | 1 comment

Video: Keida - Jamaican Boy - Can’t Get Enough

Brand new video from our girl Makeida - what a thing to pop up in your inbox on a Wednesday morning!

Jamaican Boy is the love child from when Stalag and I'm Still In Love With You got it on. Huge tune.

On Can't Get Enough, Christopher Birch introduced Mamacita to Gasolina and then let off A LOT of sirens. Keida a gwaan bad.

And the video is wicked too, so flipping wicked. If that reference goes over your head you need to hear Keida's previous single Hot It Up which is of course available for download on this website...

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 24 March 2010 | 4 comments

Lady Chann - Sticky Situation (Sticky Remix)

Not content with making one of the biggest tunes of last year, Sticky's gone and remixed his own production for Lady Chann and made it even better than before.

When Sticky premiered this at Hot Wuk a couple of weeks ago - just hours after applying the finishing touches at his studio - it got about five reloads before the crowd would let it play all the way through.

Lady Chann - Sticky Situation (Sticky Remix) | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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From the comedy intro courtesy of bashment/funky/jungle/reggaeton badman Sami Sanchez, to Lady Chann's super catchy hook, to the crazy bassline that kicks in on the verse, this is a tune just begging to be licked back and played again. And again.

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 24 March 2010 | 1 comment

The Heatwave Chart - March 2010

Mr Lexx's amazing vocal on Ward 21's Cosa Nostra riddim is the biggest tune around right now.

But our top tracks from February hold on to the next two places. Plus huge new tunes from the likes of Lady Chann, Vybz Kartel, Serocee, Sean Paul and Tifa.

1. Mr Lexx - Dem A Pree (Cosa Nostra Riddim)
2. Gyptian - Hold Yuh
3. Busy Signal - Jafrican Ting / Bare Gal (Jafrican Riddim)
4. Lady Chann - Sticky Situation (Sticky Remix)
5. Vybz Kartel - Turn & Wine (DNA Riddim)
6. Rage - Outa Jail (Shell Dung Riddim)
7. Rihanna & Assassin - Rude Boy (Remix)
8. Serocee - Badeng
9. Sean Paul / Vybz Kartel - Fire Brigade / Oh Deh Gal (Gala Riddim)
10. Tifa - Rock Me So (Fyah Wyah Riddim)

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Monday 29 March 2010 | Add a comment

Hot Wuk Easter Bashment this Thursday

We've been heating up Hot Wuk with Sticky every Thursday since January. But after three months of mad carnival vibes in King's Cross, the weekly bashment affair is coming to an end.

But ... DON'T WORRY! You have one last chance to bang the walls, blow your whistles and wind yourself to the baddest bashment from Kingston to London.

This Thursday 1st April we are holding a final Hot Wuk party at The Brickhouse in Brick Lane to celebrate the beginning of the long Easter weekend.

With bank holiday Friday the next day - no work, no school, no nothing - we will be raving into the morning. For all the Hot Wuk regulars who have had to struggle through Friday hangovers recently, here's your chance for a Hot Wuk lie in.

It's gonna be an all out bashment explosion, with dancehall legends Silverstar, The Heatwave and Dr Psycho ready to tear the roof down. Plus the king and queen of funky bashment Sticky and Lady Chann filming the video for their smash hit Sticky Situation. Dress to impress!

If you don't know what you've been missing at Hot Wuk Thursdays or to get an idea of the pure amount of BIG TUNES that will get played on Thursday, check out the live recording from the Hot Wuk carnival special last month...

The Heatwave live at Hot Wuk (18th February 2010)

Hot Wuk Easter Bashment

• The Brickhouse
• 152c Brick Lane, London E1 6RU
• Thursday 1st April 2010
• 10.30pm - 2.30am
• Free before 11.30 / £5 after

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Monday 29 March 2010 | Add a comment