The Heatwave Chart - May 2008

Brand new tunes from Sharps, Busy Signal, Sizzla and Saxon 5 plus summer anthems from the likes of Wiley, Mavado and Jay-Z and our own production for Riko Dan.

1. Riko Dan & The Heatwave - Mind How You A Talk (Piano Riddim) - listen
2. Mavado & Jay-Z - On The Rock (The Mission Riddim) - listen
3. Sharps & Major Trouble - Big Up Yr Punani - listen
4. Tifa - Crawny Gal (Dem Gal Sittn Riddim)
5. Wiley - Wearing My Rolex
6. Busy Signal - Grades (Club Banger Riddim)
7. Sizzla - Morning (Black Blood Riddim)
8. Saxon 5 - Tell A Story
9. Elephant Man - Gully Creepa (Creepa Riddim)
10. Gyptian - Too Late (Apologize Riddim)

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Thursday 08 May 2008 | Add a comment

The Heatwave Chart - April 2008

Number one this month is the Jay-Z remix of Mavado's epic On The Rock, closely followed by our brand new tune with 'London city warlord' Riko Dan. Plus big new bashment tunes from Elephant Man and Tifa and Gyptian's brilliant version of Apologize by Timbaland/One Republic.

1. Mavado & Jay-Z - On The Rock (The Mission Riddim)
2. Riko Dan & The Heatwave - Mind How You A Talk (Piano Riddim)
3. Blak Twang, Blackout JA & Mr Benn - Long Time
4. Elephant Man - Gully Creepa (Creepa Riddim)
5. Gyptian - Too Late (Apologize Riddim)
6. Warrior Queen & Sunship - Quits (Sinden Remix)
7. Beenie Man - Wine Gal
8. Michie One & Pama International - High Rise (Cherry Oh Baby Riddim)
9. Tifa - Crawny Gal (Dem Gal Sittn Riddim)
10. Alborosie, Queen Latifah & Shabba Ranks - Ting A Ling (Refix)

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Monday 07 April 2008 | 3 comments

The Heatwave Chart - March 2008

Including a bunch of new English dancehall/reggae productions by ourselves, Mr Benn, Sunship/Sinden and Pama International and vocalists like Warrior Queen, Blak Twang, Estelle and Blackout JA. Plus big Jamaican hits from Timberlee, Charly Black and Beenie Man and a wicked refix of a Shabba Ranks classic by Alborosie.

1. Warrior Queen & The Heatwave - Things Change (Piano Riddim)
2. Blak Twang, Blackout JA & Mr Benn - Long Time
3. Cheeksta & Sizzla - Baby (T2 Remix)
4. Timberlee & Ward 21 - Bubble Like Soup (Rae Riddim)
5. Warrior Queen & Sunship - Quits (Sinden Remix)
6. Charly Black - Backshot Time (Set Up Riddim)
7. Michie One & Pama International - High Rise (Cherry Oh Baby Riddim)
8. Beenie Man - Wine Gal
9. Alborosie, Queen Latifah & Shabba Ranks - Ting A Ling (Refix)
10. Estelle - Come Over

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Wednesday 05 March 2008 | Add a comment

The Heatwave Chart - February 2008

Sizzla goes bassline courtesy of an astounding Cheeksta/T2 remix of his classic 2004 vocal Give Me A Try. Our tune alongside Warrior Queen sits at number two, with killer uptempo bashment from exciting new Jamaican artists Charly Black, Timberlee and Erup not far behind. Pitbull and Lil' Jon's take on the Calabria earworm and Estelle's brilliant Swizz Beatz-produced Wait A Minute are also smashing it for us in the clubs right now.

1. Cheeksta & Sizzla - Baby (T2 Remix)
2. Warrior Queen & The Heatwave - Things Change (Piano Riddim)
3. Charly Black - Backshot Time (Set Up Riddim)
4. Timberlee & Ward 21 - Bubble Like Soup (Rae Riddim)
5. Pitbull & Lil' Jon - The Anthem
6. Meech - Thicka Than A Snicka
7. Erup - Click Mi Finger (Gear Box Riddim)
8. Estelle - Wait A Minute
9. Tarrus Riley - Protect Your Neck (Midnight Hour Riddim)
10. Elephant Man - Jook A Girl (Jook A Gal Riddim)

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Monday 04 February 2008 | Add a comment

The Heatwave Chart - January 2008

Our first top ten of the new year sees Vybz Kartel's brilliant cut on Stephen 'Di Genius' McGregor's massive Bee Hive riddim taking the number one position. Plus other big new tunes from young Californian rapper Meech, Elephant Man's vocal over a bashment riddim based on Sean Kingston's Beautiful Girls, another great reggae song from Tarrus Riley and a guitar-heavy production by Stephen McGregor again, for his brother Chino.

1. Vybz Kartel - Money Fi Spend (Bee Hive Riddim)
2. Cotti & Doctor - Calm Down
3. Elephant Man - Jook A Girl (Jook A Gal Riddim)
4. Meech - Thicka Than A Snicka
5. Akon, Busta Rhymes & Shabba Ranks - Clear The Air
6. Beenie Man - Wine Gal
7. Tarrus Riley - Protect Your Neck (Midnight Hour Riddim)
8. Chino - I Know
9. Riko Dan - Hard Life
10. Queen Ifrica - Daddy (Eighty Three Riddim)

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Monday 14 January 2008 | Add a comment

The Heatwave Chart - December 2007

Our top tune this month is the massive hip hop/reggae collaboration between Busta Rhymes, Shabba Ranks and Akon, with other big new tunes from Riko Dan, Soulja Boy and Shaggy. Queen Ifrica's close-to-the-bone account of sexual abuse and grime/bashment MC Doctor's vocal over Cotti's pounding dubstep production also feature.

1. Akon, Busta Rhymes & Shabba Ranks - Clear The Air
2. Sean Paul - Pick It Up and Drop It
3. Collie Buddz - Blind To You
4. Riko Dan - Hard Life
5. Queen Ifrica - Daddy
6. Soulja Boy - Crank That
7. Cotti & Doctor - Calm Down
8. Shaggy - Who A Wear Di Jacket
9. Alborosie - Nuh Betta Than Me
10. Swizz Beatz, Young Jeezy, Eve & Elephant Man - Money In The Bank (Remix)

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Wednesday 05 December 2007 | Add a comment

Alborosie Takes Over The Charts

The Italian-born, Jamaica-based reggae singer Alborosie has completely taken over the German reggae charts this week, occupying the top four spots with releases on his own label, Forward Recordings. It reminded me of when U Roy sparked the deejay craze in Jamaica in the early 70s and at one point was sitting pretty with the top three tunes, which is apt as the man himself features on Alborosie's Precious.

Obviously this is just one chart, and the artist is surely bigger in his native Europe than elsewhere in the world. Especially as a white rasta understandably both resonates with and stands out more for the largely white reggae/dancehall audiences of Italy, Germany, France et al more than in Jamaica. But still, Alborosie's come on big this year with a slew of self-produced releases - his excellent production is another factor in his success, and he was on the boards for Sizzla's incredible ska tune Live and Do Right a few years back.

To be honest I haven't been madly taken with him as a singer so far - the only tune of his I've bought is Nuh Betta Than Me, where he lays down some cool foundation dancehall pattern and flow with a clever rhyming scheme and the added bonus of a Sizzla collaboration (Meditation) on the flip. Anyway, here's a short mix and blend of the four releases (five tunes) featured in the German charts this week - Nuh Betta Than Me/Meditation, Precious, Police-Polizia and Sound Killa:

Alborosie - Megamix

Sorry for the low quality mp3s, just put this together quickly with some clips from online record shops to give a flavour of the guy's style - you should be able to buy these records from any reggae shop that hasn't already sold out, or listen to them on the artist's MySpace page. You might also want to check out the video for Kingston Town, Alborosie's breakthrough hit from earlier this year.

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Tuesday 27 November 2007 | Add a comment

Pitchfork Media - The Month In Reggae/Dancehall

Dave Stelfox's monthly column for the music magazine Pitchfork is now online, rounding up 2007. Features contributions and end-of-year charts from Dave, Woofah's John Eden and ourselves, picking Natasja's vocal take on Calabria (video below) as our biggest club tune of the past 12 months.

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Wednesday 21 November 2007 | Add a comment

The Heatwave Chart - November 2007

We're still shamelessly loving our own refix more than anything right now, but not far behind is Sean Paul with a great cut on Christopher Birch's brilliant, fast-paced bashment riddim Madness. QQ's hit Tek It To Dem finally saw a vinyl release this month courtesy of Greensleeves, so now all the DJs still playing vinyl only (us included, though the transition is imminent) can now enjoy the youngster's excitable dance tune. Other big tunes this month come from Canadian beat-maker Ghislain Poirier, UK rapper/singer Estelle with a cover version of Half Pint's classic Substitute Lover and Jamaica-based, Italian-born singer Alborosie who's currently enjoying a slew of international reggae hits.

1. Rubi Dan, Beenie Man, Collie Buddz & Lexxus - Tambouriddim (The Heatwave Refix)
2. Sean Paul - Pick It Up and Drop It
3. QQ - Tek It To Dem (Rum Ram)
4. Collie Buddz - Blind To You
5. Ghislain Poirier & Face-T - Blazin'
6. Alborosie & Sizzla - Meditation
7. Ashanti & Nelly - Switch
8. Cham - Conscience
9. Estelle - Substitute Lover
10. Mims feat Sean Kingston, Mr Vegas & Vybz Kartel - Like This (reggae remix)

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Thursday 08 November 2007 | Add a comment

The Heatwave Chart - October 2007

Our very own bashment refix of Eve's hit tune Tambourine is our biggest tune this month, featuring vocals from Rubi Dan, Beenie Man, Lexxus and Collie Buddz. Plus new tunes from YT, Akala, T.O.K. and Wiley.

1. Rubi Dan, Beenie Man, Collie Buddz & Lexxus - Tambouriddim (The Heatwave Refix)
2. T.O.K. - Rep 4 Ya Block
3. Akala - Bit By Bit
4. Wayne Marshall - Father God
5. Sean Kingston - Me Love
6. YT - Sandweed
7. Daville - Fling It Pon Me
8. Mims feat Sean Kingston, Mr Vegas & Vybz Kartel - Like This (reggae remix)
9. Wiley feat JME, Skepta & Chipmunk - No Qualms
10. Sean Paul - One Life

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Friday 05 October 2007 | Add a comment