A dive into the dynamic 1980s Jamaican dancehall scene, Beth Lesser’s Dancehall: The Rise of Jamaican Dancehall Culture looks at the influential movement that was largely unseen by those not involved. Lesser traveled to Kingston, Jamaica in the ’80s for Reggae Quarterly magazine and various dedicated nights, and found herself in the midst of dancehall’s golden age. While political tensions were still apparent, the welcoming and …
From Lagos-based alté artist Santi’s debut album, Mandy & The Jungle, comes “RX-64,” a track that fuses dancehall with afrobeat and hip-hop influences. Santi and Barbados-based guest vocalist Krisirie cruise atop the beat, which features prominent bass and drums. “While I was recording, each time I closed my eyes I saw a jungle,” Santi told i-D. “It felt very unsafe, but still very wild and …
The title-track from Ladi6’s six-track EP, “Royal Blue” is a sparkly tune that blends pop, psychedelic and dancehall in a way that not only works, but allures with its silkiness. Ladi6 (made up of frontwoman Ladi aka Karoline Tamati, Parks aka Brent Park and Julien Dyne) apparently worked on the songs at shows around New Zealand before heading to the studio.
