LargeUp

Ready For Di Road: Watch Bunji Garlin’s “Differentology” Video

Jesse Serwer — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:36:21 +0000

Words by Jesse Serwer— The video for Bunji Garlin's "Differentology" is one of the most anticipated ever from a soca artist. "Differentology" was the breakout tune of Trinidad's carnival season, a season which has already produced some memorable, high-concept videos that have stepped up the game for soca visuals. Months have passed since Carnival hype died down, but the hype surrounding "Differentology" has only grown. Even The Guardian has taken notice, naming it first in a list of "Essential summer jams for 2013." Throw in the fact that the video was shot (and publicized) back in the afterglow of carnival in February, and you have the biggest soca story in mont Well, the "Differentology" video is finally here, and while it's definitely high-concept, or at least multi-concept (there's mud people, gladiator swordfights and imagery from a variety of other eras, from medieval to Victorian), the reviews from Trinidad range from mixed to highly negative. It's even been compared by some to Lil Bitts' much-maligned "Raise De Dust" video, a clip so terrible it inspired a #ThingsBetterThanLilBittsVideo hashtag on Twitter. Not exactly an accurate comparison, as "Differentology," while it has its shortcomings, also has merits. Watch the video below, and decide for yourself.

You Rate It: David Heartbreak “The Foundation”

DJ Theory — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:08:19 +0000

Words by Deejay Theory — Hustling bass maker David Heartbreak just dropped his first official solo record, a 7 track offering of electronic compositions showcasing what the man has been up to this past year or so in the lab. Remember we hipped you to Heartbreak's Caribbean roots and some of his moombahton / dancehall crossover joints in the past, and for this effort David dips into his love of dubstep, rave, electro, acid, trap, and subtle layers of reggae and dancehall influence throughout the course of The Foundation — not to mention the project was released by Skrillex's imprint OWSLA which is obviously a huge look. Let us know how you rate the release in the comment section. Stream the album below, purchase on Beatport here

Fashion Fridays: Ladies Creole Wear in Dominica

Jesse Serwer — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:37:03 +0000

Words by Jesse Serwer, Photos by Martei Korley— MODEL: Malia Constance Visit Dominica during the island's independence celebrations, and you're sure to be struck by an outpouring of national pride in the form of the ubiquitous, traditional Creole wear. While other islands acknowledge their mixed African and European heritage by donning similar formal attire during festive seasons, no one does it quite like Dominica. On Creole Day (the last Friday before Independence Day, Nov. 3), the entire island's population is encouraged to sport traditional Creole wear—marked by West African plaid patterns and European-style cuts. Not everyone complies, but almost everybody does– from schoolchildren to bank tellers to the Prime Minister. The twin beauty/cultural pageants known as Madame Wob Dwiyet (mature women) and Miss Wob Dwiyet (for young women and teenage girls) have helped keep this tradition alive and vibrant. At the pageants, held in Roseau during the independence season, women showcase homemade spins on wob dwiyet, but are judged on their mastery of traditional movements in the dress as well as knowledge of Dominican culture. International editions of the pageants are also held in the US and Canada, with winners going on to compete/showcase at the main event in Roseau. Scroll through for Martei Korley's images of Malia Constance at the Dominica Botanical Gardens in Roseau.

LargeUp Premiere: Damian + Stephen Marley Remix Eric Clapton

Jesse Serwer — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:43:14 +0000

Words by Jesse Serwer— The connection between Eric Clapton and Bob Marley runs deep. "Slowhand"'s 1974 version of "I Shot the Sheriff" is perhaps the most famed reggae cover of all-time, and the song that gave Marley's music some of its earliest mainstream exposure in the U.S. To this day, it's the only Clapton single (solo or otherwise) to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the only Marley composition to do so as well. Well, things have come full circle as Marley sons Damian and Stephen—d/b/a Ghetto Youths International—have gone and remixed a track off of Clapton's latest LP, entitled Old Sock. The original track, called "Every Little Thing," has a bit of a reggae flavor in addition to being an obvious reference to "Three Little Birds." The Marley crew have gone ahead and do what they do, turning the track into a full-on, one-drop reggae tune. Stream below, and share your thoughts in the comments.

Fashion Fridays: Are Vellies the Original Clarks?

Jesse Serwer — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:40:52 +0000

Words by Mikaila Brown, Photos by Jason Eric Hardwick for Brother Vellies— "Everybody haffi ask weh mi get mi Clarks" In his 2010 hit song "Clarks," Vybz Kartel outlines the official outfit for an original "badman" down to the footwear. His shoes, the ubiquitous Clarks, are so attractive that everyone wants to know where he got them. The answer to this question might be more complicated than initially thought. Clarks are a popular brand of shoe that originated in England in 1825. By the 1960's, Clarks—and specifically the Desert Boot, a chukka shoe with a sole crepe developed by Nathan Clark after shoes worn by British troops in North Africa during World War II— had become the most sought-after footwear for young Jamaican men. Its continued popularity has since made it as Jamaican as mesh tops, bun and cheese, and kalooki. Ask any Jamaican where they got their Clarks, and you'd expect to hear England or America. But the answer might actually be Namibia. In fact, Namibians created a shoe exactly like desert boots as far back as the 1600s. Called "Vellies"—short for "Velskeon"—these shoes, made from durable kudu skins, were originally worn by the Khoikhoi tribe before being adopted by the British. How a traditional shoe from a small tribe in Southern Africa ends up becoming a shoe tradition in Jamaica brings new meaning to the term Triangular Trade. There's no concrete proof that Clarks (which makes its desert boots from"hard" leather and "soft" suede, as noted by Kartel in "Clarks") are the sartorial descendants of Vellies, but these pictures—taken by photographer Jason Eric Hardwick for Brother Vellies, a Brooklyn-based company that has begun importing "vellies" handmade in Swakopmund, Namibia—show a remarkable likeness, not only in the style of the shoe, but also the swagger of the wearer. The Brother Vellies are a truly beautiful shoe. For Clarks enthusiasts, the African style additions of authentic fur details, animal prints and bright colors contribute to a new and edgier dimension to the shoe. Funny enough, Brother Vellies seem more contemporary than conservative, old-world Clarks. For a shoe with a deeper history, there is something new and fresh about Brother Vellies. Though they came first, they feel like desert boots with a fashion-forward twist. Mikaila Brown is lead designer and founder of ALIAKIM, a socially conscious fashion line. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter at AliakimInc and Instagram at aliakimsmom.

AUDIO: Stream Mykal Rose’s “Dutty Road” + “Bloody Town”

Jesse Serwer — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:11:06 +0000

Words by Jesse Serwer— We've always got an open ear to lend new music from Mykal Rose. Anyone who tells you Rose isn't one of reggae's greatest vocalists is buggin', and his voice hasn't lost any of its power since his peak with Black Uhuru 30 years ago. Rose's new LP, Show Down Inna Bloody Town, was recorded in California's Bay Area, and along with the new surroundings have come some new sounds for Mr. Tutu Tweng, specifically splashes of Ethiopian jazz and Afrobeat. Aesthetically, the album, produced by Siahvash Dowlatshahi for Foreign Key Records, taps the Western showdown imagery long prominent in reggae, a vibe that's musically manifested in tracks like "Bloody Town." "Dutty Road," meanwhile, brings the Ethio-jazz flavors to the forefront with a sound that's more Mulatu Astatke than "Satta Massagana." Stream both here, and cop the LP here.

AUDIO: Jus Now Remix Machel Montano + Kes the Band

Jesse Serwer — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:01:09 +0000

Words by Jesse Serwer— Jus Now, the international production combo consisting of Bristol, England's Interface and T&T-based LAZAbeam, are making some of the freshest soca right now. (They also made one of the coolest videos we've seen all year, for the soca-inspired-but not-exactly-soca title track from their One Time EP) "Differentology" excepted, they're responsible for a currently scorching Bunji Garlin's best tracks this year, including the calypso-fueled "Savage" and "Tun Up" off the aforementioned One Time. LazaBEAM, operating solo, produced another recent Bunji favorite, "The Canvas" The other two-thirds of Trini soca's big three, Machel Montano and Kes the Band, may soon be tapping Jus Now for beats too after hearing what Interface and LAZA did with their respective "Vibes Cyah Done" and "Your Body Working." Both remixes give the tracks a more global feel while keeping the island vibes on 100 thanks to savvy use of that uniquely Trini invention, the steelpan. Stream/download "Vibes Cyah Done" and stream "Your Body Working" (re-dubbed "Check Your Body Parts") below.

EVENT: LargeUp x Rice and Peas x Johnny Osbourne x Miss Lily’s at Great Googa Mooga

Jesse Serwer — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:52:44 +0000

Words by LargeUp Crew— Great Googa Mooga, the music-meets-food festival where the chefs are bigger draws than the bands (last year's headliners included the Roots and Hall and Oates, while De La Soul, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Flaming Lips are among those performing this year), has been called "food culture's Woodstock." LargeUp has teamed with Miss Lily's (one of 85 participating restaurants) to bring some Caribbean flavor to this year's edition, happening this weekend at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. The Rice and Peas crew (DJ Gravy, Max Glazer, Micro Don, Orijahnal Vibez) will hold down the Joe's Pub stage Saturday afternoon (5:15-6) with reggae and dancehall sounds. On Sunday, the Dancehall Godfather Johnny Osbourne performs backed by DJ Gravy. Registration for the (free) ticket lottery to the events has long since closed but tickets are naturally available online, for a cost (or perhaps from a friend who won the lottery and had to make other arrangements—ask around) Head to the Googa Mooga website for the full schedule and read our interview with Johnny Osbourne here. And, speaking of the Roots and Johnny Osbourne, check out this clip of Johnny performing with those dudes at Okayplayer's Holiday Jam this past December:

The LargeUp Sessions (5/16): Los Rakas + Deejay Theory

Jesse Serwer — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:01:28 +0000

Words by LargeUp Crew— It's going to be a Bay Area takeover this Thursday night on the The LargeUp Sessions, as Our NorCal crew (and burgeoning Latin rap stars) Los Rakas and our own Mixtape Mondays columnist Deejay Theory—make their return to our RadioLily.com radio show. Los Rakas are stopping through in advance of their Webster Hall show Friday night, amidst their run opening up theater shows for US reggae road kings SOJA; Theory comes to us fresh off a major (if unexpected) high note of his own: a well-received official remix of Demi Lovato's chart-busting pop hit "Heart Attack." Tune in to RadioLily.com Thursday night from 6 to 8p.m. ET to hear how it goes down, and catch up with Los Rakas via their two latest videos—for "No Tan Listo" and "Mi Pais"—below.

Black Gold: Mount Gay’s Black Barrel Rum

Jesse Serwer — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:15:46 +0000

Words by Jesse Serwer— Mount Gay Rum, as you may already know, is the oldest documented rum producer in the world. The "Rum that Invented Rum" has operated continuously out of Barbados since—at least—1703. To celebrate its 310th anniversary (not the roundest number in the world, but when you're the oldest rum in the world who needs those to celebrate?) Mount Gay has issued a new, handcrafted, small-batch edition called Black Barrel. The draw with Black Barrel is its combination of exclusivity and affordability—while each bottle is numbered, it retails for just about $30—and the process. It's matured in charred oak barrels formerly used to age bourbon—hence the name—imbuing it with a spicy, yet balanced taste. We had a chance to sample some of the stuff, both straight and in a Manhattan (2 oz. Black Barrel; 1/2 oz. of sweet vermouth; two to three dashes of bitters) at the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival last month and were summarily impressed. Admittedly, our recollection of that day has been somewhat impaired. So, for a more detailed description of Black Barrel's attributes, we'd like to refer you over to Uncommon Caribbean and their breakdown of its flavors and scents. While you're over there, familiarize yourself with Uncommon Caribbean's weekly Friday Happy Hour series, spotlighting the best of the best in island drinking—yours truly will be contributing guest columns in that space over the coming weeks.