Crate diggers know that late-’60s Jamaican music has some hidden treasures and Don’t Wait For Me by former member of The Lyrics, Albert Tomlinson, is one of those records. It may never have enjoyed the international success of some Studio One classics, but among collectors and rocksteady fans, it’s long been regarded as a true hidden gem. Recorded during rocksteady’s…
NEW RELEASE Around four years after work first began, Freddie McGregor’s Calling Mr Speaker is finally available through RICK, the newly established label from Rick Howe, presenter of Riddim Yard on PBS 106.7 FM in Melbourne, Australia. The track is built around a relick of Tristan Palma’s Face The Struggle, originally produced by Linval Thompson in 1982. Naram reconstructed the…
HAIL THE KING: REMEMBERING FANTAN MOJAH Reggae has lost one of its fiercest conscious voices. Fantan Mojah passed away on July 15, 2026, at the age of 49, bringing an end to a remarkable journey that inspired reggae lovers around the world. His passing leaves a huge gap in the roots reggae community, but his music and message will continue…
When Toots Hibbert died in September, 2020, his daughter Leba had no doubt about her plans once the period of mourning was over. She would carry on his legacy as lead singer of The Maytals, the legendary group he formed in the early 1960s. She has kept that promise. In May, Toots And The Maytals Featuring Leba Hibbert did 18…
BRIDGING GENERATIONS: HOW STEPHEN “DI GENIUS” MCGREGOR REVIVED A FOLK CLASSIC WITH THE HILL & GULLY RIDDIM Every so often, a riddim comes along that reminds us why juggling is still one of the best things about Jamaican music. For decades, producers have built one instrumental and invited different artists to make it their own. It’s a tradition that became…
Reggae has lost another important figure. Jamaican producer Trevor Elliott passed away on July 5, 2026, leaving behind a catalogue that may be small in size, but huge in influence. Trevor Elliott never chased the spotlight, and that’s probably why his name isn’t mentioned as often as some of his peers. But anyone who digs into the late roots and…
D’yani reveals “Miss You Bad” A trailblazer in his own right, Jamaican poet and singer-songwriter D’Yani has announced his highly anticipated forthcoming album “Live Life & Prosper” out August 21st and is enticing fans with what’s to come from the 12-track album with the release of his new single “Miss You Bad” It’s the follow up to “Journey” which was…
July 10-16 | 2026 ROAR – YAKSTA BUSH MUSIC/QUEENSWAY MUSIC GROUP lw 2 | woc 9 | 1 wk @ #1 THE LITTLE THINGS – D’YANI SEANIZZLE MUSIC lw 3 | woc 11 STUCK ON YOU – TURBULENCE BILLBOARD KING RECORDS lw 1 | woc 14 | 1 wk @ #1 BUTTERFLIES – BUJU BANTON VP RECORDS lw 4 |…
July 10-16 | 2026 LIFE STILL A GWAN – POPCAAN DAMAGE MUSIQ/UNRULY ENTERTAINMENT lw 3 | woc 11 | 1 wk @ #1 VICTORY – VYBZ KARTEL ROMILLION ENT./VYBZ KARTEL MUSIC lw 6 | woc 8 SLIP & SLIDE – MASICKA DI GENIUS PRODUCTION lw 1 | woc 10 | 2 wks @ #1 MONEY FRAGRANCE – JAMAL EXTOL MUSIC…
On July 8, the eve of the World Cup quarter-final match between France and Morocco, Billboard Magazine announced that ‘Echo’ — the tournament’s official song — by Daddy Yankee and Shenseea, topped its Latin Airplay chart. Shenseea became the latest Jamaican to reach the summit of that table. The success of other Jamaicans on that chart — Sean Paul, Shaggy…