Selector’s Choice: DJ Shirkhan (Safari Sound)

Words by DJ Shirkhan

Welcome back to Selector’s Choice, LargeUp’s weekly new music column, where we check in with our favorite selectors and DJs to find out what’s in their digital crates. This week we head over to Scandinavia side to link with our long-time bredrin DJ Shirkhan, founder of Sweden’s Safari Sound. With various weekly and monthly events, loads of different mixtapes, tours all over the world, his works with Million Stylez, and a weekly radio show on Swedish National Radio since 2009, Shirkhan has been has been representing for dancehall and reggae in Sweden, Scandinavia and the world. When you talk about Sweden, you talk about Ikea, blonde girls and Safari Sound!

Agent Sasco – Health and Wealth

This year really started bad for me. I was in a hospital for months fighting for my life and was extremely close to death. I guess Jah had more work for me so I made it. The very first day I started to feel better I listened to Agent Sasco’s new album, Theory of Reggaetivity, which I had really been looking forward to. I would say that this album is a masterpiece — the best of the year so far. The fourth track, “Health And Wealth,” is definitely my favorite song of the album and my anthem for 2016.

Chronixx – “Out Deh”

This new Chronixx track produced by Shiah Coore (the son of Cat Coore from Third World) was featured on the Roots & Chalice mixtape that Federation Sound and Chronixx blessed us with at the beginning of this year, and is set to be released as a single this week. It’s a heavy roots song, and I’ve been killing the airwaves and dances with it since the beginning of the year.

Kabaka Pyramid – Fire Can Cool

Kabaka Pyramid is one of my favorite artists and, in my humble opinion, one of the most solid young artists on the rock at the moment. I always make sure that his militant lyrical content and the uplifting messages that he delivers are featured in my selections. On this track, he teams with Swedish producers Bassic Division and delivers a modern yet rootical reggae song.

Keida – Darling, I Know

I always refer to Keida as a diamond in the rough. She entered the scene with a storm back in 2009 with the smash hit, “Jamaican Boy.” Ever since she has released a couple of songs here and there and the Ebb And Flow EP last year. She has been busy studying for some years and that’s probably a reason for why we haven’t heard her more frequently. This year she is making major moves though: Fresh from a successful Europe tour, she recently released this wicked lovers song produced by Bassrunner Music from Austria. The riddim is called Humbleness, and has some other nice songs on it.

Kemar Highcon  – Oh Gosh

This young bredda, who was born in Jamaica and now is based in New York, is creating a buzz with the new single “Oh Gosh,” a wicked reality tune produced by Track Starr and released by Ranch Entertainment, with whom he has recently partnered. At the moment, he doesn’t have that much material out but I’m sure that he will drop some bombs soon. Definitely an artist to look out for! PS. Check out the new song, “Control” (on the same beat as Drake’s “Controlla”).

Chronixx – “Sell My Gun”

I got this song late in 2015, and it is one of those songs that I play in nearly all my sets. This takes me back to the early 2000s where conscious artists used to deliver a positive message in a militant style over a dancehall riddim. Once again Chronixx shows that he is a very versatile artist and extremely talented with the pen. Produced by Zincfence Records.

Vybz Kartel – Fever

Although the Worl’ Boss has been behind bars for some years now, he still keeps delivering bars that become instant hits. More than 50 songs have released since he got locked up. However he has been quiet this year… at least so far. The reason is most likely that he wants to focus on the new album, King Of The Dancehall, that is expected to be released in June. This is the first song from the album and I already feel that it is going to be a major hit for 2016. Produced by TJ Records with a wicked video courtesy of Jay Will.

Vybz Kartel – Western Union

One more Worl’ Boss at dem! This one is also from the King Of The Dancehall album. I got this song just a few days ago, and I can already feel that this is one of those songs that’s going to mash up the dance and make the thugs beat the ceiling and throw bills at the selector to get a money pull up.

Popcaan – Ova Dweet

When “Controlla” leaked I (and many other dancehall fanatics) were extremely happy for the Unruly Boss. This would have been a major step in his career. But when Drake’s highly-anticipated album Views dropped, Popcaan’s verse was missing from the song. I was very disappointed. But the very same day as the album dropped (or maybe the day after?) Popcaan dropped this song as a consolation. Once again, Popcaan shows that when he teams up with Notnice, the chemistry that arises is unbeatable. This is a smash hit for the summer and more songs are soon to be released on the riddim.

Don Andre – Jog

Hailing from the UK, this bredda litteraly mash up everything everywhere with the smash hit Tom Cruise last year. Where ever I travelled and that song was played, people went buck wild. This is his new song for the summer and I feel like it’s going to shell nuff dances this summer. I’ve played it out a few times already and people love it. Notting Hill Carnival will beat this song hard, trust me!