With their mutual appreciation of high-energy heaters, it was only a matter of time before Halfway Crooks & Dutty Dancing clashed for a joint party – and it’s all going down this Saturday night.
Halfway Crooks has a heavy emphasis on club rap and R&B, getting crowds severely turnt and body rolling for the past seven years. Meanwhile, Dutty Dancing delivers zesty Carribbean flavours with it’s dedication to all things dancehall. If there was ever a time for these two parties to collaborate, then this is it: Drake & Rihanna have been merging the two worlds together in the mainstream, while even Justin Bieber dabbled in dancehall with his featherweight crooning on ‘Sorry’.
However, this Halfway Crooks X Dutty Dancing jam is special for another reason: Perth selector DJ Aslan will be playing at the show as part of his exclusive East Coast tour. He’s the man behind wavy Perth radio program Cloudwaves and the owner of the strongest beard in Australian hip-hop, and has supported everyone from G-Eazy to DJ Yella over on the West Coast. Last time he came to Sydney, we got a ramen and he also played a set at Bada Bing (RIP), so I can only assume that this tour will be filled with adventures of a similar caliber.
Ahead of the party, Aslan has counted down his five favourite rap & dancehall crossover bangers. Aslan will also be spinning tunes at The Lord Gladstone & One Day Sundays – scroll down for all the dates and details:
LIL JON & THE EAST SIDE BOYZ – GET LOW (REMIX FT. BUSTA RHYMES, ELEPHANT MAN, YING YANG TWINS) [2002]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cG0rYIwPzQ
Remixes of rap and R&B songs featuring dancehall artists were everywhere in the early 2000s, fueled by the crossover success of artists like Shaggy and Sean Paul. This is one of several remixes from that era in which the hyperactive vocals of Elephant Man perfectly matched the energy of the Crunk movement.
MIMS – THIS IS WHY I’M HOT (BLACKOUT REMIX FT CHAM AND JUNIOR REID) [2007]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cpulz-V_n8
One of the most sampled Jamaican voices in hip-hop history, Junior Reid made one of the biggest club anthems of 2007 even hotter.
SERANI – NO GAMES (REMIX FT RAEKWON) [2008]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX2svEhWrGw
This one kind of went under the radar due to not being an official remix, and a more commercial rapper probably could have carried this record to a huge crossover success. I still get goosebumps when I hear this song.
SPICE – SO MI LIKE IT (REMIX FT BUSTA RHYMES) [2014]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R48out-axXY
Busta has always had one of the more convincing patois in rap and a long history of collaboration with Jamaican artists, in fact this whole list could have been Busta joints. This remix of one of the tuffest tunes of 2014 is an absolute monster.
KREPT AND KONAN – FREAK OF THE WEEK (REMIX FT. JEREMIH, POPCAAN AND BEENIE MAN) [2015]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDxylqHU1j8
The DJ Mustard-ised interpolation of the iconic playground riddim and certain lyrics from this South London duo had us all begging for an official Beenie Man verse. Not only did he deliver, but we were fortunate enough to get one from the unruly boss himself and current man of the moment, Popcaan.
BONUS: T-PAIN – I’M SPRUNG (REMIX FT VYBZ KARTEL) [2005]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWULFXKeb5c
This is a real thing that happened and it is simply beautiful. #FREEWORLDBOSS
DJ ASLAN: EXCLUSIVE EAST COAST TOUR JUNE 2016
FRIDAY JUNE 3: GOODFRIENDS @ THE LORD GLADSTONE
W/ DJ LEON SMITH & NES
[FREE ENTRY]
SATURDAY JUNE 4: HALFWAY CROOKS X DUTTY DANCING @ PLAN B SMALL CLUB
W/ DJ LEVINS, CAPTAIN FRANCO, SHANTAN WANTAN ICHIBAN & NICK TOTH
[TICKETS HERE]
SUNDAY JUNE 5: ONE DAY SUNDAYS @ THE FACTORY THEATRE
W/ ADIT, LUPI, KLASIK, LEVINS, NES, LIZ BIRD, JAYTEEHAZARD
[SOLD OUT]
