At my current work place we have a new cd every month to play for customers and ourselves, with a great variety of pop, hip-hop, R&B and dance I was really looking forward to hearing the new songs which are always the latest and current.
One song that stood out was really different from the usual in the playlist but I had no idea who the song was from, so I remembered part of the lyrics and Googled them when I got home. The song I found is called ‘Get Free’ by Major Lazer.
Upon doing more research on this artist I found out that Major Lazer is actually a fictional cartoon character who was part of the Jamaican commando fighting Zombies and monsters. He lost his arm in the 1984 Zombie War and the US military rescued him and gave him the prosthetic limb which is also a laser. He currently works for the government on under cover missions.
This character was master minded by top DJ’s Diplo and Switch who collaborate to produce the records for Major Lazer. Their music is different from the usual contemporary artists with a mixture of reggae, electronic, hip hop and dance present.
The music videos to his music are also entertaining as his songs. Major Lazer is often shown fighting against the evils of this world, fighting vampires, zombies and mummies and using his rocket powered hover board as his method of transport. There are not the usual scantily dressed women prancing around him and doing provocative dance moves like most music videos. The videos are fun and entertaining corresponding to the character of Major Lazer.
Major Lazer has worked with artists such as Beyonce who sampled his “Pon De Floor” making it into major hit “Run the World”. He has also been working with hip-hop legend Snopp Dogg on a reggae album and has collaborated with artist such as Vybz Kartel, La Roux and Nina Sky amongst others. The artists that he has worked with illustrate the influence of his music in the industry.
Major Lazer will be playing for free at London’s Notting Hill Carnival and his music should definitely be in your playlist to get your summer started!