What better way to celebrate the 50th year of hip hop and soca (formulated as Soul of Calypso) than by the Queen of Rap, Nicki Minaj, and the King Of Soca, Machel Montano, teaming up for the “Shake The Place” Remix featuring Destra Garcia. According to Forbes, Machel is “the Caribbean’s most beloved artist and purveyor of good vibes.” As Carnival welcomes the people of Trinidad back after a long-awaited three-year hiatus due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, this was a year to remember.
This isn’t Machel’s first time working with a global superstar. In the past, Machel has performed with artists like DJ Khaled, Pitbull, Drake, Beenie Man, Shaggy, Doug E. Fresh, and more. Just this year, he hosted the biggest show out of Carnival season Machel 40: One Show which featured WizKid, Rema, Ayra Starr, Destra, Patrice Roberts, Skinny Fabulous, Lyrikal, Nailah Blackman, and more. His song with Major Lazer and Ariana Grande, “All My Love,” was a global hit, opening the way for soca music to reach new heights.
“Shake The Place” was exclusively released on Trinidadian radio for the people to ring in Carnival the proper way. Nicki rapped about her Trini roots on the track; “Trinidad my country, the greatest carnival of all time,” she raps. “I’m reppin’ that red, that white, that black / I’m reppin’ my real flag.”
Montano plans to work “with the traditions of the sounds and the technology of the day.” Which is not just the ideas of the young people, but the actual technology of the music industry. We also want to make Soca music a world sound recognized across the globe, and we want to work with the artists to be able to express their visions, and their goals and bring the standard up to a world standard.”
Listen to the Marfan Roadmix of “Shake The Place” below!
Such a powerful article and message…. I have attended a few of Sylvia’s events and left change in so many ways!!