Archive for June, 2010
June 30th, 2010 | Author: admin
Dancehall artist ‘Bounty Killa’ was today freed by the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court in relation to his assault case.
Bounty Killa, whose real name is Rodney Pryce, was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm for beating up his girlfriend, because she told him she was ending their three-year relationship.
The judge, Stephanie Jackson Haisley ordered the couple to seek mediation, after the complainant, Kadeem Baker, told the court that she did not want to proceed with the case.
That report was presented in court today.
Resident Magistrate Jackson-Haisley said based on the contents of the report she decided to drop the case against Bounty Killa.
Courtesy of www.jamaicastar.com
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June 29th, 2010 | Author: admin
It was truly a pity that the night had to draw to a close; as dozens of fans lingered about the venue into early (Monday) morning.
In what was the second installment of De Island Breeze’s “Up Close & Personal” mini concert series and the Father’s Day audience of predominantly females were treated to an entertaining night of musical frivolity.
From the moment of first encounter; it was obvious that De Island Breeze audience were in for an unusual treat. They were about to enter into an unstructured sing along with one of reggae/dance hall music most sophisticated “words-smith,” acclaimed recording artist Tanya Stephens.
Since her arrival on the music scene some fifteen years ago, around 1996, sing-jay Tanya Stephens, has climb to the top of her profession as a noted hit maker. Her hits are numerous, touching on a range of topics, not all “G-rated. What she has been able to do, however is to present even the most taboo or sensitive topics in a palatable, non-abrasive manner, which is not the norm in the genre. And, this fact was obviously not lost on the wildly appreciated audience who gathered only inches away from the small stage in the western corner of De Island Breeze Lounge.
Attired in a grayish top, dark slacks and black half boots (which she removed half way through her performance) topped off by her trade mark dark glasses, Tanya Stephens, the reigning princess of reggae/dance hall held sway with the audience, singing, conversing and sometimes pontificating; but few in attendance mind. Not even the technical difficulties, of which they were a few, detracted from a performance billed as a celebration of fathers; as the charismatic lady of song use her skills to keep the audience fully engaged- the give and take with the audience worked as it kept them from becoming annoyed by the often disruptive audio quality.
As is the, unfortunate, norm with too many reggae/dance hall concerts, the show start time was delayed; the reasons ranged from the late arrival of musicians, patrons arriving in significant numbers well after 10:00PM and the ever prevalent technical difficulties that saw up ad coming vocalist, Kevin “Mr. Karizma” Tapper abandoning the use tracks at the start of his performance. He eventually opted instead to use Tanya Stephens backing band, Equal Rights. The quartet of three male and one female did a nice job getting the night moving.
Mr. Karizma soon ascends the stage, treated the ladies to his trade mark bass delivery, completing what was a nice set, much longer than his previous performance a few weeks earlier at the Sanchez show.
All said… the night belonged to Stephens, not so much for her extensive repertoire; but because of the way that she managed the night. The performance had an “unplugged,” sing a long vibes that appeared to work with the crowd. At the point when the band had “exhaust” the tracks rehearsed, Tanya decide to continue the show opting for going acca-pella for an audience not quite ready to leave; and that was just the start of a most enjoyable night of musical “free for all.” Tanya was joined in the front of the stage by “Xeno” who represented himself well, showing good vocal range, and then Mr. Karizma joined the fray, as the Equal Right band strike up the immortal M16 riddim.
The performance eventually drew to a close at around 1:30 AM Monday morning. But Stephens stuck around for photo-opts while rocking the selections of former Kool FM Personality, DJ Magic and Black Ice Sound.
GN
June 23rd, 2010 | Author: admin
Beenie Man has apparently been dropped from a concert line-up in the Netherlands.
Reports seen on the Internet yesterday, suggested that the deejay was removed due to homophobic lyrics he has done in the past.
According to www.pinknews.co.uk, organisers of the concert, titled Parkpop, said although Beenie Man promised not to sing any homophobic songs, they had to cancel his slot to avoid risking the future of the free event.
Beenie Man, who is on a European tour, was scheduled to perform on Sunday. The artiste was to replace American rapper Snoop Dogg who, according to the website, was banned from the concert to maintain an ‘open and friendly atmosphere.’
According to www.dutchnews.nl reports, Beenie Man’s addition to the concert immediately caused controversy, as the artiste was banned from The Hague in the Netherlands two years ago for his anti-gay lyrics.
On their website, the Parkpop organisers originally defended the decision to put Beenie Man on the show by explaining that in 2007 he signed the Reggae Compassionate Act, a petition organised by the Stop Murder Music campaign, agreeing to renounce homophobia and stop performing lyrics promoting violence against gay people.
This is not the first show from which Beenie has been dropped due to protests from gay rights activists. Last November, Beenie Man had a string of Australian and New Zealand tour dates cancelled after gay groups protests.
In 2004 MTV wanted to premiere the artiste on its awards show and then cancelled following threats of protest from many gay rights groups from around the country.
Courtesy of www.jamaicastar.com
June 23rd, 2010 | Author: admin
Although the shooting death of Voicemail member Oneil Edwards is still fresh in the minds of many, one cannot help but wonder what’s next for the dancehall group Voicemail.
Before Edwards’ tragic passing, Craig Jackson was already collaborating and releasing singles for himself as well as with other artistes, including Busy Signal and more recently Demarco.
However, when THE STAR spoke to the surviving members (Craig and Kevin), they were adamant that the group still consisted of three members.
Jackson has been gaining increased solo success which is apparent with his Show It collaboration with Demarco debuting on the BET 106 and Park Countdown a few weeks ago as the new joint of the week.
The duo confessed that the times have been both good and bad since the tragic incident took place.
“It’s a rocky road, we have our good moments. It hit us this morning when we went to the German Embassy to sort out our visas for our European tour and it hit us that Oneil won’t be joining us but its all just a part of life journey,” said Jackson.
our own angel
When asked if the group would remain as is or if they would be adding a new member, they laughed ecstatically and exclaimed, “Oneil is still here, we still a group we are just blessed now to have our own angel looking down on us. Him a guh deh deh, nobody else nah tek him place. You just won’t see a physical body in one of the spaces.”
So what’s next for Voicemail?
Voicemail is set to leave the island on July 23rd, a day after Sumfest for a month long European tour.
They also informed that the group’s album entitled The Next Level will no longer be released next month but has been pushed back.
“It (the album) is in tribute to Oneil and me ah tell unu dis from now, if you never hear Voicemail before unnu going to hear we now,” boasted Jackson.
The two also said they had no plans of going their separate ways.
Both remaining members also agreed that the money that was initially meant for Edwards would be going to his pride and joy – daughter Neahlis – to ensure that she lives a safe and comfortable life.
“Jus put it dis way, ah two ah we and a we control tings so we say Neahlis set and she going to get what har fada suppose to get. Ah she ah go spen har poopa money,” the two joked.
Like any group, the three singers have their distinct dynamics.
Craig is the mushy, cuddly, loveable and laid-back one who at the same time is most miserable and meticulous when it comes to recording. Kevin, without a doubt is surprisingly the quietest and most unassuming member of the trio. Oneil, the baritone voice of the group, is the unspoken boss. The entrepreneur who took care of all the business.
According to Kevin, “he’s (Oneil) the man that while we sleep, he’s there pon the phone calling this person and that person, setting us up to record and all those things. He’s the man in charge.”
The surviving Voicemail members say they are asking fans and well-wishers to continue praying for them because at the end of the day they are still weeping inside despite their outward exuberance
Courtesy of www.jamaicastar.com
June 16th, 2010 | Author: admin
From the Billboard charts to MTV2, singer Gyptian alongside American rapper Nicki Minaj have been nominated as ‘Remix of the Year’ at MTV2′s Sucker Free Summit.
Yesterday MTV2 announced the ‘Sucker Free Summit’ which was created to celebrate artistes pioneering hip-hop culture. According to a release sent to THE WEEKEND STAR, “Sucker Free Summit will honour not only A-list artistes and legendary rappers, but will also celebrate the unknown, the newcomer, the guy spinning the turntables at the club getting the crowd moving and all the people that hustle behind-the-scenes but never get the glory. The ‘Summit’ will tape in New York City and air on Sunday, July 25.”
in-depth look
Eric Conte, vice-president of Programming and Production, MTV2, added, ‘MTV2′s Sucker Free Summit’ takes an in-depth look at what’s hot in hip-hop across the country like no other show out there. This show will talk about the culture and trends from the people who live it.”
To commemorate distinct flavours of hip-hop across the various regions, ‘Sucker Free Summit’ brought together a group of the most significant persons in the music industry and in hip-hop culture including bloggers, radio personalities and DJs from around the country to weigh in on the year’s most influential artistes and determine who deserves to win the ‘Sucker Free Crown.’ Sucker Free Summit’ will also honour artistes in categories such as ‘Best Mix-Tape’ and ‘Verse of the Year.’
In the weeks leading up to the premiere, ‘Sucker Free Countdown’ will hit the road to hear from music insiders from coast-to-coast to find out what music is making the largest impact in their region.
In the ‘Remix Of the Year’ category which includes the hottest remixes for the year, Nicki Minaj’s remix of Gyptian’s Hold Yuh is among the nominees. The category also includes Birdman featuring Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Young Jeezy in Always Strapped, Diddy-Dirty Money featuring Rick Ross in Angels, Diddy-Dirty Money featuring Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross in Hello, Good Morning, Waka Flocka Flame featuring Diddy and Rick Ross in O Let’s Do It and Yo Gotti featuring Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj and Trina in 5 Star Chick.
In April, Minaj – who is signed to Lil Wayne’s American label Young Money Entertainment, unofficially remixed Hold Yuh which was premiered on New York’s Hot 97.
On youtube.com,Hold Yuh has received well over 800,000 views. The rapper has made a number of high-profile collaborations including the Billboard chart-topping songs Bedrock with Young Money and Lloyd, and My Chick Bad with Ludacris.
On March 27, Hold Yuh debuted on the Billboard’s Hot R&B charts at number 78 and has since peaked at number 33. The song entered the Billboard’s Heatseeker Songs Chart at number nine and is currently at number six. The song is also on the Billboard’s Hot 100 charts.
Courtesy of www.jamaicastar.com
June 16th, 2010 | Author: admin
Real name: Adidja Palmer
Birth month: January
How did you get started in the business?
Kartel: Professional wise, through my former manager, Rohan Butle, who introduced me to Bounty Killer. Before that, I was always the king of Portmore, locking down stage shows and concerts from in the ’90s. Back then, there were three members of ‘Vybz Kartel’ – Escobar, Mr Lee and Addi Banton (me). Even before that, I was in my yard in Waterford honing my craft by listening to Ninja Man tapes and watching my uncles deejay.
What has been your greatest challenge in the business yet?
Kartel: My greatest challenge was establishing the Portmore Empire as a force to be reckoned with, especially after my Alliance departure and all the flack that came with it, you know. But, as with all other challenges, it was fun to overcome and destroy.
What have you been up to lately?
Kartel: Well, I just finished three collabs. The first with Russian, yes the producer, called Straight Jeans and Fitted. The second with Notnice, yes the producer, called How Yuh Fi Love Me Girl and the third is with Popcaan called Hotgrabba.
Do you look up to any specific artiste and why?
Kartel: I have a lot of artistes I look up to, like Buju Banton, Ninja and Shabba. Buju Banton influenced me profoundly and made me aware that dancehall music is a world genre, like reggae music. Buju brought intellect to dancehall and made hardcore dancehall commercial, without losing its raw appeal.
Are you happy with the way things are going for your musical career right now?
Kartel: Elated.
Do you have any advice for young artistes coming up in the business?
Kartel: As with all other endeavours, focus is key. As is determination and persistence and, most importantly, if you wanna stamp your class in music, be original.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
Kartel: In movies, both in front and beyond the camera, production and directing, etc.
Courtesy of www.jamaicastar.com
June 16th, 2010 | Author: admin
TAMPA, Florida – Reggae star Buju Banton’s drug trial in Florida has been delayed again.
The Jamaican singer is accused of being involved in a conspiracy to traffic more than five kilograms of cocaine.
He had originally been scheduled to stand trial in Tampa on April 19. Days before trial was set to begin, United States District Judge James Moody rescheduled it for June 21.
On Friday, Moody moved the case to the September trial calendar. A trial date will be set at a hearing in August.
Banton’s attorney filed an objection, saying the change violates the federal Speedy Trial Act. That generally requires trial to begin within 70 days after a defendant is charged or makes a first court appearance.
Banton, born Mark Myrie, has been in federal custody since December.
Courtesy of www.jamaicaobserver.com