Guys and Gals,

We would like to thank you all for coming out and making this Homecoming another memorable occasion. We certainly got the promotions going very late (less than a week) primarily through the electronic media, but was nonetheless very impressed by the turnout.

Of course, the entertainment package was top class, with arguably a ‘best in the business’ line up.

DJ Spyda and DJ Super Slice kept the crowd rocking with the early vibes as many of our friends and ardent supporters began to crawl into the Zanzibar and headed to the bar to get all boozed up.

Jazzy T of Renaissance took control after 1 am and blazed his early fire as only Jazzy can do. He knows how to get the crowd moving and that’s why Renaissance remains one of the top sound systems in jamaica for nearly two decades. This kind of musical adeptness only comes with years of experience of satisfying party patrons at corporate sponsored parties in Jamaica and around the world.

Ricardo of Back2Basics took over from Jazzy T and continues to prove why he is the best at delivering Soca music to not only seasoned “to the bone” Trinis, but also to those who not necessarily prefers the genre. Ricardo has definitely aided the growth of Soca in the Eastern United States. Back2Basics captured the very essence of a Pumpstation Entertainment party with his first three tunes. His first tune really said it all as he he blazed his own ‘fyah’ with Krosfyah – “Pump me up wid de music” – and thats essentially the vibes with all PumpStation events.

So after Back2Basics set the stage and the vibe, all eyes and hears were focussed and ready for the main and ultimate attraction.

Beenie Man left the VIP area and approached backstage close to 2:30 am. Before going on-stage and after Buju Banton’s ‘Our Father in Zion’ bellowed from the speakers, the DJ, with his masterful voice, sent the crowd into a frenzy by uttering his trademark slang, “zagga zagga zow zow zoww”. The consummate entertainer never fails to deliver the most scintillating performance and surely never disappoints his fans. He therefore didn’t waste any time, so while he waited for a brief second for the microphone he started dancing…causing the ladies at the front of the stage wild. For about 10 minutes of his performance the wiry DJ gave lessons in having sex to the amusement and approval of the ladies. His set lasted just over an hour and concluded with a acapella of a new song about his arch rival Bounty Killa and finally “Product of the Ghetto” on the Airwaves Riddim.

Jazzy T took over for the remainder of the night as the party fans resumed the ‘bruk out’. The triple bounce riddim set the stage for the whining as the Jazzy rinsed “Bicycle” the reknowned Kartel. The Set Me Free riddim, Kartel’s “Come Breed Me”, and Ding Dong’s ‘Holiday’ and the ‘Good Life Riddim’ were also featured in Jazzy’s final set as people danced the night away and ended another Pumpstation Entertainment top tier event.

So when is the next one many asked as they strolled out of the venue looking like people just finished having sex… our answer for sure is RAWKUS on March 27, 2010. The stars are aligning for Rawkus 7th edition to be the best EVER party held in Washington DC. Look out for the promotions to begin early next year allowing our out of towners enough time to plan their trip.

Jr. Reid ft. Lil Wayne – Ghetto Youths Rock

ELEPHANT MAN AND DAWG E SLAUGHTER ADDED TO KARIB FEVA 2008 IN NEW JERSEY

New York, NY (MS. RAINE INC): It has been confirmed that Grammy-nominated Dancehall artist Elephant Man is among those infected with ‘Karib Feva,’ a highly contagious plague that has taken over New Jersey for the second year in a row. The ‘Energy God’ as well as popular Soca artist Dawg E Slaughter, has joined the lengthy list of Caribbean entertainers and Garden State residents that will be receiving vital music treatment at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, NJ on Sunday, December 14th.

The 2008 Karib Feva: Reggae and Soca United concert, where the ‘Queen of Soca’ Allison Hinds will meet the ‘King of the Dancehall’ Beenie Man, is shaping up to be one of the biggest and best Holiday stagings in the Tri-State area with the addition of Elephant Man and Dawg E. Slaughter. Presented by RoadBlockRadio.com, CCB International, and Race Entertainment, the second annual staging is set to outdo last year’s show which featured Reggae icons Sanchez and Barrington Levy alongside the ‘King of Soca’ Machel Montano.

Nominated under the ‘Best Reggae Album’ category in the upcoming Grammy Awards for his 2007 release Let’s Get Physical, Jamaican-born Elephant Man has earned international acclaim for his dance-inspired crossover hit singles, his penchant for wildly colorful hair, and his outrageous stage antics. With a catalogue of hit singles including “Pon de River,” “Signal de Plane,” and “Jook Gal, featuring Hip Hop artists Twista and Young Bloodz, the proclaimed ‘Energy God’ has been at the forefront of Jamaican dance crazes that have hit dance floors around the world. His current singles “Nuh Linga” and “Gully Creepa” hit the top of the charts when Gold Medal sprinter and World Record Holder Usain Bolt debuted the Nuh Linga and Gully Creepa dances in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics.

Hailing from the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Dawg E. Slaughter is one of the island’s most beloved Soca artists, with a seven year history of hit singles. “Tic Toc,” “Lift Up Yuh Leg and Trample,” “Pokey,” and “Carnival I Love You” are among his series of hit tunes that kept Soca lovers around the world whining.

The 2008 Karib Feva: Reggae and Soca United concert featuring the ‘Queen of Soca’ Allison Hinds ‘King of the Dancehall’ Beenie Man, Elephant Man, and Dawg E. Slaughter, will take place on Sunday, December 14th at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, NJ. More acts to be added. Limited advanced tickets are $49.99. Music is by RoadBlockRadio.com, and Blaze Radio. For more information contact RoadBlockRadio.com at 973-573-8154 or log onto www.RoadBlockRadio.com.

The battles between ace dancehall DJ Vybz Kartel and singjay Mavado have been well documented over the past nearly two years, but with “Sting” fast approaching the war of words is as heated and fierce as it has ever been.
Mavado and Kartel have been feuding on and off since Kartel left the Alliance. The confrontation has reached beyond words with both artistes’ entourage inciting violence on different occasions. A peace conference was held last year under the guidance of DCP Mark Shields and RETV’s CEO Kimani Robinson where the feuding stopped for a while. The two however are at it again!

As usual, we could tell you what each artiste is saying about the other, but in the world of digital media we thought it would be better for you to see and hear for yourself. In one video Mavado discusses several points including Kartel (who he calls ‘Jerky’) making references to his mother in songs, and the scar in his face that Kartel said was due to a Soldier’s beaten. In the other video Kartel reacts to Mavado’s interview, talks about his achievements (Vybz Rum, etc), and discusses Bounty Killer who he claims to be divisive.

We all remember the rivalry between Bounty Killer and Beenie Man, and we all preferred one or the other. What do you think about Kartel and Mavado? Who is better? Who do you rate?

Shaggy‘s newest video entitled “Badman don’t cry” is creating waves in the entertainment industry.  The video (directed by Jay-Will) for the single “Bad Man Don’t Cry” debuted on Saturday night at Asylum’s Anniversary party at the Mas Camp in Kingston, Jamaica. As expected with most Shaggy performances and videos, there is a lot of humor throughout.  Notably, the video features a who’s who of Jamaican entertainment and sporting scene including:
Athletes – Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell
Artistes – Chris Martin, Alozade, D’Angel, Josey Wales, Mavado, Bounty Killer, Barbee, Cezar
Selectors – Foota Hype, Jigzagula (Sean Paul‘s brother), Sky Juice
Businessmen – Carlos ‘Max’ Brown, Brian ‘Ribbie’ Chung
Other personalities – Danny Champagne, Amelia ‘Milk’ Sewell, retired Supt. of Police – Reneto Adams

2008 Road March Queen Fay Ann Lyons Alvarez is four month pregnant. Rumors surfaced in the last couple of weeks as the sexy Queen, who is married to Soca Monarch King Bunji Garlin (Ian Alvarez), has been wearing more conservative clothes.
The rumors were finally confirmed last week Wednesday 12th November when the couple alongside Edwin Yearwood and Terry Blue (Fay Ann’s sister) performed with Asylum at the Unit Trust Media Appreciation party at Club Zen in Port of Spain.

Fay Ann, who is the daughter of Soca Monarch champion SuperBlue (Austin Lyons), will be seven months pregnant during the height of the Carnival season in February but has promised to meet all her contractual agreements once she is well.

The popular entertainer is said to be dealing with morning sickness and has been keeping a low profile. Both father and grandfather are said to be extremely excited about the upcoming birth.

The couple will celebrate their 2nd anniversary on Tuesday 23rd December.

Dancehall deejay Beenie Man was briefly detained by Antiguan authorities Sunday after performing at an opposition political rally. The self proclaimed king of the dancehall who complained during his Saturday night performance that immigration authorities questioned him as he entered Antigua, was again questioned before he was allowed to board a flight and return to Jamaica.

According to a news item from the associated press carried on MSNBC the acting police commissioner of Antigua, Thomas Bennett said Beenie Man was questioned “regarding his performance” and released without charges, but said he could not provide further details. During the Antiguan labor party rally, Beenie Man added a few lines to one of his popular songs about being hassled by Antiguan immigration authorities. Labor party chairman Gaston Browne said officials had wanted to know whether the singer had a work permit to perform at the concert. Browne said that Beenie Man was originally paid an undisclosed sum to perform, but he later returned the money because he did not have a permit. Numerous efforts to get a comment from Beenie Man who is back on the island were futile. His office also claimed that they were unaware of the incident.
Source: Irie Fm News

The nominations for the 51st staging of the Grammy awards were done earlier this week and Elephant Man’s, Let’s Get Physical‘ made the cut. “Let’s Get Physical” represented a lot of change for Elephant Man. The album came at a time when he was no longer signed exclusively to reggae label VP Records. He is now co-signed to VP Records and Bad Boy Records headed by Sean “Diddy” Combs. This gave Elephant Man a more mainstream approach on the new album – and it paid off – so far!!

The other nominees in the category are: Heavy D for ‘Vibes’, Burning Spear with ‘Jah Is Real’, Lee Scratch Perry‘s ‘Repentance’, riddim twins Sly & Robbie for ‘Amazing’ and Mr. Lover Lover Shaggy with ‘Intoxication’.
The 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on February 8, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcasted on CBS from 8:00(ET/PT).

Vybz Kartel was born at Kingston’s Victoria Jubilee Hospital. Originally from Waterhouse, Kingston, he was raised in the Waterford community of Portmore, St.Catherine. Adidja attended Calabar High School in Kingston but was expelled as a teenager. Determined to continue his education, he completed his studies at a tutorial technical school. The young Adidja was exposed to a wide variety of music from a tender age by two uncles who happened to be aspiring musicians themselves. Every weekend he would be treated to new musical offerings on his uncle’s old component set, ranging from Sam Cooke to country and western ballads to Ninja Man, who became one of his musical foes. At the age of 10 his favorites included artists as diverse as Papa San, Charlie Chaplin, Will Smith and KRS-1, all of whose lyrics he would write down and study word-for-word, performing them later for the entertainment of friends. Deciding he wanted to be a deejay, he began writing his own lyrics at the age of 11. Meanwhile practicing to write lyrics and become a great DJ.

Early career
Adidja and his friends Arif, Boyie, and Saif, often frequented the weekly Gong Talent Show at the now defunct Coney Amusement Park on the outskirts of Kingston, but to their chagrin were always gonged off whenever they got a chance to perform. Undeterred by his weekly failure to impress the talent show audience, Adidja decided to hone his skills and concentrate on winning over his own community of Waterford until he was ready for bigger things. With that goal in mind, on weekends he would practise his art on neighbourhood sound systems Soul Signal and Electric Force. In 1993, the young Adidja, now in his early teens, recorded his first single Love Fat Woman for Alvin Reid’s One Heart Label under the name Adi Banton, a name he chose in tribute to Buju Banton, another of his role models. He recorded several more tracks for local producers, perfecting his craft until 1996, when he and two friends, Mr Lee and a singer called Escobar, decided to form a group. One night, after watching a movie about Pablo Escobar and his infamous cartel, Adidja came up with a name for his trio: Vybz Kartels.

Career route
Vybz Kartel’s new role as Killer’s protégé (a spot once held by prodigal prodigy Baby Cham) caught the attention of the public and led to a career rise, first as a ghost-writer for Bounty, Elephant Man and other members of the Scare Dem Crew, followed by collaborations with Bounty Killer such as Gal Clown and Girls Like Mine (Liquid Riddim), then finally coming into his own with early hits such as Gun Clown, Guns Like Mine (Trafalga Riddim), Badman (Panty Raid Riddim), Bus Mi Gun Like Nuttin, Most High (Mexican Riddim) and War Organizer (Clappas Riddim). He also had a string of successful collaborations with Wayne Marshall, such as New Millennium (Mad Antz Riddim), Why (Krazy Riddim) and Why Again (Good To Go Riddim). This led to Vybz Kartel being crowned Deejay of the Year at Stone Love’s 30th Anniversary, 2002.
From the outset, Vybz Kartel was more of a ‘badman’ deejay than a pop artist. In his early career he mostly concentrated on unapologetically hardcore, undiluted songs extolling the virtues of guns, sex and ganja, but his biggest hit was yet to come. He had success with more mainstream, club-oriented singles such as Big Man (Engine Riddim), Pussy Jaw (Mad Antz Riddim), Sweet to the Belly (Egyptian Riddim) and Bruk Buddy (G-String Riddim), but in late 2003 his single Tekk Buddy on the Thunder Clap Riddim proved to be the one which catapulted his career into the stratosphere. The single stayed on the charts for months and spent weeks at the number 1 position, and finally brought Vybz Kartel to the attention of those who hadn’t yet become aware of him.

Name change
In late 2006, Vybz Kartel changed his professional name to “Addi the Teacha” in an attempt to free himself of his recording contract.

Accomplishments
In terms of singles sold, he has had the second-best year on the reggae charts for 2003 (outsold only by Elephant Man) and has released two albums this year for UK label Greensleeves. He was also featured twice on the Def Jamaica project, and nominated for Source, VIBE and UK MOBO awards (although his MOBO nominations, along with those of Beenie Man, Elephant Man and Sizzla were withdrawn over concerns of homophobia). His video for New Millennium/Why with Wayne Marshall has already been played on MTV, and a bootleg version of, in his own words, “a very, very low budget film” that was made in 2001 has begun circulating. He has several albums, several mixtapes and a large library of singles.

It is no doubt that Kartel is a genius at his craft. Listen to “Imagine” by Vybz Kartel below and just imagine what the world would be like if he could govern the earth as well as he writes and djs.

If slavery is the great American sin, then Obama’s victory on Tuesday night, shortly after 11 p.m., is probably the ultimate redemption hour. President elect Barack Obama ran a disciplined, savvy, superior and superlative campaign with a temperament that earned him the presidency of this great nation.

Most of us watched and paid special attention to President Obama’s (yes we can… start saying this now) road to the White House. However many of us are still ignorant of the many challenges President Obama graciously overcame along the difficult road of change. Many of us are yet to realize that his victory is not only special because of its historic importance for Blacks in the United States and around the world, but because it was inclusive!! Mr. Obama’s message is universal; it speaks to all races, all cultures, all nationality, all religions, all languages, and all ages to say the least.

To make our point we have collected a bunch of pictures showing the World’s reaction to this momentous occasion. Take a look at these pictures and listen to another great icon with a similar universal message – one who was also born of a white mother and a black father.