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Up and coming artiste, Versatile, was reportedly stabbed and injured at a party in Portland on March 26. Weve now received an update from his management, that Versatile is recovering well, and is actually back in the studio now. Below are details from a release by Versatiles management:

Romeich Records Is Happy to state that Versatile is ok and moving aroung, he is currently in the studio rite now thinking up a new song, look out for the artist and much thanks and love for the fans and well whishers. I would also like to take the time out to give his song on the Grace & Gratitude Riddim the Justice that it deserve.

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There appear to be a fat rumour going around saying that...Kartel got stabbed by some female companion. The rumours are insinuating that it was done by Shawty..Kartel's main Baby Mother.
This no official word that Vybz Kartel was stabbed.. some people are saying that this could be another publicity stunt by the attention whore... kartel

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VS

G.O.O.D. Music's Big Sean will keep fans waiting for his long-delayed Finally Famous debut album by pushing its release to the summer.


According to new reports, Sean's LP will officially hit stores around mid-June.

Big Sean has been waiting years to release his first album, but he'll have to wait a little longer. The Detroit rapper's debut has been delayed to June. The 23-year-old MC's G.O.O.D. Music debut Finally Famous is now scheduled to arrive on June 21. The project is led by the Chris Brown-assisted single "My Last," and features contributions from No I.D., Mike Posner, Kanye West, and Pharrell, who appears on the triumphant "Donald Trump." (Rap-Up)
 

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Having spent months creating our own dancehall zine, we wanted to look back and ask others whod done the same about their experiences writing about dancehall. Canadian dancehall lover Beth Lesser is the ultimate reggae writer: having penned two of the best Jamaican music books out there King Jammys and Dancehall: the Story of Jamaican Dancehall Culture, not to mention founding and running Reggae Quarterly from 82-7. Her amazing photographs of the emergence of dancehall can be found on the cover of many a sleeve, like this and this.  She even married her husband at a Youth Promotion dance at Sugar Minotts house. I tried to fit in as many questions I could into half an hour.

You went out to Jamaica in the early 80s with the purpose of researching reggae how did you manage to get in with the scene?

We had some help. we knew somebody up here who had some contacts with Jamaican people and some producers. There were a lot of records being produced in both places, so when we first went down to Jamaica he gave us some errands to do, like go see Tuff Gong, and he also introduced us to somebody who worked with Augustus Pablo, who was married to a woman who lived in Toronto. So we met with them before we went down. Originally we [Beth and her husband, Dave] went down there with the intention of doing some kind of fan club for Augustus Pablo. That was the springboard, not only did we really apprecaite his music, but we knew sombeody, so there was actually a possibility of going down there and meeting him, and starting a fan club or whatever, something to publicise him, his artists and his productions.

At what point did you realise that it was going to turn into something else?

Well we got down there and we realised right away. Youre in Toronto or England or New York and you have this white persons image that reggae was dub. At the end of the 70s, it was all King Tubbys and heavy dub and Jah Stitch out here, and then you go there and thats not whats going on at all, it was all this dancehall stuff. It was Brigadier and Gemini sound, it was something totally different, you couldnt miss it, it hit you in the face as soon as you got there.

So what was really going on musically in Jamaica at that point was being misrepresented in other parts of the world?

At that point, yes, totally. It was toally different in other countries than what was actually going on. I think that was because it was really new in Jamaica, the rest of the world hadnt really caught up. Obviously some poeple had, but it hadnt filtered its way into the outside. That stuff did not reach white record stores where they sold rock and alternative music. In Toronto it was very much a divide: the Jamaican community kept their stuff within the Jamaican community and it didnt really cross over that much.

Did that misrepresentation make you eager to get that sound back to Canada?

Yeah, it was the most unexpected but wonderful thing we had ever encountered. We fell in love with dancehall immediately. There was something so wonderful about the spontaneity of the dances, the excitement, and so we absolutely wanted to share that and interview as many people as we could. We still loved Pablo and we still interviewed his artists and brought some Ricky Grant records back to try and sell for Pablo, but wed caught the dancehall bug and wanted to investigate it more and more. We brought back records to sell, we couldnt carry a lot, but we had a couple things of Clancy Eccles, we brought Freddie Mckays Paulette back to distribute to places. Later we pressed 1000 of Horace Fergusons Sensi Addict, sold it locally, designed a new cover for it. So it also made us want to find out what was going on in Toronto, because it was opening our eyes to something that was here but we had never seen before.

Do you remember the first dance you went to when you thought oh my god what is this?

I remember going to a Louie Lepke dance in Toronto, in maybe 1980. We went early, there was nobody there, it said the doors opened at 9, but we had no idea nobody would show up until like 1 in the morning, so we sat around and started chatting to people and became friends. It was just amazing to see Louie Lepke live in front of you, that blew us away, we were dancehall fans for life after that.

Did you have a favourite place to be or a memory of a particularly stand-out moment from your trips to Jamaica?

One of the very first memories from our first trip was going to King Tubbys studio with Augustus Pablo and watching him record there. It was a moment you cant even believe happened, it was so magical. As for favourite place, we ended up hanging out with Youth Promotion a lot, people who werent even artists, just people who lived there or worked there or were part of Sugars [Minott] extended family, and we got really comfortable there and it really became our second home in Jamaica.\

Is that how you ended up taking photographs of the Youth Promotion gang and everyone else?

It was more that people were bored. we didnt know how to drive, so we couldnt rent a car, we had to take buses and taxis and we werent in any hurry, we didnt even know who we were gonna interview for the next magazine, so we were just like oh, lets go up and see whos at Jammys today, wed take the bus, we would just hang around and everybody was bored, people had nothing else to do so if you pulled out a camera, everybody would just start posing , as something to do, to break up a long day waiting for your time in the studio.

So at that point, were you aware that you were capturing a moment not only in terms of music, but also in style?

I had no idea, neither of us did, because at the time, nobody wanted to hear about this stuff, dancehall was not acceptable, it was not respected, it wasnt played on the radio if they could avoid it. Obviously some songs were hits and they couldnt avoid it, like Yellowman, but nobody wanted to hear this stuff, nobody wanted to meet us or talk to us, even for the magazine. People in the studios took us seriously, like at Channel One, or Winston Riley at Techniques, and the people who were actually doing the work, they took us seriously, but even people at like Tuff Gong, it seemed like they were more official, they were doing rasta business and he we were with this dancehall crap that they thought was exploiting the youth and turning people into criminals. I honestly never thought it would amount to anything.

So at that point, dancehall was getting a bad rep in Jamaica itself?

it was considered to be garbage music, the lowest of the low, on the radio they played country, soul, disco and middle of the road foreign stuff. They had no respect for Jamaican artists.

How did things change as time went on, when you were visiting?

It got more acceptable in the late 80s when it started crossing over into hip hop. When that started happening and people in other countries started to accept it, then people in Jamaica started to accept it. When I say people I mean the media, cos the people had always liked it.

How were you inspired to make a zine?

We just loved the music. We were totally captivated. Especially by the fact that there was so much of it. My husband used to do a radio show and we would go down to dynamic and theyd be like take one copy of everything and wed come out of hundreds of 45s. for people like me and my husband, it was a fix we got when we went to Jamaica, it was endless, and exciting.

Who else was buying records then, were Jamaicans buying many?

Local Jamaicans were buying 45s, but most of it was really for export. Jamaicans didnt really buy albums, and they certainly didnt buy 12, those were mostly pressed in England.

So at this point, when you started Reggae Quarterly, were you already a writer? Was creating your own magazine the only option, was there no other platform available for you to write about Jamaican music?

I wasnt really a writer, or a photographer, I wasnt really anything at that point. I was young, Id just finished university, spent a few years working in this restaurant and that restaurant, and in fact the first time I went to Jamaica I didnt even take a good camera. It was only the second time, when i was serious about doing the magazine that I brought a good Nikon with me. Nobody was really interested in it anyway, people were interested in Bob Marley. I couldnt have paid somebody to take an article about dancehall. It would have meant nothing to them. You had to do it yourself. And I didnt want to compromise, if I had written an article, it would have been so compromised, it would have meant nothing. And the idea of anybody paying for anything was just so foreign. i mean, when i tried to sell people ads, people hardly gave away ads, nobody was interested.

Do you have a favourite person you interviewed for reggae quarterly?

It was just all so much fun. Unfortunately the issue with Dennis Brown is sold out, i love that issue, there were other people in it too, like Little John and Toyan. I wish i could have done it better now, and got more information but to have that opportunity to interviewi was glad that I had that chance.

Most of the artists you interviewed were male, but you do mention in the Dancehall book a bit about female deejays. Did you develop any specific relationship with other women while you were out there, and did you feel in any way that your gender affected your experience there?

At times it was very difficult, sometimes I would ask someone a question and they would turn around and answer it to my husband, like I was invisible. For the most part, people who were actually making the music had no problem with me, they were used to women being strong and working because thats the way it is there, theyre self reliant, they carry the burden of the family most of the time. There were some real role models, like Sonia Pottinger, who was a very powerful, strong woman. But i couldnt actually leave by myself and go anywhere without Dave, i wasnt really safe by myself, but the two of us together made a good team and I never felt I wasnt taken seriously. As for the female deejays, we really developed a good relationship with Sister Nancy, I love her, I think shes a great person and I adore her as a deejay, and I was always happy when there were women to talk to but it was relatively rare back then, and Im glad to see its more common now, there are more women out there.

Do you still have a relationship with people in the book?

I still talk to some of the Youth Promotion people, and Prince Jazzbo, U Brown, Jah Stitch, other than that some of the people who were in Toronto, like Sassafras.

Didnt a bunch of JA artists move to Toronto?

They moved to England first and then there was a prime minister here in the 60s who really opened it up, a lot of people came then, like Jackie Mittoo, Jammy was here for a bit, then a lot of people now from the 80s dancehall scene Selector Archie and Anthony Malvo.

Then you took a long break from reggae for family reasons how did the publishing stuff come about?

A publishing company called ECW offered to put out a new version of my Jammys book, so I jumped at that, helped them work on that. In this time I had continued to sell photos for CD covers, so I often had people contact me about them, and Stuart Baker at Soul Jazz had asked to see some photographs and really liked them, so he came up with the idea of a book to showcase the photographs but also have the supporting text.

Do you have any archives that you think are still untapped?

We have a serious back catalogue of 45s, especially from sonic sounds.dance cassettes were my thing, I collected them for a long time.

Do you have a huge record collection?

[laughs]

How many have you got?

Ermits pretty massive. Were not record collectors so its not a deliberate thing where weve tried to get this record or that, its just whatever weve ended up with, and theres some weird stuff from the 80s that nobody wanted to hear, or probably ever will, and then theres some really classic stuff . Weve got them all in the basement, there are boxes and boxes and boxes of 45s. Were not collectors, we just have more records than normal people.

What future do you think reggae and dancehall might have in print?

Well, all of print publications are ont he way out. Publishing houses in Canada are closing. Things change though, who knows whats next. Look at what happened with music, people didnt make money through the reproduction of their music, people used to have to be troubadours and walk around and play their music. Records are relatively new in history, but were back to that format where people actually have to perform live to make money in music.

Do you have any advice for young writers who are interested in the Caribbean music scene?

All I can say is go there. If you want to find about it you just have to go there, and then everything will fall into place. You cant investigate it from outside of Jamaica cos when you get there you suddenly really understand, but you have to have that perspective from there. Its not something you can really get unless youre there but once youre there you totally get it.

Get saving!

Beth since contacted me saying she forgot to mention that shes just finished the biography of Sugar Minott and Youth Promotion, which is currently being printed by Small Axe. Watch her website for more info.

Photographs courtesy of Beth Lesser.
1) Wayne Smith, Echo Minott, Tenor Saw & friend
2) Beth and her husband with Sugar Minott and the Youth Promotion crew
3) Joe Lickshot with Prince Jazzbo & his son
4) Nitty Gritty in Jammys yard
5) Beth and her husband with Stitch

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Plug n Play happens on Friday, April 1, at the Jonkanoo Lounge in the Wyndham Hotel in New Kingston, featuring Gyptian, Chanti-I, Shiloh Band and Haadknock Band. Check out the flyer below.

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Below weve featured confirmed upcoming dates and venues for I-Octane in Jamaica, the U.S., Canada and the Virgin Islands.

Saturday, April 9, 2011 Brentwood, MD
Saturday, April 16, 2011 Tropical Bar & Grill, Tampa Bay, FL
Sunday, April 17, 2011 All Island Carnival, Linstead, St. Catherine, Jamaica
Saturday, April 23, 2011 Rozz Restaurant and Entertainment Complex, Brampton, Ontario Canada
Sunday, April 24, 2011 Pier 1, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Monday, April 25, 2011 Wave Beach, Portmore, Jamaica
Friday, April 29, 2011 Poughkeepsie, NY
Saturday, April 30, 2011 St. Elizabeth, Jamaica
Friday, May 6, 2011 Russell Auditorium, Boston, MA
Saturday, May 7, 2011 Club Mirage, Los Angeles, CA
Friday, May 13, 2011 Orlando, FL
Saturday, May 14, 2011 Life Fest, Kingston, Jamaica
Friday, May 27, 2011 Club LMS, Atlanta, GA
Sunday, May 29, 2011 Best of the Best, Bicentennial Park, Miami, FL
Friday, June 3, 2011 Club Jaguar, St. Thomas, VI
Saturday, June 4, 2011 Drive In, St. Croix, VI

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The 2011 edition of the annual Best Of The Best concert is set to happen on Sunday, May 29 (Memorial Day Weekend), at the Bicentennial Park in Miami, Florida. So far, the line-up includes Stephen Marley, Damian Marley, Sanchez, Demarco, Assassin, I-Octane, Richie Loop, Romain Virgo and Chino. Quite notably, it will also feature Vybz Kartel performing live, VIA SATELLITE. For more information, check out bestofthebestconcert.com.

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Jamaica is the birthplace of dancehall music, but its reach and impact is undoubtedly far-reaching. Below weve featured a medley of songs on a riddim called the Money Train riddim, which was produced by the Tokyo-based Treasure House Records. If youre not fluent in Japanese, you wont understand a word in these songs, but its still interesting and amazing to hear International dancehall versions.

The Money Tree riddim is available online iTunes

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Sophia McKay/New Image Promotions, a Kingston-based promotions, publicity and artistes booking agency, has issued a release that lashes the current crop of dancehall music producers, with specific focus on the quality of the music they are producing. See details below.

Sophia McKay/New Image Promotions Message For Lame Dancehall Producers

This music called Dancehall is endangered. It is endangered because some Producers of Dancehall beats have not done their homework as it relates to the genesis of the music. Many who call themselves producers are ignorant to what is Reggae or oblivious to what constitutes an authentic Reggae song and how Reggae musics offspring Dancehall came about. It is a lesson that has not passed the attention of other nationalities, as one has only to listen to the beats created by some European Producers. Their interpretation of the authentic Reggae beat sounds as if it had been taken from a book. Whilst locally some producers seem not to care about what lies within the covers of this book: our own Reggae/Dancehall Bible. Hence the rubbish many of them create and label as Dancehall.

This practice has serious implications, some of which have already transitioned into reality. The music is losing its identity and this is happening at a time when sales have drastically declined for Reggae and Dancehall music worldwide. As a result, the local industry is suffering from the repercussions and it will only be a matter of time before some of these very producers have to resort to probably, planting corn. Well, planting in general is not a bad task, but as it relates to the music, message is simple: What you reap is what you sow.

It is indeed a good suggestion that those who wish to excel in the field, should first get the facts and then get busy. There are some who seem to believe that things have changed, but in response I say, though things have changed, they still remain the same.

Some producers lack creativity and believe that if they mix/fuse two popular beats, that they are actually creating a new sound. Well I am sorry to say that there is nothing new about it. I want to therefore challenge these producers to put on their thinking caps and create Dancehall beats that have never been made before; yet having all the components of an authentic Dancehall rhythm. I challenge you to reinvent the whole Dancehall sound if possible, without the fusing of a popular Hip-Hop beat with a Reggae/Dancehall beat, then turn around and tell well thinking persons that it is NEW!

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Up and coming dancehall deejay, Versatile (real name Sheldon Taylor), who is best known for his 2010 hit single Bank In A Pocket on the riddim of the same name, was reportedly stabbed and injured last night at a party in Portland. He is now said to be in stable condition at hospital.

According to Tweets made earlier today by his management, Romeich Major, Versatile traveled alone and was at the party when he was set upon by a group of men who were allegedly carrying a long-time grudge.

We wish Versatile a full and speedy recovery.

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The long-standing beef between 50 Cent and Ja Rule, continues to be in full effect. Ja, who recently pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges, became the brunt of more 50 Cent jokes, after a fan posted a comment about the situation on 50's Twitter page to which he responded with laughter.


"Don't nobody care about you fool," 50 tweeted about Ja.

Not to be outdone, Ja responded to 50's shots almost immediately. "This n---- @50cent talking can somebody tell this clown he aint HOT no more lol," wrote Ja Rule. He then took the opportunity to blast 50's low album sales. "He got 3 mil followers and his last album barely went gold gtfoh @50cent," he tweeted. "Don't worry about my tax issue there gonna pay the 1.1 mill...most of u n----s can't pay your phone bill lmao #WINNING STILL."

The 'Always on Time' creator continued with his rant, stating the G-Unit head honcho's empire was on the decline. "This Curtis fellow is a real clown clothing line dead sneakers dead album sales been dead and ya'll let him talk like he's poppin @50cent. I wouldn't expect anything different from a ho a-- n---- like @50Cent," tweeted Ja Rule.

Catching wind to Ja's rebuttal 50 went at him again. "Go sit yo a-- down," he started. "Hahaha. These fools never play chess. I remind people how stupid they are before every project and they just bite the bait."

These two have gone at each other through just about every channel possible, from interviews to diss records, and appear to be showing no signs of reconciling. At this point, Ja has so much on his plate, making peace with 50 is probably not even on his list of priorities.

Aside from his tax issues, the 36-year-old will head to jail in June for a weapons possession charge. The former Murder Inc. frontman is also prepping the release of his next album 'The Renaissance Project,' which is due out June 7, one day before he starts his prison sentence.
 

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The Jamaica Observers cartoonist, Clovis, has been making fun of dancehall deejay Vybz Kartel for some time now. Kartel apparently (unconfirmed) responded with a cartoon of his own recently, and now in todays Jamaica Observer newspaper, the Clovis cartoon shows Vybz Kartel as a vampire (with reference to his alleged bleaching) in a University of the West Indies (UWI) casket thats full of cake soap, with his recent UWI lecture facilitator Dr. Carolyn Cooper also shown inviting him to bite her.

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"tell bad-mine gweh wid dem evil head".... this was a line from a man who call himself lord evil... one of Jamaica's top hardcore dancehall act Aidonia. If you ask me that's how far Aidonia would go... In a recent interview Agent Sasco the artiste well known as Asassin indicated that he would not be fond of being in any clash with the Cake Soap king of dancehall Vybz Kartel because Vybz Kartel does not have any boundaries.
Now we have seen that the DJ is quite fond of Tattoos... but again he proves that his boundaries are not defined.. Aidonia though he is called evil head...im willing to put my head on the line and say he will never get a Tattoo that says Devil and have hearts around it.... lets see you Tattoo "sick eye" on your eye ball... i dare you Mr Michael Cake Soap Jackson.

Is calculus not your thing?

Not to worry. A 12-year-old is here to help you out (scroll down for the mind-boggling video).

The Indianapolis Star reports that Jacob Barnett, who is mildly autistic, grasps some of the most complex concepts in math. He's attending Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where there is a movement to get him on board as a paid research assistant.

"We have told him that after this semester . . . enough of the book work. You are here to do some science," said IUPUI physics Professor John Ross.

Not only does he love working equations, Barnett believes he can prove Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity wrong, TIME reports. Astrophysics professor Scott Tremaine of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton confirms he's onto something. Another project in the works: disproving the Big Bang Theory.

Time to learn from him firsthand. See this fascinating footage of the boy with a higher IQ than Einstein teach the techniques of integration for Calculus 2:

WATCH:

http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/51603

A lot of hype went into Saturday nights concert billed as a pre-release album show for Shynes post-prison compilations. The advertisements said that there would be two Def Jam platinum recording artists that would share the stage with Shyne, who is now known as Moshe Levi Ben David since his conversion to Judaism. In the days leading to the concert, the location had to be changed from the Princess poolside to the MCC stadium to accommodate the large crowds, thousands of whom were expected to show up to see names like Wyclef, Ashanti, Nelly, Busta Rhymes, Little Kim, Rick Ross or even Rihanna. So which of them showed up? According to Po People Entertainments manager, Ritchie Galvez, none of them did. In fact, he himself still doesnt know who the mystery artists would have been. Galvez says that many persons who shelled out fifty dollars each to attend the show feel cheated, and so does he because it was Shyne who made the promise and failed to deliver.

Ritchie Galvez, Promoter, Po People Entertainment

Po People Entertainment was responsible for Black Chiney, Black Rhino, Chino and Shyne cause we paid him. Gangland was responsible for the two guest appearance and Barrington Levy which Po People paid five first class tickets for them to come. I did my part. I fulfilled everything [and] Shyne, up to now, were still wondering what happened.

Jose Sanchez

You didnt see the shine. There was no shine at all.

Ritchie Galvez

Shyne did perform, he did his think because we had contract, but his part and his promises, I mean never did come through. And being ambassador, I think he owns Belize an apology or explain to we exactly what happened and noh make everything di come down pan me cause now ih look like dah me responsible and naw I cant accept that you know, I cant. I believed in him for so long, but I think now its time for me to put mi foot pan ground and say yo, this dah weh di happen and have it pan black and white so nobody cant tell me no fool.
People now are pointing fingers at me and I just here to clear up my name thats all.

Jose Sanchez

Okay they are pointing fingers at you, but what is the main issue. Why are people calling it a scam as you say?

Ritchie Galvez

Well you cant blame the people because then if we di sell wah ticket and say this and that mi wah di deh, that supposed to di deh.

Jose Sanchez

What was promised?

Ritchie Galvez

All the artists I just mentioned who were there, Shyne plus the two R&B/hip hop guests artists that Shyne said was coming in and Barrington Levy. Now on Barrington Levys part, there was an explanation from Barringtons Camp because his manager there were here and his people were here, but because of the situation in Miami with the airport and whatnot, flights were canceled. Even some of the artists yesterday had to wait until today to move out from Belize because no flights were available to Miami.

Jose Sanchez

Now, how much money did you pay Shyne to be a part of this Pre-Release Album Party?

Ritchie Galvez

I neva really want go to that, but I guess ah have to now right? When you add tickets and down payments and deposits and everything, were looking [at] nearly over fifty thousand Belize dollars.

According to concert goers, Shyne graced the stage sometime after four a.m. Sunday morning. There was some excitement at a local club when people took pictures with a man they believed to be the hip hop heavy weight Rick Ross.  It was actually Barrington Levys manager, who made it to Belize. Levy, who sang on Shynes hit songs Bonnie and Shyne and Bad Boys, never arrived in the country.

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Vybz Kartel.. is planning to take a breather anytime soon it seems... I'm not sure if he still puts out 4 tune per day. This is one of his latest called "Horny and Proud."... a knock perhaps from Black and Proud.. and knowing that the DJ is not black the moment it is a teaser perhaps for the Afro-conscious... question now is this another hit... from the low hit rate artiste.. by summer we shall know.
check it out.. new tune from Vybz Kartel called Horny and Proud

Horror gave way to fury in Waterford, St Catherine, yesterday as residents agitatedly watched a National Water Commission (NWC) tractor disconnecting the sewerage lines of several residents with outstanding bills.

It was the fear that the utility company's action could trigger a health crisis that propelled scores of residents towards the NWC equipment.

Residents noisily inquired of all who would listen - the police, NWC workers and their member of Parliament, Colin @#$an - where the affected residents would dispose of their waste.

"Where can I go to empty my bowels?" lamented 64-year-old Thelma Johnson Clarke in a quiet voice as she spoke with The Gleaner.

The elderly woman said she stumbled into the sewerage woe when she went to Waterford to bury her son, who was killed at the very spot where the tractor had created a huge hole.

Normally, the NWC disconnects the water supply of delinquent residents for non-payment.

Repeated attempts to get a comment from the NWC's communications manager, Charles Buchanan, were unsuccessful.

Johnson Clarke's infuriated neighbours shouted that the NWC's action reeked of a new level of cold cruelty.

Ironically, Waterford has a history of sewerage problems, with effluent flowing frequently from a malfunctioning system, bringing an overpowering stench with it.

Shantal Morgan, a young mother who lives two doors from Johnson Clarke, said she was another victim.

Residents pointed to a spot where a gash in the earth appeared to have been recently covered.

Morgan, with a young baby in her arms, told The Gleaner that she rented the house in 2009, with a huge outstanding bill.

"More than 30 sewerage (lines) have been cut. This never happen before in Waterford," declared a man. "A kill dem want to kill off people."

Johnson Clarke told The Gleaner that eight persons, including three children, the youngest a one-year-old toddler, occupied the house.

"How can five children live without sewage facilities?" bemoaned the golden-ager.

"They came without any (prior) notice. They had disconnected the water, but now they went much further by taking out the sewage system," she said.

Johnson Clarke claimed she found out two weeks ago that the previous occupants owed more than $99,000. She said she was served notice to regularise her situation.

"I went to them a couple of weeks ago. I don't disagree, but I told the lady that I had just returned (to Waterford) to bury my son, who was killed," said Johnson Clarke. "I told her that I don't have the money right now and it would be another two months before I can cover this bill."

However, Johnson Clarke claimed the NWC said the water supply would not be reconnected until she paid more than $66,000.

@#$an also expressed his displeasure.

"There must be a better way to deal with this type of thing (non-payment)," he told The Gleaner. "In a modern society, I don't believe we should be disconnecting the sewer system. The State must find a better way to deal with such a situation."

Added @#$an: "Why would the NWC bypass the court system?"

Pals of a teenage soccer fanatic who was murdered in Colombia brought his body to see his favorite team play one last time.

The remains of Christopher Jacome, 17, were brought in a coffin to General Santander Stadium in the city of Cucuta for Sunday's match between Cucuta Deportivo and Envigado.

Jacome, who was a member of a local soccer fan club known for its hooliganism, was shot to death Saturday while playing soccer in a nearby park.

After his wake, pals from his soccer club decided to bring the coffin with the body inside to the stadium and parade the casket around the stands.

City officials were appalled when they later discovered the body was allowed in and are investigating how it happened.

The players were perturbed as well.

"We do not understand how he was let in," said Envigado midfielder Angle Jilmar. "We wondered if it was the fault of security."

Police say Jacome's death had nothing to do with soccer but stemmed from criminal activity around where he was playing.

THE March of Three Kings concert headlined by Mavado, Elephant Man and Wayne Marshall was marred by gunfire which caused a stampede from Margaritaville in Ocho Rios on Saturday night .

"A music and love wi seh," shouted Mavado in the parking lot at around 4.35 am to the shaken departing crowd.

Three minutes earlier three gunshots rang from just outside the venue. It resulted in scores of patrons taking cover behind trees, cars and bodies. This was preceded by shouts of "fight, fight, gun!". In total the crowd sought cover three times in an attempt to exit the parking lot. It wasn't immediately clear who fired the shots.

Prior to the stampede,the crowd's initial focus was on a bleedingman, possibly intoxicated, of unsound mind, or both, lying in the parking lot. "Him get hit by a car," stated one patron.

Unresponsive calls to him resulted in the thickening of the crowd and honking horns. Then came the shots.

During the concert, the sound selectors, Elephant Man and Mavado all voiced expressions of violence as a means to rev-up the thick crowd. The favourite target of the selectors and Elephant Man were gays whilst Mavado lyrically attacked his nameless enemies. Wayne Marshall kept his set clean. "We nah kill no fish. We just saying we nah switch non at all," he stated in reference to gays.

Despite the gunshots and the abundance of lyrical violence, the show contained colourful performances including comedic skits by Elephant Man. He invited a fat woman on stage, whom he described as a female elephant, and did his usual antics -- throwing her in the air stopping in mid-air to 'bus a wine'.

In performance Mavado rarely sang the choruses of his songs. He relied on the introduction many times only to elicit crowd whistles and verbal gun salutes. "Dash weh that," he constantly told the selector indicating his need for the next track.

It took him 12 songs before he would sing a full song.

A maximum of three lines was given to each preceding song and many subsequent songs. It indicated his heavy reliance on allusion as a performance style. It's not surprising that Real Killer speaks to this very issue of defeating a rival with "no chorus".

His 30-minute set included five themes of songs about guns, girls, gully, God and ganja.

The 25-song list included Weh Dem A Do, Real Killer, Hope and Pray, Real McKoy, Dem a Gangsta, Amazing Grace, Gully Side, Don't Worry, No Fraid a Dem, Gal over Gun, When You Feel Lonely (Tek off You Panty), Gyal A Mad Ova (Nova Scotia), Stulla (Long Distance), Tump her Up, I KnowYou Want Me, Give Her Everything, 9 Lives (God of Peace), The Messiah, Jah Is Coming Soon, Star Bwoy, Give you My Everything, This Life and All Dem a Talk.

http://www.mediafire.com/?k31mxidwzaxjlcr

 Its been almost three years since its release and Lil Waynes Tha Carter III continues to make headlines. This past week Darius Deezle Harrison announced that he is suing Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records claiming that hes owed more than $20 million for his work on the multi-platinum selling disc.


The producer, who worked on such tracks as CIIIs Lollipop, Whip It, Prostitue 2, and Action, as well as Mrs. Officer and Let the Beat Build, claims he has yet to paid.

A rep for YMCMB has yet to comment on the suit.

This is just the latest accusation against the label. Last year producer Jim Jonson sued Weezy and YMCMB for over $500,000 for failing to pay him royalties on his work on Lollipop. Play-N-Skillz also In 2009 Play-n-Skillz publicly claimed that they had yet to receive any money for their work on Got Money, another single from Waynes multi-platinum selling LP, Tha Carter III.

After nearly a century of trying, researchers have successfully grown sperm outside the body.

Researchers from Yokohama City University in Japan were able to create working sperm from the testicular tissue of mice. The findings were reported in the online journal, Nature, this week.

If the technique proves transferable to humans, the discovery could help scientists identify solutions to male infertility, and provide options to young cancer patients whose treatment causes future infertility, experts say.

By gaining a better understanding of the molecular steps behind sperm formation, scientists could tap into important clues to make in-vitro fertilization possible for men.

For young boys who undergo cancer therapies that cause infertility, the ability to create sperm from human cells would be crucial. There is growing concern that treatments like radiation and chemotherapy could rob young cancer patients of the ability to have children in the future. While young adults have options -- banking sperm or freezing embryos or eggs -- at the moment children diagnosed before puberty don't.

So how does it work?

Research leader Takehiko Ogawa and his team cultivated small pieces of tissue from mice testes and bathed the tissues in a mixture with a serum often used to grow embryonic stem cells. (It was in changing the ingredients of this mixture that researchers succeeded this time where they had failed in the past.) The team tried various culture methods and tested which allowed the mouse sperm to mature, using a fluorescent protein to track the sperm's growth.

Incredibly, eggs injected with the successfully grown sperm bore live, fertile mice -- mice who then went on to have offspring of their own. The team was also able to grow sperm from frozen tissue, indicating that cold temperature does not harm cells.

Of course, much more research is needed to see if the technique will transfer to humans. To learn more, read the full study in Nature.

Platinum Camp Records in association with Twin of Twins (Kingston13) and Black Roses Entertainment have collaborated to present a never done before in the history of the Caribbean deal, the release of STIR IT UP series Vol 9? in an animated (cartoon) format, followed by the production and development of a thirty minutes animated sitcom for television based on the characters made famous by the Twins, and is set to be aired for a season.

The C.E.O of Platinum Camp, Daddy Bigg$ was quoted, Its a first of its kind deal, which is structured for a multiple of years, over which the entire Caribbean will be entertained by the fabulous, and hilarious antics of the Twins. You will have to set your alarms, and stop whatever youre doing to run to your television sets once per week for about thirty minutes in order not to miss the funniest animated sitcom of all time.

Twin of Twins have also signed on for the movie GANGSTERS wherein the twins will play major roles, one as a merciless gangster while the other plays the role of a degenerate, hence the hint of comedy in this otherwise hardcore movie. Are you ready for more good news? Twin of Twins are in the process of recording another album titled Twinness Book of Records in which they collaborate with several different artists including Damien Marley on a track titled Gangsters and Pimps (which will be one of the soundtracks for the movie GANGSTERS) and with Vegas, track titled Tight Like Glue with more to come. This album is a compilation of old and new records with songs like, Bait Me Up, Which Dudus Them A Talk Bout, When Di Gal Dem Du Dem Ting, and How Come by the Twins.

Longtime twins manager Henry k. who helped structure the deal says we have been offered deals before but platinum camp came to the table with the right combination of creative freedom and financial backing. Platinum Camp has the vision of creating a multi-media empire combining film, music, and digital media that is consistent with our vision and what we have been building.

Thousands of Caribbean teachers who were lured to the United States with promises of better-paying jobs, improved educational opportunities, housing assistance, and the path to permanent residency are crying foul, claiming that they are victims of victimisation.

Some have staged public rallies since the start of the month to air their grouses and have since formed an alliance with an American lobby and will take their case to the deputy mayor of New York tomorrow, accompanied by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.

Jamaicans, Bahamians, Trinidadians, Grenadians, St Lucians, Dominicans - all recruited by New York City Schools, some from as far back as 2001 - are yet to receive promises of permanent residency. They say they have had no support from the Department of Education (DOE) in a report tagged 'Broken Promises' that has sparked a firestorm in the United States.

"We have been classified as unskilled workers and are treated as indentured servants. How is this possible when we were chosen because we were the best and brightest our countries had to offer? This is an egregious situation, and we are demanding redress from the city, state, federal, and international levels," chairman of the International Association of Educators (IAE), Judith Hall, told The Sunday Gleaner.

Describing the promised green card as "ephemeral", Hall said, "It's like a mirage. Every time you try to grasp it, you find it's beyond your reach."

After 10 years in the US, Hall has two master's degrees and a principal's licence since 2008 - which she cannot use - and no pension. Her son cannot access any form of scholarship because he is treated as an international student, and her spouse cannot work.

Disenchanted and fearing deportation, Hall, a Jamaican, and her team of 400-strong educators, have joined forces with The Black Institute, an organisation founded to shape intellectual discourse and dialogue, and influence public policy from a Black perspective. This includes all people of colour in the United States and throughout the diaspora.

The Black Institute was founded by Bertha Lewis, former CEO of the Association of Community Organisations for Reform Now (ACORN).

Lamenting the uphill battle, Lewis said she has had to fight with little information from the DOE on the number of teachers affected, however, she estimated that the figure ranged from a minimum of 2,000 to anywhere between 5,000 and 8,000, and "that's what we have pieced together".

She said the educators had paid an average of US$10,000 each over the last eight years to lawyers recommended by the DOE. The job of the lawyers was to make their transition to permanent residency seamless.

The IAE said it later found out that these same lawyers were employed to the DOE.

At tomorrow's meeting, Lewis said that she wants the status of the immigrant teachers addressed first and foremost.

"The first thing we want is to have these teachers' status changed to skilled professionals," stated Lewis. Currently, they are classified as unskilled labourers, even though many of them are holders of bachelor's and master's degrees.

Wants reinstatement

Lewis, who argues that these immigrants have been totally abused and used by the system, also wants all international teachers who were dismissed immediately reinstated as "unlike others, they never got due process". Of note is the fact that European teachers are not given the same treatment. The Caribbean educators fall in the same category as countries such as the Philippines and Africa, said the IAE.

According to Lewis, one of the many horror stories coming out of the 'broken promises' was the disintegration of families. "Because of their H-1 status, their spouses cannot work, and when they were recruited, they were promised legal help, that their spouses could work and their children would be taken care of."

Teachers are allowed to work on a J-1 'exchange' visa for two years. After that, an H-1B visa is required to establish eligibility of residency for their families.

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http://www.sohh.com/2011/03/shyne_exposes_truth_behind_50_cent_beef.html

Deported rapper Shyne has stepped forward to speak on his issues with 50 Cent and why a decision to turn down a G-Unit record deal sparked their seven-year beef.

According to Shyne, a misunderstanding between him and 50 caused them to view one another as rap rivals.

"I don't talk to kids, my life is too serious for that," Shyne told radio host Funkmaster Flex. "I'm minding my business, man, I'm tyring to make this music, you dig? When I was out, I was selling records and he wasn't out yet," Shyne explained. "When I went in the can--as far as I know--he was talking about, 'I'ma shoot up the club like Shyne,' and he was throwing it up. He knew what it was hitting for. I'm unquestionable in the streets. He was trying to get me to sign to G-Unit, and I wasn't finna that. I wasn't finna sign to Murder Inc., I wasn't finna sign to Death Row neither. I was on my Gang Land thing. He just took that the wrong way and started talking reckless." (Hot 97)

Last summer, 50 phoned in to Shyne's Def Jam conference call and questioned him for dropping multiple diss tracks aimed at the Unit.

"I'd like to speak with Shyne," Fif said while recording the session from an office desk. "My name is Sean, I'm right out on Radio One. I called right after Tim Westwood. I'd like to speak with Shyne. Yeah my question, is this Shyne? What's up, man. Everything's good. I was just wondering what is your real issue with 50? ... The 50 sh*t with Shyne, I think that sh*t is a hoax! I think it's the way you try to gain attention in some ways because the n*gga ain't been f*cking with you for 15 years. You've been gone for 10 years so you couldn't have had no issues. Shut up n*gga! Shut up n*gga! Shut up, you're on a f*cking island! You can't go to war from a f*cking island! Shut the f*ck up! Shut up! F*ck Shyne! F*ck Def Jam! F*ck everybody! I don't care you went to jail! I hope you got raped by a pack of n*ggas!" (This Is 50)

Shyne later addressed the prank call and accused 50 of being a stalker.

"Wow. That's like an all-time low," Shyne said. "I didn't know he was so desperate. He's gone from confidential informant, witness-protection program dude, getting order [of protection] on muthaf---as. Now he's a stalker. I was in shock. He called up saying he was 'Jamal from Harlem.' He didn't call up saying he's Curtis Jackson, Hawaii 5-0. He's a busta. I can't believe it. I can't believe he would stoop to that low. Then again, a guy in the witness-protection program, he has no shame...I thought it was somebody who was having a bad day, who wanted to know the situation. It wasn't until after everything was finished, muthaf---as at Def Jam was like, 'That was Boo-Boo. That was Hawaii 5-0.' I was like, 'No. No.' Then he put the [video] out, like he was talking reckless. He's a creep. Any of my comments have been honest comments. These dudes do anything, I don't give a f---. It never bothered me. The fact that he's sitting in New York, selling his Vitamin Water, listening to my Ustream. What the f---? You're stalking me. Go take some steroids. Find something to do." (MTV)

In early 2010, Shyne dropped his "There Will Be *la*hd" anti-50 Cent diss.

"The champ is here and not a minute too quickly, like Mike, I'm back to the city to drop 50," Shyne raps. "Upon my return, I empty the cartridge, got fat while I was gone, now I'ma send you where God is/Ah-hem, let me clear my throat -- when you talk to the Feds, spell my name with a 'y'/I hate rats and chumps, you guys ain't gorillas, you're f*cking chipmunks/F-Y-I, I'm the king of the jungle..." ("There Will Be *la*hd")

http://www.sohh.com/2011/02/shyne_didnt_change_who_he_is.html

As Shyne steadily embraces Judaism, SOHH reached to Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu to get his reaction to the former Bad Boy artist's new lifestyle.

In addition to sharing his thoughts, Matisyahu also revealed that he personally contacted Shyne following the news of his conversion.

"I read the article and right away reached out to him," Matis said referring to learning about Shyne's newfound faith in Judaism. "I had a conversation with him and he was real cool. My feeling is that he's [serious about his conversion]. Somehow, he really connected to this. He seems real about it and inspired when you're talking to him -- But he's still the same guy. When you listen to him talk, when you hear him talk, you hear where he's from. He didn't change who he is. I'm sure he changed his lifestyle and a lot of things but I went through a very similar process, so I respect that a lot. I think it could be really good for Jewish people for him to do something like that. I think he can be an inspiration. He'll be in NewYork soon...Definitely [expect a collaboration from us], we've already been back and forth on the e-mails. We talked about doing some shows together." (SOHH)

Recently defending his choice to dress in traditional Hasidic fashion, Shyne pondered how the public could question him and applaud pop star Lady Gaga's controversial outfits.

"There's a girl by the name of Lady Gaga and she's the #1 pop artist in the world and she wears outfits that are stitched together with meat... So if millions of people don't have a problem with someone wearing meat as an outfit, how could you imagine they would have a problem with a guy like me who stands for everything that any true man stands for, who has walked through a fire, who is honorable and whose life is based on integrity?" (Blogs Forward)

Last November, Shyne discussed maintaining his street credibility while walking a sanctified path.

"All these rules, rules, rules," the rapper said about the strict religious requirements. "But you know what you have if you don't have rules? You end up with a bunch of pills in your stomach." Even though Shyne sports a Hasidic-style hat and a black jacket that hangs to his knees, the Brooklyn-raised rapper said he hasn't lost his street cred. "There's nothing in the Chumash [a Jewish book] that says I can't drive a Lamborghini," said Shyne, who was released from prison last year after serving nine years. (New York Post)

Outside of Shyne, Matisyahu recently talked to SOHH about the Top 5 reasons music lovers should cop his new Live At Stubb's, Volume II album.

"The first reason why you should buy Live At Stubb's, Volume II is because the music is pretty unique. There's a very unique sound. I think one of the draws that my music has had is that I grew up listening to multi-genre sounds like so many of today's youths. We grew up listening to hip-hop music but we also listened to rockmusic and reggae music. So the style that developed from what it was five or six years ago to where it has gone, it's just the continued evolution. It's still a blending of the different styles but I think if you're a reggae lover, you're gonna love it. If you like hip-hop, electronic music, rock music, it just has all those different aspects to it." (Buy My Record)

Peter King (SI) The most interesting thing that happened in the NFL this weekend, and no one but about 700 cons were around to see it was the, Michael Vick Experience as he tried to fire up inmates in Avon Park, Fla., on Saturday.

One: Did you know Vick, while imprisoned at the federal prison in Leavenworth, Kan., had a "Longest Yard'' experience, quarterbacking one team of cons to a 42-14 win over another? The inmates kept badgering him to play, but he went more than a year without touching a football -- until September 2008, with eight months left on his sentence.

The inmates split into two seven-on-seven teams for a game of flag football. Vick offered to play quarterback for both teams, but that was turned down; a slew of guys wanted the chance to say they were on a team that beat Michael Vick. Alas, the Vick side won in a rout; he said he thought he threw maybe six or seven incompletions. "All my guys wanted to do was go deep,'' he said. I asked him if he was sacked at all. "Once,'' he said. To which Tony Dungy, listening in, said: "Sign that guy up.''

Two: Part of his prison sentence included a four-night, top-secret stay in solitary confinement in Atlanta about a month before his May 2009 release. In a weird crisscrossing of America, Vick had to be transported from Leavenworth to Richmond, Va., to bankruptcy court for a hearing. He was driven from prison in Kansas to the Oklahoma City airport, flown to an airport in Virginia. In two different prisons in Virginia, Vick spent a total of 11 days in solitary confinement, away from the general population.

And when the hearing was over, he said he was put on a prison transport bus, alone, shackled to the seat. The only other person on the bus was the driver. And for eight hours, he was driven in silence to a prison in Atlanta. Why? He needed to go somewhere with a nonstop flight to Oklahoma City, so marshals could deposit him on the plane and simply walk him off the plane in Oklahoma into a waiting vehicle for the drive back to Leavenworth. "It was pretty weird, being in Atlanta,'' he said. "We drove past a course where I used to golf, and past places I used to go all the time. And when I got there, they got me in and out without people seeing me or knowing I was there.''

Stunning. Matt Ryan's throwing balls to Falcon receivers a few miles up the road, and Vick's sitting in solitary, in the town he used to own. And no one knew.

The Visit

AVON PARK, Fla. -- I got a good view into Michael Vick's world over the weekend, visiting a Florida prison with Tony Dungy and another one of our NBC Football Night in America colleagues, Dan Patrick. (Dungy invited us to come along to see the prison ministry group he's become so involved with.) It was a good time to see Dungy and his friends at work, and to see how Vick is progressing in turning his life around. Can he really overcome the stigma of masterminding the dogfighting ring the way he did, causing him to spend 19 months of his life in prison?

The signs have been good. "I want to be an instrument of change,'' he told about 700 prisoners at the Avon Park Correctional Institute, 90 minutes south of Orlando. And he was terrific in his five hours here, signing autographs, talking to two large groups of prisoners and then talking to men in smaller groups informally. He also spoke to eight men in solitary confinement.

I can tell you from being in the solitary cellblock, with the tiny cells and the knowledge that these men will leave these cells for only three hours each week ... the depression was palpable. Vick, who had been in cells like these before, got right up to the bars, stuck his hand through them and tried to tell the men their lives aren't over.
So I saw him doing the right thing, and he's been doing the right thing in Philadelphia. Those who monitor Vick, including Dungy and commissioner Roger Goodell, think he's doing well.

I'll tell you what concerns me: the adulation and the nonstop attention. That contributed to Vick thinking before his conviction he could live by different rules than the rest of the planet, and the adulation hasn't stopped. He was swarmed in the morning by men desperately happy to see him. In the evening, when he went with Dungy and the former coach's wife, Lauren, to a fundraising banquet for the Abe Brown Ministries, one of Dungy's favorite causes, a constant procession of people to Vick's seat in the crowd made it hard for him to eat -- and he finally gave up trying to do that.

At the end of the night, Dungy and Vick had to disappoint scores of people by not signing or posing for photos with every last one. "This is not just today,'' Vick said. "It's every day.''

The people were nice, to be sure, and well-meaning. But we saw what happened to Vick when the daily treatment of him like Michael Jordan in the public was combined with having money. And if he keeps playing football like he played in his reborn 2010 season, he's going to have money again, even after he takes care of his debts from bankruptcy court. Lots of money.
He appears to be on his way to changing his life. But time will tell if the change can stick. I just know if I were being told every day how wonderful I am -- not once, but 300 times -- my wife telling me to take the recycling out might fall on deaf ears.

Driving back from dinner Friday night, Dungy, looking to make a slight adjustment, came to an intersection with a U-turn prohibition. He took a left into a parking lot, turned around, and got back on the street going the right way.
"That's the kind of thing I used to just say, 'I don't see a cop, I'm doing the U-turn,' '' Vick said. "That happens now, I'm wrong, I get picked up, and I'm on the front page. It's not a big deal, but if I do it, it is. I understand. That's OK. To alleviate any chance of a problem, I've always got to do the right thing now. But it's a good thing. I've got to hold myself accountable in everything I do.''
Back to Avon Park. Vick brought his message to about 700 prisoners, to loud applause. "I can tell them the theoretical,'' Dungy said on the ride to Avon Park. "Mike can tell them what it's really like, and how to use this time in their life to prepare for the world again.''

When Vick arrived, he looked at the gleaming wire and the sprawling white-bricked complex of cellblocks. "Don't look like Leavenworth,'' he said. "It's nicer.''
Most of the men wanted to talk to him about football, and he did a lot of that. But when Dungy got him on stage in the courtyard, following some rousing spiritual songs by the volunteers from Tampa, he was intent on delivering a message, with Vick's help. Dungy has been doing this for 15 years, going to prisons several times a year. It started by following the lead of the late Abe Brown, a high school football coach in Tampa who saw the crushing cycle of imprisonment badly affecting men from Tampa Bay.

In the crowd at Avon Park, Dungy was surprised -- but not shocked, because nothing shocks him about crime anymore -- to see one of his son Eric's classmates from Plant High in the crowd. "When I started to come to prisons [with Abe Brown],'' said Dungy, "I was so surprised. I thought it'd be all these older guys. But they're so young, most of them. They made one mistake, in many cases, and it can ruin their lives. We try to come here and just give them hope that their lives aren't over, that they can take control of their lives and rebound.''
 

Vick had been a little tight Friday night. "I'm nervous about going,'' he said, "but this time, I get to leave at the end of the day.'' When Vick strode into the courtyard to meet the men, he wore AVON PARK VISITORS BADGE 307; the inmates wore their prison IDs clipped to the front of their prison-issued blue uniforms. In the informal chatting and signing, much of the talk was football. "You gonna learn to slide now?'' one 25ish inmate asked.

"No. No,'' Vick said. "Not how I play. In 20 years, I'll look back at my career and say, 'I never learned to slide.' ''
"Need you on the Giants!'' another inmate shouted.
"Nope,'' he said. "Eli's team.''
When Dungy faced the prisoners Saturday morning, he used his guest from Philadelphia as a beacon.
"I have a lot of friends in the National Football League,'' Dungy said from a podium, with the flags of Florida and the United States bookending him. "And a lot of them have done great things. But I don't have a friend that I'm more proud of than Michael Vick.''
Vick liked the trip more than he thought he would. "It was therapeutic for me,'' he said. "I got so much out of it.''
Dungy's fond of saying you never know how many people you're going to influence on trips like this, and if it's only one, you've had a worthwhile day. You never know which one. One day, that would be a fan letter Vick would like to get.

Ghanaian movie producer Socrates Safo has used a shaving stick to graze down the thick pubic hair from the vagina of an actress who played a role in his new movie, What Sex Can Do, according to information reaching the News-One newspaper.

Socrates, also known as the Hot Fork Man, is noted for producing adult-rated movies and a source close to his crew told News-One how the said pubic hair was shaved.

We were on set shooting the move and one of the actresses had to shave her pubic hair in front of the cameras but she was being dull so Socrates took the shaving stick and did it for her in front of the cameras and all of us, the source said.

It is not yet clear which particular actress opened her vagina for Socrates to shave but News-One has gathered that he cast a number of female stars including Baby Blanch and Kalsume Sinare.

The source also managed to get News-One a not-too-clear photo of the said actress while she was shaving her vagina just before Socrates took over with the shaving stick.

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Family members, friends and fans are mourning the murder of DJ Megatron, who was gunned down early Sunday morning on the streets of Staten Island.

The rising TV and radio star, whose given name was Corey McGriff, was shot in Clifton at about 2 a.m. and pronounced dead on the scene a short time later, police said.

The Staten Island resident had just moved to a new house and his girlfriend recently gave birth to his third child.

"Everybody is shocked," said a close friend who asked not be identified. "He just had a new baby. He wasn't feuding with anybody. Everybody liked him."

His buddy said it was normal for Megatron to get back to Staten Island around 2 or 3 in the morning after working at a club or music event.

"I'm still shocked that somebody killed him," he said. "I can't even understand why. It could be somebody that he didn't even know. At that time of the night people do all kinds of crazy things."

"I can't see it being a personal thing because I don't know of anybody who had a personal issue with him," he added. "But at the same time, when you start getting success you have people who don't necessarily like that."

A police source said detectives have thus far not been able to track down an eyewitness to the murder.

Keith Robinson, who identified himself as Megatron's father-in-law, said his family was distraught.

"He was a good person," Robinson said, visibly upset, "Everyone's just shocked."

The Staten Island performer was a regular on BET's "106th and Park," and worked on HOT 97 two years ago.

A friend who arrived at the scene at about 4 a.m. said she talked to him a few hours earlier.

"He just called me," Lisa Torres said, "He asked me if I was going to [a friend's] party."

She became inconsolable as the news sank in.

"He's right there on the ground. I can't believe this," she screamed as she broke down in tears. "You're lying, you're lying! That's not Megatron right there!"

Tanto Blacks - file

Producer Cordel 'Skatta' Burrell, manager of Tanto Blacks, is claiming that his artiste deserves an apology from Simon Crosskill for what he believes was a distasteful interview on TVJ's Smile Jamaica last Friday morning.

"I took offence. It was quite evident that Simon Crosskill was trying to belittle the artiste. Everybody deserves some level of respect but I didn't see the artiste getting any from him. I did not get that level of respect or appreciation that you would show to another person. I was very disgusted," Burrell told THE STAR, noting that he did not have a problem with the other interviewer, Neville Bell.

"He was comparing him to L.A. Lewis and Shebada. There is a certain level that you don't cross. So I would like an apology on behalf of the artiste or for him (Crosskill) to acknowledge that he overstepped his boundaries in terms of how he conducted the interview."

took drugs

A video with parts of the interview have been making the rounds on the Internet, already receiving thousands of views on YouTube. In it, Crosskill asked Tanto Blacks if he took drugs before coming to the show, mimicked him and even encouraged him not to perform on Sting, as "even plastic bottle lick hot." He also said, "somebody seh I mustn't mek you leave here without giving you the directions to Ward 21."

However, Burrell stressed that his grouse is not connected in any way to the RJR Communications Group.

"I am not condemning the RJR group but I saw something that was distasteful and I am making my voice heard," he told THE STAR, adding that many people share his view.

When contacted, executive producer for the morning show did not say much. "I don't have any comment, just tell him (Burrell) to call me," she said.

Meanwhile, Burrell said Tanto Blacks was glad for the opportunity to be on the show but feels that he received some level of mistreatment.

"Him nuh feel like it damage him 'cause he was very grateful to be on the programme. Him acknowledge seh Simon was trying to get under his skin but him hol' it," Burrell said.

Tracy-Ann Hyman inside a train in pre-earthquake Japan. - Contributed

YOU KNOW, we sometimes take life for granted, and it's in situations like these you realise that life is precious and that you really have no control over some things.

In the morning, I got up and was just really feeling out of it. Fortunately, one of my friends cheered me up and I started to get ready to go to Tokyo to visit a fellow Jamaican as well as do some business.

Having reached my friend's house, I had just put down my bag, didn't even get a chance to take off my winter jacket, when the building started to shake. I told my friend that the place was shaking a bit, but he was very nonchalant about it.

The vibrations, however, started getting heavier and heavier, and automatically, all the disaster preparedness training that I received in Jamaica from high school and on-the-job training kicked in. I looked for a door jam, and saw that it was not adequate, so I went under the table instead.

All the things in the house started to fly and fall on the ground and, in the end, where I was standing was piled with books and all kind of objects.

Psychologists tell us that when there is a crisis, humans go into three modes. First: denial, then deliberation and third, the decisive moment. You can go through each mode one after the other or jump from one point to the other and back, with no clear trend.

IN DENIAL

While I was under the table, I was in the denial, yet taking actions in terms of what I needed to do. I was in no way deliberating.

It's funny because in the middle of crisis, sometimes you get a lot of jokes. My friend is a Rastafarian, so he was in the other room bawling out "JAH, RASTAFARIIIII! Hold it Jah! Hol it! Nuh mek mi dead wid dem wicked people yah! Dem a run down money, and just deh pan dem cellphone and nah serve yuh!"

While I on the other hand was saying softly, "Jesus, Jesus please, please let this stop now," acting all stoosh (while still in denial). When the intensity increased. However, I bawled out JESUS! All reservations gone.

In the end, we evacuated the building, because it is very old and we went to find my friend's family members and secure their safety. I had to stay the night in Tokyo, as my home is an hour away and all railway services were cancelled. People were sleeping on the floor in the subway. I stayed with my friend and his family, but I didn't get much sleep. It took until the following morning, before the denial wore off. I am now in the deliberating mode right now, while still making some decisions. We are still having aftershocks, even till now, and so I'm just riding out this storm, with God's help.

Tracy-ann Hyman is a recent graduate of the University of Tokyo and instructor of English in Japan.

Source: Jamaica Gleaner 

Twins of Twins is getting ready to release their long awaited production..Stir it Up Volume 9. It is promised to be a belly full of later for the fans. Including in this episode is the Buju Banton case vs United States and Vybz Kartel vs Bounty Killer showdown. The Twins took precaution recently when Volume 9 was reviewed by lawyers to determine if there were any infringements against the rights of the characters imitated in this Volume 9 Stir it Up series. The Twins are taking no chances seeing what happened between them and Round Head.
You can take listen of the Preview Here or below.
There are reports indicating that The Twins are planning to take their production to the next level. The twins in association with Platinum Camp Records as well as Black Roses Entertainment.. is planing to not only release the audio of the Stir Up Volume 9 but also releasing an Animated format ...yeah the ting gone DVD...Cartoon in 3D rasta...Lol..not only that it was also reported that there is possibly a 30 minute TV sitcom in animation as well where the twins will have a chance to unleash their wit... this is definitely one to look forward to.

ALLEGATIONS by a Jamaican woman that she was finger-raped by an immigration officer before being thrown out of Barbados, have brought the spotlight on poor treatment of Jamaicans visiting that eastern Caribbean island.
Shanique Myrie complained bitterly to the Observer yesterday that when she attempted to enter Barbados on March 14, 2011, she was subjected to two demeaning cavity searches by a female immigration officer who continuously spewed venom about Jamaicans. It was her first trip out of the island.

Myrie's story was corroborated by former Jamaican honorary consul to Barbados, Marlon Gordon.
Gordon, an attorney, said even though some Jamaicans do enter Barbados and get involved in nefarious activities, that was no excuse for wholesale discrimination against Jamaica nationals.
"This arbitrary kind of behaviour that is being exhibited by the Government in Barbados has to be looked at. You can't penalise an entire nation," Gordon said.
Jamaican Jaydene Thomas, a former journalist and now a practising attorney in Barbados, said the Jamaican foreign ministry had for too long ignored the cries of Jamaicans who suffered at the hands of Barbadians when they visited that island.

"Every time that a flight arrives from Jamaica, the nothing-to-declare line is automatically closed, she said. "We are treated like criminals by the authorities."
Myrie, in relating her story to the Observer said: "The lady took me into a bathroom and told me to take off my clothes. I did as requested. After searching me and my clothes she found no contraband or narcotics. She then asked me to bend over, open my legs and spread (my private parts). She said that if I did not comply then she would see that I end up in prison in Barbados.

"When I bent over and spread my (private parts) I felt something enter my (private parts) and when I looked between my legs I saw her gloved hand in my (private parts). I screamed and stood up. She then told me if I obstructed her doing a cavity search she would have me locked up. I bent over again and spread. She again inserted her fingers and poked around. I felt like I was being raped. I was so hurt and ashamed. I felt dirty and defiled," she said.

"I asked her who she was and she said 'I am your worst nightmare'. She then said 'All you (expletive) Jamaicans come here to do is either steal people's man or bring drugs here," Myrie recounted.
Myrie said the immigration officer removed her identification tag before humiliating her and that she complied because she was alone with the woman and feared what she would do to her.
She was interrogated and her luggage searched by at least four other immigration officials at intervals and was further cursed by the woman who searched her.
"She said I hate these (expletive) Jamaicans," she said.

Even though she was originally given clearance to enter the country, she said a male officer took her passport and returned with the entry permit cancelled and left her in a waiting area for more than two hours before carting her off to a small room and informing her that she would be spending the night in the cramped setting.
"It was only a board cot with a small, raw sponge, there was no pillow or bed linen. The room had no windows," she said.
When she entered the room, Myrie said, another traumatised woman was already in confinement.
"The cot was definitely too small for both of us to lay on at the same time so we took turns laying and sitting while we recounted our ordeal. We did this through the night," Myrie said.

Myrie said in the morning the door was flung open and three women informed them that their flight was about to leave at any minute and they would have no time to shower so they were only able to wash their faces and brush their teeth before they were carted off to the plane and sent back to Jamaica.
"I did not resist any orders, nor did I refuse to answer any questions. No drugs or contraband was ever found on me or my luggage. Therefore, I must ask if the treatment meted out to me was based solely on the fact that I am a Jamaican?" Myrie said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade said yesterday that it had received a letter of complaint from Myrie and other Jamaicans and promised that the matter would be dealt with on a government to government level.
"We have received a number of complaints on a regular basis and those matters will be investigated. The matter has been brought up at the Caricom (Caribbean Community) level and we are aware of the situation," Ann Margaret Lim, the ministry's head of communications told the Observer.
However, the ministry was not able to provide actual figures of the number of Jamaicans treated unfairly in Barbados.

An auroral and unusually big supermoon' was seen lighting up the sky on Saturday, offering a visual treat to an enthusiastic audience of curious sky-gazers.

The phenomenon was special, as the moon came closest to the earth in 18 years, becoming the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. The moon was around 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than the other full moons, Nehru Planetarium Director N. Rathnasree said.

The supermoon' is the biggest and brightest of 2011, C.B. Devgun, director of the Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE), told PTI.

The moon was only 3,56,577 km away. The phenomenon occurred in 1955, 1974, 1992 and 2005.

Full moons coinciding with the moon's closest point to the earth in fact happen after every one year, one month and 18 days when it is about 3,63,104 km from the earth, Mr. Devgun said. This is because the moon's orbit is an ellipse, with one side 50,000 km closer to the earth than the other. In astronomy, the two extremes are called apogee' [far away] and perigee' [nearby].

A public sky-watch with telescopes and a live show with full dome visuals were organised by the Nehru Planetarium on Saturday evening for sky-gazers to have a better view of the perigee full moon, Ms. Rathnasree said. Hundreds of people thronged the planetarium to see the earth's natural satellite, she said, adding it was totally safe to watch the moon with naked eyes.

Dispelling reports that a correlation existed between the moon and earthquakes, she said the data for the past 100 years and more showed no correlation.

It is meaningless to equate the supermoon' with earthquake or tsunami. No inference should ever be drawn from looking at just two data points; any statistical correlation has to be checked over a number of data points.

Earthquakes and tsunami were earth's internal affairs, R.C. Kapoor, a retired professor of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics said. The moon could cause a higher tide and nothing else.

The term supermoon' was first coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979. He defined it as a situation in which the moon is slightly closer to the earth on its orbit than the average, which is 90 per cent or more of its closest orbit, and the moon is a full or new moon.

At the closest, the moon lies roughly 3,56,630 km from the earth.

Singjay Mavado will be featured alongside some of rap's biggest stars in the remix of Welcome to My Hood, mixed by DJ Khaled.

The original version of Welcome to My Hood features rappers Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Plies and T-Pain, but DJ Khaled gathered an all-star cast for the remix that reads like a who's who of rap over the last decade. Mavado lines up with Ludacris, T-Pain, Busta Rhymes, Twista, Birdman, Ace Hood, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Bun B, Game and Waka Flocka on the remix, with Mavado singing fifth on the track.

"Everybody's saying they love Mavado's verse," says Def Jam South president DJ Khaled in a release sent to THE STAR. "The remix has been getting crazy reaction and rotation since it dropped and the Gully Gad is a big part of that. I'm a big fan of Mavado's and his flava on the record just adds that different edge."

Plans are already under way for a video to be shot for the remix, which is seven minutes long, but since Mavado is at present unable to travel to the US, his part will be specially shot in Jamaica by a local director and slotted in.

crazy airplay

In the release Mavado said, "It's a great feeling for the Star Boy to be on a record with such a list of stars, nah mean. It helps position my career right in the mainstream as the record is getting crazy airplay on radio in America already. When my manager told me Khaled called him, I just did it same time without even knowing who else was gonna be on the remix. Khaled always does his thing larger than life but the result is bigger than I was even expecting, it hot like pepper."

Welcome To My Hood is the first single from Khaled's fifth album, titled We The Best Forever, that features the likes of Drake, Nicki Minaj, Keyshia Cole, Cee Lo Green, Rick Ross, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Birdman, Lil Wayne and T.I.

"Mavado is gonna be on a very special record on the album too," added Khaled. "We also gonna put him on Ace Hood's new album, Ace got that Hustle Hard record locking down the planet right now so we getting ready to drop that. 'We The Best' got lots of plans for the Gully Gad so listen."

Mavado is appearing up close and personal this Friday night at Studio 38, 38A Trafalgar Road, before he moves on to Margaritaville in Ocho Rios alongside Wayne Marshall and Elephant Man.

Boasting and bragging is a big part of the rap game. Basically,sh*t talking is a lot of what we hear these days.

Lil Wayne just upped the ante on sh*t talking. Bragging that he has a song on his upcoming album that will make other rappers want to quit

I want other rappers to hear it and say, I quit. I better start making club songs,'" Weezy told Rolling Stone via Rap-Up.

Rolling Stone has reportedly heard the track and give their thumbs up calling the song, three machine-gunning minutes of adenoidal wordplay topped with a triumphant hook.

Lil Wayne's track record for making hits is impeccable, this album will probably define his career, at least the first half of it, so maybe he is going all out to make it special.

What do yall think, does Wayne have that one song that will make everyone go "damn!", or is he just boasting and bragging?

A three-year-old boy who was left at home in the care of neighbours was reportedly killed by a stray dog on Tuesday morning.

The child has been identified as Dimitri Thomas of Bowtie Land in St Andrew.

The police reports are that the child's mother, who is a casual worker, left her son at home at 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday and went to purchase food at a nearby cookshop. She reportedly asked a neighbour to watch the boy while she was on the road. It is alleged that on her way home, the mother stopped to talk to a friend when a resident of the community told her that a dog had attacked her child.

The child was rushed to the Bustamante Hospital for Children and was admitted in serious condition. He subsequently died while undergoing treatment yesterday.

(Donia)
gunshot stick inna him head like goods weh a merchandiser pricing, love hear bout war like how gyal love hear rodney price a try sing

(Kartel)
fuuck inna di gravel wen u open like a novel, fi di draws unravel to di Pu$$y c0cky travel

(Kartel)
coppa mek him get fuuck like a Pu$$y pon street, gaza nuh talk cah di mack 11 can speak

AP: PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier has been hospitalized after having chest pains, his longtime companion and associates said Thursday without giving details about his condition.

Duvalier, who made a surprise return to the Caribbean nation in January, was admitted Wednesday night, companion Veronique Roy said as she took a break from visiting him at the Canape Vert hospital in Port-au-Prince.

Roy declined to discuss his condition in detail. Asked if it was serious, she replied only, "I hope not."

Enzo Alcindor, a Duvalier family friend who was with them at the hospital, said doctors planned more tests. He quoted a cardiologist as saying Duvalier should be released after two days.

"It's not a stroke. It's not a heart attack. Thank God," Alcindor said.

Two police officers stood outside his hospital room Thursday evening.

The 59-year-old former dictator made an abrupt return to Haiti in January after 25 years in exile and appeared at times to move with difficulty, sparking speculation that he was ill.

He has been living in a villa in the hills above Port-au-Prince under police guard as a judge investigates whether he can be charged with a long list of crimes, including corruption and torture, committed while he was "president for life" in the impoverished Caribbean nation.

There have been no restrictions on his movement and he has been spotted attending a jazz concert in Petionville and has been receiving a stream of visitors at the house.

Roy and others said a court clerk served an order on Duvalier confining him to the villa but they planned to appeal.
"There's no law for that," said Duvalier attorney Reynold Georges. "This is illegal."

Friends trickled into the private hospital to check on Duvalier, while outside a dozen sympathizers showed up to lend support, unfurling a banner with the Duvalier colors of black and red. It read "welcome back."

"When you're sick, anything can happen," said Exentus Belot, a 40-year-old mechanic. "He has been under so much pressure and that could have been a factor in his health."

Duvalier was ousted in 1986 amid a popular uprising against what was widely considered a brutal and corrupt regime. He assumed power in 1971 at age 19 following the death of his notorious father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier.

More than 400 people have died and 500,000 have fled ongoing violence in the West African country since its presidential incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to step down after losing November's elections.

Less than £3 million has been pledged for a £10 million appeal for Ivory Coast, and a similar call for help for neighbouring Liberia has been only half-funded.

Yet the World Food Programme's "relatively limited" £700,000 Japan tsunami appeal was filled "almost instantly", spokesman Caroline Hurford said.
"We would urge the world not to forget the situation in Ivory Coast and Liberia, where many Ivorians are fleeing to. This has the potential to develop into a serious but forgotten humanitarian disaster," Miss Hurford said.

Aid workers and UN staff, as well as journalists, have been routinely targeted by Mr Gbagbo's supporters.
This means access to those worst affected is being severely limited.
Leaders of West African countries met in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, on Wednesday to discuss measures to try to force Mr Gbagbo, who has held power since 2000, to step down.
Calls for a military intervention to protect civilians have been growing ahead of the meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas).
"Ivory Coast is no longer on the brink of civil war, it has already begun," said Louise Arbour, former UN Commissioner for Human Rights and now the CEO of the International Crisis Group, who called on Ecowas to take "decisive political and military measures".

The impasse between Mr Gbagbo and his election rival Alassane Ouattara shows little sign of being resolved.
Supporters of both sides are accused of targeting civilians.
Mr Gbagbo's forces may be guilty of crimes against humanity, the UN said, after they shelling of a marketplace last week killed at least 25 people.
The UN Operation in Ivory Coast (UNOCI) said it was "extremely concerned about the increased use of heavy weapons, including machine guns and mortars, by the Special Forces loyal to President Laurent Gbagbo's camp against the civilian population in Abidjan."

Chad Holtz got his walking papers after posting a note on Facebook supporting a controversial book by an evangelical preacher that rethinks hell as a place for billions of damned souls.

Hell hath no fury like a ministry scorned.

A pastor at a Methodist Church in North Carolina lost his job after questioning traditional views on the nature of hell.

Chad Holtz got his walking papers after posting a note on Facebook supporting a controversial book by an evangelical preacher that rethinks hell as a place for billions of damned souls.

"I think justice comes and judgment will happen, but I don't think that means an eternity of torment," Holtz said. "I can understand why people in my church aren't ready to leave that behind. It's something I'm still grappling with myself."

The book, written by Rob Bell and titled "Love Wins," has caused quite a stir for questioning the belief that only a select number of Christians are allowed in heaven while everyone else burns in eternal hell fire.

Traditional Christians say the book's point is very similar to the theological position of universalism, which is considered heresy for many churches.

Bell denies he is a universalist and says he is just arguing that Christian teaching focuses too much attention on hell.

Officials with Holtz's church declined to discuss his firing in detail, but suggested there was more to it than his position on hell.

Holtz said he continues to work on reconciling his beliefs but feels liberated by making his struggle public.

"So long as we believe there's a dividing point in eternity, we're going to think in terms of us and them," Holtz said. "When you believe God has saved everyone, the point is, you're saved. Live like it."