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ALLIANCE ARTISTS NOMINATED FOR MOBO AWARD

2008 winner of the MOBO Award for Best Reggae Act, Gully God Mavado, has once again been nominated for this year’s award, reflecting his continued output of quality music and his dominance of the international market. 2009 has been another excellent year for Mavado, touring the world and appearing on the big stage many times over.

Also nominated is Alliance colleague Serani, who has made huge strides on the international scene in the past year with his breakout hit No Games. His nomination is a great achievement for such a new act and illustrates the Alliance’s winning formula for international success.

Other nominees are conscious-music flag flier Taurus Riley, past winner Sean Paul and Vybz Kartel, who had his nomination withdrawn in the past for homophobic lyrics.

The Mobo nominations were announced in London last night and the ceremony itself will be held outside London for the first time, taking place in Glasgow, Scotland on September 30.

“I am not a deadbeat dad” - Luciano Written by Claude Mills

Singer Luciano has hit back at an article published earlier this week on the website that suggested that he was a deadbeat dad who owed over US$7,000 in child maintenance to Nerissa Scott, the mother of his five year-old daughter.

“I am not a deadbeat dad. Better she did stab mi wid a knife and make all the blood drain out of my body,” he said passionately. “This hurts me.”

“I love all my children and I support them. I have had a difficult year and she knows this, I have attorney fees to pay and maybe I have not been paying consistently, but I send money when I have the chance. Just last month, Sandy sent her US$900, and I have several receipts where I have sent her money.”

Luciano, whose real name is Jepther McClymont, showed us copies of the Western Union receipts of money remitted to the United States which add up to more than US$1,500. Two of the receipts were dated in January, one in February and another in August 2009. There are gaps in the child maintenance payments, but this delinquency, Luciano attributes to the global recession and his personal legal woes. Luciano, who has been charged with harbouring a fugitive in a well-publicised case, returns to court on October 20th to face trial.

“She knows that I have had to pay my attorneys to deal with my court case, my former manager had worked out an agreement with her to pay her US$1,500 a month. We renegotiated that to US$1,200 and I have consistently tried to send the money to take care of my daughter, I love my daughter, but I have been struggling to meet all my needs.”

He said that Ms. Scott was acting with malice aforethought when she attempted to smear him in such a way in the public eye. He said that she has done him wrong in the past, saddling him with an unpaid loan secured through a credit union, and selling a restaurant they co-owned without his consent.

“Jah know, I don’t deserve this, When I got into a relationship with Nerissa, she already had a son, John Lee and I treated him like my own, for eight years, I was there for him so why would I turn my back on my own flesh and blood. She is a wicked woman to say this. I have eight children and I try as best as I can to care for all of them.”

“Bounty is a gal clown, him nah mine him youth dem” - Bounty Babymamas Hit Out

Written by Shanice Miller

Two irate ‘celebrity babymothers’ called one876 yesterday to complain about a quote in the article earlier this week which suggested that Bounty Killer took care of all of his kids.

“That is a lie. Ah muss one of his groupies tell you that!” she said angrily. “He has a ten year old in Miami, the one who can sing, him never mind that one for 10 years. And he ignores my son who is very bright, he has not paid the school fee or bought any books for him. When I call him, he doesn’t answer his phone and he knows that it is back to school time. I need to buy his books and everything is about to become overdue.”.

“I don’t like calling his phone anyways because he wants to talk to people anyway and I can’t deal with that. The only reason that you don’t hear more disgrace with Killer name is because the babymothers are trying women. Ah nuff pickney him have all inna the country that him no mind. He’s been taken to family court in the US and just recently started taking care of his son after ten years of no support. He sent two of his groupies to UWI, dem lef him for other men, and now, him ah mad over a new girl, this girl is the same one who the Rising Stars yute de wid behind him back. She is screwing around on him. The worst thing is he got evidence that the girl took his money to rent the room for another artiste to sex her, yet he’s still paying her bills while ignoring that of his children.He is a real gal clown.”

Another babymother claimed that she knew of one of Bounty’s daughters who lived in Seaview Gardens and who he ignored and did not help support until she was ten years old.

“Him have two kids that live with him, one who used to live in Miami who the granny used to take care of, but now he has her and another one. I know the mother who took him to Family Court in the US to get US$1,000 per month from him and she was forced to because she have the same problem like we; now he is sending that one to university; yu have to fight with him to get anything from him. When we call him, him call we ‘whore, bitch and johncrow’ and we caan tek dem tings de. The problem is that the money get slow up, and the expenses high. He lives at the Hilton, and he parties a lot, plus he is sending at least two of his groupie girls to school, one ah go Utech, and yet him nah tek care of his own kids. Shame on you Bounty,” she said in total exasperation. “Shame!”

Sean Paul blazes the Billboard album charts with Imperial Blaze

By Kevin Jackson Observer Writer

Sean Paul’s Imperial Blaze album for VP/Atlantic sold 28,465 copies in its opening week to register a number 12 debut on the Billboard 200 album chart. The sales impact though not as huge as his previous opening in 2005, was enough to land the set to the top of Billboard’s Reggae album chart. Over on Billboard’s R&B Hip Hop album chart, Imperial Blaze lit up the number three spot.

SEAN PAUL… Imperial Blaze has given Sean Paul his third consecutive number one album on the Billboard Reggae album chart

Imperial Blaze has given Sean Paul his third consecutive number one album on the Billboard Reggae album chart. His 2000 debut album Stage One managed to peak at number two.

It’s interesting to note that Sean Paul’s previous set, The Trinity, which was released in 2005, sold 107,000 copies in its first-week of release to garner a number seven debut on the Billboard 200. The set muscled it way to number four on the R&B Hip Hop album chart. That sales haul is still the biggest first week burst for a Jamaican reggae artiste in the history of the Billboard 200 album chart.

Dutty Rock, Sean’s 2002 album, sold 65,000 copies in its opening week.

Still on Sean Paul, he is making significant strides on the Billboard Singles charts. Over on Billboard’s Canada Hot 100 Singles tally, So Fine moves from 69 to 58. Stateside, the single bullets from 60 to 54 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart.

Akon on top in the UK

Dance music DJ and producer David Guetta nets his second consecutive chart-topping single in the UK this week, as Sexy B–ch featuring Akon on lead vocals, soars to the number one spot, knocking the Black Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feeling to the number two position.

More than a month ago, Guetta’s worldwide smash When Love Takes Over which features former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland on lead vocals, spent three weeks in the number one spot.

Sexy B–ch is the third number one UK single for Akon. He previously topped the chart with Lonely and Smack That featuring Eminem. To date, he has collected nine top ten singles in the UK.

Serani is back on the Billboard chart

Dancehall artiste Serani recently scored his second consecutive Billboard chart hit with the track She Loves Me, the second single off his upcoming debut for Universal Republic. It entered the Billboard R&B Hip Hop Singles and Tracks chart at number 82.

The track, which was produced by Serani, received some mileage on Jamaican radio and in the dancehall in mid 2008.

She Loves Me follows on the heels of Serani’s trod on the Billboard chart earlier this year, when No Games, a release on the TJ Records imprint, stalled at number 53 on the R&B Hip Hop chart.

And still on the Billboard R&B chart, Ramping Shop by Vybz Kartel and Spice has fallen off the chart.

Reagan is now Magazeen

In 2002, he was featured on producer Preston Onfroy’s Party Time rhythm project. His contribution was the track Jeans and Timberland.

Dancehall artiste Reagan has revamped his image and is recording under the moniker Magazeen. Interestingly, he is also signed to US rapper Rick Ross’ Mayback Music Group label which has a joint venture through Def Jam, a syngery Magazeen is looking to capitalise on with his fusion of dancehall, hip-hop, R&B and pop sounds and international appeal.

His versatile musical style can be heard on Ross’ single Yatch Club, on his current album, Deeper Than Rap. “I’m coming like a loaded clip with my music,” Magazeen said recently.

Magazeen was recently in Jamaica with Ross where he completed not one but three videos, as they aim to capture the reality of Jamaica on screen, as lyrically depicted in their songs. The videos are for the singles Psalms 27, Seven Eleven and Real Jamaicans.

“I’m here to show Jamaica new Maybach Music star Magazeen and what he can do,” said Ross. “And we’re going to take advantage of being here to get the real Jamaican flavour for our videos to show the world.”

“I’m happy to be coming home to Jamaica,” said Magazeen, who currently resides in Miami. “I love my people and it’s great to be back to experience the vibes as I’m working on taking our music to the international level and to all corners of the globe.”

Barrington Levy, surprise artistes for Mighty Crown’s Japan show

Following a 20-year hiatus from Japan, reggae’s ‘Singing Canary’ Barrington Levy will be the special guest at Mighty Crown’s stadium show scheduled for September 5 in that reggae-loving country.

Barrington Levy

Reports are that more than 40,000 Japanese reggae fans are slated to attend this sold-out showcase, featuring Levy, other top reggae foundation artistes and leading Japanese reggae acts. Mighty Crown’s epic stadium show, Yokohama Reggae SAI, is an annual concert to celebrate their anniversary. Mighty Crown is celebrating 18 years in the business, although this is the 15th edition of the event.

Since the event’s inception, Barrington Levy is the first reggae artiste to be advertised for the show in advance. In the past, all Jamaican reggae artistes were billed as surprise guests. Despite Mighty Crown’s willingness to announce Levy’s performance, the team will not reveal the key foundation artiste who will be accompanying The Mellow Canary at this huge concert.

“Mighty Crown’s stadium show is known for having big surprise reggae artistes,” says Garfield ‘Chin’ Bourne of Irish and Chin, Mighty Crown’s manager. “We wanted to partially honour that tradition. However, I will say that this surprise icon has one of the biggest reggae songs of all times in Japan.”

Despite not touching down in the Far East for two decades, Barrington Levy is heralded among older Japanese fans for his impeccable slew of hits. He was handpicked to headline the Yokohama Reggae SAI festival by Mighty Crown themselves and Chin because of his larger-than-life status in reggae music. He was considered ideal for this year’s occasion, particularly as Mighty Crown has implemented a “Back to the Hardcore” campaign for their upcoming events.

“There is a new generation of reggae fans in Japan who knows mainly about dancing songs,” says Sami Tse, co-founding member of Mighty Crown. “We want to fully expose young Japanese people to Jamaica and its musical roots. Clearly, Barrington Levy is a legend and it’s our duty to have the younger generation respect his music.”

Mighty Crown’s annual Yokohama SAI has evolved into Japan’s largest reggae concert. The event has featured surprise appearances by what reads like a who’s who of Jamaican reggae artistes including Beenie Man, TOK, Voicemail, Tony Matterhorn, Wayne Wonder, Da’ville and numerous others. All of the Reggae acts booked for the annual fete have delivered dynamic sets, but Beenie Man’s fiery performance still has Japanese fans chatting. At any given time during the year, Mighty Crown and Irish and Chin are approached by artistes and their managers to take part in the monumental affair.

“We are taking the music to a higher level and at the same time showing maximum respect for Jamaican culture,” says Simon Tse, co-founding member of Mighty Crown. “We have played a huge role in the growth of Reggae music in Japan… mainly because Jamaican culture is in our hearts.”

Mighty Crown first stage the Yokohama Reggae Festival SAI in 1995 by as a vehicle of celebrating their anniversary. Each year, the festival has grown in visibility and popularity and this year’s event is no different.

With over three decades of chart-toppers, Barrington Levy could technically perform for days. While all of Levy’s music is stellar, there are select hits that have boldly provided the soundtrack for reggae, and more specifically, dancehall music. Any time the tunes Under Mi Sensi, Prison Oval Rock, Murderer, Here I Come (Broader than Broadway), Jeep, Too Experienced, Living Dangerously, and others drop, audiences are guaranteed to roar in excitement.

Assassin bares it all - Deejay speaks about his musical journey - Discusses relations with Spragga, Kartel

Roxroy McLean, Star Intern

Assassin - Contributed

There aren’t many dancehall artistes as eloquent or as versatile as Assassin.

This dancehall torcher, who is studying business management online with the University of Sunderland, is equally comfortable at Sting as he is at a Sweet Sixteen birthday party.

Assassin, born Jeffrey Campbell, has also grown and matured in front of our eyes, from Spragga Benz’s protégé to a dancehall stalwart who seems to represent the good things of the music and the industry.

He wisely avoided a lyrical battle with Vybz Kartel in 2005, saying it would not have “propelled his career”, and has remained relevant through smartly written lyrics and a second-to-none delivery.

In the first of this three-part series, Assassin, who took on the moniker Agent Sasco recently, talks about the growth of his career, why he chose not to ‘clash’ with Vybz Kartel, and the relationship with his former mentor, Spragga Benz.

Singer Jah’s musical pursuit

Tags: alliance, assassin, Barrington levy, Caribbean News, Entertainment news, entertainment report, glasgow scotland, japan, kartel, london, m, Mavado, mighty crown, mobo awards, passa, Sean Paul, serani, singer jah, spragga benz, Suss, taurus rileym, vybz kartel