QUEEN OF STAGE

QUEEN OF STAGE AKA SPICE

November 30, 2009

Flippa Mafia gives back to Trench Town High



It’s the Christmas season, and while some may refer to it as the ‘silly season’, it is also the time to spread joy and goodwill and that’s exactly what the Flossing King, Flippa Mafia plans to do.
Flippa, who says he is really a philanthropist at heart, will be channeling his energy into a school fete for the Trench Town High School.
“As entertainers it is our duty to give back ... and if you really check it a lot of us donate to worthy causes. The public may not hear about it, but that’s because we don’t like to pose up for picture and send it to newspaper every time we do what we are supposed to do by helping the less fortunate,” Flippa said.
Flippa was full of praise for the artistes who participate in the various high school tours which see artistes in performance at various schools across the island and emphasising positive messages.
“We have to get the youths to understand the importance of an education and staying in school. We need the school-girls to erase the idea of teenage pregnancy and replace it with total focus on their school work. Education must always come first,” he declared passionately.
The fete takes place on December 12 and all proceeds will go towards the Trench Town High School.

November 29, 2009

THE ‘GULLY SIDE’ RULER MAVADO WITH MOCKINGBIRD CONTINUES TO HOLD THE #1 SPOT

The ‘Gully Side’ ruler Mavado with Mockingbird continues to hold the #1 spot; makes it his third consecutive week, while his House Cleaning keeps its position at #3.
In the meantime Portmore ‘Gaza’ Empire leader Vybz Kartel with Like A Movie grips the #2 spot also clenching the Shot To Watch title for yet another week. In addition Vybz is in control of the #4 place with Love Dem.
Reggae songstress Etana is joyful indeed as Happy Heart jumps in the top five singles on the chart to lock down the #5 spot.

The celebration doesn’t stop for Ding Dong & Chevaugn with Holiday as it latches onto the Greatest Gainer title moving three enormous spots up the chart to take over the #9 position.
The chart New Entry goes to Texas born Roots Revealers featuring Dancehall veteran Chaka Demus with their rendition of Sweetie it take position at #20. The track is off the Family House Music records.
THE CHART AIRED FRIDAY'S @ 9:15pm WITH REPEATS DURING THE WEEK ON HYPE TV CAN BE VIEWED IN THE WEEKEND CHATON FRIDAY'S, YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THIS WEEK TOP 20 SINGLES CHART ON HYPE TV WEBSITE JUST LOG ONTO www.hypetvjam.com

November 27, 2009

YOU'RE WATCHING HYPE TV LIVE OUT OF JAMAICA

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HYPE IS JUST AN ILLUSION


BY STARAPPLE
Recently it was reported that Squingy from Bass Odessey was gravely ill and was in the USA for treatment; then sadly one week later we received the sad news that he had passed. I remember watching Bass Odessey and Coppershot in the Guiness Clash and Squingy’s name was called a few times not only from those in the clash, but those in attendance. Amazing, the arena of dancehall is quite a spectacle; make that an experience.

Entertainment can be very addictive and destructive to both those who soak it in and to those who purvey it. Do those in the industry put too much stress on themselves or do those who enjoy good entertainment have unrealistic expectations of those who provide it?

Serious questions and not something we should take lightly. I think what struck me the most is a statement that Squingy issued before he died:

“For years, I’ve been traveling and entertaining the world. I’ve given everything to my fans and neglected my own body. I have a terminal Illness and it’s time for me to focus on maintaining my health as best I can. Moving to the US is going to allow me to receive adequate health care.”

There are several things which can be taken from his statements:

Our health care is wanting;
There is no privacy in our health care;
We have become so callous that many would take pleasure in chastising
an ailing selector and so on …

And is much more that could be extrapolated from his statements, but what is evident is that many persons in entertainment spend so much time trying to please fans that one’s own health is never really taken into account only for granted, family life is often put on the backburner, friends come by the shipload when you are sailing on a high and desert you when the wind blows unkind and the illusion that has to be built to draw fans in came become highly debilitating in the long run and causes many an otherwise rational person to have unrealistic demands from the entertainer.

Just think of some of the celebrities who come to mind when you think of meltdown and serious personal crisis Anna Nicole Smith, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Gregory Issacs, Ninja Man, Nadine Sutherland and many other Jamaican entertainers who are highly drugged up on either marijuana, marijuana with extacie, beadie, copious amount of alcohol, excessive sex with a wide number of partners, numerous children spread far and wide with different baby mothers and the list goes on.

Maybe these things happen though because there is the constant need to please and better the last performance, never see come see or we the audience never allows failure and that places punitive stress on the entertainers.

We live to accumulate things and show off and hype; yet in the end when the soul is stripped from the body we have nothing. We need balance and not just the balance pon **cky head that we aggrandize.

PEOPLE WAH FI KNO!!!!!!!

BABY TASH


1. If Sting promoters really a go pay Mr. G and L. A Lewis fi crap…..a mean clash?

2. How Rosie so happy wid har DNA baby and if Chino feel de same?

3. If Kartel a go get de 9 million weh him ask for fi Sting?

4. Why Nico Bam Bam couldn’t play no Mavado tune a Nationwide radio outside broadcast in Spanish Town last week Friday?

5. Why gaza producer NotNice and gully producer dj frass a war fah?

6. How Baby Tash a gwaan so sexy in her new video shoot?

OUTAROAD RECORDS TAKING A POSITIVE VIBES TO DANCEHALL


With all the passa passa that’s in the dancehall right now, there is one label that is steering far from it all. Canadian based record label Outroad Records will be making their contribution with some positive numbers.
“I believe that producers have a responsibility in the kind of music they unleash on the public. The direction my label will be going is to produce songs that are relevant, uplifting and that will give people food for thought,” Outaroad CEO Kelly Graye.
According to Graye his mandate now is to steer Ikaya who is signed to his label on that positive path.
“She is a good singjay, she has a lot of talent and I am here to bring that new flavour to the market,” he said.
Ikaya is presently engaged in laying some new tracks to unleash on the market.
“The goal right now is to have her works out there, so far she is getting a good buzz here in Canada and in Jamaica with two singles one of which is Good Up.
Graye also shared that a major project is in the pipeline for the upcoming artiste, one which will see her doing a combination with an international female rap artiste. “The deal has not been finalised yet, so I don’t want to reveal too much,” her manager shared.
Another project in the pipeline for her is a new single entitled Money Over Man which Graye says should be ready for release by the first week of January.
This weekend the female singjay will be in Canada where is scheduled to perform on Nitro Da CD Sound anniversary dance.
Ikaya can’t wait to show what she can do as she says “My style is smooth reggae dancehall...I know I can make a difference...it’s refreshing,” Ikaya said about her approach to the music biz.
With a manager who has every confidence in her Ikaya is convinced it’s only a matter of time before she will be dominating the dancehall scene.
Born in Kingston 11, Ikaya blazed onto the scene in 2001 on Capleton’s “Fire” on the Martial Arts Riddim produced by Kings of Kings maestro Skatta Burrell. On the track the young Ikaya belts out an excellent hook providing a good combination to the “Fireman” when he was at his prime.
Fast forward to 2009, the Balcolm Drive native has pledged to bring quality music to her fans while at the same time honing and perfecting her talent. Not only is Ikaya a singer but she is also a prolific Deejay who has proven that she can stand up to the big boys and girls; her recent hit “Good Up” is an example of this. This was also proven by her appearance on Merciless’ hit “Amber Alert”. On the track the artist was sensational, blending her smooth flavour with the gritty tone of Merciless.

ELE READY FOR BOLT’S 9.58 SUPER PARTY DECEMBER 5


Dancehall’s flamboyant, Gucci-loving, dancing machine, Elephant Man, is one of the artistes scheduled to perform at what is being called a ‘super party’ for the fastest man alive, Usain Bolt.
The 9.58 Super Party will feature international hip hop/R & B star The Dream, plus a host of top Jamaican performers. ZJ Liquid, Jazzy T, Coppershot, Stone Love and DJ Usain Bolt himself will be some of the names keeping the energy high with music at the event.
As Ele declared, “Everyone knows that I am the official dancing artiste who knows how to keep the ‘dance’ in ‘dancehall’ and Bolt, just loves to party. So it will be lots of high energy, crazy moves and just fun on stage in the garden parish.”
The party is scheduled for December 5 at the Richmond Estate in St Ann and anticipation is running high for this one-of-a-kind event.
International athletes confirmed to attend the even include American sprinter Wallace Spearmon, Bolts friendly rival in the 200 meters, Bahamian, Debbie Ferguson McKenzie and Trinidadian Richard Thompson.
Tickets go on sale this week at over 30 ticket outlets island-wide.
Meanwhile, Ele is all set for a very busy season which will see him in performance in Guadeloupe, Portland, Clarendon (at Island Xplosion),
St Elizabeth Splash.

November 25, 2009

Baby Tash Shoots Facebook and Haffi Come Back medley video






Last week, Baby Tash shot a medley video for her scorching singles, Facebook and Haffi Come Back. The video was shot at ADVIDCo's offices at Lindsay Crescent in St. Andrew.

Shot by acclaimed video director Ras Tingle, the video included risque lingerie scenes with Baby Tash dressed in a sexy, slithery number gyrating with a male dancer from Shady Squad in front of a bed. The well-choreographed moves with the male dancer showed why Baby Tash is considered to be one of the best dancers among female deejays in the local industry. She also did performance shots of the Facebook song and Haffi Come Back, mugging for the cameras. HYPE TV shot a behind-the-scenes feature which will be aired soon on that station. Baby Tash later changed from that risque lingerie number into a black dress that kept riding up and exposing her, um, assets as she shot a just-waking-up scene that is the climax of the video.

There was also a club scene, and scenes with her conversing with Flexx from T.O.K. Cameos were also made by the artistes Craig and Kevin from Voicemail, as well as Shady Squad dancers.



In the meantime, Tash's Facebook single continues to do well, entering Stampede's Street Vibes chart at #14, and popping on radio playlists all over the Caribbean.

"We have been getting calls from Cayman where the radio stations say her song is the most requested one right now, people are loving the Facebook, and they are loving Baby Tash," manager Ray Alexander said in a release.


The Facebook single also continues to blaze up the Richard Banton’s Toronto Top ten Reggae /Dancehall singles chart as well.

November 24, 2009

CLASH OF THE TITANS – THE SETTLEMENT OF THE ARGUMENT



With just over one month left in the year 2009 the listeners to the hot mix have commissioned me (Richie b) to conduct a survey, to test the temperature of present day

Dancehall tune in to hot 102 fm this Thursday November 26 for the clash of the titans – the settlement of the argument.

Vybz Kartel vs Mavado…….gaza vs gully and the winner will be determined by you

one listener, one vote!!

We’ll match their lyrics, their rhymes, their songs, their lines.. tune for tune…. in a massive showdown on the air and for the 1st time anywhere.

Two of Jamaica’s most prolific hit makers come face to face, it’s their date with destiny, this Thursday nov. 26 exclusively on hot 102 fm’s hot mix, the clash of the titans…..the settlement of the argument.

Vybz Kartel vs Mavado…..gaza vs gully the world awaits the verdict.

50 CENT DETONATES AT MYSPACE SHOW




By Nadia Chanté

On a chilly Monday night in downtown New York City, a rowdy crowd gathered at the Highline Ballroom for the 50th concert event of MySpace Music’s “The Release.” Who better to get the audience revved up for the celebration than 50 Cent, who was also reveling in his own release, his fourth album Before I Self Destruct. The event, hosted by Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg, K.Foxx, and DJ Cipha Sounds, got off to an energetic start with Cipha spinning everything from classic Mobb Deep to Jigga.
Never alone, Fifty appeared alongside his best cohorts and fellow G-Unit members Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks. Opening the show with “Crack a Bottle,” Fifty, with his entourage in tow, went on to hype the crowd with Eminem’s party starter. The head of the G-Unit regime spit through fan favorites like “I Get Money,” “What Up Gangsta,” and his latest single, “Baby by Me.”


A surprise appearance by Beanie Sigel had those in the audience gasping and grabbing for their camera phones. His energetic performance of “Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)” and “Beanie (Mack Bitch)” reinforced the reason why Jay-Z signed the Philly native in the first place. Sigel’s appearance stirred up controversy amongst the concertgoers, especially after he and Fifty performed their latest collaboration, “I Go Off.” Beans quickly left the stage after his cameo and, ever the professional, the Queens headliner continued on with his show, performing well over 20 songs in just over 60 minutes. As quickly as the event started, it ended. The only difference is the effect it had on 50 Cent’s followers. “He touched me twice,” said one fan. “[And] he made eye contact!” All part of his master plan.

Photos by Cassidy “Sparrow” Maldonado for Rap-Up.com

November 23, 2009

YOU'RE WATCHING HYPE TV LIVE OUT OF JAMAICA

YOU'RE WATCHING HYPE TV LIVE OUT OF JAMAICA Free TV Show from Ustream

IS IT OK TO BE VERBAL OR ORAL



By: STARAPPLE

Well well what do we have here. The latest on the ever changing dramatic Jamaican landscape: Lisa Hype caught in a rather in live and living color position, there was no bleaching on the pixel quality of the picture for sure.

Staunch Alliance supporters found it hilarious no end, given that the Emperor of the Empire has stated in his Gaza Commandments that her act is a breach. What will now happen to Lisa, guess she won’t be so hype eh? It had been rumored that she had a falling out with the teacher and made up the following week. They were even dancing in the studio and of course between the sheets. Well it seems the Teacher taught her an expensive lesson, but let’s not get into that.

She came out with a statement claiming ‘ I did it so what’, somewhere in there was an apology to her fans, family and so on. I just don’t get, why you would want to headline your apology with that caption.

Anyway it seems as though the celebrities who were put on blast last year and in the end lost their jobs and pride served as no lesson. I agree with the part that what transpires in the privacy of one’s boudoir is one’s business, but one appears to be foolish when one espouses lyrics which chastises those who engage in oral sex and express serious vehemence against the act.

Are we not a nation of hypocrites though? Many persons go to dances and rail up when the deejays elicit a show of hands from those who do not engage in such lowly behaviour and usually there is a sea of hands. Yet they do it. The artistes scream, bawl out and would cut like blades of grass anyone who even so much so as come out in support of the act yet they do it with frequency (this is not a hidden fact).

When Cecile came out with her bold song ‘Do it To Me Baby’ on the Coolie Dance riddim, it had become a private anthem for many women. Lots of them would go out and stand still when it came on and the male selectors would refrain from playing the song. When Cecile even performed the song, many a males booed, but as she would make her way off-stage, a few of them would whisper ‘Lawd yuh body hot, ah woulda do it to you yet’. Hypocrites I say.

The society is still for the most part male dominated. Many single mothers run household, but men run the society. Men claim to respect women, but find it utterly repulsive to please them with an act that science has shown gives them much satisfaction. Spin the coin though, these same men would want to give you to give them a Tetley tea bag, an anal wash and a deep throat.

Personally there is nothing for Lisa Hype to be ashamed of, especially if it was done voluntarily and with pleasure, that is her business. However, her apology was void of sincerity. A funny thing with Jamaican’s is that we can be pretentiously proper.

Bounty Killer is in no position to clash me - Vybz Kartel



"Bounty Killa is in no position to clash Vybz Kartel because unlike me, he has nothing to lose since he is already a lost cause. Although I am sympathetic of his current state of mind because he is obviously going through mid life crisis/menopause,I will not allow him to "piggy back" my career to balance his downward spiraling one," the release said.

Kartel was responding to an interview which Bounty Killer which was published in the STAR earlier this week.

"Why would I, as arguably the most influential artiste of people between 10-25, clash a dinosaur? I'm not into the business of raising mummies, also where his career is concerned, I don't believe in re-incarnation so I cannot be a part of this "raising of the dead". If mavado is not endowed enough to carry on dancehall musical rivalry descending from morgan/buster to more recently Ninja/Shabba. San/Stichie, Bounty/Beenie..etc I will carry the torch alone till a suitable contender is found. Bounty killa is not in my equation right now so if he is waiting on a bounty/kartel clash to rekindle his ashes..."him (hennnesy) bubble buss!!" the release concluded.

MORE ON MORE FOR FLIPPA THIS SEASON


Following great performances at Barefoot Beach Partyheld recently in Montego Bay, appearances on the Courts Road Show and his own super flossing escapade birthday party in Philly (USA), Flippa Mafia is all charged up for a hectic season.
The artiste is scheduled for performances in the US, Canada, England and, of course, in Jamaica.
“I am looking forward to this season ... the calls are coming in and the Mafia is ready and willing,” a smiling Flippa declared.
On November 26, Flippa packs his bags and heads to the Big Apple, where he is scheduled for a concert headlined by none other than the CEO of the Alliance, Bounty Killer. Knowing of the ‘exchange of words’ between these artistes earlier this year, fans are anticipating a possible replay.
Flippa Mafia, however, is adamant that what is in the past must remain there. And, he further assures that there is absolutely no ill will between himself and the Killer.
“I will be there to do my songs and entertain my fans. I have the flossing title, and that will be a night of straight flossing. Fun and more fun ... no bad vibes ting,” said the deejay who is known for songs such as, Dem Yah and Dem Yah, Foundation Over Hype and Unfinished House.
As soon as he is done with New York, Flippa will quickly cross the border onto Canadian soil, where he will perform on the 28th in Toronto.
This will give Toronto fans a chance to see deejay in real action in a show that built around him.
Mid December will see the artiste moving over to the European continent, where he will blaze England on December 18, 19 and 20. He will be performing in Manchester, Coventry and Bristol on a big bill that includes the Gully God Mavado, Assassin and Serani.
Then it will be back in Jamaica for the greatest one night show on earth, Sting and GT Taylor’s Christmas Extravaganza.

November 21, 2009

WATCH HYPE TV TOP 20 SINGLES CHART FOR THE WEEKENDING NOV. 20TH




TOP 5 BUBBLERS

TW - ARTISTE - TITLE - LABEL

01 - Rootz Revealerz Feat. Chaka Demus - Sweetie -Family House Music

02 - Khago - Caan Cool - Pot Of Gold

03 - Beenieman - Ever Clean - Young Blood

04 - Idonia - Mood For Love - Big Ship

05 - Chino - From Mawning - Big Ship

November 20, 2009

VYBZ KARTEL WILL NOT ATTEND MAVADO'S BIRTHDAY PARTY


Vybz Kartel has acknowledged the invitation of Mavado to attend the singjay's December 5th party, but will not regrettably be able to attend.

"I will be attending Usain Bolt's party on December 5th," he said in a released
The 9.58 SuperParty takes place on Saturday, December 5, on the grounds of the massive Richmond Estate in St Ann.

The primary goal of the event is to raise funds towards the Sherwood Content Health Centre, located in Usain's hometown in Trelawny. The funds will go towards purchasing the property and attempt to improve the existing facilities.

BEYONCÉ UNLEASHES SASHA FIERCE ON DVD

By: Tanya Remekie BeyoncĂ© tends to walk a straight and narrow path, but she’s no nun. She’s way too sassy, her dancing is too sexy, and her neck cocks too hard for that. On the superstar’s new DVD, I Am… Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas, out Monday, audiences experience a show-stopping event as Sasha Fierce and Bey come out to play. Strutting out in classic Jean-Paul Gaultier, BeyoncĂ© hits the stage with “Hello” before bringing the audience in to help her move through “Irreplaceable.” After a “Sweet Dreams” medley featuring Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love,” Jay-Z’s other half sings “If I Were a Boy” and surprisingly grabs her crotch during the line, “Wish you were a better man.” And to the delight of concertgoers, BeyoncĂ© switches from her R&B roots to the rock tunes of Alanis Morisette’s “You Oughta Know,” while getting on all fours and whipping her hair to and fro. After intermission, the woman of the hour returns in a black sequined leotard for a Broadway-fashioned narration of her life story, told through song and dance. From Destiny’s Child’s cover of Michael Jackson’s “I Wanna Be Where You Are,” to DC’s first hit “No, No, No,” to her debut solo album, to the YouTube phenomenon “Single Ladies,” BeyoncĂ© shares her magical story. She even throws in an anecdote, describing how Columbia Records failed to like her song choices for Dangerously in Love. She reveals that executives told her before its release that it didn’t have one hit, to which Bey was sly to agree. “I didn’t have one. I had five.” Ouch. BeyoncĂ©’s I Am… Yours DVD will be edited down into an hour-long TV special, airing November 26 at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.
Sweet Dreams

Beyonce | MySpace Music Videos
Source: rap-up.com

PEOPLE WAH FI KNO!!!!!!!



1. Which Gary Busy wah give one more night?

2. What does Kartel and Zj Liquid has in common?

3. Who fah black thing in Lisa Hype mouth and Did she swallow?

4. Why Busy do a wholesale video?

5. If Ele really have 40 dogs a him yard?

6. How Claude Mills ago get Lisa Hype out a this one?

November 18, 2009

YOU'RE WATCHING HYPE TV LIVE OUT OF JAMAICA

YOU'RE WATCHING HYPE TV LIVE OUT OF JAMAICA
Free TV Show from Ustream

IKAYA COMING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN DANCEHALL



The dancehall arena can welcome another talented female component to the mix. Upcoming artiste Ikaya will be the first to tell you that she knows it’s a competitive field to break into, but she believes with the right attitude and the right materials she will be well on her way to success.
It seems her formula is working as her first release on the Outaroad record label working with producer Skatta Burrell Good Up on the Bad Intentions riddim has been creating a buzz in the dancehall arena.
She recently shot the video for the single under the direction of Rick Elgood who directed the movie Dancehall Queen. The Video has been released on National and Cable television. She has collaborated with Beenie Man on the single “Body Good” on the Unstoppable Riddim and has also released the song “Rewind” on the Skatta’s Hindu Riddim.
Ikaya love affair with singing started from an early age. The former Wolmer’s Girls student has always been involved in the performing arts and now has decided to take it to the next level by bringing her talent to the musical stage.
Born in Kingston 11, Ikaya blazed onto the scene in 2001 on Capleton’s “Fire” on the Martial Arts Riddim produced by Kings of Kings maestro Skatta Burrell. On the track the young Ikaya belts out an excellent hook providing a good combination to the “Fireman” when he was at his prime.
Fast forward to 2009, the Balcolm Drive native has pledged to bring quality music to her fans while at the same time honing and perfecting her talent. Not only is Ikaya a singer but she is also a prolific Deejay who has proven that she can stand up to the big boys and girls; her recent hit “Good Up” is an example of this. This was also proven by her appearance on Merciless’ hit “Amber Alert”. On the track the artist was sensational, blending her smooth flavour with the gritty tone of Merciless.
The singer and Deejay who graduated from The Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts in 2007 is gaining popularity on the local scene, but she also has a burgeoning fan base in North America and the Caribbean where she has opened for Capleton in Grenada and Trinidad. Ikaya has also recently appeared on Capleton’s “St Mary Mi Come From” and “Champions in Action” where she performed very well and got a good response from the crowd.
Now signed to Outaroad Records, Ikaya is determined to be the next big thing in the dancehall. The Artiste has been busy in the studio working on new materials.
She will be taking a break from her studio work to make a trek to Canada where she is scheduled to perform at Nitro Da CD Sound anniversary on November 28.
The female singjay can’t wait to show just what she can do. “My style is smooth reggae dancehall...I know I can make a difference...it’s refreshing,” Ikaya said about her approach to the music biz.

VEGAS HITS #1 ON CVM HITLIST CHARTS


Internationally recognised singjay Mr. Vegas soared to the top of the video charts with his recent Man ah Gallis over the weekend. He grabbed the #1 spot on the CVM Hitlist chart last week, and blasted into the RE TV MVP charts at #6.

"The video is very popular. It continues to generate a lot of hits on the allhiphop.com website and we have been using social networking sites such as Facebook to market it and the public really seems to like
the whole feel of the video, and the use of the unique Jamaican dance moves in it," Mr. Vegas said.

You can also vote for Mr. Vegas' video on the CVM Hitlist chart by texting the number 48 to 444-2421, or to vote for him on the RE TV charts by texting 13 to 444-2473. You can also vote for Vegas on the Fiwi Choice Top Ten video charts by texting 19 to 444-2434. The singjay appeared on TVJ's Fiwi Choice top ten show in early November.

Recently, Mr. Vegas scored another major international achievement as his hit song, Mus Come a Road is featured on the soundtrack of the
best-selling game title Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes from Liberty City. The GTA IV game has sold over 70 million copies worldwide.

Like the previous games in the series, the soundtrack is mostly made up of in-game radio stations. The song appears on the RamJam FM radio station hosted by DJ David Rodigan, and other reggae tracks by reggae icons such as Ini Kamoze, Barrington Levy and Desmond Dekker.

"Mus Come a Road appeared on the Strictly the Best VP compilation of 2008, and it peaked at #5 on the black chart in England so it is one of those masterpiece tunes in Europe, and it was popular on the west
side of San Francisco and the west coast. Nuff innocent man de a jail, and nuff real thugs, not rapists or killers of children, who have been wrongly accused," Mr. Vegas said.

These radio stations can be listened to when driving various vehicles in the game, or at the start menu. RamJam Fm can only be listened to in Episodes from Liberty City.

Mr. Vegas will be in Panama this weekend for one show. On November 27th, Mr. Vegas will be performing in Toronto, Canada.

November 17, 2009

NEW VIDEO: BEYONCÉ Feat. LADY GAGA – ‘VIDEO PHONE


The wait is over. BeyoncĂ© is sure to gain a new legion of haters after they watch the oh-so-sexy video for “Video Phone (Extended Remix)” featuring a less done up Lady Gaga. Director Hype Williams spoon-feeds an eye candy overload that is certain to induce a sugar rush. The collaboration can be found on the November 23rd re-release of I Am… Sasha Fierce.
“She is such a beautiful person, and I gotta tell you, I just adore her,” Gaga told MTV News about working with B. “I have never laughed so hard on a video set in my life. We had the best time doing ‘Video Phone.’”

rap-up.com

November 16, 2009

ALICIA KEYS ENLISTS DRAKE FOR NEW ALBUM


Everyone wants a piece of Drake. Alicia Keys is the latest superstar to call on the in-demand rapper for a collaboration.
The “Best I Ever Had” hitmaker is reportedly featured on a song from Keys’ fourth album The Element of Freedom, due December 15. Her longtime producer Kerry “Krucial” Brothers broke the news on Twitter.
“‘If you have something to say… U should say it right now,’” he wrote, possibly quoting the unnamed song’s lyrics. “Wow this new Ak and Drake is fire! I love my job.”
Also included on the album is “Empire State of Mind II,” the sequel to her hit with Jay-Z, featuring a new verse from Hov.
www.rap-up.com

YOUNG PRODUCTION HOUSE MAKES MAJOR MOVES


GoodThyme Click/MaxaMusic Group is quietly proving that it's possible to be independent and make major moves at the same time.
With the music industry experiencing incomparable change and constantly morphing into new moulds, the trend-makers have never had a quicker path to success and stardom, and they are taking advantage of these opportunities. In 2008, manager/producer/songwriter and music consultant Sean 'Due' Lashley teamed up with longtime friend and associate EJ Albowicz to create GoodThyme Click/MaxaMusic Group record label.
Albowicz, according to a release from the company, started his career as an Ivy League law school-educated entertainment attorney at a major US North-East region firm, focusing on management and contract negotiation within the entertainment and sports industries. In 2007, Albowicz established NorthStar Management NYC which broke into the industry by signing hip-hop acts Wonder Mike and Master Gee of the original Sugarhill Gang and HenDogg as well as Miami-based underground urban phenom GhostWridah.
With record labels transitioning and focusing on "quantity over quality", Albowicz realised that his clientele had become pigeonholed. He decided to form the MaxaMusic Group.
Sean 'Due' Lashley started his music career as an artiste and in 1993 he was signed through hip hop superstar Heavy D to Tuff Break/A&M Records as The Babalu Bad Boy. Shortly thereafter, Lashley's interest shifted from artiste to full-time producer. Introduced to the drum machine at a very young age, he began producing records for artistes as E-40, Dirty South, Kokane, Bar-bee, Baby Cham, Jadakiss, Lukie D, Half Pint, Amil, Jay-Z, Beenie Man, Cl Smoove, TOK, Mr Vegas, Truck Turner, Total, Melyssa Ford soundtrack Treach (Of Naughty By Nature) and Alicia Keys (reggae/dancehall remixes) as well as a number of motion picture soundtracks.
His friend Jeff Robinson recruited Sean to join MBK Entertainment, the management/production team for Alicia Keys, Lyfe Jennings, Jermain Paul, Latoya Luckett, Black Buddafly and others. For the next 10 years, Jeff Robinson mentored Lashley through the mountains and pitfalls of the music business. Utilising his cutting-edge production philosophy and management skills, in 2008, Lashley founded GoodThyme Click as a production company for the elite and most talented. Later that year, Lashley and Albowicz agreed to enter into a joint venture record label arrangement, GoodThyme Click/MaxaMusic Group. Its impact is being felt with the release of the single Woman (Weapon Riddim) by Beenie Man, which is making its way up the Caribbean dancehall charts and beginning to receive domestic radio play in the US.
The producers have since released two more singles on the riddim, Wine for me by Vybz Kartel and The Holding Power by Tifa. The Weapon Riddim singles are scheduled to be released as a compilation just in time for the December holidays. In addition to the artistes previously mentioned, the compilation will include Busta Rhymes, Black Buddafly, Jimmy Cozier and others.

November 14, 2009

THE ‘GULLY GOD’ MAVADO PUTS MOCKINGBIRD AT THE TOP SPOT

The ‘gully god’ Mavado puts Mockingbird at the top spot, it now holds the #1 position. He has dethroned his industry rival “Addi De Teacha.” Gully god ‘s House Cleaning also step a notch up to take the #4 place from #5.
Even though Vybz Kartel’s Love Dem has been unseated from the number one position to grip the #2 spot, his Like A Move single also cops the #3 place and seized the Shot To Watch title.
Rising star G Whizz with My Life sits comfortable in the #5 position to close off the top five singles on the chart.
This week Ding Dong & Chevaughn’s Holiday clenched the Greatest Gainer title jumping three places up into #17 spot while spending its second week on the chart.

The chart’s New Entry goes to Neville Lindo with his rendition of the Whispers’ Love Is Where You Find It and it makes its entry at #19 off the Pot Of Gold label

THE CHART AIRED FRIDAY'S @ 9:15pm WITH REPEATS DURING THE WEEK ON HYPE TV CAN BE VIEWED IN THE WEEKEND CHATON FRIDAY'S, YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THIS WEEK TOP 20 SINGLES CHART ON HYPE TV WEBSITE JUST LOG ONTO www.hypetvjam.com

VIEW THE CHART BELOW

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November 13, 2009

ARE WE ON THE DOWNLOW?




BY: STARAPPLE


A paradoxical thing in Jamaica is that we are so full of talk of badmanism yet when people come around to abuse us; we mumble, forget it after 7 days and move along. A strange state of affairs given our mouths almighty.

Since the advent of internet access at high speeds and file sharing sites; it seems as though dancehall and reggae record sales have met with doom and gloom. Just look at the measly sales of some of our so called big stars. No names necessary here. You know them.

Just recently, I scanned a few sites and file sharing is a big deal. As riddims are sent out promotionally to deejays, in a few minutes they are up on sites available for download by anyone besides persons in the industry and for sale by persons who do not even have a licensing agreement with the creator of the music: neither the writer nor music composer. As much as we feel that Japan and Europe are the last bastions of real aficionados of our music, they are also the hot spots for illegal downloads and sales. Check the internet if you fail to believe.

When the internet and file sharing gained prominence a number of persons locally were cynical and then they came around thinking it would further the music. Yes, but for who though? Certainly not the musical composers.
.
Alot of persons are not intimate with the process of music making and a lot of persons don’t care. All they get is the finished product and maybe go to a party and hear a good joint, hear it blasting on the radio or get a hot mix tape and bop to it. That it is illegal, they generally don’t care.

Ok so file sharing and illegal downloading might get the music out and make it popular; and might ought to be underscored here. A direct negative result of this is that our artistes have resorted to hustling out the business: overcharging on dub plates, overcharging for shows, collecting and not showing up, charging major dollars to voice a tune; only a few innovative ones like ‘DI TEACHA’ have gone into merchandising and product branding, VYBZ Rum anyone.

We really need to find some resolution to the loss of sales because when dubs are voiced hardly does an artiste return to a producer (who might also be the composer) and give him/her a portion of the dub plate money. Hardly is there an artiste who blows up big time and gets some shows who will return to music composer to say “see ah food ya”; so we really need a way to stem this bleeding of sales by inappropriate persons and the illegal distribution by unscrupulous persons.

We know how to crack any code to anything, certainly we can figure out a way to make it hard to get our music for free. One thing that some producers will do is send out a song ripped below cd quality or turn up some of the instruments such that there is some degree of distortion, but that does not reflect well on a producer. Encoding cds doesn’t even really help except for air play detection overseas. Perhaps a brilliant Jamaican can develop the technology such that if you download a song or songs without paying for it, your computer crashes, your ip address is identified and if previous credit or debit card information of the user has been used on that same computer then deductions are made from them. How long are we going to bled of our creativity? Why do we stay on the downlow while they download?

PEOPLE WAH FI KNO!!!!!!!

IKAYA


1. How Mr. Lex Ex wife Tunya lost Busy Signal baby?

2. What Kartel, Sanchez, Gregorgy Isaacs, have in common?

3. How Ikaya guh suh hard after D’Angel and Spice in her new song “Clean Up” on the star trek rhythm?

4. Who really put Kings Of Kings label on de world map? Iley Dread, Cecile or Skatta?

5. If Mr. G deserve fi get back him license gun?

6. If Natalie Storm A breed, cause how she look suh fat?

7. If Alaine deh wid Rosey DNA baby father ?

BABY TASH TO SHOOT FACEBOOK VIDEO THIS THURSDAY


Yellow Moon Recording Baby Tash is fast becoming the one of the hottest female deejays on the lips of the dancehall lovers in Jamaica. Her saucy new single, Facebook, has been bombing FM radio into submission, and has been generating major buzz on Internet sites all across the world.
The single has also been blasting up charts such as Richard Banton’s Toronto Top ten Reggae /Dancehall singles and just this week, popped up on the Stampede Street Vibes chart.
“The single is doing well, Facebook is showing up on a number of charts here and internationally, and it is getting a lot of support so far from the dancehall community, the streets loving it,” Baby Tash said in a release.
“I cannot complain about my career so far, it ah elevate on every level, mi ah get more recognition, and people are anticipating Baby Tash as they feel my career is about to take off. Facebook ah shot, the response to Haffi Come Back is also crazy.”
The medley video for the hot Facebook single and the new single Haffi Come Back, will be shot this Thursday and directed by Ras Tingle.

“We’re looking to start shooting the medley video this week, this is the next stage in Baby Tash’s development; manager Ray Alexander said.

Recently, Baby Tash performed in Brown's Town during the Jagra-sponsored Nuh Behaviour show for hitz 92 fm, sending a warning to all the other females deejays to step up their game because Tash is taking no prisoners.

November 12, 2009

JANET JACKSON’S ABC INTERVIEW WITH WITH ROBIN ROBERTS


Janet Jackson opens up in her first televised interview since the death of her brother Michael. She speaks to ABC News’ Robin Roberts for a one-hour special taped at her Malibu home. “In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts” airs Wednesday, November 18, at 10 p.m. on ABC, the day after her greatest hits album Number Ones goes on sale.
Janet recently shot a video for her new single “Make Me” with director Robert Hales (Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears). The Jackson family joined her on set. “Some of my family stopped by to see some of the dancing. It felt good to have them there,” she tweeted.
www.rap-up.com

November 10, 2009

RIHANNA HONORED AS WOMAN OF THE YEAR


Rihanna fought back tears while being honored as one of Glamour’s 2009 Women of the Year at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Monday (Nov. 9). The magazine’s latest cover girl broke from her all-black-everything look, turning heads in a dramatic white gown. She was accompanied by her Island Def Jam label head L.A. Reid. Other honorees included Michelle Obama, Maya Angelou, Serena Williams, Maria Shriver, and Amy Poehler.
“I am shaking right now. I am so nervous, but overwhelmed and honored by this honor to be Glamour’s Woman of the Year,” an emotional Rihanna said as she was presented with her award from supermodel Iman. “I really look up to my gran-gran and my mom. They are my two women of the year. I love you very much, granny. I love you very much, mom.”

SOURCE: www.rap-up.com

November 09, 2009

PROUD AH BLEACHING

LISA HYPE

BY: STAR APPLE
Colonialism is a bitch to hell. We cry for independence yet we do so many things which only slave masters would unto a slave. I had the unfortunate opportunity of reading an article in a trash daily. Proud Ah Mi Bleaching was the caption. Proud Ah Mi Bleaching? What the hell!! In this day and age with so many “enlightened” people, no pun intended, we here on the rock are bleaching like sandfly pon beach after sundown. What the hell!!
Anyway back to my point, apparently, Empire artiste Lisa Hype has done a song with the same repulsive and puzzling title. Proud ah mi bleaching. Surely there are other topics to write about or have we become so base and starved of creativity that we had to resort to write that rubbish. We have artistes writing about bleaching – encouraging it and now a woman, writing, espousing and deejaying a song about this destructive practice.
A quick look at Wiki Answer provided a summary of the harmful effects of bleaching:
Skin bleaching destroys the black pigment found in the epidermis (top layer of the skin). Exposure of the dermis layer, underneath the epidermis layer, to the harsh weather will increase the incidence of skin cancer. The dermis cannot compensate for the absence of the epidermis and coupled with the hot sun… one will get a higher risk of cancer.
Thus we can see that despite having fairer skin as desired, skin bleaching is also damaging to our skin.
What I would like to know is how we have degenerated in a nation of damn nonsensical persons. We exclaim to no end that we are proud to be black, Black represents strength and so on. So why do we feel the need to bleach.
I did a survey of some Jamaicans and both men and women felt that it made them more desirable; since men and women prefer light skin person. Kiss mi neck back wi really lack self esteem down here.
To add insult to injury, Lisa Hype has gone on to say that she nuh know who nah bleach out here. I would like to know which self absorbed world she is living in.
Even with knowledge, the mere lack of reasoning ability and lack of self esteem have really done us over. Slavery could not have done us that badly, since we have some outstanding Jamaicans across the globe and not for criminal acts committed.
Families and communities are bleaching. Schoolers are bleaching. Like seriously, when are we gonna get comfortable in our own skin and out of many one people. Thank god for artistes like Queen Ifrica, cause not everyone wants to look like a purple dragon.
Why is it that Jamaicans like to take on the more scarring practices of other cultures? Are we spiraling downward and refuse to see it or just don’t wish to see it.

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GULLY-GAZA FEUD HURTING




• DJs have power over how teens think and view themselves, survey shows

by Ingrid Brown

The sexually explicit and violent lyrics for which deejay Vybz Kartel - one half of the Gully-Gaza feud - is known affect how Jamaican teenagers think and view themselves, according to a recent study.
Numerous young people between the age of 10 and 18 have spoken of the negative influence of Kartel's lyrics and music videos on them, communication specialist and former permanent secretary in the ministry of energy and mining, Marcia Forbes said her research had found.
Forbes, who put the issue in the context of the vicious Gully-Gaza feud between Kartel and his arch-rival Mavado, said the research showed that the deejay had power over what teenagers thought about and how they viewed themselves based on his lyrics. (See page seven for the full article)in the Jamaica Observer (Nov. 9th, 2009)
"One girl was delighted with herself because she met Kartel's standard by having a tight "pum pum" and not one that "placka like mud", as
he disparagingly described vaginas with lax walls/ insufficient muscle tone," Forbes said of a girl who "used Kartel's lyrics to validate herself and
her sexuality".
One boy, she said, explained that the deejay's Tek Buddy song of some years ago was good because it gave power to men.
"To this boy, the song showed that men were taking back power from women
who were usurping men's roles," Forbes said, reiterating that "teenagers really listen to Kartel".
Last week, the police cracked down on several vendors at school gates in Kingston, who were selling badges depicting images of Kartel with what are believed to be two chrome 9mm pistols, bearing the words 'Calabar Empire', and another showing the entertainer holding what appeared to be a firearm to the head of an image which bears the resemblance of Mavado, and has the words, 'Mi murder people inna broad daylight'.
The deejay has distanced himself from the pins, insisting that he did not authorise the pins to be made and neither would he derive any financial benefit.
And principal of the Edith Dalton James High School, Ray Howell, last week lashed out against the sale of badges, saying it would sow seeds of division among schoolchildren.
"We are very concerned about what I call the 'G culture' in schools - the Gully, Gaza, gun, ganja and graffiti. This is the worst disease that has come into the school system in my 37 years of teaching," Howell told the Observer.
Forbes said when young people were asked whether music videos reflected mostly real life or mostly fantasy, over 80 per cent said reggae music reflected mostly real life and almost two-thirds expressed similar sentiments about dancehall.
"So we see that the vast majority of those in the survey of 447 adolescents believed that our two indigenous music forms really reflect life," Forbes said.
Source: jamaicaoberserver

LOTS OF FLOSSING FOR FLIPPA THIS HOLIDAY SEASON


Deejay Flippa Mafia, having enjoyed a good run this year, is preparing for a busy end of year and is all set to close 2009 in style.
The deejay was exciting at the recent Barefoot Beach concert in Montego Bay, headlined by American rapper, Soldier Boy and is anticipating great upcoming performances.
“It’s just lots of crazy work … flossing like a king and keeping the fans happy,” Flippa says.
Now that his single, Foundation Over Hype is making strides on the Hype chart and seems set to score him his second number one, the Flossing King is not about to drop the baton. He dismissed the feud with flamboyant deejay Elephant Man as nothing to hype about and instead focused on his career.
“I will be performing at Club Amazura in Queens on November 26, Canada on the 28th and a treat in Trench Town on December 12. The proceeds from this will be for the education of the youths,” the Mafia explained.
England will see the Flossing King in action December 17 -19, after which he’ll return to the island for GT Taylor’s Christmas Extravaganza on December 25 and Supreme Promotions’ Sting, the greatest one night show on earth, on Boxing Day at Jamworld.

November 07, 2009

THE PORTMORE EMPIRE’S PRESIDENT VYBZ KARTEL CONTINUES TO HOLD STRONG WITH LOVE DEM

The Portmore Empire’s president Vybz Kartel continues to hold strong with Love Dem for #1.
The single is now spending its third week in this position. Also for his contagious track Like A Movie, it has step in the #3 place moving one spot up.

Mavado with Mockingbird has maintains its title for Shot To Watch and still threatens the number one spot as it sits in the #2 position for yet another week. At the same time his scorching track House Cleaning carries on the Greatest Gainer title shifting up four places in the #5 spot.

G Whizz has no worries as My Life still holds a place in the top five position on the chart, the track fell a mere one place down to seize the #4 spot.


The chart’s New Entry goes to Ding Dong & Chevaughn’s infectious single Holiday and even though Summer is long gone the single is still doing great thus has made its way on the chart for the #17 position. The track production was done by Notice records.

THE CHART AIRED FRIDAY'S @ 9:15pm WITH REPEATS DURING THE WEEK ON HYPE TV CAN BE VIEWED IN THE WEEKEND CHATON FRIDAY'S, YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THIS WEEK TOP 20 SINGLES CHART ON HYPE TV WEBSITE JUST LOG ONTO www.hypetvjam.com

BARBEE SIZZLES WITH 'FEELS SO GOOD'


Singer, songwriter and fashion model Barbee sizzles with with her sexy new single "Feels So Good." The song, inspired by Teddy Pendergrass' rendition of the same name, solidifies Barbee's status as a sexy, classy songstress with the ability to fuse soulful R&B with the classic rub-a-dub sounds of reggae and dancehall - a true homage to her hybrid American-Jamaican heritage.

The video sees two top directors at its helm with Ras Tingle and Rupert Campbell and the artist is very pleased with the outcome."I like this video very much for various reasons," reveals Barbee. "I was very involved in the making of the video, it was written by me, and I had a hand in the set and costume designing."

"Feels So Good" was produced by Dean Fraser, whose production and presence made a positive impact on the entertainer. "I was very motivated in having senior professionals such as world renowned musician Dean Fraser producing the track and being present on set," states Barbee. The single will definitely cultivate new fans for the artist, in addition to those from her previous hits - "Love You Anyway," "Missing You" featuring Junior Kelly, and "Patty Cake" featuring Beenie Man.

Barbee is currently busy promoting the new single and video both in Jamaica and in America, and is making a cameo appearance in the Hollywood flick House Arrest, starring Stacey Dash and The Game. The single also gets its own feature as "Feels So Good" appears on the movie's soundtrack, a stellar accomplishment as her career continues to blossom. Barbee also recently opened her very own music studio in Manhattan, called The Rare Diamond.

November 06, 2009

PROUD AH BLEACHING

LISA HYPE

BY: STAR APPLE
Colonialism is a bitch to hell. We cry for independence yet we do so many things which only slave masters would unto a slave. I had the unfortunate opportunity of reading an article in a trash daily. Proud Ah Mi Bleaching was the caption. Proud Ah Mi Bleaching? What the hell!! In this day and age with so many “enlightened” people, no pun intended, we here on the rock are bleaching like sandfly pon beach after sundown. What the hell!!
Anyway back to my point, apparently, Empire artiste Lisa Hype has done a song with the same repulsive and puzzling title. Proud ah mi bleaching. Surely there are other topics to write about or have we become so base and starved of creativity that we had to resort to write that rubbish. We have artistes writing about bleaching – encouraging it and now a woman, writing, espousing and deejaying a song about this destructive practice.
A quick look at Wiki Answer provided a summary of the harmful effects of bleaching:
Skin bleaching destroys the black pigment found in the epidermis (top layer of the skin). Exposure of the dermis layer, underneath the epidermis layer, to the harsh weather will increase the incidence of skin cancer. The dermis cannot compensate for the absence of the epidermis and coupled with the hot sun… one will get a higher risk of cancer.
Thus we can see that despite having fairer skin as desired, skin bleaching is also damaging to our skin.
What I would like to know is how we have degenerated in a nation of damn nonsensical persons. We exclaim to no end that we are proud to be black, Black represents strength and so on. So why do we feel the need to bleach.
I did a survey of some Jamaicans and both men and women felt that it made them more desirable; since men and women prefer light skin person. Kiss mi neck back wi really lack self esteem down here.
To add insult to injury, Lisa Hype has gone on to say that she nuh know who nah bleach out here. I would like to know which self absorbed world she is living in.
Even with knowledge, the mere lack of reasoning ability and lack of self esteem have really done us over. Slavery could not have done us that badly, since we have some outstanding Jamaicans across the globe and not for criminal acts committed.
Families and communities are bleaching. Schoolers are bleaching. Like seriously, when are we gonna get comfortable in our own skin and out of many one people. Thank god for artistes like Queen Ifrica, cause not everyone wants to look like a purple dragon.
Why is it that Jamaicans like to take on the more scarring practices of other cultures? Are we spiraling downward and refuse to see it or just don’t wish to see it.

PEOPLE WAH FI KNO!!!!!!!


1. A wah really a gwaan over Portmore “Gaza” Empire? First Lisa Hype publicly talk how proud she is of her skin bleaching and then JahVinci allegedly get beat up by his own “Gaza Men”

2. What’s the beef between Anthony B and Mr. Perfect?

3. Who will get the highest pay for Sting 09? Vybz Kartel, Bounty Killa or Mavado?

4.Gaza girl Sheba plans to counteract Spice’s “Chatti Back”?

5.Is this the end of the Beenie era?

6.How Richie Stephens a guh so hard pon de promoting?

NO GAMES RELEASED WITHOUT UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC


"its tough out there but we are remaining positive and focused on developing Serani as an artist and a brand," said Julian Jones-Griffith, Serani's manager, in the aftermath of shifting a little over 1100 units first week of his debut album, No Games. "We are lucky that we have venture partners who believe in Serani, will stay the course and roll out a third single. They share our vision of artist development and breaking him in new markets. When you think how far Serani has come in terms of profile and mainstream airplay in under 2 years as an artist its a phenomenal achievement and hes out-paced many acts who have been on the scene for years. We're closing in on 100,000 single downloads overall since we rolled out, which is huge, and I'm confident we will get where we want to go."

In a climate where album sales have been culled dramatically in the space of a few short years, everybody has felt the brunt of the decline. Sean Paul came off the back of 4 million sold and did 28k first week. Sony rolled out 225,000 units first week for Sean Kingston on the strength of a huge Billboard hit and he shifted less than 15,000. Vybz Kartel, one of Jamaica's hottest DJs, did 8 units total first week.

"Its a grind for everybody but for a Dancehall act trying to go mainstream there's an added fight," added Jones-Griffith. "Radio is a problem but its compounded at retail where its almost impossible to get product in stores. We bought ourselves out of the Universal Republic deal about 2 months ago and did a straight distribution deal with Razor & Tie, who went through Sony. Sony of course just got burnt from the 200,000 Sean Kingston returned CDs so we ended up getting calls from all over our strong markets that the CD just wasnt in stores for people to buy. We're presently addressing that and hope to re-solicit the product to retail early next year. We will build another radio story to help facilitate that and we are, as ever, working on that."

Serani signed a 4 album deal with Universal Republic earlier this year but quickly became unhappy with the way things were playing out. Trusting in label partner Phase One Communications Serani and his management agreed that the best route would be to buy themselves out of the Uni-Republic deal and move forward as an indie. No Games was released October 27 on Phase One Communications/Rockstone Media Group, a company jointly owned by Serani and his manager.

"In some ways we cut too good a deal for ourselves with Universal Republic," remarked Jones-Griffith. "They offered us a 360 deal with a healthy advance but knew the back- end would be minimal so we passed on that and cut a unique distribution-with-creative-services deal. I think Republic soon regretted that they would not be seeing the lion's share of profit that a major is used to so we found that we were still coming out of pocket to cover a lot of things going forward and quickly fell off their priority list. Phase One said lets give back Universal what they've laid out and we wont have to give up those points to them, which made sense in the bigger picture. So we took the brave decision to go it alone, drop the album in the 4th quarter and keep the forward movement going. We're going with Take Me Higher as the third single with which we will be going after Top 40."

Serani is continuing to promote No Games across the country, rounding out his North East promotion this week with release parties in Jersey and different demographics in New York, before heading out to the Mid West, Atlanta, Florida and Canada. Trips to the UK and Haiti will round out a landmark year for Serani, who will undoubtedly carry this momentum into 2010.

November 04, 2009

MR. VEGAS POWERS GRAND THEFT AUTO SOUNDTRACK


Mr. Vegas has scored another major international achievement as his hit song, Mus Come a Road is featured on the soundtrack of the best-selling game title Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes from Liberty
City. The GTA IV game has sold over 70 million copies worldwide.

Like the previous games in the series, the soundtrack is mostly made up of in-game radio stations. The song appears on the RamJam FM radio station hosted by DJ David Rodigan, and other reggae tracks by reggae icons such as Ini Kamoze, Barrington Levy and Desmond Dekker.

"Mus Come a Road appeared on the Strictly the Best VP compilation of 2008, and it peaked at #5 on the black chart in England so it is one of those masterpiece tunes in Europe, and it was popular on the west
side of San Francisco and the west coast. Nuff innocent man de a jail, and nuff real thugs, not rapists or killers of children, who have been wrongly accused," Mr. Vegas said.

"This is a good achievement, there are millions of artistes worldwide and they chose me as one of the reggae artistes. Mi play Grand Theft Auto II, so I am familiar with the game, and mi ah look forward to
playing the game and hearing my song on the radio station."

These radio stations can be listened to when driving various vehicles in the game, or at the start menu. RamJam Fm can only be listened to in Episodes from Liberty City.

Radio stations in past Grand Theft Auto games have included licensed music, original music made specifically for the game, DJ chat, and spoof advertising. This game includes 19 in-game radio stations (20 in the PC edition) and over 200 tracks (whether licensed or original). Of the 19 stations, 16 are musical stations while the other 3 are talk radio.

GTA IV has generated perfect or near perfect reviews and scores on almost all of the games, and has sold over 70 million copies worldwide, as of March 2008.