I-OCTANE 'SHELL DOWN' GUYANA NATIONAL STADIUM

For a moment one had to wonder if they were on Jamaican soil or in Guyana as torches blazed for Digicel Brand Ambassador I-Octane in his first performance in Guyana. The occasion was the celebration of Digicel's fifth anniversary in that island at its National Park on Friday February 17, 2012.

The singjay blasted on stage with his usual burst of energy singing No Love Inna Dem, which had his fans screaming and hands in the air. The pressure intensified when he drew for hits such as My Life, Nuh Ramp Wid Wi and Lose A Friend. It was sweet nostalgia when he went into his catalogue of old hits which included Stab Vampire and Different Page.
But it was when he did his two newest songs Jah Jah and Nah Eat that I-Octane got the surprise of his life. He received the biggest forward for those songs!

"I didn't know it had taken off so much in Guyana, why even a lot of my fans in Jamaica don't know it yet," he said after his performance.
Following I-Octane's hour-long fiery performance on stage it was time for R&B singer Keri Hilson. She could do no wrong the music lovers there and scored with songs such as Return The Favour, Slow Dance and How Does It Feel.
The sibling group Morgan Heritage brought the curtains down on the show in fine style performing hits such as Down By The River, Don't Haffi Dread, Best Friend and
Earlier in the evening local acts got the chance to shine and they performed to good response

DAVILLE REMAINS BUSY WITH DATES IN US, EUROPE

This year is queuing up to be a hectic year for singer Da’Ville, as he returns to the stage with booked out dates throughout the United States and Europe.
The singer kicked off his US dates on February 10 with a performance at the Plush nightclub in Jacksonville, Florida.
The lover’s rock singer also played to a sold out show in Tampa, Florida on February 11, where he was the lone performer, leaving promoter Supa D very pleased. According to the promoter, “DaVille’s performance was stellar and professional as usual.”
On February 12, DaVille then slipped across to the MR CC, Club Majestic in Orlando FL., where he performed alongside reggae queen Marcia Griffiths and others, thrilling audiences there.
Delivering only as he can, February 18 and 19 saw DaVille serenading fans at the Nuvo Lounge, Raleigh North Carolina and on Road Block Radio, Palladium, Newark New Jersey. The latter saw him sharing the spotlight with fellow reggae/dancehall artistes Ghost and Romain Virgo.
Fans can be sure to catch a glimpse of DaVille at his next stop in the US, when he will be live in action on February 25th at the Westchester Social Club in Hartford, Connecticut.
DaVille alongside Turbulence will also feature on the Hot 93.7fm commercial radio station.
While the singer has a tentative date in New Orleans on April 13, which should round off his stint of performances in the US, the big focus will be on an upcoming tour of Europe in the next couple of months. Plans are still being put in place and dates still to be confirmed. However, the European tour is being organized for May 20 – June 17, so it will not be long before DaVille jets off to Europe to thrill fans there.

Kereen Gregory happy to share stage with Carlene Davis

KINGSTON, JAMAICA - Rising gospel act, Kereen Gregory, aka KG, is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to perform alongside one of her favourite female singers, Carlene Davis.

The two are among a set of gospel acts scheduled to thrill fans at a concert entitled Ash Wednesday Praise, scheduled for February 22 in Kitson Town, St Catherine.

KG, who declares that Carlene Davis has been an inspiration to her, also noted that she welcomed the opportunity to get up close with fans in that section of Jamaica.

"Minister Carlene Davis' story is such a wonderful one; how she moved from secular to gospel with such grace and I am particularly impressed with how Sister Carlene handled the testing of her faith in God when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has always been one of my heroes and it is a joy to share stage with such a powerful woman of God," KG said emotionally.

She added that it would be her first time performing in Kitson Town and, as such, "it will definitely be a night to remember".

KG, whose star seems to be in the ascendancy, has been quite visible since the start of the year, doing radio, television and print interviews, and winning over fans as she prepares for the release of her debut album.

According to her management, Butterfly Muzik Limited, the album is set to hit the stores by Easter and, as a result the singer has been in the studio working closely with producers to put on the all-important final touches.

"We are at the stage now where we feel confident about the quality of the product. Kereen has been working with a talented crew of producers, engineers and other creative persons and the result is just fantastic. We know that it has been directed by God from start to finish," KG's sister and manager, Claudia Gregory-Watson stated.

A 2008 finalist in the JCDC Gospel Song Contest, KG has been creating deep ripples with her Radikal Yawd single called Who Me You Mad, a song that boldly compares a personal and intimate relationship with God to the closeness of a man-woman relationship. It is the first single off her upcoming album and was produced by gospel artiste Prodigal Son.

Among the other artistes on the gospel showcase are Goddy Goddy and Sister Pat.

I-OCTANE AND CHAN DIZZY SHOOT TIL KINGDOM COME

• The song has been getting good airplay and is very popular in the streets.

Kingston Jamaica February 10, 2012:- Head Concussion artiste Chan Dizzy and I-Octane this week wrapped filming of their collaboration for Til Kingdom Come which was released in mid-January.

Produced by hot Dancehall producer, Tarik Johnston aka Russian of Head Concussion Records, Til Kingdom Come blends the styles of Chan Dizzy and I-Octane effectively and according to Video Director Duane 'Biggz Di Boss' Gordon who flew down from Miami for the shoot: “It was pretty good working with both artistes. I like the song, I feel it has high energy and has a good vibe all around. What’s also good about the song is that it reflects real life situations which have to some extent affected both artistes in different ways and the video mirrors those experiences”.

Chan Dizzy who burst on to the mainstream with Nuh Strange Face in 2010, stepped it up a notch in 2011 with Hello Badmind, Dat Mi Know and Our Place. He has been consistent on the national airwaves as well as regionally with these infectious dancehall singles.

The artiste who is currently aligned to the Russian’s Head Concussion label says for 2012 Til Kingdom Come is the first step in what will be a good year: “This to me is a great start to the new year. The song has been getting good airplay and is very popular in the streets. I believe that the video compliments the track and will add value to the lyrics by giving fans a visual of what is been said. A lot of people identify with the song and I think that’s the reason it’s so popular”

The artiste who had a very successful 2011 says he has more in store for dancehall fans as he continues to release good material: “I did a track recently called Anywhere Mi Wah on the Team No Sleep riddim for ZJ Chrome, Herbalist for Russian in the High Times riddim as well as Kibba Dem Mouth for Bigimani (Big A). We also plan to shoot the videos for the three songs next week. The year looks really bright as I am putting in the work to ensure that 2012 is better than 2011 which was a good year for me.

Chan Dizzy also has to his credit the successful release of his Dizzyness mixtape last year and used that platform to travel internationally for stage shows in Canada, the US, the Caribbean and Europe.

To date, Chan Dizzy has worked with numerous producers most notably Tarik "Russian" Johnston (Head Concussion), Steven "Di Genius" McGregor (Big Ship), Jeremy Harding (2HardMusic) and TJ Records to name a few.

The artiste is very excited about the release of his new video and says fans can expect at least two more videos from him before the end of the month.

I-Octane’s ‘Crying To The Nation’ for Valentine’s Day release

• Signs two-year deal with Guinness

Kingston Jamaica - Digicel Brand ambassador and popular singjay I-Octane will be releasing his debut album on the day designated for lovers – Valentine’s Day.
It’s definitely a musical love affair with the singjay and his many fans as he drops Crying To The Nation which is a 16-track joint venture deal with VP Records and Scikron, owned by Robert Livingston.
Among the featured tracks on the album are Rules of Life, Help I Please, L.O.V.E. Y.O.U., The Master’s Plan and the very popular Lose A Friend.
The album will also see I-Octane doing collabs with other artistes such as Albarosie, Tarrus Riley and Agent Sasco.
On Wednesday, February 8, VP records will kick start the album’s promotion with the shooting of the music video for the second single off the album L.O.V.E. Y.O.U. Scenes will be shot at Big Yard and several other locations across Kingston.
Produced by Christopher Birch the video will be done under the direction of Scorpio 21.
L.O.V.E. Y.O.U. seem to have hit all the right notes where his fans are concerned as the song is now in the number two position on Fi Wi Choice.
That is not the only song from the singjay sitting pretty on the charts Burn Dem Bridge is in the number one spot on Fi WI Choice and Hype TV top 20 Singles chart the video is number on CVM’s Hitlist.
Commenting on his success I-Octane said he is happy that the hard work put in by himself and his management is bearing fruit.
“It’s a great feeling and I am looking forward to even more success,” he said.
Promotion for the album will continue in earnest following the shooting of the music video as I-Octane will fly out on the following day for a promotional blitz in the States where he is expected to do several radio and television interviews among them a MTV performance.
Following his return to the island on Monday, February 13, he will head for Guyana where he has a show booked for February 17 and there will be sharing stage with Morgan Heritage and Keri Hilson.
In other news the singjay has signed a two-year radio commercial deal with Guinness where his voice will be heard throughout the Caribbean.

GOSPEL ACT, KEREEN GREGORY, GETS RADIKAL WITH NEW SINGLE

Kingston, Jamaica - When singer Kereen Gregory, aka KG, entered the JCDC Gospel Song Contest in 2008, she was defined as a great singer with lots of potential. Her lyrical path was the safe religious homilies that could light a spark and leave Christians with that good feeling.
However, four years later, Kereen Gregory is not merely setting off sparks, she is creating fires and firestorms of criticism as she explores her musical horizons in her quest to win souls for Christ. Her lyrical content has moved from safe to edgy -- some would perhaps say 'too edgy -- and KG has stepped out as a dancehall deejay, while keeping true to her God-centric focus.
In 2011, Kereen teamed up with controversial and successful gospel artiste, Prodigal Son and embraced the challenge to boldly step out into the world as a testimony to her faith. KG entered Prodigal's Radikal Yawd outfit and was re-baptised. She emerged from the studio sounding like a seasoned deejay, throwing down lyrics that were sure to make both Christendom and the world stop and listen.
One of her singles on the Radikal Yawd imprint is called Who Me You Mad and is chockful of sexual overtones, while driving home the point that God is her only man and is totally in charge of her existence. "You a di boss, You a di don", Kereen declares in one verse of the song, prior to going into the ear-popping chorus: Who me, you mad, fi one night of fun fi go cheat with the devil and give me God bun?
While some may feel that Kereen has compromised her Christianity with over-the-top lyrics such as these, Kereen herself is confident that the song is all part of that great divine plan and remains resolute in the face of growing criticism.
"Who Me You Mad is an out-of-the-box kind of song, but as Christians we know that we sometimes have to go where 'macca' can stick us and stick those around us so that they can wake up and see God's goodness," KG said. "And I didn't even know that I could deejay," the gospel singer added with a laugh.
According to Kereen, the song has received so much attention from both the dancehall and non-religious radio, that it has forced on-air gospel shows to start placing it on their programmes.
"It is great to sing a song in church and get a hearty 'Amen', but we as Christians must remember that we cannot always focus on preaching to the converted. If this song brings even one soul to Christ, I will feel that my mission has been accomplished," she said.
Kereen's other single on the Radikal Yawd label is called Lord Do Me Again and this too, has seen her stepping out of her usual comfort zone of traditional gospel songs.
Currently under the management of Butterfly Muzik Limited, KG is preparing for yet another milestone event in her gospel career – the launch of her debut album in the first half of 2012. For this offering, she has worked with producers Gifton Smith, Alex Blanken and Radikal Yawd.

50 CENT SPEAKS ON MILLION-DOLLAR SUPER BOWL BET [VIDEO]

50 Cent is betting big on the New York Giants. Backstage at the Bud Light Hotel in Indianapolis during Super Bowlweekend, the hip-hop tycoon spoke to Yahoo! about the million-dollar wager on his home town.
“Baby had said he had $5 million on the Patriots,” 50 said in response to the Cash Money CEO’s proposed bet on New England. “I just think he was just passionate about the Patriots winning and just said that. I don’t think he actually would bet $5 million.”
The G-Unit captain banked $500,000 when the Giants defeated the 49ers in the playoffs. “It would just be risking what I won the first time,” he explained.
But one bet he won’t be taking is posing nude on Twitter if the Giants lose, which one fan suggested. “No. This is what happens on my Twitter,” he said. “When people say really crazy things, I say, ‘OK.’ I don’t say anything else. I just say, ‘OK’ so my fans can see the crazy things people say to me because they don’t pay attention to what they’re saying. They only pay attention to my response.”

Source: rap-up.com