FASHION’S NIGHT OUT (FNO) HITS JAMAICA, WITH DIGICEL

Jamaica’s Bigger Better Network offers discounts, dealer store surprises and more

For one night only, fashionistas across Jamaica will be able to indulge in amazing shopping deals courtesy of the Observer’s Fashion’s Night Out ( FNO). Set to ignite the retail industry, FNO will be held on Friday September 10, 2010 and Jamaica’s Bigger Better network and official telecommunications sponsors of FNO, Digicel, promises to make this year’s FNO like no other.

Digicel will be offering the white version of the über sleek Blackberry Bold 2 with a 50 percent discount as a part of FNO in addition to several other activities that will definitely add more value to the staging of the event. Shelly Ann Curran, Senior Sponsorship manager at Digicel explained that this year her company would be adding to the excitement and energy of Fashion’s Night Out by also having several celebrity autographs signing at various Digicel stores across Jamaica.


“We are definitely upping the ante of this year’s Fashion’s Night Out and we will giving our customers added value as they participate with us”. “Digicel will be having several of Jamaica’s most talented artistes and media personalities to sign autographs for our customers at specific Dealer locations, and is also partnering with the Fiction Lounge for the official FNO after party!” she excitedly exclaimed.

“Fashion’s Night Out is definitely an excellent way to spend a Friday night with your best friends if you love and enjoy fashion and shopping, get ready to do it bigger and better, Curran ended..


Locations and Celebrity for Autograph Signing :

Personality Activity Location Times
D'Angel Travelling on VIP bus, autograph signing Anbell New Kingston 9:00PM

Tifa Autograph Signing Anbell New Kingston 5:00PM-7:00PM

I-Octane Autograph Signing Anbell New Kingston 6:00PM - 9:00PM

Bugle Autograph Signing Source Cellular, Ocho Rios 5:00PM - 7:00PM

Voice Mail Autograph Signing Anbell, Montego Bay 7:00PM-10:00PM

Ding Dong Autograph Signing FIMI Wireless, Portmore Mall 5:00PM - 7:00PM

Miss Kitty Autograph Signing CelliShac Manor Park 6:00PM - 8:00PM

LADY SAW APPEARS AS GUEST JUDGE ON 106 & PARK’S FREESTYLE FRIDAY

Having declared in her current single, Party Till December, that her “body’s too hot to be at home just sitting back”, Lady Saw, not surprisingly has been living it up in fine style. The dancehall diva, whose album My Way, had its official release on Tuesday, secured an invitation from BET’s 106 & Park to appear as a guest judge on the popular Freestyle Fridays and Lady Saw graciously accepted the invite.
“It was an honour and the spin offs from that I am sure will be tremendous,” Lady Saw said with enthusiasm. “This is good for me, as the publicity will surely help my album and it’s a positive move for dancehall as a whole,” she added.

Freestyle Friday is a segment on BET's popular show 106 & Park where two aspiring rappers compete in a freestyle battle before the studio audience and the cypher (from 2006) and three celebrity judges (the DJ sometimes acts as the 3rd judge). Each competitor alternates freestyling for 30 seconds in each of the two rounds. The rappers are not allowed to use profanities or sexually suggestive lyrics, punishable by disqualification. After the battle, the judges decide the winner, per majority vote.
The rapper who wins each week wins a prize and returns the following Friday to defend their Champion title. After seven consecutive wins, however, the rapper is retired and inducted into the Freestyle Friday Hall of Fame.

The episode, which will air on Friday September 10, 2010 at 5:00 pm local time has Lady Saw as guest judge alongside rapper Waka Flocka Flame, the American rapper signed to 1017 Brick Squad and Warner Bros.

Lady Saw, the acknowledged ‘Muma’ of the dancehall, is highly respected internationally for her deejaying skills and her ability to ride a riddim. Her recently released album, My Way, has productions from Tony 'CD' Kelly, Lloyd 'John John' James, Danny Browne and Stephen McGregor. Among the tracks are Every Way Mi Go, Your Chick, He Is At My House (Feat. Eve), My Way, Me Hold Yuh, Muscle Control (Feat. Camar) and I Can’t Wait (Feat. Ding Dong).

IKAYA GETS HER ISLAND GROOVE ON

Ikaya’s single Hard Way is about choices, which is actually an appropriate theme for the direction of the singjay’s career just now. Ikaya recently made the choice to temper her hardcore act with conscious, reality-laced lyrics and this decision has been paying off.
That choice resulted in her voicing singles such as Amber Alert, These Tears and her current fascination, Hard Way.
“Other singjays started out singing and then when they couldn’t get the break in the dancehall they went into hardcore deejaying, but my management team did it the other way around,” Ikaya explained. “I came into the business as a good-up good-up deejay talking up the things and once people stopped to listen, I hit them with the reality lyrics, as a singer and they are still listening,” she noted.
Considered among the best of the crop of new female artistes to emerge in recent times, Ikaya is steadily cementing her fan base across the island. She recently performed in Highgate, St Mary alongside Bugle and in Brown’s Town, St Ann, with Portmore Empire deejay, Popcorn, as part of her island trek while on the popular Digicel Road show.
On September 11, the series continues and Ikaya will be in Portmore entertaining fans, while on the 25th, the show moves to May Pen in Clarendon. The series closes on October 2 in Junction, St Elizabeth.
Ikaya is looking forward to the embrace from her out-of-town fans, because, as she said with a bright smile, “when country people love you, them love you bad”.

FLIPPA SAYS HE'S NO SNITCH - SPEAKS ABOUT ISSUES SURROUNDING HIS ARREST

Having made what he admitted was a stupid decision, deejay Flippa Mafia is out of jail and back to getting his life on track.

Speaking with THE STAR yesterday from Philadelphia, Flippa Mafia, who's real name is Andrew Davis, discussed the reasons behind his arrest, months spent in prison, his release and future. Arrested in March, after he was allegedly caught trying to enter the United States illegally from The Bahamas via a boat, Mafia was released last week Tuesday from the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia.
Since his release, rumours have been circulating that he 'informed' to be free. Flippa said, "mi nuh have nutten a hide cause all dese people that are speculating dem don't know nutten. Is not like mi owe people nutten or haffi explain nutten but mi tyaad of di speculations and rumours and mi waan mek di fans know wha happen."
Flippa says he is involved in a criminal case in the United States that took place in 2006, in which he has to make appearances in court. In late 2009 at the peak of his career, Flippa was in Jamaica pursuing music and performing at various events. While in Jamaica, however, he was waiting for the renewal of his travel documents that was supposed to have been shipped here but up until March had not arrived.
He said: "Mi travel documents expire, mi come to Jamaica cause of music. Di case suppose to start April, January come, mi nuh get through wid di papers, February come, mi nuh get through. Then inna February, people start talk up how Flippa deh a Jamaica so long, and all dese things and mi mek wah people a sey get to me and mi mek a stupid decision based on wha people a sey."
In an effort to save himself any embarrassment and to make sure he got back in the United States for the case, the artiste admitted having gone to The Bahamas in an effort to re-enter the United States.
He added: "Mi do wha mi do and mi regret it, not like mi proud of wha mi do, is the same embarrassment weh mi a guh true right now mi did a try avoid from den. All a dat done and gone. Now a lot of people a ask and sey how me come out, me a mus informa, mi cyaan stop people from thinking wah dem waan and wah dem sey but mi have a case and is not like dem a go send me home just so."
After his release last week, Flippa says he went straight home to his family and children. His travel documents, he says, are currently on hold until the 2006 case is closed. His next court date is set for November.
For Flippa, he says, even if he is sent home he will not be a 'regular deportee' but a 'returning resident.' "Mi have mi place here mi nah beg nobody nutten, mi have mi ride, mi alright if mi come home. Deportee a people weh nuh have nutten, mi a returning resident as mi sey is foundation over hype and nobody can't stop mi from floss, is a lifestyle for me," he said.
Since the incident, the deejay says he has learnt a lot, got more mature and will resume his recording career. Flippa says he is not going to let what happened affect his career, "people can expect di typical Flippa, nutten nuh change. Mi just go through a likkle phase and is a eye-opener and mi hope mi nuh haffi go through none of dem ting deh again. Mi just waan tell mi fans mi sorry but its the same me and I'll focus on the nice song dem like Dem Yah."
SOURCE: www.jamaica-star.com

VENUS WILLIAMS' DRESS GIVES HER PROBLEMS DURING U.S. OPEN WIN

By Chris Chase

Opinions on Venus Williams' pink, sequined dress with matching Bedazzled tennis underwear will vary, but on one thing we can all agree: It was quite a distraction.
Though Venus defeated No. 18 seed Shahar Peer in straight sets during their third-round match at the U.S. Open on Sunday, the tightness of Venus' self-designed dress clearly gave her issues throughout the match. During most points the tight garment would ride up Venus' hips, revealing her undergarments for everyone to see. Before the next point began, Venus would have to pull down the sides of the dress. The routine captivated the announcers in the CBS broadcast booth, who talked about the form-fitting dress for much of the match.
Source: sports.yahoo.com

Nicki Minaj Races to the VMAs

The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards are getting a double dose of Nicki Minaj. Earlier today, the network announced that the Young Money raptress would be performing during the pre-show broadcast, and now, the Best New Artist nominee is getting her swerve on in a new promo clip for the ceremony.
Set to the tune of her hit “Your Love,” a young Nicki poses in the mirror, dreaming of one day ruling rap. But as the clip progresses, Minaj is shown dolled up like a classic ’50s debutante and zooms into the present as she hops on a motorcycle and speeds through the California streets.
“Ever since she was little, she dreamed of dominating the world of rap,” says the announcer. “Now the world—and every man in it—is beneath her stilettos.”
Debuting tonight on MTV’s 10 spot, the promo clip is an early taste of what Minaj will bring during her performance at the pre-show event, airing on Sunday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m. The award show, hosted by Chelsea Handler , will follow at 9 p.m.

IT’S BACK-TO-SCHOOL AS IKAYA PREPARES FOR RE TV TOUR

Recently returned to Jamaica from Toronto, Canada where she treated fans to her special flavour of reggae/dancehall, singjay Ikaya is ready to rumble on the popular RE TV School Tour.
A versatile act, Ikaya ‘s single Money ova Man and songs which form her “good girl medley”, have put her on the dnacehall map, but she equally well known for the conscious single, Amber Alert and the reality songs These Tears as well as Hard Way. Interestingly, the single Hard Way could have been written specifically for schoolers as it pierces the heart of a serious issue -- teenage pregnancy.
“These school tours is really about getting kids to focus on their books and to help them to understand that they must put education first and I am happy to be part of this,” Ikaya said.
The tour kicks off on October 26 and will run through the parishes every Tuesday in November.
Meanwhile, Ikaya was still feeling the effects of her Canada outing. According to her, there are few things which can bring out one’s patriotism more than an overseas show celebrating Jamaica’s independence. And in that regard, the Jamaica Day Parade in Toronto scored full marks as she, along with other artistes including Marcia Griffiths, Richie Stephens and Tinga Stewart captured the attention of the enthusiastic audience with music Jamaica style.
“The vibes were fantastic. Just seeing all those Jamaica flags waving in a foreign land and the smiles on peoples’ faces was heartwarming. It’s was such a special feeling to be part of this celebration,” the artiste who is managed by Outtaroad Records commented.
On her calendar of events for September is the Digicel tour on September 3 in Brown’s Town St Ann; September 11 in Portmore, St Catherine; September 25 in May Pen, Clarendon and October 2 in Junction, St Elizabeth.