Spice shocked by Israel’s love for dancehall

Spice performed in Israel for the first time and stated that dancehall is very much alive in the Middle Eastern country.

Spice said Israel, known as the Holy Land by many, is very much into dancehall culture.

Seemingly surprised, Spice told THE WEEKEND STAR that, based on her knowledge of the Bible teachings about Israel, she decided to wear clothing which covered her body. However her Israeli fans came out dressed for dancehall.

"I was a bit uncertain as to what type of songs to sing and how to deliver them, whether clean of raw. I was scared because I didn't know how they would react to lewd lyrics.

"I must say, it was an eye opener and I got a brain freeze. The people over there are not what I expected, they know the songs word for word. They sang them with me, raw version too. I went there all covered, up thinking that this was Israel, the holy place, but the women were out there in short shorts, you name it, and acted like a regular New York City crowd or Jamaican crowd," she said.

Based on her experience, the deejay believes globalisation is now in full effect more than ever. She also believes dancehall deserves more props, locally, since the genre is so well received overseas.

"The Internet world changes everything. They are doing the Jamaican dance moves and they know everything. They know what is going on, and it was an awesome experience and I felt like I was performing for any regular crowd.

I think dancehall culture is doing well and people who think dancehall is not doing well are not watching the genre properly.

"For me, going to Israel is a plus because people don't think that dancehall is big in those parts of the world," she said.

Spice, who sits atop the food chain as a female dancehall act, also performed at four sold-out events in the UK. The deejay also took her Team Spice dancers along for the ride.

Source:  THE WEEKEND STAR

Excitement as I-Octane and friends roll into Guys Hill High for school tour

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: From the moment I-Octane’s tour bus rolled in to the campus of Guy’s Hill High School in St Catherine on Tuesday April 12th, it was clear that this would be no ordinary day at that institution of learning. It was the official start of the artiste’s School Tour 2016 and what a blast it proved to be!

The entire school community at Guys Hill High – teachers, students, ancillary workers –   was treated to a balanced mix of uplifting and encouraging speeches from sponsors, along with giveaways and also top quality entertainment from the artistes. Included among the entertainers who were on hand to give I-Octane their full support were Tanto Blacks, Vybrant, Don Andre and StafaceKMT, Vershon, Charly B, Rhyming King, Shaniel Muir, Bingi Banks and  Bryka,.

The host was BaddaBling from Di Unit.

Among the sponsors who unhesitantly clambered on board this year are Digicel, Golden Eagle Stores, HEART Trust NTA, Di Unit, Eyeland Eyewear, Coke Lines Transportation, Conquer The Globe Productions, Good Good Productions, HYPE Tv, D’Wrap and the official online media partner, Riddim Don Magazine.

The students gave their undivided attention to HEART representative, Ms. Nerva Davis, who carefully outlined the many opportunities that are waiting at HEART Trust NTA for high school graduates. As a sign of the institution’s commitment to higher learning, the HEART Trust presented scholarships to the two top academic achievers at Guys Hill High School,  Legecia Angus and Josh Hemans.

Presenting a powerful and at times very personal message was Narada Hill, a representative from CSJP's Men with a Message, whose life journey was a testament to the fact that negativity can be turned into something positive. Hill gave the students much food for thought as he encouraged them to make the best use of their talents and their educational opportunities.

Satisfied that the goals of the major part of the school tour had been achieved, I-Octane and his team then focused on the ‘brawta’ - the giveaways and the entertainment. Digicel and Golden Eagle Stores, the two companies for which I-Octane proudly flies their flags as ambassador, proved to be very generous with credit giveaways, shoes and T-shirts, while entertaining the students with some really fun games. Good Good Production and Di Riddim Don Magazine awarded the two top academic achievers – male and female – with cash prizes, much to the delight of their peers.

All the entertainers gave exceptionally good accounts of themselves and the cheers from the student population could not have been any louder. Of course, the icing on the cake was the masterful closing performance from the man of the moment, I-Octane, whose happiness was contagious and spread throughout the entire Guys Hill community. Definitely ten out of ten. 

I-Octane Goes Back To School Again

With the huge success of last year’s inaugural school tour, reggae/dancehall heavyweight, I-Octane is ready for another parish hop, as he and his crew take a mini-tour across Jamaica to rap with, listen to and encourage the youth.

With that being said, we are now looking forward to I-Octane’s School Tour, Chapter 2. “Bringing Di Right Vibes To Di Yutes.” This year, the school tour has been brought forward by one month, in order to better facilitate the school calendar and give the artiste access to more students at each school.

“Last year, we did it in May because we didn’t realize that CSEC and CAPE exams actually started so early. A lot of the students, therefore, were unable to participate in the activities, so this year we are maximizing our opportunities by kicking off the tour on April 12,” manager Ray Alexander explained.

Four schools have been confirmed, namely Guy’s Hill High in Linstead, St. Catherine (April 12); Montego Bay High School, St. James (April 19); Brown's Town High School, St. Ann (April 26) and Garvey Maceo High School, Vernamfield, Clarendon (April 27). This year, I-Octane has invited on-the-rise entertainers Vershon and Jahmiel to accompany him on his mission.

Noting that the school tour was in fact one of his personal highlights for 2015 – a year which saw him reaping mega-success across the globe – the Digicel, Busta and Golden Eagle Shoes ambassador declared that he was “as excited as child on September morning”.

 “Sometimes it takes an experience such as this to bring you down to earth,” I-Octane admitted. “Going through the school gate and talking with the principal and the teachers, I somehow felt like a student again and that if I messed up ‘Miss’ would give me a detention or something,” the multi-award winning entertainer confessed with a laugh.

An enthusiastic I-Octane said he was happy that sponsors HEART Trust NTA, Digicel, Good Good Productions, Coke Line Transportation Service, and Conquer the Globe Productions, had come on board for a second year and extended a big welcome to newcomers Golden Eagle Shoes, Hype TV and riddim-donmagazine.com.

The sponsors have pledged their full support of the tour, with HEART again awarding scholarships to outstanding students at each of the four schools and other sponsors giving away cash prizes, gift baskets, phones and, of course phone credit to the youngsters.

I-Octane upbeat about studio, singles and UK concerts

Kingston, JAMAICA:- Reggae and dancehall ambassador, I-Octane, having hit the ground running since the start of the year, has accomplished much in the first quarter of 2016. New singles are burning up the airwaves, his very own recording studio has 

​​been completed and he is busy preparing for a number of shows, including an exciting concert series in the UK come May.

The artiste, who many times manages to dodge controversy by taking the high road, is using the same tactic, even as stones are being hurled at him over a controversial Good Good Production single, No Badda Dan Jah. For whatever reason, the line which says: 'Bwoy sell out him friend fi Mark-X' seems to have found a target that was never marked and has left some persons with a huge headache. An immensely popular tune on what is arguably the “baddest dancehall riddim around”, the Cure Pain, the song has become a staple for every session and as far as Octane is concerned, “everything correck”.

The music video, which is the entertainer’s first official one for the year, will have its Jamaica premiere this week and many are wondering if the singjay will use this occasion to dramatically ruffle some feathers.

“Actually that’s not my style. I try my best not to court controversy, but you know…there are persons who will always find something to complain about,” I-Octane said dismissively.

Emphasizing that he was singularly focused on his career, he added, “Right now, my team and I are focusing on the music and on doing some solid productions. My studio is finished and I am eager to get in there and start making music. As an artiste, I have a duty to give back and to record young artistes in the same way that producers recorded me when I was a no-name artiste. Also, it is time for me to start owning my masters. After 10 years of recording songs which I don’t own a percentage of, it is time for me to get really serious about that aspect of my career,” he explained.

In addition to No Badda Dan Jah, the singles No Shaky Link (Money Boss) and My Struggle, the second single from his upcoming DJ Frass-produced EP, are enjoying mega rotation and helping to chart his phenomenal path of success for this year.

Meanwhile, I-Octane is looking forward to a number of shows on his roster, including the Legends Of Reggae, which sees him rubbing shoulders with reggae legends Freddie McGregor, Marcia Griffiths and Junior Reid. The concert series is set for May 27 -29 in the cities of Bradford, Birmingham and London in the United Kingdom.

Octane gets mature loving at Montpelier

I- Octane captured the heart of this woman at the annual Montpelier Agricultural show in St James on Monday

Dancehall hotshot artiste I-Octane captured the imagination of patrons who attended the annual Montpelier agricultural show in St James, Jamaica on Monday night and even won himself a new woman.

With his dreadlocks flowing, I-Octane, while going through his set, spotted an older woman in the crowd and called her on stage.

The woman obliged and treated I-Octane to some romantic dance moves, and the crowd loved it.

But there were some younger female fans who, seemingly, wanted to be close to the dancehall star.

The entertainment segment of the Montpelier agricultural show was kick-started by young and upcoming artistes from western Jamaica who were given a chance to showcase their talents.

A feature of the entertainment package was the farm queen competition, which was won by Safiya Clennon. First runner-up was Jamie Colquhoun and second runner-up was Zandraleisha Eccleston.

Source: Jamaica Star

Popccan Pleads guilty for using Hennessy bottle to hit police officer in the face

Dancehall star Andre 'Popcaan' Sutherland was yesterday fined for assaulting a police officer at the Norman Manley International Airport in 2013.

The artiste, who is also known as 'Poppi', was fined $25,000 or six months' imprisonment, after pleading guilty to the charge in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court. Popcaan was represented by Bert Samuels.

Samuels had asked the court for the charge not to be a part of his client's permanent record or it may affect his ability to travel.

"The court was told that we wish to go to mediation on the matter. The police officer was asked if he wished to mediate and he agreed," Samuels told THE WEEKEND STAR.

He noted that mediation was one of the ways to avoid a person getting a record against their name.

Allegations were that on November 24, 2013, Popcaan was preparing to leave the island when he was stopped by the police who requested a search of his luggage. The entertainer refused to be searched and became boisterous, using expletives to the officers.

During the dispute, the 'unruly' deejay was accused of using a Hennessy bottle to hit one of the policemen in the face, causing a wound. The deejay was later charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Source: THE WEEKEND STAR

Mojo Morgan says thanks for Grammy

 Gramps, Una, Mojo, Lukes and Peetah 

While Gramps, Peetah and Lukes travelled to the Grammys, and ultimately collected the award for Best Reggae Album, Mr Mojo was relaxing in Kenya, absorbing the good news that Morgan Heritage are Grammy winners.

Later this week, he joins his siblings for a tour of the USA, taking in New York, the Carolinas, Boston and other areas, after which the band returns to Africa for performances in Kenya, Zimbabwe (hopefully), Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Senegal and other countries.

Until then, Mojo says he is just relaxing and enjoying the announcement. "It's more glory to the Most High, His grace and mercy allow us to be here," he told THE STAR. "We are glad for the opportunity to do music and to uplift the culture and uplift Rastafari. We are proud Jamaicans and proud Rastafarians."

His list of thank you was overwhelming. "We thank our families for their love and support, it's their sacrifice that keeps us going; the fans who come to our concerts and buy our music; the people behind the music who make fans aware of our music, people like Contractor, Roach, Yasmin Peru, Ray Alexander, Malica from MPR Consultants, Naheesha from Urban Relations, general manager Wendy Morgan."

Mojo also said thanks to radio disc jockeys in Jamaica and abroad, fellow musicians, the media and others who may have impacted their career somehow.

"All of the reggae fraternity, locally and internationally, we give thanks. It's not a one-man show, it's all of us as musicians and we feel very proud at this time to be part of such a bunch of musicians promoting love, unity, equality and justice."

source: THE STAR