EMEs ARE BACK!!!

Come February 5th, Entertainment interests will again donverge on the Gardens of the jamaica Pegasus hotel for the 2009 renewal of the Excellence in Music and Entertainment (EME) Awards.
Dubbed "the red carpet gala event of the entertainment calendar" THIS venture, NOW IN IT'S FIFTH YEAR, takes on added significance IN 2009 given the renewal of the Reggae Month observances in February.
Conceptualizer and organizer of the EMEs, HOT 102 FM's host Richard "Richie B" Burgess, said the venture was born out of a need to stimulate growth and improvement in the Jamaican music and entertainment fields by recognizing the best of the annual output. "We have a vested interest in this industry, and so we want to be a part of positive developments in the entertainment business and encourage our entertainers to greater effort, especially as we seek to keep Jamaican music and entertainment visible and impactful in the global marketplace."
Burgess added that this year, The public will for the first time be allowed to influence winners as text votes as well as votes via the Internet - through the newly constructed website WWW.EMEAWARDS.COM - will be accepted. This in addition to the points gained based on performance of the nominees in the weekly Jamaica Music Countdown.
The list of performers at this gala red carpet event and the full list of nominees in over 30 categories will be made public in a few days time and voting will be allowed until the cut-off date of Saturday, January 31.

Burgess further advised that with increased anticipation, the preparations for the awards is intensifying, and that the organizers are making every effort to put on an awards show of the highest standard.
A special Friend of Reggae award will be conferred on R&B superstar John Legend and hip-hop ace, Missy Elliott this year. Last year's big overall winners included 'dancehall king' Beenie Man and Tarrus Riley.

I-Octane made successful Sting appearance

Cultural singer I-Octane passed the acid test by totally winning over the Sting crowd at the Jamworld Entertainment Centre on Boxing Day.
This was definitely not his first Sting performance but it is the one that everyone is talking about. I-Octane faced the crowd at a time when they would have been hungry for the anticipated clash, yet he managed to make a good impression even having them at times engaged in a sing-a-long to some of his popular songs.
Among the songs he scored big with were Stab Vampire Poverty, Run Yet, None A Dem Nuh Frighten Wi and his big hit Different Page.
When I-Octane called on Spragga Benz on stage to their combination single Hurt Mi the whole place erupted as the two gave an highly charged performance.
With Sting now behind him the singer is now focused on the video for Hurt Mi which will take place at Arrows Studio on Wednesday (January 7) under the direction of Junior Arrows and Michael Cushnie.

It wasn't us, says Alliance

A release from the Bounty Killer,led Alliance has stated that "reports that Beenie Man and his entourage were beaten up by the Alliance or people attending Campfire with the Alliance in Ewarton last night (Wednesday) are untrue".

"We would just like to state categorically that this report is untrue and we are in the process of acquiring the recording from the radio station and will not hesitate to take legal action against Beenie if our lawyers deem any of his statements to be slanderous and/or libelous," Alliance said in a statement issued Thursday night.

Julian Jones-Griffiths, publicist for the Alliance, noted that "Beenie was scheduled to close the show using his Ruff Kut band, every running order we saw said that. Mavado and Killer were to work before him using our own Anger Management band".

He stated that Beenie Man wanted to work before Mavado and Bounty, "but the organizers of event were having none of this and instructed Beenie to await his allotted time slot, as presumably they had agreed prior to event".

Mavado, the release said, was at an elevated position about 20 metres above the stage steps and "at not time was he or anyone from his entourage anywhere near Beenie and the Campfire personnel and show security".

It seems that Beenie Man and his entourage got into a shoving match with the police who were securing the stage and following instructions that it was not Beenie Man's time to work, the release said.

"Next thing we saw was Beenie and his entourage storm passed us and out of the venue. Mavado ad Bounty gave the Campfire patrons a great performance and we left the venue just as we could hear the MC unsuccessfully pleading with the crowd not to throw bottles".

Save A Life — hit single from Shaggy and Friends

It was in January1985 that song We Are the World came to life. Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, We Are The World was produced and conducted by Quincy Jones and recorded by a super group of popular musicians billed as ‘USA for Africa’.
In December 2008, some of Jamaica’s finest acts loaned their voices to a new single, Save A Life, recorded in support of the project of the same name, spearheaded by diamond-selling artiste Shaggy to aid the Bustamante Hospital for Children. A project which has taken on a life of its own, it has seen the full support of the music fraternity along with corporate Jamaica which is solidly beside Shaggy in his quest to raise millions of much-needed dollars for the hospital. Artistes have given their time and talent to a fund-raising show held on Saturday January3rd at Jamaica House and has taken it a step further by doing the song, Save A Life.
Among the artistes on the single are powerhouse acts including Shaggy, Marcia Griffiths, Luciano, Freddie McGregor, Gramps (from Morgan Heritage), Etana, Sean Paul, Elephant Man, Da’Ville, Tessanne and D-Lynx.
Recorded on Shaggy and Robert Livingstone’s Big Yard imprint, Save A Life is definitely one of those impactful songs that will live on for decades to come. The single is supported by a video, directed by none other than ace video director, Jay Will, who just completed work with Shaggy on the highly-acclaimed Bad Man Don’t Cry video.
Both the single and the video were part of the entertainment package on Saturday night at the historic, sold-out concert staged on the lawns of Jamaica House. With ticket prices ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, Shaggy’s appeal saw Jamaicans digging deep into their pockets to help the diamond-selling artiste reach his goal of raising US$2 million for the hospital.
It was a night of excellent performances on a show that was well produced and ran like clockwork. There were no band changes as an all-star aggregation led by Dean Fraser provided accompaniment for all the acts.
Among the artistes who helped to celebrate the joy of giving were Morgan Heritage, Marcia Griffiths, Lady Saw, Etana, Allison Hinds, Macy Grey, Tessanne Chin, Barrington Levy, Freddie McGregor, Tarrus Riley, Tony Rebel, Christopher Martin, Elephant Man, Da’Ville, Sean Paul, Rayvon, Rik Rok, Brian and Tony Gold and, of course, the man of the moment, Shaggy.

Kartel, Mavado argument leaves man injured

A man is nursing stab wounds in hospital and another is on the run, following an altercation Tuesday over the outcome of a clash between dancehall artistes Vybz Kartel and Mavado at the popular concert Sting.
The men — who are both from Mannings Hill Road in St Andrew — were reportedly putting up banners of their favourite artistes at their respective “corners” Tuesday afternoon, when they started arguing about the outcome of the clash between the two DJs.
The argument further developed into a fight, during which a knife was used to stab one of them in the abdomen and the face, said Deputy Superintendent Altermoth ‘Parra’ Campbell, crime boss at the Constant Spring Police Station.
The injured man, who Campbell said was in his twenties, was taken to the University Hospital of the West Indies where he was admitted in serious condition.
“This just shows how people find themselves in trouble for foolishness,” Campbell told the Observer Wednesday.
“The sad part about it is that everybody knows each other; all of them used to live at a section called ‘Hungry Road’ before some of them moved to another section called ‘Big Yard’ on the same stretch,” he said. “They used to share the same space together and look now, over some foolishness people end up in hospital.”
Campbell said that since the incident, the police have removed the banners and have called a meeting with residents of the communities in an effort to prevent reprisal attacks.
“We had to go down there and tear down all of the banners, ‘cause they are causing problems and anything that is causing problems we have to get rid of,” said Campbell.
“We are confident though that there will not be any reprisals for the incident. We met with residents of the communities and they all agreed that they (the men) were arguing over foolishness and that it should stop. They have agreed to let us handle the incident,” the deputy superintendent added.— Corey Robinson.
Source WEEKEN CHAT!NEWSPAPER

Grammy nominated Elephant Man with Sweep is spending its second week at #1 on the Hype TV top 20 single chart.

Week Ending January 2nd, 2009
TW LW WC ARTISTE – TITLE – LABEL - PEAK POSITION
01 01 10 Elephant Man - Sweep – Scatta Productions -2wks@1

02 02 15 Buju Banton -Sleepless Nights – Don Corleon -Shot to Watch

03 05 11 Ms. Triniti ft. Beenie Man – Burnin Burnin – Unseen Lab

04 03 15 Queen Ifrica - Keep It To Yourself – Don Corleon -2wks@1

05 04 18 Mavado - Am So Special –TJ Records - 5wks@1

06 10 06 Terry Linen – A Better Man – Uplifting Music - Greatest Gainer up4

07 08 08 Busy Signal –Tic Toc – S.S.M.G

08 06 19 Stacious – Goodaz Clap – Ward 21- Peak@#5

09 09 07 D’Angel - Stronger – Son Of Spoon

10 11 08 Prince Pankhi –My Jamaican Girl – Otis Riddim Records

11 07 15 Tarrus Riley - Far Away – Don Corleon - Peak@#2

12 14 05 Bar-Bee – Love You Anyway – Its Not A Game

13 16 04 Vybz Kartel – Get Wild – Adidjaheim/NotNice Records

14 13 07 Tifa – Bottom Of The Barrel – Ward 21- Peak@#13

15 15 06 Charley Blacks – Bubble – Fresh Ear

16 18 03 Prodigal Son – Head Cyaan Hot Suh – Main Street Records

17 12 21 George Nooks - Rest Your Love On Me – Total/Tads - Peak@#2

18 17 04 Tony Rebel – Another Bill – Penthouse - Peak@#17

19 20 02 Lady Saw – Your Boyfriend – Birchill

20 NW 01 Beres Hammond – I Feel Good – Penthouse - New Entry

TW LW WC Artiste - Title – Label - Peak Position
TW -This Week, LW – Last Week, WC – Weeks On Chart
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Compilation was done based on information received from the following Sound Systems, Record Shops and Club: Derrick Harriot – Record Shop – St. Andrew, TNG Muzik-Sound System-Kingston, Love Stone–Sound System- Portland, Lazeme- Sound System- Westmoreland, Unique Super Mix–Sound System- St. Catherine, Copper Shot- Sound System- St. Andrew

Kip Rich dismantled Monster Empire at Sting 2008