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By: Shannon Shields The Honorable and Amply Honored Bounty Killer live, up close and personal backed by the Legendary Ruff Kutt Band all at the soon to be legendary Usian Bolt's Tracks and Records Sport Bar. Wow. Sounds awesome? Well, it was and it all took place last night Tuesday the 2nd of April as all the Solid Agency family were all out to support their stablemate Bounty Killer. Bounty Killer's fans were also all out in their numbers to support one of the longest running top entertainers in Jamaica. The hostess with the most assets Stacious did a wonderful job as did Mr. Shaggy himself who gave Killer's fans small taste of what people can expect from Shaggy this Friday when he and Machel Montano perform for all the soca...

Standard & Poor's removed Jamaica from "default" status on its debt Wednesday after the country completed a new debt restructuring, while Moody's downgraded the country, saying its fiscal challenges remained deep. S&P put Jamaica's sovereign rating at a low CCC+, still "junk" level but no longer "selective default," the grade assigned after the government announced in February it would launch a crucial domestic debt swap. Prior to rating the country in default, S&P had given Jamaica a higher B- grade. Moody's placed Jamaica on review when the debt swap was announced. In the aftermath, on Wednesday it cut Jamaica's rating to Caa3 from B3, calling its debt burden "among the highest of all rated sovereigns."

Digital music subscription services have brought us the ability to stream millions of songs on our smartphones, but generally the good ones cost of at least $9.99 a month. A new alternative lets you do the same, without paying any cash. No monies needed for Music Tube, an app available for iOS devices, which lets you listen to and watch music videos from YouTube's huge swath of content. The app also works on the iPad. Search by genre, create playlists and see what songs make the top lists in various countries. Songs can even be cached on your device for quicker access the next go around.

Jimmy Cliff has won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for the album Rebirth. He beat four other nominees in the category to win his second Grammy. The Grammy award took place February 10th in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. He went up against The Original Wailers (Miracle); Sean Paul (Tomahawk Technique); Sly & Robbie & The Jam Masters (New Legend — Jamaica 50th Edition) and Toots and the Maytals (Reggae Got Soul: Unplugged on Strawberry Hill). Jimmy Cliff has been nominated for a Best Reggae Album Grammy six times. His other nominations were Reggae Nights (1985), Club Paradise (1987), Hanging Fire (1989), Breakout (1993), and Black Magic (2005).

On March 1, 2013, USCIS will permanently close its field office in Kingston, Jamaica and the USCIS Field Office in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic will assume Kingston’s former jurisdiction. The Kingston Field Office had jurisdiction over Jamaica, Anguilla, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Guantanamo Bay Naval Station. After March 1, 2013, individuals requiring information on USCIS services in Jamaica, Anguilla, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Guantanamo Bay Naval Station may contact the USCIS Santo Domingo Field Office. USCIS Santo Domingo, Dominican...

Dancehall's duo RDX are the latest to withstand accusation of plagiarism or 'stealing' of musical material. They are being accused by Syndicate Records and their recording artiste Princz Charmin who claim thet RDX stole the concept of their single 'Kotch It Deh Soh'. According to the label, RDX heard the preview of their song and copied both the instrumental and concept without their consent, with Princz Charmin claiming that RDX's single even has a similar name to his. RDX team responded with <object width="400" height="150"><param name="movie"...

The nominees for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards have been handed down, and this years Grammy nominees for best reggae album are; Sean Paul - Tomahawk Technique Jimmy Cliff - Rebirth Toots And The Maytals - Reggae Got Soul: Unplugged On Strawberry Hill Sly & Robbie & The Jam Masters - New Legend - Jamaica 50th Edition The Original Wailers - Miracle The 55rd Annual Grammy Awards will take place in Los Angeles at Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, and will air live on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m.

Recording dancehall/reggae artist G. Whizz is thankful once again to the Almighty for sparing his life and that of others, as he along with his management team were in a vehicular accident in St. Kitts early this morning. The artist was a special invited guest performers at the 33rd annual Digicel Haynes Smith Miss Caribbean Talented Teen Pageant held in St.Kitts on December 29th 2012 . G Whizz and his team were headed back from the show when by all accounts, the designated driver lost control of the vehicle which made impact into a electricity pole. G. Whizz along with his management team suffered injuries and were treated but was adamant to leave the island to return home to spend the Holidays with Family, Friends and love...

The Rastafarian faith is indeed rising in Jamaica, where new census figures show a roughly 20 percent increase in the number of members over a decade, to more than 29,000. While still a tiny chunk of Jamaica's 2.7 million people. Founded 80 years ago by descendants of African slaves, the Rasta movement's growing appeal is attributable to its rejection of Western materialism, the scarcity of opportunities for young men in Jamaica and an increasing acceptance of it. Other Rastafari adherents follow a more secular lifestyle, marked by a passion for social justice, the natural world, reggae music and the ritualistic use of pot to bring them closer to the divine. A merging of Old Testament teachings and Pan-Africanism, Rastafarianism...

Mexico is removing visa requirements for Jamaican nationals traveling to mexico. A statement from the Mexican Embassy released Wednesday says Jamaican travelers are now only required to present a valid passport to travel to Mexico. Previously Jamaicans had to get a visa and consular stamp. The embassy said the decision will strengthen ties between the two countries.

Jamaica's House of Parliament have unanimously approved two bills that will allow casinos to be built on the island for the first time. Jamaica currently has only a few hundred slot machines at hotels in the capital of Kingston and in popular tourist areas. Jamaica had approved a law two years ago that legalized casinos, but the measures approved Friday by parliament allows those interested in opening a casino to apply for a gambling license.

(AP) Jamaica is preparing to abolish a slavery-era law allowing flogging and whipping as means of punishing prisoners, the Caribbean country's justice ministry said Thursday. The ministry said the punishment hasn't been ordered by a court since 2004 but the statutes remain in the island's penal code. It was administered with strokes from a tamarind-tree switch or a cat o'nine tails, a whip made of nine, knotted cords. Justice Minister Mark Golding says the "degrading" punishment is an anachronism which violates Jamaica's international obligations and is preventing Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller's government from ratifying the U.N. convention against torture. The Cabinet has already approved repealing the flogging law and...

David Rodigan is known for his encyclopaedic like knowledge of Reggae/dancehall music. He is a multiple winner of Sony radio awards however he was recently moved to a midnight slot on the Bauer Media-owned station, in order to accommodate a show hosted by the singer Craig David. Rodigan has been with Kiss FM since it ended its pirate radio status and became a legal station in 1990. He has broadcast on the station ever since but has in recent years been pushed to later night schedules, despite receiving growing levels of recognition from the radio for his work. Rodigan stated;

Lil Wayne recently lost his lawsuit against Quincy Jones III, resulting in the rapper ordered to pay $2.2 million to the producer. The jury has ordered the Weezy to pay the amount based on Jones’ countersuit that argued Weezy blocked the release of the docu-flick, "The Carter 3,” leading to lost profits. Wayne’s behavior in the deposition video, in which he refuses to answer questions and mocks the proceedings, might have affected the jury’s decision. His lawyer was forced to show the video because Wayne missed court and therefore his opportunity to testify because he was prohibited to fly due to his medical issues.

Last Night At "City Jam" held in Riverton City, Jamaica, Bounty Killer and Tommy Lee got into a small altercation. Reports are that while Tommy Lee was performing on stage a member of Bounty Killer's security crew went on stage and inform him that it was time for Bounty to perform. It was reported that Tommy Lee's then reply with "a wah do dem goat head ya". Bounty Killer and his entourage instantly rushed the stage. Tommy Lee then jumped off the stage walked away from the scene. Bounty Killer then started to perform his set. While Bounty was performing, the crowd started to chant "Tommy Lee" repeatedly. There is also unconfirmed reports of a member Of Bounty's team punching Tommy Lee in the face. Bounty later tweeted

(AP) Hurricane Sandy made landfall Thursday just west of Santiago de Cuba in southern Cuba, where residents boarded over windows and cleared drainage gutters ahead of the strengthening storm that had roared across Jamaica and left two dead in the Caribbean. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Sandy, which had strengthened to a category 2 hurricane, was located over southeastern Cuba and moving north at 18 mph (30 kph), with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph) and is expected to remain a hurricane as it moves through the Bahamas. The 18th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season was expected to pass to the west of the U.S. naval base at Cuba's Guantanamo Bay, where pretrial hearings were being held for a suspect in...

Jamaica police have charged three men with the murder of attorney at law, Clover Graham. Owen Patterson, 23, Simeon Lewis, 36 and Shamone Campbell, 18, all from Gordon Pen in St Catherine were arrested late Friday evening. On August 18, Mrs. Graham drove to her home to Eltham View in St. Catherine and on entering her the men abducted her. She was reportedly taken away in her silver Honda Aria motorcar. The car was found abandoned along Waltham Park Road about 9 p.m. the same day. Ms. Graham's body was found around 6:30 the following morning, at the Kingston Polo field, at Caymanas Bay in St. Catherine. Her cellular phone, which had been stolen, was also recovered by investigators. The three men are scheduled to appear in court...

Nicki Minaj released the official video of her collaborative track with Cassie, titled “The Boys”; it’s a track from the sophomore album of this Young Money Cash Money star and is due for a re-release on November 19th. The video was directed by Colin Tiley. If you love day-glo and neon colored ambience with Nicki Minaj kind of sex appeal thrown in then you should not have a problem liking this video.

Wiz Khalifa initiated his 2050 Tour at the the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park at Penn State and treated his fans to a brand new song “Rise Above” that features Pharrell Williams. This treat was preceded by the artist performing his new single “Remember You”. The song will be a part of his ONIFC album that is set for release on December 4, 2012. The artist has a busy year-end with the tour, the release of his Cabin Fever 2 mixtape, the new album, and of course his girlfriend Amber Rose’s pregnancy.

Jamaica's top police commander Owen Ellington, on Tuesday condemned a recent surge of killings by vigilante mobs in Jamaica, reminding citizens that taking the law into their own hands is a serious crime. The statement from Police Commissioner Owen Ellington came two days after a crowd of furious residents in the southern city of Portmore fatally beat and stomped Dwight Lester, a 29-year-old mason, after he was allegedly caught breaking into a house in the middle of the night. Ellington warned Jamaica's justice system has a backlog of more than 400,000 unresolved criminal cases, and confidence in the police is typically low in poor communities, which is one of the world's most violent countries even though the tourist resorts...