News

Former South African President Nelson Mandela was admitted to a hospital today for pre-planned treatment.Mandela, who is 93 had an hernia operation. Mandela became South Africa's first black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison for his fight against racist apartheid rule, and he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

Restorm launched rightclearing today at the prominent Social Music Summit in NYC attended by top tech and music executives. The cloud-based music licensing platform provides artists and music professionals a simplified solution that enables them to monetize content through an automated licensing system. In the midst of all the SOPA, PIPA, ACTA rhetoric, and never-ending licensing chaos in the market, rightclearing is well-poised to provide a concise and compelling solution to the needlessly complex licensing labyrinth. The service announced a partnership with Rumblefish today, the world’s largest catalog for social media licenses that has closed deals with more than 5 million private users over the friendlymusic.com platform...

Jamaica's tourism minister has suspended a nearly $1 million project to beautify the popular resort town of Ocho Rios in the island's northern region. Wykeham McNeill says he is scrapping plans to clean drains and renovate sidewalks following concerns about how the money was allocated and has been spent. He says investors were never asked how the program would be developed or the money used. McNeill said he will review the project after appointing new advisory boards that oversee resort issues across Jamaica.

Jamaica is developing a new policy to battle crime as gang violence drives the homicide rate higher, the country's top security official said Tuesday. National Security Minister Peter Bunting said 165 killings have been reported by police so far in 2012, compared to 135 slayings during the corresponding period last year on the Caribbean island of 2.8 million people. Violent gangs are deeply entrenched in Spanish Town, just west of Kingston, and in some residential sections of the northwestern parish of St. James, which includes the resort city of Montego Bay. Fighting between the gangs for control of drug trafficking and extortion rackets has long been blamed for the majority of Jamaica's homicides. Police Commissioner Owen...

Comcast is launching a new cable channel devoted to music programming, headed up by music industry mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.The announcement was made in a video posted by Combs. There have been no mentions of a website or streaming component to the new music channel. Combs said.

Wilmot Perkins, a veteran Jamaican journalist considered the island's "godfather of talk radio," has died at age 80. Perkins died Friday February 10, 2012 at his home after a brief illness. Perkins, nicknamed "Motty," was considered Jamaica's longest-serving radio talk show host. He worked for more than 50 years in radio, launching his first program "What's your Grouse?" on RJR 94FM in 1960. He quit a couple years later to become a farmer but returned to radio in the 1970s, ultimately launching a show called "Perkins On Line" on Hot102 FM. Perkins is survived by his wife, Elaine, and two grandsons.

Former Managing Director of Synergy Production, Ronnie Burke, is urging Jamaica's recording artistes to create more sustainable music that will be accepted in the global marketplace, and thus contribute to the economic development of the country. He pointed out. Mr. Burke added He pointed out that, in addition to reggae artistes being pushed from the scene, the industry has not been able to generate revenue as it relates to publishing. While not bashing the dancehall genre, Mr Burke believes that such artistes should return to the drawing board and compose songs that strike a balance between artistic expression and maintaining societal values.

Oscar-winning documentary maker Kevin Macdonald has made what critics are calling the definitive biography of reggae legend Bob Marley, aided by the singer's family and record label who have given the project their blessing. The documentary Marley is 144 minutes long, features interviews with Marley's children, his wife Rita, friends and a former bandmate, as well as concert footage. The film traces Marley's well-documented journey from a boy born in a small village in Jamaica to a music superstar who brought reggae and the Rastafari movement to a global audience. Source: Reuters

Roughly two thousand firearms were melted down in a blazing furnace Tuesday February 07, 2012 as part of an effort designed to combat gun trafficking and corruption in Jamaica while reducing violent crime. Police, government and U.N. officials destroyed pistols and revolvers by pitching them into a kiln at the cement factory in Kingston. Most of the guns were decommissioned or seized in police operations over the years.

Winston "King Stitt' Spark, a pioneer in the distinctive Studio 1 music, died on January 31, 2012 at his home in Kingston, Jamaica. No official cause of death was given for his passing. King Stitt was 72 years old. He was called Stitt as a boy due to a stutter in his speech. Because of a facial disfiguration, he named himself The Ugly One, referencing the 1967 spaghetti western "The Good The Bad and the Ugly,". King Stitt became the first deejay to have a hit record with "Fire Corner" produced by Clancy Eccles, for whom he recorded numerous hit singles released on Eccles' Clandisc label, between 1969 and 1970.

Oniel "Elephant Man" Bryan has been charged with grevious sexual assault and rape. Elephant Man was taken into police custody on monday January 30, 2012 for allegations that he raped a 31-year-old female at his Hillcrest Avenue, St Andrew home earlier in the month. The alleged rape victim who is of Chinese descent reported the matter to the police shortly after the incident. Elephant Man was booked to appear in court on wednesday. He was taken into custody by detectives from the Center for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse.

Consumers now have access to more affordable state-of-the art portable computers coupled with internet service due to a new partnership between computer manufacturer HP and Jamaica’s sole triple play service provider Flow. Flow and HP have joined forces to give consumers great value when making their PC purchases this season - a PC/Internet Service bundle that combines the HP’s personal computers with the power of Flow’s blazing speed internet. This initiative is in keeping with the broadband service provider’s commitment to deliver the best value to customers by leveraging strong strategic partnerships. Consumers who purchase select models of HP portable computers at participating retailers and who are new Flow Internet customers...

Lil’ Wayne has partnered with Grand Central Publishing to put together a memoir that will shed light on his days behind bars. The project, called Gone Till November will give us details on his eight months at the Rikers Island complex for gun possession charge, and will be based on diaries he kept while locked up. Gone Till November will be released in November, which will mark the two- year anniversary of his release.

The Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival has proven to be an important tool for marketing Jamaica throughout its 15 year history. The Festival’s ability to do this was further augmented this year with the premier of the HBO documentary special titled One Love: JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival, which widened the Festival’s audience from the several thousand who attend annually to the over 300 million viewers of the cable network. The One Love documentary eases aside the curtain to the spectacle and entertainment at JAMAICA Jazz and Blues and takes the Festival audience behind the scenes where it allows them to delve into the making of one of the Caribbean’s premiere music events. One Love provides an acute lens through which to explore the...

House of Marley, the reggae brand inspired by Bob Marley has made its debut at Computer Electronic Show (CES), showcasing a variety of audio equipment made from enviromentally friendly and sustainable materials like Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) approved wood, hemp and canvas. The company released 52 styles of headphones, last year according to Digital Trends and showcased three docks at CES.The most expensive product showcased at CES is what they've named the One Foundation AirPlay system which sells for $599.99. It will be available in the summer of this year. The system is designed for environmentally conscious music listeners. It features an Airplay system and is made from FSC-certified wood. It has two aux-in connections...

Wiz Khalifa is being sued for more than $2 million by Max Gregory Warren, who claims Wiz and his team stole his idea for their hit song “Black and Yellow.” Warren says he wrote a song called “Pink N Yellow” and several versions with other colors in November 2007. But, he claims, Wiz jacked the idea before he was able to file for copyright protection in February 2008. Warren’s suit accuses Wiz, his labels, the song’s producers and its publishers for fraud, copyright infringement and other infractions. It won’t matter that he didn’t file for a copyright right away, if he can prove that he created the material, the copyright is enforceable.

50 Cent tweeted he had signed a distribution deal with Pepsi for his energy drink Street King. And for each bottle of SK purchased around the world, Pepsi will provide a meal to a hungry child through the United Nations World Food Program. 50 Cent Tweeted Monday Janaury 02, 2012 However pure Growth Partners' co-founder Chris Clarke has lent some context to business partner Curtis 50 Cent Jackson's Twitter message that his company had signed a deal for Pepsi to distribute Street King energy shots. According to Clarke, Street King has landed a key independent Pepsi distributor, the Honickman Group, which is known for its powerful execution in the New York and Mid-Atlantic regions through component companies Pepsi Bottling Co. of...

Blackstreet Entertainment, Inc., Files Trademark Infringement Lawsuit Against Two Former Work for Hire Singers with the Grammy Award Winning Group Blackstreet. There is nothing more valuable to any world renowned recording artist than legally protecting rights to their brand. “My clients icons Teddy Riley and Chauncey Black d/b/a Blackstreet Entertainment Inc., have retained attorney Duncan G. Byers of the Byers Law Group in Norfolk, Virginia to file a Trademark and Copyright Infringement Lawsuit. The “Blackstreet” brand must be protected from misuse by two former work for hire artists,” says Monica Anders PR/Media Strategist. A lawsuit was filed on December 1st, 2011 in the United States District Court in the State of Virginia...

Jamaica's youngest prime minister is battling to keep the ruling party in power Thursday in a closely contested general election.Whoever wins Thursday's election will face significant hurdles to rebuild a tourism-dependent economy that has failed to grow over the past four years and been hit hard by economic troubles in the United States and Europe. It is expected to be a close election battle between Jamaica's two parties, the ruling Jamaica Labor Party, or JLP, led by Holness, and the opposition People's National Party, known as the PNP, headed by Portia Simpson-Miller Jamaica's debt load stands at more than 120 percent of gross domestic product, with debt payments gobbling up nearly half of the country's budget and leaving...

Adidjah "Vybz Kartel" Palmer, who is facing two murder charges, has been ordered by the Supreme Court to pay J$15 million in damages to Jamaican promoter Alton Salmon for his failure to perform at a concert in the Turks and Caicos Islands in August 2009. Salmon said he paid Vybz Kartel a deposit of US$8,500 and the balance was to be paid at the end of the show. Salmon said he honored the agreement however Kartel breached his contract by not appearing to perform at the show. After the suit was filed in the Supreme Court, the defendant Vybz Kartel was served with the court documents in relation to the suit on December 23, 2009. Kartel failed to file acknowledgement of service or made any attempt to defend the suit brought against...