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Closing arguments in the second drug trial of Grammy-winning reggae singer Buju Banton ended Thursday afternoon, setting the stage for jurors to deliberate on his fate. The 37-year-old Banton is accused of conspiring with two other men in setting up a drug deal in December of 2009. His album "Before the Dawn" won a Grammy for best reggae album this week, and he remains wildly popular in his native Jamaica. A jury deadlocked in his first trial last year. If convicted of all the charges, he faces up to life in prison. Every seat in the federal courtroom in Tampa was filled as the lawyers gave their closing arguments. Many of the seats were taken by Banton's friends and fans, including well-known reggae artists Gramps Morgan and...

Michael Jackson's estate has generated $310 million in revenue from album sales, movie profits, licensing arrangements and lucrative deals for Cirque du Soleil shows since the singer died in 2009. His estate's administrators have used $159 million to pay down the pop star's debt, which when Jackson died amounted to more than $400 million, court records show. Among the projects making money for Jackson's estate are the new album "Michael," which contains previously unreleased songs, and the concert movie "This Is It," which compiled videotaped rehearsals for a series of comeback concerts in London.

Bruno Mars was in a Las Vegas courtroom with his lawyer, Blair Berk, when Mars pled guilty to felony cocaine possession, but if he stays out of trouble for 12 months, the charge will be dismissed. Mars is also required to do 8 hours of private counseling and 200 hours of community service with a charitable organization. He must also pay a $2,000 fine. Bruno was arrested in September at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino after a bathroom attendant told security a man was doing coke in the bathroom.

Trinidad & Tobago-based carrier Caribbean Airlines has won approval from the United States Department of Transport for the launch of new routes linking Jamaica to America. The decision allows Caribbean Airlines to operate flights from Jamaica directly to the United States in Caribbean Airlines aircraft. The Caribbean Airlines Air Operators certificates will be used for the routes, with the familiar “BW” code also employed. The decision which follows the acquisition of Jamaica Air in 2010 - will allow Caribbean Airlines to continue its network in the Caribbean. Caribbean Airlines will operate two major hubs, with Jamaica in the north complementing existing facilities in Trinidad. Two new routes have, however, been denied to...

(AP) Jamaica's mining minister says a Russian-owned aluminum company is restarting operations at a bauxite refinery that it closed nearly two years ago. James Robertson says West Indies Alumina Jamaica Ltd. will reopen a plant in Manchester parish by July. He said Tuesday that some 1,000 jobs will be available. Robertson said the plant produced some 600,000 tons (544,000 metric tons) of bauxite annually and is expected to produce some 250,000 tons (227,000 metric tons) this year. He said the reopening will cost $9.5 million. Parent company UC Rusal is the world's biggest aluminum producer. It also owns Alumina Partners of Jamaica. Jamaica is one of the world's largest producers of bauxite, the main ore used in aluminum.

Liverpool have a gem of a talent on their hands with Raheem Sterling. The 16 year old Jamaican born winger / striker could become the youngest every player to make a senior appearance for Liverpool on Thursday night as he has traveled with the team to take part in an Europa League clash with Sparta Prague. John Barnes It has been many years since Liverpool have had a wing wizard such as John Barnes but hopefully those days will be coming to an end soon with the emergence of Raheem Sterling. Both Raheem and John Barnes were born in Jamaica and both would go on to represent Liverpool and England, although Raheem is still in the join setup of both club and country. There is no doubt that Raheem can make it to the top especially...

Rodney "Bounty Killer" Pryce was freed of assault charges in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday Jan 31, 2011. Bounty had been charged with unlawful wounding and assault following an incident in September when his 19-year-old companion, Racquel Smith, alleged that she was attacked with a hammer. Bounty Killer charges was dismissed after his attorney made a no-order submission.

If you were watching the Grammy’s you may or may not have seen the exclusive Nelly & Ford Explorer commercials. Well, Maad Management has teamed up with St. Louis rap star Nelly and Ford Explorer to give you the opportunity to have this exciting and funny video on Grammy weekend.

Jamaican cruise ship worker Ricardo Stewart has been sentenced to 15 years for his role in a plot to smuggle nearly four kilgrams of cocaine into Bermuda. Ricardo Stewart, 32, of Ochos Rios, maintained his innocence in an emotional plea before Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons at the Supreme Court. A waiter aboard the cruise ship Explorer of the Seas, Stewart has been in custody since June on charges of conspiring with fellow employee Adrian Morris and others to bring the drugs into the Island. A jury last month found him guilty of conspiring to import. Morris, also from Jamaica, was caught after CCTV on board the ship showed him stashing the cocaine. He told police Stewart had offered to pay him for his part in the scheme, and a...

Female Deejay Spice and her fiancé Nicholas Lall, recently welcomed their second girl child into the family. Spice named her daughter Nicholatoy. The deejay gave birth to her daughter outside of Jamaica, where she and her family have been staying for some time. Spice Stated;

Buju Banton has won the 2010 Grammy for the Best Reggae Album for his album Before The Dawn. This is Buju Banton's first Grammy victory. This is the second consecutive year, that Buju was nominated for a Grammy. Last year he was nominated for Rasta Got Soul. Best Reggae Album Nominees: - Buju Banton - Before The Dawn - Gregory Isaacs & King Isaac - Isaacs Meets Isaac - Lee "Scratch" Perry - Revelation - Bob Sinclair And Sly & Robbie - Made In Jamaica - Sly & Robbie And The Family Taxi - One Pop Reggae - Andrew Tosh - Legacy An Acoustic Tribute To Peter Tosh

Nesta Robert Marley, OM* better known as Bob Marley, was born 6 February 1945 in the village of Nine Mile, Saint Ann. Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band The Wailers (1964–1974) and later, Bob Marley & The Wailers (1974–1981). *A Jamaican passport official would later swap his first and middle names on his official documents; hence it is Nesta Robert Marley instead of Robert Nesta Marley. Lifetime Achievement 1976: Band of the Year (Rolling Stone). June 1978: Awarded the Peace Medal of the Third World from the United Nations. February 1981: Awarded Jamaica's third highest honour, the Jamaican Order of Merit. March 1994...

LaRon Louis "Juelz Santana" James, a Dipset rapper is being charged with multiple offenses that include possession of a firearm and a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a handgun without having a permit, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance within 1,000 feet of a school zone. Authorities suspected Santana as a member of the Bloods street gang, so officials decided to raid his New Jersey studio, Santana’s World on January 20. The raid turned up two fully loaded handguns, drug paraphernalia and 17 Ziploc bags containing Marijuana. Juelz Santana is currently being held at the Bergen County jail on $125,000 bail.

PUMA announced that Cedella Marley, fashion designer and daughter of Jamaican reggae icon Bob Marley will design the Jamaican Track and Field team’s Olympic, podium and ceremony wear for the London 2012 Olympic Games. The designs will be worn by the entire team, including three-time Olympic gold medallist, fastest man in the world and PUMA athlete Usain Bolt. Cedella Marley began designing clothes while she was on tour with Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, a band comprised of her brothers and sisters. Her fashion brand, Catch A Fire, named after her father’s first album, debuted in 2001 and encompasses a tailored bohemian style with vivid colors and prints.

(AP) A Jamaican man has been sentenced in New York to 20 years in prison for his role in smuggling cocaine and marijuana into the U.S. using commercial airlines. David Christie was sentenced Thursday in Manhattan federal court after being found guilty of narcotics importation and distribution conspiracy. The 44-year-old from Montego Bay was also ordered to forfeit over $3 million. Court documents say the scheme involved hiding narcotics beneath airplane toilets or behind panels in the cargo sections of U.S-bound planes departing Jamaica. Coconspirators working as passengers or luggage handlers would then collect the drugs and distribute them. Prosecutors say Christie smuggled into the U.S. more than 330 pounds of cocaine and...

Janet Jackson has chosen teen super group Mindless Behavior to join her as sole support on 12 dates of her North American NUMBER ONES: Up Close & Personal Tour. They will perform with her in Chicago, Toronto, Boston, Uncasville, New York and Washington, DC. Janet said; Before hitting the road with Janet the group will head overseas for 13 dates in the UK with Jason Derulo. Mindless Behavior’s debut single “My Girl” is available for purchase on iTunes. TOUR DATES: 3/7 Chicago Chicago Theater 3/8 Chicago Chicago Theater 3/9 Chicago Chicago Theater 3/12...

Today, February 1, is the first day of Black History Month. It may be the shortest month of the year, but Black History is an unending story. Black History is a painful journey, to say the least; however, there are also stories of hope and victory throughout Black History. In terms of its recognition in the United States, Black History dates as far back as the early 1600s. According to a Black History Timeline on www.biography.com, the first African slaves were brought to America in 1619. After nearly 200 years, in 1808, the United States banned the import of slaves, who were being brought to the Americas via the deadly and unsanitary triangular trade. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation...

A Bronx minister was arrested and charged with rape on Friday after reportedly having sex with a parishioner, a girl from the time she was 12 years old according to prosecutors. The minister named Michael Clare is a 38 year-old head of the Harvest Worship Center in Wakefield. It’s now said that the girl who is 15 years old is pregnant. On June 14 of last year Clare was arrested on second-degree rape charges but it wasn’t until Friday that a Grand Jury moved the charges to first-degree rape charges. The Jamaican born Clare was a child prodigy preacher who became a pastor at the age of 26 according to data from his MySpace page that also shows videos and pictures of him preaching and promoting him as a stand up person. The...

Upcoming artiste Demar "Copper Cat" Graham was gunned down last night in front of his gate and allegedly robbed of his Blackberry cellular phone. He was 22 years old. According to reports, Copper Cat was shot dead by unknown assailants at his home on Cassandra Avenue in Kingston 10 at approximately 10:30 p.m. Thursday night. The said address is also the home of singer Richie Stephens, who is the adoptive father of the victim. Copper Cat was first introduced into the music business at eight years old with the song Stay in School. He took a break from music and attended Jamaica College until 2007. The artiste was trying to make his return last year with a song called Life Goes On. Our condolences to the family & friends of the...

(AP)To suit an altered music landscape, MTV is planning an untraditional award show celebrating digital music. The network says it's prepping an as-yet unnamed, multiplatform award show for April or May that will exult digital music and its many varied incarnations. The exact nature of the show hasn't yet been defined, but MTV says it will be a "multiscreen experience," including the Internet, social media and mobile — but not broadcast. Categories for awards haven't been determined, but they'll include things like best app, best blog, best Internet feud, best music meme of the year and best Kanye West tweet. MTV hopes the show will do for digital music what its Video Music Awards did for the music video. Van Toffler...