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(AP)Rap star Ja Rule may soon be in the spotlight in a New York City courtroom. A trial could start as soon as this week in a gun-possession case stemming from a July 2007 stop of his luxury sports car. He was scheduled for a court date Monday. Police say they found a loaded semiautomatic gun in a rear door of his $250,000-plus Maybach after it was stopped for speeding following a Manhattan concert. The chauffeured car also had a suspended registration and no insurance, police said. The platinum-selling rapper has pleaded not guilty to criminal weapon possession. His lawyer has said the traffic stop was unjustified and has questioned a type of DNA analysis used in the case. Known for his gravelly voice and collaborations...

Sprint has landed its first international WiMAX roaming agreements with Digicel in Jamaica and Global Mobile in Taiwan, the company announced today. Roaming will be available on select devices that use Sprint's SmartView Connection Manager, including the 250U and U600 USB modems. Sprint's 4G chief Matt Carter said in a statement; Sprint plans to offer its WiMAX roaming service through unlimited day passes. The company hasn't said when the service will launch or how much it will cost.

In the song that made Drake a force in the hip hop world, his words were as honest as they were a breath of fresh air. “It may not mean nothing to y’all, but understand nothing was done for me. And I ain’t plan on stopping at all. I was this forever man.” With the Grammy nominations released recently, the wanting for Drake is over. He has arrived. The former television star has ascended to the top of the hip hop world by receiving four Grammy nominations. No, this isn’t the first time that Drake has received notice from the Grammy committee, but it’s the first time he has received on his own merit. Last year, his collaboration on the aforementioned Forever, with Lil’ Wayne, Kanye West and Eminem garnered him his first ever...

In a move that had to be made for rap’s super producer/songwriter, Kanye West released “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.” The album, which plays more like a fluid artistic peace, is the first album since his much maligned 2008 release, “808s and Heartbreaks.” Twisted Fantasy restored West’s good name as the best beat maker in the business and one of raps most powerful artists. 808s was a collection of highly auto-tuned songs worth an initial listen, but without much play back value for fans of West’s music. He had broken away from his signature style, a collection of funk and old soul samples mixed with modern drum machines and fruity loops type production, which made him a household name in the hip hop community. The album...

Vybz Kartel stating that he will not be attending Sting this year, but he is not only saying that, he is now saying that without the 'Gully' and 'Gaza' presence, sting 2010 event will not be as successful as in previous years. Vybz Kartel says; Vybz Kartel made these comments after Isaiah Laing, the promoter of the annual event Sting, said in an interview published in THE STAR yesterday; Source: Jamaica Star

Energy drink Red Bull is constructing a modern $25 million recording studio and loft in Kingston in order to enter the local music industry by early 2011. The Haining Road-based studio should open in February and allow the brand to make marketing of the studio globally known. The studio will not sell studio time but offer it on an invitation basis only for free. It will also offer a full range of recording capabilities with state of the art equipment. Red Bull already operates an international label and the studio in Jamaica follows sister studios in New Zealand, the UK and the US.

Stephen Marley along-side his brothers Damian Marley and Julian Marley are proud to announce the signing of reggae music singing sensation Christopher Ellis to the growing roster of musical talent featured on the Marley brothers record label imprint , Ghetto Youths International, Inc. Christopher Lamour Ellis was born the youngest male progeny to “The Godfather of Jamaican Rocksteady”, the late Alton Ellis. Talented in his own right, the soulful 28 year-old roots reggae, r&b crooner has been astounding audiences with his incredibly natural, smooth vocal stylings since the age of 11. In 2009, a mutual friend introduced Stephen Marley to Christopher Ellis in Jamaica. During that fateful meeting on Hope Road, Christopher sang A...

Authorities say rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight was arrested on an outstanding traffic warrant as he left a restaurant near Universal Studios outside Los Angeles. Knight was released about an hour after his arrest early Saturday. Knight was stopped by deputies, who ran his name through computers and discovered he was wanted on a minor traffic warrant issued recently in Beverly Hills. Knight was brought to West Hollywood, where he was cited and released, after agreeing to appear in court within two months. Source: AP

Windel "Gyptian "Edwards has recently completed a hectic 60 day tour of Europe and Africa. On Friday December 3, 2010 after been taken to the hospital he was diagnosed as being severely dehydrated. Jus1 production issued a Press Release about Gyptian health with a statement from Gyptian himself. Gyptian manager Ivor Ruddock said; A decision was then made by his management team that in the best interest of Gyptian, and against his will, he will be returning to Jamaica to consult with his personal physician and dietitian. Gyptian Said;

Nominees were announced Wednesday for the 53 Annual Grammy Awards, which will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 2011, on CBS. Take a look at who was nominated for the best Best Reggae Album and top categories. Best Reggae Album: - 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 Record Of The Year: - B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars - Nothin' On You - Eminem Featuring Rihanna - Love The Way You Lie - Cee Lo Green - F*** You - Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind - Lady Antebellum - Need You Now Album...

Coca-Cola has planned to deepen the relationship with its Jamaican franchisee Wisynco Group Limited. This operation will result in the Jamaican operation becoming the supply point for markets in the Southern Caribbean for Coca-Cola. Wisynco Group Limited will be investing some J$500 million to raise its production capacity to approximately 15 million cases per year. Meanwhile, it currently produces 10 million cases, up from six million, after a similar investment last year to ramp up its production lines.

Eat Jamaican Day was launched in 2003 by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), to actively promote locally produced foods and help in providing farmers with a stable local market for their produce. Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, has reiterated that the campaign for consumers to support locally produced foods, is about keeping afloat a number of other economic activities in the local economy. The Minister who was addressing the 7th staging of the Eat Jamaican Campaign, held Thursday November 25,2010, at the Denbigh Show Ground, Clarendon, stated that the campaign is to keep in the minds of Jamaicans the importance of the agricultural sector, and giving...

Singer Willie Nelson has been charged with possessing weed after the drug was allegedly found on his tour bus. The bus pulled into a Texas checkpoint on Friday and an officer smelled the drug when a door was opened. Nelson was among three people arrested for the six ounces of weed that was found on the bus. Willie Nelson, 77, was held briefly until he paid a $2,500 bond before being released.

Actor Leslie Nielsen has died at the age of 84. The Canadian-born actor started his career in serious roles, but in later years he was best known for his comic roles in the The Naked Gun and Airplane film franchises.

Roger and Romeo Folkes, 39 and 27, of Jamaica, West Indies, were extradited to the United States on charges of conspiracy to import and export cocaine into the United States following an international investigation by agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Newark. Agencies also participating in the investigations include the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Midlands Police Complex Casework Unit in Birmingham; the Department of Homeland Security, HSI Attaché, Kingston, Jamaica; and officers of the United Kingdom Border Agency and the Jamaican Fugitive Apprehension Team (JFAT), composed of officers of the Jamaican Police and the United States Marshals...

(AP) Jamaican police say four men have been killed and four seriously wounded in a gang-related fusillade in a gritty city just outside of the island's capital. Investigators say gunmen opened fire late Saturday on a group of men playing cards at a house in Spanish Town, a southern Jamaican city where violent gangs are deeply entrenched. In a Sunday statement, police investigators link the deadly attack to a feud between the Clansman and One Order gangs, which are battling for control of extortion and drug rings. Gang-related massacres have been rare in recent months in Jamaica, where an anti-gang crackdown has been the toughest in the island's history.

A federal judge on Friday rejected movie star Wesley Snipes demand for a new trial and ordered the actor to surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to begin serving a 36-month prison sentence for tax-related crimes. Wesley Snipes was convicted in 2008 of three misdemeanor counts of willfully failing to file federal tax returns.

Garfield "Zebra" Vassell was sentenced to 30 years in prison with hard labor in the St. Catherine Circuit Court yesturday morning. Zebra sexually assaulted the teenaged daughter of his girlfriend. He was arrested in June last year, after eluding the police for four months. Zebra, who was represented by attorney-at-law Everton Dewar was convicted on Tuesday. He was sentenced to 20 years on the rape charge and 10 years on the carnal anal assault charge. Zebra was previously convicted on a rape charge in 2002 and sentenced to eight years of hard labor. Prior to that in 2001, he was sentenced to three and a half years prison term with hard labor after being found guilty of two counts of assault with intent to rape.

Isaiah Laing, the promoter of Sting, has indicated that the 2010 staging of the show will shift from the traditional format, where clashes would be the predominant factor. Laing said: This year artists will be performing under six segments: The Thirteen Bad Girls of Sting featuring Cecile, Pamputae and Lisa Hyper; a comedy hour with Tanto Blacks and Twins of Twins, spotlight, disc jocks, starlight and the Thirteen Warriors of Sting.

Jamaica is anticipating the opening of its third international airport next month, The Ian Fleming International Airport, located just five miles from Ocho Rios. Formerly known as the Boscobel Airstrip, the facility has undergone refurbishment and has been expanded to facilitate the arrival of private international aircrafts. The Ian Fleming International Airport will allow for easy, efficient and timely processing of small aircraft and passengers. Features of the facility include a passenger lounge, pilot briefing room, customs and immigration clearance, and other specialized services for private flights.