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Grace 'Spice' Hamilton, who is now a Billboard artiste after landing the number 86 spot on the R&B/Hip Hop Charts with Rampin' Shop, her controversial duet with Vybz Kartel, is celebrating yet another victory. Spice was last week signed to the prestigious VP Records label for a major album deal. She said, "Last year, so many people started to approach me about signing me to album deals but I was so hesitant. After reading over some of the contracts and listening to what some of them had to say, it didn't seem like the best option. "But when VP approached me and we went over the terms, and when I thought of the fact that they were primarily focused on Caribbean artistesand they know how to market their own, I felt more...

Born: July 23, 1892 Near Harar, Ethiopia Died: August 27, 1975 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie was an emperor of Ethiopia whose influence as an African leader far surpassed the boundaries of his country. Although his popularity declined near the end of his sixty-year reign, Selassie remains a key figure in turning Ethiopia into a modern civilization. YouTube - Haile Selassie War Speech "Amharic Version"

Exploitation was one of the issues Ken Boothe touched on when he spoke with the participants of Project Artiste yesterday at the Red Stripe office, Spanish Town Road, Kingston. The 61-year-old artiste was speaking to the aspiring producers, musicians, writers, managers and performers. He told the group that he started music because of the love he had for the art, but with very little knowledge of the industry. "I used to sit around at Sir Coxsone Dodd studio waiting for him to call me to record. A lot of the hit songs I did, I did them on hungry belly. With the love of music, yuh not even think bout food," Boothe said. And, it was because of this love and his lack of knowledge about the industry, which resulted in the level...

Jamaica has moved up 50 places in the last three years to be ranked the third "happiest country" in the world", in the latest Happy Planet Index, published by Britain's New Economics Foundation. Jamaica was placed 53rd on the list, an index of human well-being and environmental impact, when it was first published in July 2006. It moved up to third behind regional countries, Costa Rica, number one, and the Dominican Republic, number two, in the second report made public on Saturday. The performances of the top three countries were indicative of the Central and South American region which ended up with nine of the top 10 places with Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, Colombia, El Salvador and Honduras also included in the top 10. Cuba was...

Singjay Bugle recently released his latest video for popular director Jay Will of Game Over Productions. The video features two songs, Anything Goes for ZJ Chrome on his 'Tripple Bounce' rhythm and Summer Time for Open Ear Music. The video also features cameo appearances from Razz and Biggy as well as Bugle's production camp DASECA. YouTube - BUGLE- ANYTHING GOES/SUMMATIME

Dancehall deejay Mavado and his manager Julian Jones-Griffith are counting their lucky stars after surviving a serious car accident over the weekend, while en route to an assignment in Negril, Westmoreland. Apparently, the vehicle in which the two were travelling sustained minor damages, but the car that hit them was totalled; a passenger bus was also badly damaged. According to Jones-Griffith, who was driving the car with the entertainer, it was his quick thinking that sparked him to swing this was later confirmed by a message on his profile page of the popular social site, Twitter "bus infront us write off, car that hit an us was totalled, our car jus the bak door mashup, thank u Jah for givin me that vision to swing." Other...

Despite being pulled from local radio playlists and websites, the controversial song Rampin' Shop debuted in the number 96 position on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop charts - a first for both artistes. In a move that caused much uproar in the entertainment fraternity in February, the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica placed restrictions on all daggering songs, content of explicitly sexual and violent nature and all songs containing bleeps. Inaddition the original version of Vybz Kartel and Spice's Rampin Shop has been ordered to be destroyed and pulled from all radio stations, television stations and the Internet by EMI Music Publishing. After being removed from radio playlists locally, internationally the song, which was...

Spanner Banner, whose real name is Joseph Anthony Bonner, began his musical career during his formative years, as a singer on the Bidia sound system in his hometown of Rock Hall, St Andrew, in the late 1980s. The response that he received from the audience whenever he performed served as good encouragement for him to do all he could to realise his musical ambitions. Therefore, he spent a great deal of time writing lyrics and seeking out studios for recording Singer Spanner Banner, a member of the talented Bonner brothers, which includes Pliers (of Chakademus and Pliers fame) and Richie Spice, says he is ready to reclaim his heritage. Spanner, who was one of the acts signed to Island Records during the 90's, has certainly made his...

It is understood that police are seeking the artiste in connection to reports of sexual abuse by a 13-year-old girl in June this year. The entertainer however, is disputing the allegations. In an interview with IRIE FM, Zebra said the allegations are false. He says the allegations stem from the efforts of the girl’s aunt and grandmother, to get back at him and his girlfriend, who is the girl’s mother. He says the aunt and grandmother are upset with him and his girlfriend over what they claim to be their refusal to hand over money that, according to Zebra they are claiming was left by the girl’s father. Zebra says he and his girlfriend have sought the services of an attorney and will be doing all possible to clear his...

Bounty Killer has turned himself in after police accused him of assaulting a man outside a nightclub. Attorney Thomas Tavares-Finson said Thursday that his client was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and unlawful wounding and assault. Police say the incident happened two years ago. A warrant was issued for the deejay last weekend which prevented him from making a scheduled appearance for Ochi Invasion held at the Amnesia car park on Friday. All this is stemming from an incident that occurred in 2007 outside the Quad night club in Kingston. Allegations are that on September 27 a group of men used their cars to block a section of St. Lucia Avenue in New Kingston. It is alleged that Bounty Killa and former Constable...

Former NFL star Steve McNair was shot dead in his sleep last week by a 20-year-old girlfriend distraught about mounting financial problems and her belief that he was seeing someone else, police said Wednesday. Investigators may never know why Sahel Kazemi shot McNair four times as he dozed on a sofa early Saturday before turning the gun on herself, Police Chief Ronal Serpas said. But interviews with friends revealed that she was making payments on two cars, her rent was doubling and she suspected the married McNair was having a second affair with another young woman. She told a friend on Friday that "My life is a ball of s--t and I should end it," Serpas said. Police earlier had labeled McNair's death a homicide, but waited...

It was not spectacular, extravagant or bizarre. There were songs and tears but little dancing. Instead, Michael Jackson’s memorial was a somber, spiritual ceremony that reached back for the essence of the man. Some 20,000 people gathered inside the Staples Center arena on Tuesday, and untold millions watching around the world, remembered Jackson, whose immense talents almost drowned beneath the spectacle of his life and fame. See Picture for more memorial pictures

Presenter Danny Glover, left, kisses Harry Belafonte backstage after Belafonte received the BET humanitarian award during the 6th annual BET Awards on Tuesday, June 27, 2006, in Los Angeles.

The mother of a 13-year-old is in custody while the police are searching for entertainer, Zebra, who has been accused of sexually assaulting the child. Garfield 'Zebra' Vassell, who the police said is wanted for rape, was released from prison on September 6 after serving seven of a 10-year sentence for a similar crime. In the latest allegations, it is said that several persons became concerned about the child when she began to behave in a strange manner. The police were informed and an investigation launched. The mother of the teenager was taken in after she admitted that she suspected that her child was sexually active but did nothing about it. As a result, she is being held on suspicion of aiding and abetting, while the...

Paul and Patrick Gaynor, more popularly known as the dancehall duo, Twin of Twins, were yesterday taken into custody by the Half-Way Tree police on reasonable suspicion of fraud. The brothers are accused of taking $50,000 from an upcoming artiste, under the guise that they were able to give him the opportunity to travel to the United States of America to perform. It is alleged, however, that they failed to deliver on their promise and subsequently refused to return the complainant's money. The act is alleged to have taken place earlier this year and was reported to the police in February. The brothers were arrested yesterday along Half-Way Tree Road and are now in custody awaiting an interview. The duo are known for...

Michael Jackson was not the biological father of any of his children. And Debbie Rowe is not the biological mother of the two kids she bore for Michael. All three children were conceived in vitro -- outside the womb. Michael was not the sperm donor for any of his kids. Debbie's eggs were not used. She was merely the surrogate, and paid well for her services in the births of Michael Jr. and Paris. In the case of Prince Michael II (the youngest), we're told the surrogate was never told of the identity of the "receiving parent" -- Michael Jackson. Three days after Prince was born at Grossmont Hospital in San Diego County, Jackson's lawyer came to the hospital to pick the baby up and deliver him to Michael. Although Rowe is not the...

Today is being celebrated as International Reggae Day, the day on which the world is invited to celebrate the best of Jamaica's music and creativity. With the goal of uniting people through music, IRD integrates media and technology each year as it highlights the power and impact of Jamaican music and reggae culture globally and honours important contributors to the growth and development of Jamaica's most invaluable export - its music. July 1 also marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of the Crown Prince of Reggae Dennis Emmanuel Brown and disc jocks are being requested to include significant mention of this artiste during IRD celebrations. All are encouraged to wear their Reggae "colour"- red, green and gold - on July 1...

In May 1999, after touring in Brazil with other reggae singers, Brown started to show symptoms of illness. After returning to Kingston, Jamaica, on the evening of June 30, 1999, he was rushed to Kingston's University Hospital, suffering from cardiac arrest. Brown died the next day, and the official cause of his death was a collapsed lung.Brown's funeral was held on July 17, 1999 in Kingston. The service, which lasted for three hours, also featured live performances by Maxi Priest, Shaggy, and five of Brown's sons. Brown was then buried at Kingston's National Heroes Park. Dennis Brown's first recording was "Lips of Wine" recorded for Derrick Harriott, but this was not released initially. He then recorded for Coxsone Dodd at Studio...

In 1993, Chandler told a psychiatrist and police that he and Jackson had engaged in sexual acts that included oral sex, the boy gave detailed description of Jackson’s genitals. The case was settled out of court for a reported $22 million, but the strain led Jackson to begin taking painkillers. Eventually he became addicted. Now maybe for the remorse of his death Chandler decides to tell us the truth. ” I never meant to lie and destroy Michael Jackson but my father made me to tell only lies. Now i can’t tell Michael how much i’m sorry and if he will forgive me ”.Evan Chandler was tape-recorded saying amongst other things, “If I go through with this, I win big-time. There’s no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be...