DANCEHALL NICE AGAIN

Mavado, the turbulent genius taking dancehall by storm, brilliantly shines as the next star of his genre. Developing his artistry under the supervision of the dancehall icon Bounty Killer, Mavado crafted his sound into a class of its own. His bone chilling lyrics and raspy toned vocals resonate throughout the ghettos of Jamaica. In his tumultuous surroundings of Cassava Piece, Jamaica, Mavado tells a story of survival throughout his anticipated debut album, “Gangsta For Life: The Symphony of David Brooks,” released on July 10th, 2007 by VP Records.

This carefully orchestrated street narrative, features the hustling anthem “Dreamin,” one of his first famed singles of Jamaica produced by Daseca on the Riddim. The album continues with “Weh Dem A Do,” the ever popular hit that was at heavy rotation on mainstream radio, like New York’s Hot 97 and earned him major magazine covers, such as The Fader. His father’s death is spoken of on the one-drop tune “Sadness,” while “Pon The Gully Side” and “Born and Raised” document the singer’s rough upbringing even as they showcase the more angelic side of his gangster gospel.

For those of you who have been following the progression of B-Kay & Kazz in the South Coast Idol competition - we are pleased to say that B-Kay & Kazz made it through to the semi-finals which took place on 15 March where they were chosen to go through - again - into the REGIONAL FINALS of this competition! 

Thank you to all those who supported the boys by buying tickets for the semi-finals event which bought them your vote (one ticket = one vote) - HOWEVER, we still need your support please.  The Regional Finals take place in High Wycombe on 19 April and the tickets cost £7.50 each - again each ticket buys them a vote on the night.

These guys got fantastic reviews at their semi-final competition from the judges and there is every reason to believe that they can do just as well at the finals to complete in the Grand National Finals in May.  Please support the boys - this is the first time that we have two boys from home make it this far in an “X Factor Style” competition. 

For more information on tickets, please contact:

Farhaan - 07881922072 or Ayaan on 07701078496

Or email me at salma.khan@hotmail.co.uk

We value your continued support

Salma
On behalf of B-Kay & Kazz

Female artiste Macka Diamond is sitting pretty these days as the reigning female DJ of the year on both Irie FM’s and Excellence in Music and Entertainment (EME) Awards.

Come May there is a chance she could be adding two more awards under her belt at the International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) set to take place at the world famous Apollo Club in New York.

No wonder she is not into no ‘War Ting’. Her latest release ‘War Ting’ is taking the place by storm right now. It is so humorously and tastefully done that not even the parties she is poking fun at can be upset!

“Yeah man Beenie Man tell me he likes the song, even Angel has no problem with it,” Macka shared. Macka sticks to her ‘money o’ theme in this one as she chanted, “mi nuh inna di war ting wid no one, mi ogle war wid Western Union..”

The ‘Energy God’ Elephant Man recently completed a combination track with Haitian-born superstar Wyclef Jean on the bouncy single Five-O, a track that appears to taunt  the gun-carrying civil servant everyone loves to hate – da cops.

With an intro from P. Diddy himself, the resulting concoction is a Caribbean-flavoured single with definite cross-over pedigree, and according to dancehall insiders, could be the lead off single for Ele’s Bad Boy Records album due out this year.

Wyclef kicks the track off a catchy singalong hook that belittles the cops’ attempts to catch him with incriminating evidence at his pad, or ‘riding dirrrty’.



Elephant Man does his part in belittling the ‘five-oh’ –as the police are known in the United States, — boasting that his lawyer just got him off the case, and he was roaming the streets. Ele issues the not-too-subtle warning suggesting that he was ready for anything because ‘mi have mi ting pon me’ (we can give you two guesses what that ting is).  The best thing about the song is the cinematic-sounding rhythm which paints a picture of gritty streets and danger with uptempo reggaefied drum beats.

Wyclef also advocates murder for snitches, while Elephant Man does the same for the Jamaican equivalent, ‘informers’. Ele deejays: ‘murder dem bwoy de…murder dem bwoy de… informer…informer dem bwoy de…murder dem bwoy de’.  

A bit repetitive? Maybe. But Elephant Man gets his point across, he is now a bonafide bad boy, waiting to be unleashed on the world

 Red Rat’s latest video for the single, ‘Hot Girls Holiday’ will represent a United Nations feel when it comes to girls as there were a dazzling array of girls from a wide variety of races represented in the shoot.

“It started at about midday Saturday and went up until about 1 a.m on Sunday and it continued on Sunday. Basically, him and a guy named Perch and both are going on a hot girl holiday, going on a cruise all over the world with girls from all Caribbean islands, the European countries, there are different races of girls, there is an African girl in it, Canadian, a lot of Springbreakers were present, every nation which is mentioned in the song is represented, even a girl from China…Most of it was shot in the Jungle, a bar scene and other shots beach buggies all over Negril, but the basic concept is how to make a flex with a variety of females,” road manager Courtney Mac told journalists.

The director of the video is Michelle Barnes from MAD Media Productions, and the video could be ready to air within the next two weeks. The song is a ‘Lenky’ Masrden production. In the meantime, the video for ‘Aint No Use’, a Rat-a-Kastle production, should hit cable stations this week.

Producer Donovan “Don Corleon” Bennett flies into the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 this week. His production Break It Off (from the Higher Altitude riddim) recorded by Rihanna featuring Sean Paul, steps from 52 to number ten due to the availability of the song as a Digital download.

Break It Off gives Bennett his second Top 10 hit following the Top 5 peak of (When You Gonna) Give It Up To Me, recorded last year by Sean Paul and Keyshia Cole.

Break It Off is the 7th Top 10 Hot 100 hit for Sean Paul. It also gives Rihanna her fourth Top 10 hit following Pon De Replay, SOS, and Unfaithful.

B-Kay & Kazz successfully auditioned on Sunday, 11 Febuary for the South Coast Idol Competition 2007 and they made it through to the semi-finals. The boys managed to beat approx. 250 hopefuls and were very pleased that they got through. As far as we know, they are the only ones from Milton Keynes whose audition was successful. In any event, the boys will be performing at the Live Semi Final on 15 March 2007 in High Wycombe at Pure Nightclub. We have been given tickets to sell (at £5 each) so that supporters can attend the semi final and vote for their favorite artists on the back of their tickets (Contact Salma: 07737153567 or email: salma.khan@hotmail.co.uk).

PLEASE PLEASE SUPPORT THE BOYS - YOUR VOTE WILL COUNT TOWARDS THEM GETTING TO THE REGIONAL FINAL.

We have also been asked by the show’s organisers to publicise their successful audition & appearance at the semifinal on all local radio, newspapers, websites, etc. We would be very grateful if any of you have any contacts with local press so that we can get as much press coverage as we can.
Please support B-Kay & Kazz - representing Milton Keynes (and Zimbabwe!!). For more details on the show, please check http://www.southcoastidol.co.uk/

CHECK THEIR MYSPACE PAGE - www.myspace.combkaykazz

Ace deejay Bounty Killer gave his former protégé a serious tongue-lashing last week Thursday at the Asylum nightclub in New Kingston.

“Every Palmer is ah bl–dc—h informer,” he declared immediately.

The crowd almost lost its collective mind and the air was immediately alive with a forest of hand gun salutes, flickering lighters and frenzied forwards. As the tumult died down, the Killer blazed on.

“How him fi switch and par wid the fish? Him violate and disrespect him real friends dem,” an outraged Bounty Killer said.

The Asylum selectors attempted to play a slamming rhythm for the deejay to spit a few rhymes but he was not in the mood to perform, he was in speech mode that night.

“Mi no come fi deejay, mi come fi tell oonu mi mind!”.

“Mi come fi straighten out some b—-c—- bwoy weh lean, how yuh fi tek side with Fisheenie when yuh come to me and beg me when yu ah bl—dc—h suffer over Portmore, b–tybwoy?” Killer said.

However, by that time, the object of his anger, Vybz Kartel had already left the building. Earlier, Kartel a.k.a Addi the Teacha had deejayed a couple of girl tunes, and got a favourable response from the crowd.

She is known as the first lady of Mafia House. Other people have less savoury names for her, but Michelle ‘D’Angel’ Downer is a woman who projects the silent threat that she will not be derailed. There are things she wants to achieve, and nobody can stop her from realizing her goals.

She has announced her re-entry into the dancehall world after a sabbatical to have her child with the radio hit, ‘Baby Daddy’ with Vybz Kartel. The video is currently in heavy rotation on cable stations all across the island. The controversy generated by the subtext surrounding the song, has given it wings. Check it, number one, the animosities between Kartel and D’Angel’s former lover, Bounty Killer, and ‘number twice’, the content of the song which seems to validate Beenie Man as the father, have combined to make the song a surefire hit.

“If D’Angel neva marry Beenie, all the things that happen in dancehall would’n happen. Look at what Patrick (Roberts) say when dem ask him about the split with Shocking Vibes, the first thing he said was that ‘Beenie Man is married now…’, so yu see everything change since wedding, everything,” one source said. “And look at the Kartel issue, ever since him attend the wedding, the rift between him and Killer widen, so ah fi har arrival change up everything.”

The questions remain unanswered, but you can tell us what you think. Is it pointless to blame D’Angel just like how sexist males blame Eve for original sin? Or would Beenie still be a member of the Shocking Vibes camp? Would Don Mafia still be writing hit tunes for Beenie Man? Would Vybz Kartel still be in the Alliance? Would Aidonia?  Would Beenie and Bounty be able to finally bury the hatchet and end the animosity?

Tell us what you think, dancehall massive.