The first new official Bob Marley track to be released in decades, Slogans is a song with a message of freedom and righteousness that transcends generations. It is believed that Marley recorded the song in a Miami bedroom in 1979.

The acoustic demo was revisited by the reggae legend's sons Stephen and Ziggy with overdubbed instruments, including guitar by Eric Clapton. Slogans is a bright and mighty anthem reminiscent of classic Marley.

The captivating cinematography is full of classic Marley footage, explosive live concert visuals and poignant images from the 1960's and 1970's to the present era.

Supreme Promotions promoter of STING the annual reggae/dancehall festival in association with Startime Entertainment are in the final stages of production for the event Riding West set for Saturday, February 18, 2006 to be held at the Hotel Commingle in Savannah-La-Mar, Westmoreland.

The powerful star studded artiste line-up includes Mr Sting himself- The Dongorgon Ninjaman, Mad Cobra, Artiste of the Year - Turbulance, Chuck Fenda, Aidonia, Little Hero, Noddy Virtue, LA Lewis, Whisky Baggio, Face, Spice, Halloway & Bennetto.

'Dis yah show is gonna be big, seeing that di big man dem Ninjaman and Mad Cobra a endorse the event' said Little Hero one of the headliners on the bill. Little Hero's name has been on the lips of many due to his powerful spiritual performances at some of the major shows over the Christmas season such as GUINNESS STING, Rebel Salute and East Fest. He promises to thrill the audience with his many hits such as 'No More War', 'Freedom', 'In Di Ghetto' and 'Prayer Time'.

Reggae veteran Sean Paul rules the year-end Top Reggae Albums chart, but the artist who got everyone talking was the son of legend Bob Marley, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley.

His Welcome to Jamrock (Ghetto Youths/Tuff Gong) nabbed the highest debut of a reggae release on The Billboard 200 in the Nielsen SoundScan era when it bowed at No. 7 this fall.

To date, Welcome to Jamrock has scanned 260,000 copies in the United States, and spawned a crossover hit at radio with its self-titled single. The album ends the year at No. 2 on the Top Reggae Albums recap.

This is from an artist who had previously been dropped by Universal's Motown Records, which released his 2003 effort "Halfway Tree."

JAMAICA'S WEEKLY TOP 30 (SINGLES) HIT LIST
By Richie B, host – "HOT MIX" on HOT 102 FM

TW LW WC TITLE/ARTISTE/LABEL
01 2 11 Bun Him-Macka Diamond & Blacke-r-Big Yard (1Wk@1) U-1

02 1 21 Far From Reality-Natural Black-Don Corleon (2wks@1) D-1

03 4 10 Mama Don't Cry-Gyptian-No Doubt Records U-1

04 5 9 Taxi Fare Vegas & Lexus - B - Rich U-1

05 3 16 Tell Me How Come-Morgan Heritage-Don Corleon (2wks@1) D-2

06 8 12 Don't Stop The Music-Suga Roy & Conrad Crystal-Taxi U-2

07 6 18 Step Out - Busy Signal-Gravi-T (1wk@1) D-1

08 7 20 Wild 2 Nite - Shaggy & Olivia-Big Yard (1wk@1) D-1

09 10 18 Money In My Pocket-George Nooks & Beenie Man-Tads Int. Records U-1

10 9 13 Life Is So Hard (Bloodshed)-Ras Ghandi - Smokey Room (pp#9) D-1

Peter Lloyd's Walk Through Fire hit the Jamaican top 10 in 2002, peaking at number 5 in the now extinct Star top 40 as well as the Entertainment Report (ER) top 10 chart. After a 4 year absence, Peter Lloyd is back on three major local singles charts with Gold Digga. As this is being penned, Peter Lloyd sits in the number 6 position on three of Jamaica's major top 20 Singles Chart i.e. Megajamz's top 20 dancehall chart, Hype TV's top 20 singles chart and MiPhone's top 20 dancehall chart.

Although Peter Lloyd has had massive underground hits within the last four years. In 2003 U Magnet hit the top 10 of many video charts. U Magnet was and still remains a favourite among Jamaica's youth. The cultural classic Wake Dem Up reached number 1 in several local video charts in 2005. The Wake Dem Up video is even credited with revolutionizing cultural videos on a whole in Jamaica.

By:Claude Mills - Photos: Carlington Wilmot/YardFlex Reporters

The first thing that strikes you about Danielle is her rampant sexuality. Listening to her nimble edgy dancehall vocals laced with R-rated lyrics, and watching her sinewy feline moves, it doesn't take you long to come to the conclusion that she is a bold, mercenary ghetto sex bomb.

"Yeah, definitely," she agreed, laughing. "I am a pretty thug, a ghetto sex bomb with an uptown flavour."

Danielle has been been raising eyebrows recently with her combination single, 'Brown Girl in the Ring' with Virgin Records recording artiste Beenie Man. She also has a slamming single, 'Rudey', on noted producer Birch's 'Dancehall Rock' rhythm.

Top flight female deejay Macka Diamond will be celebrating her birthday with a grand bash on Saturday, January 28 at the Mass Camp Village on Oxford Road in New Kingston.

Ray Alexander of Khool Booking Agency, coordinator of the event promises a night of musical fun with Macka Diamond and friends.

A top class list of reggae and dancehall entertainers are billed for this event, such as, Capleton, Beenie Man, Vybz Kartel, Bounty Killer, Turbulance, Black-er, Phanton Mojah, Alozade, Kip Rich, Mr. Vegas, Captain Barkey & Wickerman, Gyptian, Lady Saw, Lady G, Ms Ting, Action K, Queen Paula, Sasha and Denise Belfon from Trinidad.

The quintessential Jamaican singer/songwriter, Tanya Stephens is equally adept at blazing the latest dancehall riddims as she is at blessing an acoustic guitar-driven ballad with lyrics that are insightful, relevant, comical, and often scathing...life and love observed with the honest eyes of a child, yet processed and returned to her audience with uncommon maturity and melody.

On Rebelution, Tanya Stephens once again displays her wit and musical sensibilities with bouncy songs like Hey Lady, in which she matter-of-factly explains to a woman (and all women) what steps she could have taken to keep Tanya from stealing her man.

By: Jigga YardFlex.com Reporter

Horatio Hamilton, the chief executive of Lords of Yard Inc., a reggae music production company, was convicted of drug conspiracy for smuggling one tonne of marijuana into the city each week for several years.

According to the New York Times, Hamilton, president of Lords of Yard Inc., faces 20 years in prison after being convicted in Manhattan federal court.

Hamilton was arrested in 1999 with nearly two tonnes of marijuana at Los Angeles International Airport, Garcia said. He jumped bail and was arrested again last year.

Yo, just let me test the speakers, HYPEEEEEEEEEE!
You may know him for the abovementioned intro ON 'Wear My Sunglasses at Night' or maybe for his provocative disses of dancehall diva, Cecile, or, yet again, for his somber, cerebral ultra-creative radio hit, 'Mirrow', but Benzly Hype remains a bit of conundrum for dancehall fans who are unable to label him or put him in a box.

"Small minds think alike, great minds thinks differently, out the box, if you want to remembered, you have to be great. Every great Jamaican artiste is never recognized in his own country, but when he's recognized overseas, he gets the recognition at home, Marley is the perfect example of that," said the only deejay who can boast that he has an exclamation mark as part of his stage name.

He is also starring in a comedic pilot for local television which is a semi-autobiographical take of a young deejay life, a project being spearheaded by Rick Elgood of Dancehall Queen fame.

By: Jigga YardFlex Reporter

Deejay Buju Banton, who was at the centre of a firestorm of criticism generated by a sustained campaign by gay rights groups against homophobic lyrics, was acquitted today in the Half Way Tree Resident Magistrates' court of assault charges leveled against him by gay men.

The entertainment community cheered the decision to acquit the deejay, and a large contingent of well-wishers, fellow deejays and other supporters were on hand. In HWT, some supporters waved flags and chanted anti-gay slogans as they cheered their Rastafarian hero.

"Vindicated. After all the persecution by Amnesty International who found the deejay guilty without the benefit of the trial. I would love to hear what they are going to say now," Donovan Germaine, manager of the deejay, told YardFlex.com.

If you've been dying to play the 'Prince of Persia', then this year's carnival celebrations in Jamaica may be just the ticket for you. This year's carnival will have a decidedly Old Word flavour as the organisers plan to revisit ancient cultures and civilizations as they celebrate the 'Lost Empires'. Bacchanal Jamaica Carnival launched their event at the Knutsford Court Hotel last Tuesday.

The costumes, sporting names such as Persian, Macedonian, Azteca, Zulu, Bacchanal Babes and Atlantians, were on full display for potential revellers who may be history buffs with a hard-on for the role-playing of celebrated historical figures.

Bacchanal Jamaica's exciting calendar of events will kick off at their home venue Mas Camp on February 17, with the theme Legend of the Nile. There will be weekly Friday night fêtes at that venue leading up to the road parade on April 23. Among the on Friday events will be the Appleton sponsored Roman Games on March 31 and Digicel's Victory on April 7.

Pluto Shervington known for his reggae retro hits Dat Ting Dere, Manish Water (Ram Goat Liver), Your Honor and Sweet Jamaica (I Man Born Yah), will bring to the resort guests the feel of old Jamaican pop music, when he performs for all at Jamaica's #1 Party Resort, Hedonism III Runaway Bay on Wednesday January 25th 2006 at 9:00 pm.

Pluto is also scheduled to perform at Air Jamaica Jazz festival on Saturday January 28th as part of the "Tribute to Byron Lee" line up. Come party with Pluto relive the real Jamaican retro and get ready for the Jazz weekend in true Hedonism III style.

Intro:
Yea, yea testing 1 2 3 it's Akon the illegal alien yea, Sizzla Kolongi coming to you live, Shabba India, Si mi yah seh yuh knoe its Kartel Obsession FX Gun Session teks Run session duppy wi mek aye!

Verse 1[Vybz Kartel]:
Budibye Budibye Budibye Budibye Pernimi meny meny meny ment If yuh dis bad man yuh skin burn imi neny neny men mi gun dem long lke di gully name fen imi nemy nemy nem Lugar Germany meny meny men mi use and murder many many men any bwoy weh borrow gun haffi return emi nemy nemy nem mi eagle a di early bird you a di worm eni meny meny men run 8 mile and turn Eminem but don't return eni meny meny men because the way mi hand straight yuh think it perm eny meny meny ment Ay! dem bwoy deh nahve nuh gun dem bwoy deh nahve buh rifle dem collapse like twin tower but I am the Aifle Dem likkle life will stifle ca dem wa fi tek mi title so dem ago a dead even if u run up inna di bible yuh roll wit Jesus Christ? Mi have 24 disciple tek lugar ruger brico baretta calico smit an wesson metal an kotch ingram 14 m16 plus mi larson run go inna di church mek mi shoot u and fi Parson

By Richie B, host – "HOT MIX" on HOT 102 FM
Sponsored by Tru Juice

TW LW WC TITLE/ARTISTE/LABEL
01 2 19 Far From Reality-Natural Black-Don Corleon (1wk@1)

02 1 14 Tell Me How Come-Morgan Heritage-Don Corleon (2wks@1)

03 6 9 Bun Him-Macka Diamond & Black-er-Big Yard

04 5 8 Mama Don't Cry-Gyptian-No Doubt Records

05 4 16 Step Out - Busy Signal-Gravi-T (1wk@1)

06 3 18 Wild 2 Nite - Shaggy & Olivia-Big Yard (1wk@1)

07 12 7 Taxi Fare Vegas & Lexus - B - Rich

08 7 14 Emergency - Vybz Kartel-Time Travel (pp#5)

09 9 11 Life Is So Hard (Bloodshed)-Ras Ghandi-Smokey Room

10 11 10 Don't Stop The Music-Suga Roy & Conrad Crystal-Taxi

By: Jigga/YardFlex Reporter

In June, the penultimate album of Beenie Man's five-album deal with Virgin Records, is scheduled to hit stores worldwide. But it may well signal the beginning of the end of his association with the internationally recognized label.

Inside sources revealed to YardFlex that it will be a straight dancehall album which will be dubbed Undisputed. Current hotshot dancehall producer Don Corleone is reportedly handling much of the production work on the 18 tracks. There is also a track produced by R. Kelly and Beenie Man.

"The single Hum Hum is now being sent to radio stations overseas and from there, we are waiting to see if it is added to playlists, 500 spin a week mean dat yu up deh...1,000 spin mean dat yu a kick up...from there so to Billboard, from Billboard to Grammy," Beenie Man told YARDFLEX.

The Infamous and Mysterious DJ LA LEWIS Releases New T-Shirt Line

The most popular DJ without a hit song and an unknown face DJ LA Lewis has joined forces with the photographer Peter of the website Afflictedyard.com to distribute a T-Shirt line called L.A. Lewis.

Within two weeks of its release the T-Shirts were completely sold out. 'Di music industry people, fans, politicians even Mr Seaga has sent in orders to me. Fadda Laing from Supreme Promotions bought some from mi fi show mi im support. Mi overwhelmed by the support from the fans, mi phone a ring offa di hook, dem a buy six and seven one time. It a mek mi eat a food’ he said with a usual pleasant smile.

Sean Paul debuted at number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 last week with Temperature, the third single off his latest album The Trinity.

Temperature was produced by Rohan 'Sno Cone' Fuller and featured prominently on last year's slamming 'Applause' rhythm that spawned several hits such as Shane-o 'Lightning Flash' and Sizzla's 'Run Out Pon Dem'.

This is the eighth song from Sean Paul to reach the Billboard Hot 100. The others include 'Breathe' featuring Blu Cantrell, 'Baby Boy' featuring Beyonce, 'Get Busy', 'Gimme the Light', 'I'm Still in Love With You' featuring Sasha and the recent number six hit 'We Be Burning'.

By: YardFlex Reporter Jigga

D'Angel, the singer who hit it big last year with the hit, 'Downtown Girl Living an Uptown Life', has denied rumours that she is romantically linked with deejay Beenie Man.

"Beenie is a man, I am a woman, what's the big deal? We are human beings...what?" she said jokingly when asked. "But we are not involved, we have a musical relationship, we have done a song together, 'One Man' on the Global riddim, but we are not together, I am merely signed to Shocking Vibes, he has called me up onstage for shows that I am not even billed for, he is giving me a lot of exposure and that's all, Beenie is not like that," she told YardFlex.

Chorus:
So I say
These are some serious times
All I can see around us is just violence and crime
Full time for us to centralize, socialize and realize
To let the sun shine throughout everyday
Let the moon shine through the peaceful night
This Seven time rise, seven times fall
But I don't really believe in those falling things at all
Cauz life continues as it goes
If you really want to know the truth
The truth is in being told

(Repeat) Chorus

Some time I think it's peace and safety
It could be yah for sudden destruction
Seh yeh wake up dis morning, ya gotta give tunkz
Yeh don't know if you're gonna live to see tomorrow
Life is much more precious than gold
Yea yea, and if the truth hasn't been told

On the heels of a BBC Caribbean report declaring Jamaica the "murder capital of the world', the government has announced that Jamaica recorded its best tourism year ever in 2005 with just over 2.6 million foreign visitors. Go figure!

According to tourism director Paul Pennicook, this record figure represents an increase of four per cent over 2004. The Jamaica Tourist Board plans to press ahead with its aggressive marketing of the island overseas.

The state-run agency has resumed television advertising in the United States after the traditional ending of its Fall campaign just before America's Thanksgiving holiday. Television advertising will cost in the region of US$2 million.

Vegas' new video, 'Do You Know', has been creating quite a buzz in the dancehall as of late because of its unusual post-partum depression theme.

"It is a serious concern in Jamaica today, the whole concept of the video was not to go down the regular road that people expect, but look at other ways at how to miss someone, for instance, if you have a woman who is paralyzed, or in a mental hospital, just playing with different ideas of missing someone, me and my manager come upon the idea of post-partum depression, and we just did research and we realized that millions of young teenage mothers are affected by it, so we decided to do it from this perspective, and I am pleased with the response," he told YardFlex.

By Jigga YardFlex Reporter

Jamaica will host renowned "Blaxploitation" film star Fred "The Hammer" Williamson tomorrow when he arrives to attend a local investors' meeting, and to review potential lead actresses for the filming of the movie, Black Kissinger, slated for local production in May 2006.

While in Jamaica, Williamson, a former NFL football star, will be meeting with investors on Thursday, January 12, at the JAMPRO headquarters. On Friday, January 13, he will be interviewing a number of Jamaican actresses, to select the Female Lead for the movie, which will be shot entirely in Jamaica. He will also make an appearance at the Red Bones Blues Cafe on Friday night.

"Black Kissinger", a joint project of US, Canadian and Jamaican investors, is an adventure movie incorporating current themes of terrorism, money laundering and international finance. The film will get great buzz from the involvement of Williamson, who is one of the first African-American male action stars of the "blaxploitation" genre of the early 1970s.

[Intro]
Busy
Basically I'm saying (weh yah seh)
Your lyrically inclined to busy signal
Hey (hey) hey (hey)
Testing 1, 3, mi nah test 2
Wat about you
Testing (testing) testing (testing) test..
It's going

[Verse 1]
Afta mi step out, inna mi black
Have glock, unda mi throwback
Shot holla pon spot
Badman nuh tek back chat
An, nuff gal a get fuck
A nuh if nor but nor maybe
Gi gal cocky, nine months she get baby
Mi nuh lazy
Alright den

By: YardFlex Reporter Claude Mills (Jigga)

The organizers of Sumfest may be in jeopardy of losing a couple of major dancehall acts for this year's Summer event with the return of the seminal Reggae Sunsplash.

Thanks to an aggressive marketing strategy, the organisation's management team has already inked contracts with a host of top dancehall acts for the event, a development which could stifle the line-up of Sumfest, and one-up the upstart festival which, to the chagrin of music lovers, knocked Sunsplash out of the picture years ago.

Intro: Macka Diamond (Black-er)
Mi seh Black-er (Wah gwaan)
Mi have one man yuh see a pure problem him a give inna mi life
And now mi caan tek it nuh more, mi nuh know wah fi do
A pure gal a disrespect mi, pure disrespect ting him a deal wid yuh know
(A weh yuh seh?) Weh mi must do Blacker? (Bun him!)

Verse 1: Macka Diamond
Mi man go out as him like, come in as him like
Chat pon phone, wid gal all night
Inna mi sight, yuh know dat nuh right
A when mi a talk, a mi him waan fight
True mi nah bite, a gal a get bright
Walk pass true I would a get hype
She seh mi man waan a gal fi give har sitten tight
But when him come seh a mi a Mrs. Right

New Kingston is now without one of it's slamming nightclub after Justice Martin Gayle ordered popular teenage New Kingston nightclub Escape 24/7 closed after hearing that its owner had kept it open after an application for a club registration licence was turned down by Resident Magistrate Georgiana Fraser last November.

A number of persons were slapped with a variety of small fines arising out of illicit activities at the club.

Representatives from the Village Cafe, on Barbican Road, and Priscilla's Night Club, on Constant Spring Road, were also brought before the court to answer charges of operating without a spirit licence or a Place of Amusement licence. This follows last week's crackdown on illegal gas stations and nightclubs by the Agro-Environmental Enforcement branch of the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF).

Dancehall Girl power at its best, bundled with youth, great voices
and sexy images all rolled into this exciting new female dancehall
group emerging from the bustling Kingston, Jamaica metropolis.

Introducing Storm (aka Natalie) the writer*, Foxy (aka Joy-ann)
the lead singer*, and the baby of the bunch Miss Chin (aka Heather)
the musician*, all excellent singers with great attitude and tremendous potential.

With ages ranging from 18-22 years this group of sexy females have already been compared to their male counterparts TOK and have been turning heads since their debut performance at Blazee Blazee in Mandeville.

Bad gal of the dancehall Ce'Cile is making her presence felt in South Florida. Her latest release 'Woman Ting' according to Lynks FM's Clinton Lindsay it is one of the most requested songs on his station.

"Since the first time we buss this tune the requests have been coming in like crazy," he stated. He went on to point out that it is the same with other jocks on the station.

'Woman Ting' is a humourous look at the trend that is currently taking over now - men wearing tight up clothes and buying out the women wear. Even in Jamaica this song has women shaking their heads in agreement at the funny, but true lyrics.

Watch out for more hot songs coming from Ce'Cile as she is currently working on some new materials.

Punky pop singer Pink and her thrill-seeker fiance, motocross racer
and "The Surreal Life" co-star Carey Hart, got hitched Saturday in Costa Rica, reports People maggie.

The tattooed twosome exchanged vows in front of more than 100 guests (including Lisa Marie Presley) in a nondenominational sunset ceremony on the beach at the Four Seasons resort.

"We just love the beach, so we knew we wanted it to be at the beach," the 26-year-old singer explained to People.

"We wanted it very fun and non-traditional," Hart added. "We're spiritual, but we're not religious."

Pink, whose real name is Alecia Moore, and Hart met at the 2001 X Games, broke up for a while in 2003, and got engaged in June.
The unconventional songstress took a chance and proposed to her beau while he sped around the track during a competition in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

BEIJING, Jan. 9 -- Silky-Smooth jazz and soul crooner Lou Rawls, famed for his 1976 hit "You'll Never Find (Another Love Like Mine)," died of lung and brain cancer in Los Angeles on Friday at the age of 72.

Born in Chicago, Rawls started out as a gospel singer and later performed as a warm-up act for the Beatles in the 1960s. He went on to act in Hollywood and on Broadway, but he was best known for his jazz, soul and blues hits.

His sugar-sweet tones made him instantly recognizable, and Frank Sinatra reputedly said he had the "silkiest chops in the singing game."

JAMAICA'S WEEKLY TOP 30 (SINGLES) HIT LIST
By Richie B, host - "HOT MIX" on HOT 102 FM
Sponsored by Tru Juice
TW LW WC TITLE/ARTISTE/LABEL

01 1 13 Tell Me How Come-Morgan Heritage-Don Corleon (2wks@1)

02 3 18 Far From Reality - Natural Black-Don Corleon

03 2 17 Wild 2 Nite - Shaggy & Olivia-Big Yard (1wk@1)

04 4 15 Step Out - Busy Signal-Gravi-T (1wk@1)

05 6 7 Mama Don't Cry - Gyptian-No Doubt Records

06 12 8 Bun Him - Macka Diamond & Black-er-Big Yard

07 5 13 Emergency - Vybz Kartel-Time Travel

08 7 20 Reflection - Jah Cure-Downsound Records (3wks@No1)

09 10 10 Life Is So Hard (Bloodshed)-Ras Ghandi - Smokey Room

10 8 13 No Ordinary Love - Allaine-Don Corleon (pp#8)

Famed Actor, Leon will make his first performance as a singer/songwriter at the only one night reggae, roots festival in Jamaica, Rebel Salute.

On January 14th 2006, at the Port Kaiser Sports Centre, St Elizabeth, Patrons will get to see Leon perform songs from his debut reggae/soul album "The Road Less Travelled".

Best known for his memorable roles in "The Temptations", "Cool Runnings" and "The Little Richard Story", this talented triple threat is finally taking a second creative step through his other love – music.

By: YardFlex.com Reporter Jigga

A thug can fall in love, too. Don't believe it? Just ask deejay Vybz Kartel, who tied the knot today in a 'shotgun wedding' of sorts that shocked legions of his faithful fans.

In an exclusive interview with YARDFLEX.COM, he revealed that he popped the question to the love-of-his-life last week.

"Last week, mi just get up mad and decide fi do it, is like mi get a wedding fever from wha day because my babymother's mother got married recently, and I was the best man for the groom, so I just decided to do it. I flew her in from New York for the wedding, and it's all good, I am in love, I am happy, this is just glorious," he gushed while holding hands with his beaming, brown-skinned bride.