Beenie Man rightly proclaimed himself, King Of The Dancehall, a couple years ago and no one in the battle-based culture batted an eye-lash. Why? Because when it comes to chats and riddems, Beenie Man is the alpha and the omega. That is, the 33-year-old Kingston native, born Moses Davis, but better know 'round the world as Beenie Man, is the dancehall movement personified.

Releasing his first record, "Too Fancy" at the tender age of 7-years-old in in '81, Beenie has not only been at the forefront of the genre ever since, but has been largely responsible for growing it into the international phenomenon it is today. And it is exactly this legacy which his latest release, Undisputed, serves to maintain. "This album is all about the title," he says. "It wasn't a concept, but more of a theme. Each song had to live up to that name." And with production by the likes of Scott Storch, Don Corleon (Elephant Man, Sizzla) and Tony Kelly (Sean Paul, Wayne Wonder), and appearances by Akon, Brooke Valentine and reggaeton artist Voltio, Beenie ably completed the task of crafting an LP worthy of such a bombastic title. The lead single, "Hmm Hmm" is vintage Beenie at his best with infectious choruses and unforgettable melodies.

However, is it really any surprise that the man behind over 1000 songs would be able to make an LP with such a cocksure title? "Music is in me since I was little," he says. "My uncle had a DJ set up and I got my start doing that before I was 6 years old." Perhaps in part due to the fact that he still spins to this day, since childhood Beenie has had his finger on the pulse of . Consequently by 7 he had recorded his first single, and by 10 he had released his first long-player, The Invincible Beenie Man. Throughout the '80s he

When 50 Cent was sentenced for his role in a melee at a May 2004 concert, judge Robert Kumor told the rapper, "You're a cross-cultural entertainer; you have an obligation to people in society."

That obligation might soon include the G-Unit member forking out big dollars to two women who were injured in the scuffle.

Fiddy lept into the crowd at the Springfield, Massachusetts show in search of an unknown individual who had doused him with water. In his attempts to locate the responsible party before being pushed back on to the stage by security and police officers, 50 jostled with several people, two of whom are now pursuing compensation.

Donna DeJesus, 25, and Taneka Nesbitt, 27, have filed a civil suit against 50 and are seeking an undisclosed amount of cash.

Freddie McGregor will head to Trinidad this weekend for the premiere of a documentary he helped to produce that highlights the charming historical and cultural similarities between Jamaica and the twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

The documentary will premiere on August 31st.

"The documentary is about Trinidad and Jamaica as twin islands in the Caribbean, and attempts to highlight similarities in music, culture and so on. We shot scenes in Trinidad, and in Jamaica, we also interviewed personalities like Sparrow, Byron Lee, Kitchener's son, well-known steel pan people, and also visited an AIDS orphanage, the Cyrell Ross home for children. These are some of the other things we are taking on, apart from music. I am trying to launch into other areas where we, as artistes, can contribute positive things, and this is a personal ambition of mine," McGregor told YardFlex.com.

McGregor, who has had a very successful Summer highlighted by two number one singles, 'Real Slave Master', and the Willie Lindo-produced 'St. Ann's' which appears on the Big Ship label. The

Carlington Wilmot Photos

Hanging out with Mr. Lex a.k.a The Prince in Kingston is quite an experience. We cruised with him through the Corporate Area over the weekend, listening to him vibe Busta Rhymes's 'Big Bang' CD, and talk about dancehall, his upcoming divorce and his beef with artistes such as Cobra, Bounty, Beenie and even Elephant Man.

The thugs respect him, some of them asking an oft-repeated question: 'deejay, when yu a just get vex and run the place again'. But it is the girls, oh the girls, who adore him. One thing is obvious though, the deejay is a magnet for females. They ogle him, flirt openly with him, walk up to him to ask for autographs, and slip him their numbers, before they walk away giggling. He's one of the more engaging personalities, a breath of fresh air when compared to dancehall's tired cocktail of characters. What can we say? In Jamaica, it's good to be the Prince.

However, when he's relaxed, you realize that he may be doing away with his warm-and-fuzzy image as the events in his life over the last few years have conspired to make him wary of the people he had once called his friends.

It would be safe to say he has had a epiphany, the kind that Moses himself could have been party to when he emerged from God's tent, brainburned by His inside information.

"Right now, I just want to get some things off my chest," he said. "What else dem can say about me? Mi wife gi way de tings, bad man no play dat. Dem say me do oral sex, demtry to wreck my career, they can't hurt me anymore, I am a new man," he told YardFlex.com.

Rodney 'Bounty Killer' Pryce pleaded not guilty to charges of indecent and abusive language when he appeared in the Yallahs RM court this morning.
He will return to court on October 4th .

In the meantime, the Morant Bay police have said that singer Mavado has failed to respond to a summons issued by the officers relating to his alleged involvement in the use of indecent language at the 'Saddle to the East,' event held in St. Thomas on Saturday night.

"To the best of my knowledge, a representative of Mavado called to say that he would be coming today, but he has not arrived yet. The police put in place special arrangements to deal with traffic and crowd control in the town of Yallahs when Rodney Pryce appeared in court this morning given what transpired with the roadblock over the weekend. We were ready, and there were no incidents," the officer said.

Mavado, whose real name is David Brooks, is not bound to report to

Check out these photos that we have pool together from various events such as CooYah XL, Appleton ATI Launch, Fully Loaded Launch.etc....

Sean Miller/Freelance Writer
Photos By: Carlington Wilmot

A couple of years ago, dancehall aficionados were scanning the dials of dancehall-reggae FM radio, searching for a new sound, a new energy, and then 'Hollow Point' hit them. Like a thunderbolt.

Known for the hits such as 'Parro Mi Parro' and the current chart-smasher, 'Who Goes', Hollow Point is not just another artless pop deejay hiding behind a hook. He has got the steely determination to make it in this game.

Born Shevon Toriano Stewart, this deejay was raised between the rustic community of Clonmel in St. Mary, and the middle-class neighbourhood of Duhaney Park in Kingston. He grew up in a household where dancehall personalities such as Super Cat, Major Worries, Nicodemus were regular staples in his father’s cassette player.

He explained how he got his stage name:

"The name has no deep meaning, mi de pon the corner ah deejay inna about 1995, and the hollowpoint bullet did just drop, people just know about it, the armorplate that can fly through vest and tear up flesh etcetera, and mi used to write violent, deejay lyrics, so mi friend dem say, how yu love talk 'bout hollowpoint so? Wha' name so? Mi tell dem and the man dem say, 'ah gunshot name mi ah gi yu' and ah so it happen," he explained to YardFlex.com.

"I don't think there's ever been anyone like me that's lasted. And I'm going to keep on lasting." -- Paris Hilton

As Paris Hilton sees it, her main problem is that people don't understand how hard she works. "People are going to judge me: 'Paris Hilton, she uses money to get what she wants.' Whatever," she said. "I haven't accepted money from my parents since I was 18. I've worked my [butt] off. I have things no heiress has. I've done it all on my own, like a hustler."

It was a recent sweltering morning, and the socialite, 25, was speaking at her three-story compound up a winding hill in West Hollywood, within valet parking range of some of the area's hottest nightlife. Fresh from a hair and makeup session that a publicist said cost $10,000, she had descended her marble staircase, passed under the gaze of several poster-sized vanity portraits of herself, breezed by the chrome stripper pole she uses as an exercise prop ("It's great for parties," she said) and settled herself into a white sofa beneath a black Baccarat chandelier.

By: Sean Miller/Freelance Writer
Photo By: Carlington Wilmot

THEY ARE WHO THEY ARE

Mr. Lex believes that the prolonged Beenie-Bounty feud is a ruse to keep them at the top of the dancehall game by choking the rise of other artistes.

"Bounty Killer lucky say him get a hit with No Doubt, and sell platinum, but him struggle fi even sell 50,000 units by himself. But look at Beenie Man, he is the worst at being a cross over Jamaican artiste. How can you be the big man and yu caan sell 250,000 copies and yu a fight to be the king of dancehall? Is a strategy him and Bounty have, every time some other yute get the hype, dem start the war so the focus switch, and pressure de young yute dem," he reasoned.

"That's why yu may never see Busy Signal or Idonia get to that real national level because as the yute dem buss, Bounty carry dem under him wing, and claim say ah him buss dem. So no matter how hot yu get as an artiste, yu will always just be Bounty yute, Bounty's protege, to hell wid dat."

BEEFING BIG TIME

Lex lets loose on who he calls the 'co-stars in the business.

Elephant Man and Kip Rich

"Ele, the half of the hype that Elephant have, the majority of it is me do that. Me give him 500,000 in him hand cash after mi do mi tour inna 2000, Mi give Kip Rich 250,000, and the band members another 250,000, and mi live fi see Elephant get hot and ah run the place and not even look pon me. The man no real. One hand wash the other, if you do good for one, you should return the favour, and even Kip Rich, him ah de biggest wagonist inna the history of dancehall. Me ah go

September 11 is a date that no one in the Western world will be allowed to forget, well at least for the next couple of decades as it reminds of that unfortunate day some years ago when an airliner crashed into the World Trade Centre, and took the lives of hundreds of innocent people.

That date also has some amount of significance, albeit with more positive connotations, in the reggae-dancehall world as it is the day that the 'Energy God', Oneil 'Elephant Man; Bryan was born into an unsuspecting world. Little did they know that this sometimes-eccentric deejay would one day become one of the most exciting deejays of the 21st century.

For the past four years, thousands of his fans have descended on his annual birthday party to celebrate with the 'Energy God'. However, this year, there is a twist as the party has found a new home in the

Robert Murphy
YardFlex Writer

P & L Recording artiste Selah has a thing for the number seven. He believes that it plays an important role in his life so much so that he wears a gold chain with a large number seven pendant around his neck at all times

"The number seven has a special significance in my life from birth because my mom and dad had eight children, I am the seventh one, so I always take #7 as a lucky number, it is significant as in the seventh seal, number seven will always be special to me," he said.

Selah is one of the frontrunners of a brand new genre, one which the critics have dubbed reggae-soul, and he has been scorching the nation's airwaves along with other contemporary artistes like Etana with their phenomenal new sound. Selah's most popular single to date is a refreshing gem of a song called 'Think About It' that become an anthem of some local FM radio stations.

"Reggae soul is a new genre that is set to take over the world, it's powerful," Selah told YardFlex.com.

By: Jigga Mattic
YardFlex Reporter

Hours after the end of the 'Saddle to the East 2K6' show in St. Thomas on Saturday night, deejay Bounty Killer was charged by the cops with breaches of the Town and Country Act for using abusive, and indecent language.

"He was arrested at about 6:15 this morning, and brought to the station. He was charged with one count of using indecent language, and one count of abusive language. He will appear in the Yallahs Resident Magistrate's court on Wednesday. So far he is the only deejay charged," Woman Corporal Georgette Aiken told YardFlex.com yesterday afternoon.

Bounty Killer was offered station bail in the sum of $50,000.

Details on exactly what transpired at the stage show were sketchy, but a source at the stage show confided that: "What happened was that Idonia cuss a bad word, and the police come onstage and accuse Sizzla of being the one who cursed. They surrounded him, and Sizzla tried to avoid them, and because the action stopped, the crowd grew restless and start throw bottles onstage"

A story published in the New York Post on Sunday disclosed that reggae star Tanya Stephens has sued rap diva Lil' Kim's for plagiarism.

The suit was filed in a suit filed in Manhattan federal court last week. According to the story, the suit alleges that L'il Kim flew Stephens to New York, asking her to sing on one of her albums and belting out by heart the very song she pilfered to show what a big fan she was of Stephens, according to the suit.

Stephens and her representatives from the Royalty Network were shocked when they first listened to Lil' Kim's late-2005 album, "The Naked Truth."

The writer of the article, Janon Fisher wrote that "the lyrics of Kim's track "Durty" match almost word for word with Stephens' song "Mi and Mi God" recorded in Jamaica and released in 1997, they say. Kim reached out to Stephens in 1999 and flew her up to have her sing on one of her albums. She gushed over Stephens when they met in the New York recording studio, telling her that she was a "big fan" and

It was with great fanfare that Atlantic Records announced the signing of Tego Calderón in June 2005. He was the first major-label signing of a reggaeton artist, the Caribbean style (a combination of hip hop, dancehall, salsa, bomba, and merengue) that had already become a mixtape and urban-radio hit, and now looked poised to take the rest of America by storm.

Around that time, I profiled Mr. Calderón for a magazine. We spent the afternoon driving from a photo shoot to an interview with Hot 97 DJ Angie Martinez, where he talked about his forthcoming album, "Subestimato/The Underdog." Our transportation was a deluxe SUV - compliments of Atlantic - wallpapered in a huge image of Mr. Calderón's afroed profile on the side. With the window rolled down, he chain smoked Marlboros and signed autographs at stop lights all the way downtown.It appeared the underdog had the world by the tail.

Now, a full year after the original release date, his album is finally seeing the light of day. I won't pretend to know the minds of record executives or the specific causes for the delay, but I have a

By Sean Miller/Freelance Writer
Photos By: Carlington Wilmot

Tanya Stephens has never been accused of being afraid to speak her mind. She believes firmly in the mantra: "tell the truth and shame the devil".

She is one of the exclusive acts for the rebirth of Reggae Sunsplash this year, and in a surprising move, chose to spurn this year's Reggae Sumfest show. She sat down with YardFlex.com this month to voice her opinions on her personal life, her music and the state of dancehall-reggae.

"Sumfest people dem no have nah no manners, and dem hype fi no reason 'cause dem tink dem a star," she said. "Gourzong a little bit too big fi him breaches, mi caan stand dem, dem no have no manners. Everytime they call, they're disrespectful, condescending, dem belittle you. Nuff artistes run back at them, oh please put me on, but for what? Nobody nuh buss offa Sumfest."

Stephens, who is riding a high on the international scene where her amazing voice and intelligent, socially conscious songs have made her

Word on the street is that Jay-Z and Beyonce plan on spending $3 million on a lavish wedding slated for November.

According to these guys, the wedding is set to go down in the Caribbean island of Anguilla:

Beyonce Knowles is pulling out all the stops for her wedding. The Dreamgirls star is set to wed rap impresario Jay Z, and the lavish event will come with a $3 million price tag, according to Star magazine. The former Destiny's Child member is planning a late November wedding on the Caribbean island of Anguilla. Guests will dine on $300,000 worth of caviar as well as lobster and truffles and will wash it down with $200 bottles of Dom Perignon.

I'll keep my hands crossed on this one until it's validated elsewhere. Not saying that there's no truth to it, it's just that these marriage rumors have been going on forever. You'd think that by now celeb-gossip media would have upgraded the conversation to how

YARDFLEX GIRL OF THE WEEK

Christine Otherwise known as ANASI, a versatile and exotic six (6) feet tall model from Toronto, Canada.
Says she's interested in doing BIG things in the modeling industry because her look is different, unique and marketable.

ANASI's background is the development of a mixture of Chinese-Jamaican with a bit of Cherokee. She's also an amateur boxer and a fitness enthusiast. Salsa dancing is one of her passions which she trained for years; and she's also a lover of playing the violin.

She considers herself a woman of many talents, who is blessed with a total package of brains and beauty. She majored in Marketing and Human Resources at Humber College and has worked in the corporate world in various capacities. She has worked with one of the World's Biggest Corporation and Heavy weights - Microsoft Canada.

In 2002 she finally opened her own consulting employment firm called Phoenix Management Solutions. ANASI still continued to work in a full time capacity and conducted her own business on part time basis.

ANASI's zodiac sing is Scorpio. If you know anything about a Scorpio woman, you will know the drive and ambition she possesses.

By: Claude Mills

DJ Roshane 'Shane-O' McDonald has switched camps from producer Rohan 'Sno Cone' Fuller's Wasp Nest to the rising dancehall powerhouse, P&L
Records.

It was reported a few weeks ago on YardFlex.com that the Billboard-topping producer 'Sno Cone' had cut all ties with the DJ with whom he had forged a close relationship since Shane-O was 11 years old.

"Me neva really have no falling out with 'Sno Cone'. Me deh a New York and see it pon a website, so all now mi no know wha a gwaan, or wha really gwaan. Me send Cone message pon him phone, him no reply, and him no call me back," said Shane-O, whose 'Lightning Flash' hit on the Applause rhythm went to number one on the RE TV and Richie B charts last year.

"The last call a me mek dem, and he never gave a reply, so me feel a way to go back around there, and me have a family to take care of. So mi need to promote mi career right now; every man a man, mi a hold my

Damon Dash Music Group proudly announces the release of a brand new album from dance hall legend Sizzla. The Overstanding is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, October 3. The Overstanding will be marketed and distributed by DDMG / Kalonji Records.

Sizzla Sizzla emerged during the latter half of the '90s, and quickly became one of the leaders of the modern dancehall movement. Along with Buju Banton and Capleton, he helped lead dancehall back to the musical and spiritual influence of roots reggae, favoring organic productions and heavily Rastafarian subject matter.

Sizzla's first success came with the release of Praise Ye Jah in 1997. Widely considered one of the top modern dancehall albums of its time, Praise Ye Jah was quickly trumped by the release of Black Woman & Child that same year. The title track was a smash hit and

'You a-go tired fe see me face,' is the opening line of one of reggae icon Bob Marley's greatest hits, 'Bad Card'.

And that assertion may just well turn out to be true as Jamaica's central bank has released a commemorative coin of Bob Marley marking the 60th anniversary of the reggae icon's birth.

The $50 denomination bi-metallic coin manufactured in 2005, is the second minted coin of the reggae icon. Made of silver and gold, the coins are currently being sold for $6,000 (US$100; euro80). According to a release from the BOJ, �the coins were minted by the London-based British Royal Mint, a 1,100-year-old company that manufactures collector's items, and provides coinage for Britain and 100 other countries, including Jamaica.

The coins are now available to the public in 2006 and can be purchased directly from the Bank of Jamaica's banking department. Bank of Jamaica has issued similar coins in the past, commemorating the national heroes; 2004 triple Olympic medallist Veronica Campbell; and one for the University of the West Indies, Mona's 60th, among others.

"It is apparent that there is a consistent plan by some to create chaos around Beyonce's B'Day album release on Sept 5 in the US. First, it was a petition against the single, "Deja Vu", then a rumor regarding conflict between Beyonce and Rihanna, seizures caused by the "Ring the Alarm" video, putting out a single to compete with LeToya's album and now to add to all the ridiculous rumors, is my plan to postpone the release of her B'Day album. What will be next? Beyonce's cut off all her hair? Dyed it green? Maybe she's singing the songs in reverse with some hidden subliminal message!

Unfortunately what it shows is that anyone can go on the internet and create rumors and the media in some cases will pick up these stories and run with them which influence the consumer's perception.

Beyonce has sold over a 140 million records as an artist. Over half sold outside of America. 2500 responses for a petition on the internet (which really represents often the same people responding 2-3 times) go online with a petition regarding "Deja V u", and it's national news? Think about that for a minute. 140 million records sold versus 2500 responses about a

By: Claude Mills

The body of Joseph 'Culture' Hill will return to Jamaica on Sunday. His family will return on Tuesday. The funeral will be held on September 9th at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in downtown Kingston.

"We have two confirmed dates for events marking Joseph's life, the funeral date will be on the ninth at the Holy Trinity Cathedral (North Street), and prior to that, a going home celebration at the Ranny Williams Centre on the 8th in the open grounds, and which will be free to the public. The public can come and havea wonderful evening in celebrating Joseph's life. A number of artistes who have expressed an interest, we have not solidified the lineup yet, but we are looking at 6 p.m to 12 midnight," Lloyd Evans, a member of the six-member committee which has been put together to carry out the wishes of the family, told YardFlex.com.

Buju Banton, who is a grand-nephew of Joseph Hill, has definitely expressed an interest in participating in the celebrations marking the singer's life.

Photos By: Carlington Wilmot

Beenie Man the King of the Dancehall is certainly not a lonely king anymore, Moses - found himself an Angel
CHECK OUT THESE BREATHTAKING WEDDING PHOTOS

Spragga Benz is one of the most talented deejays to emerge from Jamaica's shores. He has carved a distinguishable niche for himself in the dancehall industry, and remains respected locally and internationally for his rich and constant supply of hits throughout the years, and memorable performances at leading Dancehall and Reggae events.

From his days of voicing classic raw dancehall cuts such as Jack It Up, to more conscious cuts like Brighter Days, Spragga has proven to the world his ability to give incisive commentary on the topic of the day, or deliver tracks that sum up various situations in Jamaica's diverse culture.

Capitol Records bought into the talent, and signed him back in the 1990s. Since then, Spragga has demonstrated over and over that he has the mettle to maintain a dominant presence in an often cut throat dancehall market.

West Indies skipper Brian Lara, a man considered a primadonna by critics and fan, is set to make his Bollywood debut soon.

According to T&T news reports, Lara is set to appear in the million-dollar production of 'Dulha Mil Gaya,' or 'I Found A Husband.' The film is to be produced by Viveck Vaswani and and Mudassar Aziz and is slated to be shot in Trinidad, the hometown of the batting legend, later this year.

"I can tell you he (Lara) will be part of this film," T&T Newsday quoted Aziz as saying. Lara is set for the tri-nation series next month that will see the Windies taking on both India and Australia.

Downsound Records did a three day shoot for two videos, Nanko's 'Loco Amore' and the 'Sika Medley' last week which involved scenes shot over two days in the parish of Portland, and culminated in an exciting alcohol-fueled, girl-crazy finale at the Asylum nightclub in Kingston on day three.

The HWT-based music outfit shot the Sika Medley at the Asylum nightclub on Tuesday. The video features the artistes Harry Toddler's 'Beggy Beggy', I Maroon's 'One Woman Kill Nature', Nanko's 'Step Up In the Club', Lion's title track, 'Sika' and Natalie's 'Big Things', Millennium 'Dig It'. The Cadillac Dancers also developed a new dance move called the 'Sika' to compliment the rhythm.

"The shoot went really well, we got some great scenes, especially with our slate of upcoming acts. Downsound believes in working with young artistes, they're hungry and they have great potential, and we have some amazing beach footage with Nanko in Portland for his solo, 'Loco Amore'," Downsound boss Joseph Bogdanovich said.

By: Claude Mills
Photos By: Carlington Wilmot
YardFlex Reporters

Under a gunmetal grey sky and a thick canopy of clouds, Moses 'Beenie Man' Davis and Michelle 'D'Angel' Downer got married in a lavish ceremony at Crichton Estate, St. Andrew (adjacent to Chris Blackwell's Strawberry Hill) on August 22nd. The event was attended by at least 150 guests, all clad in full-white, and featured many moments of high comedy, sweet drama and at least one unexpected surprise for all those in attendance.

The marriage ceremony got off to a late start as D'Angel, looking ravishing in a satin dress with a sweetheart neckline encrusted with swaroski crystals, was escorted down the aisle by her uncle, Loxley Downer. Beenie Man had arrived over an hour earlier, and kept guests entertained by dancing down the aisle, and giving jokes, and at one time shouted 'where is my wife?'.

The ceremony finally got underway at about 6:15 p.m., and Reverend Al Miller, who officiated the ceremony, wasted no time in injecting a level of sobriety into the proceedings by stressing the sanctity of the covenant of marriage. Nevertheless, Beenie Man ad-libbed sections of his repeated vows, provoking delighted titters from the audience. For her part, D'Angel was quite emotional, and her cheeks were often wet with tears as she recited her vows, and there was a palpable sense of love in the air, so much so that Beenie Man had to choke back the tears standing in his own eyes as he stood beside the woman who in October, will bear his son, Marco Dean.

NEW YORK, NY, United States (UPI) -- Hip-hop legend and businessman Sean 'Diddy' Combs and his girlfriend, Model Kim Porter, are expecting their second child, People magazine reports.

The couple already has a son, 8-year-old Christian, and Combs has another son, Justin, 12, with fashion stylist Misa Hylton-Brim.

Combs and Porter, 35, first began dating sometime in the 1990s; however they broke up in 1999. The couple later reconciled and Combs told People in March 2003, 'My love life is straight. I`m back with Kim.'

Combs, 36, was formerly known as Sean 'P 'Diddy' Combs and also as 'Puff Daddy' Combs, all names that late-night talk-show host David Letterman likes to play with to amuse his audience.

Singjay Vegas is sitting pretty when it comes to adulation from his fans. If he needed proof regarding how much his songs and popularity has soared then he got it and plus tax at the major shows held recently.

At Sumfest performing for the first time on International Night Vegas worked a professional solid

25 minutes set. According to the artiste it was a whole different ball game working on that night. But it was a challenge he was more than up to and no one appreciated that than his fans as he gave them their money's worth and then some.

At the recently held Fully Loaded event word coming from the selectors is that his songs 'Do You Know', 'Inna Mouth' and 'Taxi Fare' enjoyed some of the biggest forwards at the venue. "Trust me is like the crowd just explode when we draw fi one a him tunes," one selector gushed.

OSAMA bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, was obsessed with the singer Whitney Houston and wanted to marry her, a new book claims.

Kola Boof, a Sudanese poet and novelist, who says she was kept against her will as the terrorism mastermind's mistress in 1996, writes in her autobiography that he wanted to give the star a mansion and make her one of his wives.

"He told me that Whitney Houston was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen," Boof claims in Diary of a Lost Girl, excerpts of which are published in Harper's magazine.

But bin Laden had less respect for Houston's husband Bobby Brown, apparently talking about the possibility of having him killed.

By: Claude Mills
Photo By: Carlington Wilmot

A surprise move by the wedding planners behind the Moses Davis-Michelle Downer wedding threw friends, family and media a wicked curve ball over the weekend when they announced that the venue for the event had been changed, and that the guest list had been radically slashed in half.

An email was circulated to previously invited friends and well-wishers which declared that "due to the mad media around the upcoming wedding the couple has decided to relocate the event and reduce the guest list to immediate family only therefore the previously received invitation is null and void...with apologies...".

The modus operandi for Tuesday's event will instead involve invited guests being shuttled from Jamaica College to an as-yet-undisclosed location for the event. The shuttles begin leaving the Hope Road school at 1 p.m. tomorrow.

The celebrity couple's wedding has generated lots of interest over the past few months because of the personalities and stakes involved, and the media coverage has been especially manic given that the couple is already expecting a child in October later this year.

Popular Reggae/Dancehall recording artiste Jeffery 'Assasin' Campbell has been awarded a full academic scholarship, tenable at the prestigious University of Sunderland (UK) where he will be pursuing a three year, Bachelors degree in Business Management via the distance learning mode.

The scholarship is being presented by world leader in distance education, Resource Development International (RDI) Jamaica. Assassin, who enjoys tremendous acclaim both locally and internationally, will join over 300 Jamaican students who are currently pursuing similar UK qualifications facilitated by RDI Jamaica.

Preparing to capture fans with new single "Keep On"

Kingston, Jamaica: - Cezar, multi-textured Jamaican artiste is set to release his newest single "Keep on". The song, an uplifting anthem of perseverance and hope, is a collaboration with renowned producer/engineer, David Kennedy, and will hit the airwaves in early August.

Cezar made his debut in 2004 and caught attention with his eclectic style. His cleverly balanced pop and R&B infused vocal style and guitar riffs with hardcore dancehall beats resulted in a fresh sound that generated a flurry of press and hot collaborations with popular dancehall producers such as Tony Kelly, Blaxx, Renaissance, and most recently, international producer David Kennedy.

Having built a stellar reputation for his work in the NY R&B/Hiphop/Rap scene, Kennedy's work with artists like Mary J. Blige, Mos Def, and A Tribe Called Quest, earned him numerous credits, awards, and - a testament to his acclaim - a Grammy nomination. He has returned to Jamaica to create a base of operations, and with the intention of translating his reputation into collaborations that showcase the power of local talent infused with his signature sound. Ultimately, he intends to serve this layered cocktail to the international market through his label, Intelek Entertainment.

Before a jam packed ballroom at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, 21 year old medical student Sara Lawrence who wore the sash Ms Crane Ridge Resort, emerged as winner in bmobile Ms Jamaica World beauty pageant. Lawrence who was among the crowd favorites, won from a field of 15 contestants. Lawrence also won the sectional prize for
Most Aware.

Christelle Harris who wore the sash Ms Diet Ting, placed second. She also secured the most votes in the Public Voting competition. Third place winner was Zahra McGraham who wore the sash Ms Empire Supermarket. Fourth place winner was Saint International Model Gillian Taylor, while Chantal Raymond, an overseas based university student, placed 5th.

Check out www.missjamaicaworld.com to see photos of the contestants. Ms Lawrence will now head to Poland in September to represent Jamaica at the Ms World finals. We wish her all the very best!

Christopher Telfer, Andrew Chin, and 'Miss Chin' were a few of the birthday peeps who celebrates their birthday together in style on the grounds of Alex Chin's Hope Pastures residence. The party could be classified as a five star 'bashment'. As usual, YardFlex was there to capture the celebration as it unfolds.....

Joseph 'Culture' Hill died over the weekend minutes after he had finished performing on stage in Berlin, Germany.
'I heard that he collapsed after performing on stage in Berlin. It is a sad day for reggae music because Joseph really contributed a lot to reggae music,' noted producer/musician Dean Fraser told YardFlex.com.

Known for the landmark 1977 album, 'Two Sevens Clash' which Rolling Stones magazine rated number 25 on its list of 50 coolest recordings in a 1993 poll, Hill is one of the true icons of the roots reggae movement coming out of Jamaica.

Proper way. Weh no drop a night, drop a day.
So goes the popular intro to one of dancehall's most talented young bloods to have emerged in the past year - deejay Idonia. The artiste is known for his complex, cocky wordplay that shows up on the intense asphalt visions that he conjures up on his gritty singles.

He spits sick rhymes on the riot-inducing 'Breeze Off' where he deejays: 'what a gun full a beauty and elegance/Caan violate Delly Ranks...', but he can also kick it for the girls, 'wine up yu body, squeeze up yu breast pon me...'.

He is poised to earn the underground respect and mainstream success of his dancehall mentors. Idonia's combination song with Bounty Killer called 'Send Fi Dem' where he rips the frame out of the track. The song has been enjoying heavy rotation in the island's clubs and street dance circuit.

Look out for his attention-grabbing gems bubbling up in the underground, like lyrically rich venting session 'Save the Day' with topflight deejay Vybz Kartel, and a song called 'Kingfish Saga: Next Part' for producer Preston Onfroy, which is a followup to his 'Kingfish Ah Come' radio hit.

In Jamaica they say 'badmind worse than obey', but these two young proteges who goes by the name Sojah will never give 'dutty niaga' the chance of excelling over them.

Once again they are on the road to Japan.
On their first trip in November of last year the duo Konshens and Delus tour Osaka, Tokyo, Hokaido, Akihabara etc...
Since then they have completed their debut album titled Sons of Jah. Sojah will be leaving the island this weekend for Japan where they will engage in a two weeks promotional tour that includes media promo...tv/radio/magazine/photo shoot etc...

Sons Of Jah album has a total of 16 tracks that features hits such as 'Voting Time" on Carlington Wilmot/Cash Flow' brand new rythm 'WOOMBA' and 'Mi Mother' produced by Cash Flow Family, plus a bonus track 'Pon Di Coner Remix'. Other producers on the album are the famous 'Coolie Dance' producer Cordell Skatta Burrell, Digital Chris from Ire FM and Vertex to name a few.

BEYONCE KNOWLES is determined to cope with her spiralling fame, insisting she will never "lose herself" like FUGEES star Lauryn Hill. The Crazy in love star was shocked when Hill suddenly shaved her head and turned her back on the limelight, visiting tough Brooklyn schools with her guitar. And although she still respects the READY OR NOT singer's work, Knowles believes she is far more grounded than Hill.

She says, "Her story is the most tragic. I mean, her record was genius. But drama and demands and the pressure and all of the people giving you so much access to so many things can be too much. "So couple that with everyone telling you you're so this and so that and so perfect and of course you can lose yourself.

"I don't know what's going to happen to me but I know I'm more than a singer and I have so many other things in my life to keep me focused. I hope and pray that I stay as comfortable in my own skin as I am right now."

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

TW LW WC TITLE/ARTISTE/LABEL
01 1 16 Dutty Wine-Tony Matterhorn-Hyperactive Entertainment (6wks@#1) NM

02 3 17 The Prayer (Oh Lord)-Little Hero-Inspire U-1

03 2 19 Bad Man Forward-Elephant Man-Fire Links D-1

04 6 11 On My Mind-Daville-Fashowzy U-2

05 7 11 Bounce-TOK-Stainless Records U-2

06 4 17 Haffi Get It-Sizzla--(pp#3) Stainless Records D-2

07 5 18 Weh Dem A Do-Mavado--(pp#2) Pure Music D-2

08 9 19 Heart Attack-Beenie Man-Fire Links (1wk@#1) U-1

09 8 14 Forgot Them –Wayne Marshall-Legends D-1

10 11 12 Don't Come Tell Me-Prophecy-Explorer U-1

11 10 21 Gash Dem-Chuck FendaJuke Boxx (5wks@#1) D-1

12 15 5 Forty Sup'em-Capleton-Blaque Warriahs/Trendsetta Ent U-3

13 17 8 Nothing with Them-Buju Banton-Gargamel U-4

14 14 8 Freedom of Speech-Chuck Fender-Juke Boxx NM

15 16 9 Most High-Jah Mason-New York Entertainment Movement U-1

An engaging and confident young man, full of wit and lip, Tafari Buchanan, was born in Kingston Jamaica. At age 13, he became passionate about Hip Hop music. In the summer of 2002, Tafari went on tour with his Dad, Reggae artiste Big Youth, appearing on gigs in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. The experience gained from these performances and the enthusiastic responses he got from his audience motivated the young vibrant and energetic rapper to continue working.

Tafari collaborated with some of Jamaica's popular Dancehall Giants such as Lady Saw, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Vybz Kartel, Buju Banton and more recently Wayne Wonder. Working with these artists further motivated the young rapper to push on. His hunger for international recognition is now his main focus and working with Producer Tony Kelly gave birth to improved production suitable for that audience.

Just when you think you've heard it all before, along comes an artist with the power and vitality to steer reggae in a fresh direction. At only twenty-three, Gyptian sounds like no one else and, unlike 99% of his peers, he's oblivious to the constant parade of flavas of the month.

My Name is Gyptian, introduces the bold new voice thats swept Jamaican airwaves with the incendiary hit Serious Time plus a full set of other tunes that rock the dance floor as hard as they ache with sociological impact. Gyptian finds his inspiration in the world around him and in the venerable spirits of original truth-tellers like Peter Tosh, but an authentic voice like this demands its own words, and Gyptians writing dazzles as much as his tough, passionate chanting and lyrical singing.

We like the real facts of things, not going around the corner and wait - just light music, you know, Gyptian says. Raised as Windel Beneto Edwards in the countryside of St. Andrew above Kingston, JA, by a Christian muma and Rasta pupa, Gyptian describes his temperament as everything in balancehumble and calm as the wind...although at times, the wind turn hurricane and haffi blow off house top, he says. Unimpressed by the born-again Rasta craze that dominates Jamaicas music fraternity, Gyptian notes that Rasta is not something you feel or think you are; its just a natural mystic. A lot of people come in the music and turn Rasta, but Gyptian is not about that. I really sing pon the higher soul - real, authentic music, and its just life and music.

Queens, NY: Labor Day Sunday, September 3, 2006 is a special day for reggae/dancehall lovers in New York as it marks the forth staging of Irie Jamboree, dubbed North America's premier reggae festival. The annual reggae show will again play Roy Wilkins Park, located in the heart of the predominantly Caribbean community in Queens and fans are lining up to get their tickets early so as not to miss the opportunity to see their favorite stars on stage.

The confirmed acts are indeed very special. The beloved king of lover's rock, Beres Hammond is eager to perform for his many fans in the tri-state area. Fact is he has not performed in New York at a park event in over three years. He will headline the event along with the Queen of Reggae, Marcia Griffiths and veteran singer Gregory Isaacs who defines elegance and longevity. Beenieman, Capleton and Buju Banton are three stalwarts of the dancehall who consistently deliver stellar performances. The lineup would not be complete without them on board. Baby Cham and Assassin are legends in the making. Cocoa Tea is a class act not to be missed on stage, while Red Rat, Mr. Vegas, Mr. Peppa, Kulcha Don, Stephen Souza and Jovi Rockwell are rising stars who represent the future of reggae and dancehall music.

The very first Irie Jamboree concert took place at Roy Wilkins Park on Sunday, August 24th 2003. It was an excellent event that reggae lovers still reminisce about today. Each year the festival has made subtle improvements and has now won the respect and admiration of reggae lovers globally.

Another Dancehall Superstar has emerged, Bramma "De Bomma" Born and raised in some of Kingston's toughest communities Waterhouse and Maxfield. BRAMMA "De Bomma" got first hand experience with the music and the music business from his father who had a sound called "Riddim Force" and his uncle, a musician who plays in Capleton's band.

The 19 year old Dancehall artiste has brought another twist to the music that is new and innovative. His writing skills are excellent and his use of metaphors in his lyrics has set him apart from his competition. This fast rising Mega Dancehall Superstar has recently released a couple of singles that have been getting heavy rotation on radio. Tracks like "Dem Bad Mind" on the Ghetto Whiskey rhythm, "Star" on the Wumba rhythm and "Set It Off" on the Stinger rhythm Bramma Mixed CD will be available soon, log on www.myspace.com/brammadebommer for more information.

Luciano's new CD 'Child of a King' which will be released on October 8th 2006 on VP Records label. The album, produced by Byron Murray of "In The Streets Records".

The "Child of a King Tour" will commence on November 4th in New York City at the famous Hammerstein Ballroom at 34th Street in Manhattan NYC.

"The tour will last for six weeks. Luciano has a big fan base in the continents of North America and Europe, so we're expecting a great response," Copeland Forbes, Luciano's manager and head of Comar Productions, said.

The 'Messenjah' will have Taurus Riley and Reggae's no. 1 Saxophonist Dean Fraser who's also the Musical Director of the Jah Messenjah Band as supporting acts.The 'Child Of A King' tour will trek across the USA then into Canada, on to Hawaii then down to South America,New Calidonia and on to Australia and New Zealand.

Kingston, Jamaica
Fresh off the heels of Mystic Urchin's Trans Dub Massive Tour, the Rebel Love Goddess, Jovi Rockwell, is gearing up to blaze the stage at Beenie Man's highly anticipated Summer Sizzle event.

Riding high off the buzz surrounding 'Hey', her hot new video with singer/songwriter Courtney 'Yogie' John, Jovi is ready to touch base in Clarendon, to give patrons a taste of her vibrant flavour.

Good things are happening for Ms. Rockwell, whose hit single, "All About Love", is still making its presence felt on the RETV reggae charts. In addition to countless appearances and performances across the globe, her recent addition to Summer Sizzle's line up is another step in her journey to success.

Be sure to catch Jovi Rockwell's performance at Beenie Man's Summer Sizzle on August 26, 2006 at the Jamalco Sports Complex, Halse Hall, Clarendon.

The Mutual Gallery will stage a "Meet the Artists" session on Tuesday 22 August 2006 at 6:00 p.m. The artists selected for this year's competition are: Keisha Castello, Kereina Chang Fatt, Tricia Gordon-Johnston, Khalil Deane, Phillip Thomas and Zawdie Reece.

Five of the six artists (Keisha Castello is currently abroad) vying for the Artist of the Year award and for the People's Prize will speak on how their work has developed over the years. They will explain the message behind their work, how their everyday life relates to the creative input into their work and their career as artists. The presentations are supported by slide shows.

Members of the artistic community, students and members of the public are invited.

The exhibition continues until 8 September 2006. Gallery hours are Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

By: Claude Mills
Photos By: Carlington Wilmot

If you want to find Prodigy, you have to ambush him at the Herbal Life on Braemar Avenue where he hangs out everyday.

"I like it here, I can do my meditation on the word right here in this quiet atmosphere, and drink a tea and shake, it's a healthy thing for my immune system," he told YardFlex.Com.

He is wearing a black shirt with the words 'A blood donor saved my life' emblazoned on the front and Mathew 26:28 (This is my blood of the covenant....) printed on the back. He wears silver jewellery.

He is one of the new faces leading the reggae gospel charge in Jamaica.

So songs like 'Every Morning' and 'Sin No More' came out of particular struggles that I had, while other songs like I Love You Lord featuring Crissy D came out of worship and quiet time being spent with God."

The Chosen Prodigy is currently being distributed by Caribbean Gospel.

Shows in England, St. Maarten, and the Turks and Caicos, and Canada in August.

"Reggae gospel is still on the rise and it's getting bigger especially in the wider Caribbean. The UK is one of those markets that is showing a lot of potential as well.

By: Jigga Mattic
Photos By: Carlington Wilmot
Yardflex Reporters

Building a rep in the dancehall game without a record deal is no easy task. But Munga is a testament to the power of dedication and talent. He has been able to 'trick dem and buss'.

The rookie deejay's growing buzz is centred around the unapologetically hardcore single, 'No Bad Like I', which has become a rude-boy anthem at stage shows all across Jamaica, plus he is getting crazy love from turntablists as well as FM radio as the track is a must-play for every disc jockey worth his salt in the business today.

"I never knew the song had a current, but I never knew that it would be this big," the 26 year-old deejay born Damian Rhoden told YardFlex.Com.

He grew up in the parish of St. Mary where he attended Hillside Primary and later St. Mary High for two years. He then moved to Kingston where he attended Tarrant High at the same time as Denise Plummer a.k.a Dancehall Queen Stacie. At school, he made good grades, and could have done any number of things but he chose to deejay.

YardFlex Girl of The Day

Eneka Bleary the recently crown dancehall queen of Poughkeepsie has been dancing for sixteen years now and by becoming the next dancehall queen has always been a profound interest of hers.

"Dancing to me is something serious but sometimes it's fun. I eat, sleep, and drink dancing, to me without dancing I don't know what I would be doing right now," she told YardFlex.Com.

She strongly believes dancing is what helps to get her through her everyday struggles.

"I dance whenever I get the chance this helps me to express myself to others. To me dancing is a gift some people has it and some don't, I am glad to say I am one of those people who do."

Whenever Eneka is at the club she can't help but to hit the dance floor and 'buss di' place, while patrons watch keenly hoping to learn a few dance moves.

"I get a lot of attention from people who admires my dance patterns. They would often ask where did I learn to dance like that. "I would reply from watching television and then by adding my own flavors."

Inspirations: dancehall queen carline is my inspiration, I have been admiring her styles from a child growing up.

What are the chances of a born and bred Midwestern female from a midwestern family becoming a reggae dancehall deejay?(Jamaican rapper) Pretty slim - But the story of Zerby is nothing short of sensational. With a lot of guts, determination and talent, she defied the odds and has proven that she can lick a mic just as well as a Jamaican yardie. She threw herself into a world of the unknown and learned the know-how, survived, and has become the next female deejay sensation.

Nicole Williams was born in Ludington, Michigan on August 28, 1978. She spent all of her childhood in a town called Hudsonville. While she growing up there, she learned how to master many musical instruments including the piano, trumpet and bass guitar.

While she was attending Central Michigan University as a music major, she met up with the Ark band, who she went out on the road with as their new found member. I linked up with them one night and played all the horn lines with their trombone player, she explains. They had a trombone player and a sax player, so they needed a trumpet player. They then asked me to go on the road with them and I accepted. I didnt want to sit in school; I wanted to travel around. When you sit in the same place for long time you eventually want to leave. You want to see everything else. So that she did. Nicole moved with the Ark band to Columbus, Ohio, and found herself traveling all over the midwest and south as the trumpet player for the band. But because of artistical differences between rival siblings that continuously tormented the band, Nicole decided to leave.

Photo by: Carlington Wilmot

"The Poor People's Governor" Rodney "Bounty Killer" Price has teamed up with well-known non-profit Upliftment Jamaica to revive his signature celebrity charity concert SADDLE TO THE EAST, with the SADDLE TO THE EAST NY LAUNCH PARTY on August 20th at the Wild Palm Nightclub in the Bronx.

The Five Star General Bounty Killer will be making another highly anticipated appearance in the Big Apple with his Alliance soldiers Wayne Marshall, Movado, Aidonia, and Marlon Binns, and upcoming talent Mr. Zion. NY's famous Platinum Kidz will be at the controls with special guest, Jamaica's favorite selector Foota Hype. Upliftment Chairman Gary Foster will also be at the Wild Palm with the Upliftment Jamaica team to officially launch SADDLE TO THE EAST 2K6.

Press Release:
Madhouse/Atlantic recording artist Cham has unveiled details of his eagerly awaited new album, "GHETTO STORY." The Kingston, Jamaica native's Atlantic debut hits stores nationwide August 15th.

Produced by Dave Kelly, "GHETTO STORY" is the follow-up to Cham's debut album, "WOW... THE STORY," released on Madhouse Records in 2000. Cham's 2003 released buzz track, "Vitamin S," was the reggae star's first Billboard-charting single. Cham, one of the world's greatest and most successful dancehall DJs, has been hailed a true superstar, a cutting-edge talent known around the world for his imaginative wordplay, creative sounds, and up-to-the-minute news reports of modern ghetto life.

The title track from "GHETTO STORY," featuring Alicia Keys, saw a 33 percent rebound this week as it jumped back into Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and bulleted to #22 in the Billboard Rap chart. "Ghetto Story" is also one of the top 5 researched records at both POWER 105 and HOT 97 radio stations in New York.

First we gave you part one of Appleton Treasure Island, now we bring to you the wet side of this amazing party fever. The more the rain pours the wilder the party gets.

Appleton was the order of the day at Appleton Treasure Island (ATI) held in Negril on Heroes weekend. Even though the rain was falling It was a none stop partying affair - 11 parties in four days. Check out these amazing photos taken by
YardFlex.Com Photo Editor Carlington Wilmot

On Billboard's Hot 100 chart, Sean Paul scores his sixth top 10 hit as When You Gonna Give It Up To Me hops from 12 to 7. Moving to the R&B singles chart Sean Paul bullets from 11 to 6, while Cham inches from 40 to 37.

Beenie Man's Hmm Hmm skyrockets from 61 to 49, and Tony Matterhorn's Dutty Wine steps up from 42 to 40. Its Okay (One Blood) by rapper the Game, featuring Junior Reid, moves from 80 to 76.

Appleton Treasure Island was the place to be over the weekend. The party kicks off on August 4 and will end on August 7. Here are a few scenes of crazy party goers getting their groves on at Appleton Treasure Island, Negril.

Hardbeatnews, NEW YORK, N.Y., Tues. Aug. 1, 2006: Four Caribbean-born artists are among the list of high profile nominees competing for this year's MTV Video Music Awards.

Those making the cut in the list announced yesterday are Jamaican-born Sean Paul, Barbados' Rihanna, Puerto Rico's Daddy Yankee and Haiti's Wyclef Jean.

Jean along with Columbian hottie Shakira, topped with seven nominations for the infectious single, 'Hips Don't Lie.' The duo was nominated in the Video of the Year category, as well as for Best Female Video, Best Pop Video, Best Dance Video, Best Art Direction In A Video, Best Choreography In A Video and the Viewer's Choice award.

Paul received two nominations for his 'Temperature,' in the Best Dance Video and Best Choreography In A Video categories while Rihanna was nominated in the Best New Artist in a Video category as well as for the Viewer's Choice award for her 'S.O.S.'

Paul faces tough competition from the likes of Christina Aguilera, Madonna, the Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop Dogg, Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland and of course Jean and Shakira. While Rihanna is going up against the likes of not just Jean and Shakira but Kelly Clarkson, Chris Brown and James Blunt among others.

Keyshia Cole is the real deal. Like many young people raised in a tough neighborhood, the 21-year-old songstress endured a tumultuous childhood in Oakland, California, and has fought all her life to keep her dream of a music career alive. Now she's realizing that dream on her own terms with her first album for the A&M label, The Way It Is. It's been a long road for Keyshia, but it's her powerful voice-- a bell-like instrument whose soaring clarity is topped off with a tantalizing touch of soulful grit -- that's carried her through, not to mention the diminutive singer's personal combination of sugar, spice, sass and sex appeal, along with a solid-steel spine.

"Being young, you have to be really dedicated to doing it for yourself," says Keyshia, who co-wrote most of the songs on her new CD and cites artists like Mary J. Blige and Brandy as inspirations. "There's a lot of trials and tribulations you have to go through to get what you want, especially if you feel like it belongs to you."

Keyshia's talent, personality, and faith have won her fans and supporters within the notoriously picky entertainment industry since she was a young girl. While still a pre-teen she convinced then-superstar MC Hammer that he should put her on, and she even got a chance to do some recording with the rap star before she was 12 years old. She also scored sessions singing hooks with other Bay Area artists, including Messy Marv's "Nubian Queen" remix, which was a regional hit for the rapper, and with Tony Toni Tone's Dwayne Wiggins, who featured her on his soundtrack for the indie film Me & Mrs. Jones.

By: Claude Mills
Photo by: Carlington Wilmot

D'Angel revealed that her first biological child will indeed be a "Beenie boy".

"We're just excited about the whole pregnancy, and we just recently found out that it's going to be a boy!" she said, excitedly.

"People already want to pay us millions for exclusive pictures of the baby, some have said that they want some exclusive photo shoots and interviews with me. Some media representatives are even bidding for exclusive rights to the wedding, the baby pictures and our life story; right now, Beenie and I are trying to get everything sorted out, and select the best candidate to do it," she gushed.

"It's just like what happens with stars overseas, we're getting the same kind of energy that Brad and Angelina got, and it's overwhelming how so many people are interested in us and this, our first child together," she told YardFlex.Com.

[Intro: Sean Paul
Get out my head and into the bed girl...
Cau yuh dun know, plottin' out the fantasy..
Hey baby girl and it's you a di key...yo...mi go so then

[Chorus: Sean Paul] (Letters in CAPS means Keyshia Cole is singing with Sean Paul)
From yuh look inna mi eye gal I see seh yuh want me
When you gonna GIVE IT UP TO ME
Because yuh body enticin yuh makin mi horny
When yuh gonna GIVE IT UP TO ME
Well if a no today girl then a must be tomorrow (Oooh, oooh, oooh)
When you FULFILL MY FANTASY
Because yuh know I give yuh lovin straight like an arrow
When yuh gonna GIVE IT UP TO ME

[Verse 1:]
So back it up deh..So pack it up yeah
Cause I wanna be the man that's really gonna have it up and mack it up and
Slap it up yeah...So what is up yeah...You know you got the sinting inna me pants a develop and a swell up and
Double up yeah...So gimmie the work yeah cause if you no gimme the work the blue balls a erupt yeah..
So rev it up deh gal gwaan try you luck deh cause when you stir it up you know me haffi measure up yeah.

The diverse sounds that have been brewing in the Caribbean island decades on end offer innovative new music with not only a distinct Jamaican flavor, but everything from gospel, to country, to contemporary R&B and hip-hop. And it's out of this fusion of styles (dancehall, R&B, and singer-songwriter soul) that sisters Nyanda and Nailah Thorbourne (otherwise known as Brick and Lace), have been born. No stranger to the music industry in both the and, the two in their Geffen debut, Love Is Wicked, features production from the likes of Akon (Universal Records recording artist), Raphael Saadiq (Mary J. Blige, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Bilal), Tony Kelly (Sean Paul, Shaggy, Lady Saw, Beenie Man), Full Force (Backstreet Boys, ), and Will.I.Am(Black Eyed Peas).

Raised in Kingston by a father who is a professional gospel musician and a mother who sang in the choir, the two always had music around them. "We were never religious musicians," explains Nyanda, "But the church is where we first started singing in front of an audience." From there the two began singing and recording together, working their way into the local dancehall scene as teens. In addition they sought gigs singing back up for more established acts. Their foray into that world lead to them eventually performing at Reggae Sunsplash and even opening for Roberta Flack. Later they were even invited by Lauryn Hill to sing back ups for her as well as perform on her forth-coming second album.

Dancehall-reggae icon Buju Banton aka Gargamel is set to blaze the stage on Saturday night at the long-awaited return of BMobile Reggae Sunsplash in Ocho Rios, Jamaica this weekend.

The historic festival's "International Night" will also feature performances from Maxi Priest, Steele Pulse, UB40, Damian Marley, and many others.

Buju Banton and The Shiloh Band will juggle selections from Banton's extensive catalog of dancehall and roots reggae classics as well as debut new songs from the forthcoming dancehall album Too Bad, which is scheduled to hit stores on September 12th 2006 on Gargamel Music, Inc. The label is being distributed in North America by Tommy Boy Distribution. Nature Sounds Distribution will distribute to the rest of the world.

Ninjaman is perhaps best known in dancehall circles for his wicked undressing of deejay Shabba Ranks with the put-down phrase, 'doodoo pants', at the infamous 1989 Reggae Sunsplash dancehall night at Bob Marley Centre in Freeport, Montego Bay.

However, surprisingly, the 'Don Gorgon' maintains that his greatest Sunsplash memory occurred in 1992 when he performed on the same stage as international recording star Buju Banton.

"Buju tek 45 minutes and mash up the venue, and me tek five minutes and do what Buju do and more," Ninjaman boasted. "After Buju perform, people did ah wonder what me coulda come wid and mi surprise dem, and that is what mi plan fi do again this year. Ninjaman is on a mission, I am a married man, new life, new wife, new lyrics, a new Millennium Ninjaman."

One patron on that memorable night said that Ninjaman, attired in full red, and his hair dyed red, walked on stage and placed his foot on the monitor and posed. The crowd lost its collective mind. By this time, Ninjaman, a champion of many clashes, had created an aura of invincibility, and a mystique around his Don Gorgon persona so he could effectively do no wrong from that moment.

By: Jigga Mattic
Photo By: Carlington Wilmot

Grammy-award winning deejay Beenie Man has parted ways with his backing band, Ruff Kut, just three days before his performance on this year's International Night of Reggae Sunsplash 2006.

Speaking by phone from Trinidad today, Beenie Man told YardFlex.Com that on Tuesday, August 1, he heard that the duo Twins of Twins, with whom he has had an ongoing friction in recent months, was rehearsing at the Shocking Vibes studio with the backing band, Ruff Kut. Angered by this development, he went to the studio and declared that the Twins of Twins should leave, but manager Patrick Roberts and the Ruff Kut band insisted instead that the duo stay and rehearse. The situation soon spiralled out of control.

"Right now, mi fire everybody," Beenie Man declared.
"Twins of Twins caan rehearse wid my band, inna my place, dem nah back me again, 'cause even dem waan diss me too 'cause dem say if me disrespect Twins and tell dem fi leave, dem (Ruff Kut) ah go leave too. Me ah big man, mi nah tek no disrespect from dem either. The world know say the Twins no like me, so how dem fi waan let dem through my gate, there's no need fi dem to be in my place, but even Patrick (Roberts) tek dem side inna it, so mi get vex, man," Beenie explained.

Ocho Rios, St. Ann

Everything's juiced and ready to go. The return is now a mere formality as the bMobile Reggae Sunsplash 2006 festival kicks off today at Richmond Estates, St. Ann with an adrenaline-charged lineup of dancehall heavyweights such as the Warlord Bounty Killer, Ninjaman and Vybz Kartel.

The resort town of Ocho Rios is buzzing with talk of the festival. The hotels are booked solid and the business community is bracing for the impact of a galaxy of international stars including high-powered names like UB 40 who are jetting into the island, along with a retinue of international journalists from Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, and the United States that would rival a United Nations conference.

In all, ninety six media houses will cover the landmark event including thirty six U.S. media houses, seven from the UK, six from Canada, two from the Caribbean and at least one from South America. Notables include top magazine Rasta Snob from Italy, Billboard magazine from the US, and Juice/Riddim Magazine from Germany.

Bounty Killer and Ninjaman have reportedly mended their strained musical relationship. "Me ah big man so me go down a Sumfest fi talk to Bounty and Sharon Burke about the foolishness that a gwaan. Mi surprise how him talk to me, him look pon me and say, 'yu ah mi father, yu shoulden tek no side, yu fi just say what is wrong or right' and him right. Mi shoulden get caught up in the whole controversy between Beenie and Bounty, Killa ah mi son, Beenie ah
mi nephew, mi nah tek no side inna dem argument.

But Killa fi know say when one woman gone, put on a smiling face because a prettier one out there waiting," he told YardFlex.ComNinjaman will be performing on August 3, Dancehall Night on Reggae Sunsplash 2006. "Right now, mi a try bring back the love and unity in the business and the return of Reggae Sunsplash give us the opportunity to do that."