Famed Belize-born U.S. rapper, Jamal Shyne Barrow, who was deported to his homeland Belize on Wednesday, is now relaxing at the posh Radisson Fort George Hotel in Belize City.

The son of Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow, was greeted by his father, uncle Michael Finnigan, who is also the island`s Minister of Housing, his mother Imeon Myvett, his brother Anwar, other relatives,  several curious Belizeans, and the press corps upon his arrival late Wednesday.

Moses Michael Levy, a name he adopted in prison after he changed his religion from Christianity to Judaism, then journeyed to the Princess Royal Youth Hostel where he spend more than an hour chatting with delinquent youth who live there.

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originally posted On October – 29 – 2009

To an outsider reading the news, Jamaica is the homophobia haven of the West; from reggae music, to the daily happenings that are reported of, the country is sometimes called the world’s most homophobic society.

In recent weeks there have been multiple protests of Buju Banton concerts in US cities like San Francisco & Dallas, and while he hasnt been stopped this go around, protests are planned for many other reggae events. Other artists (such as Sizzla Kolonji and Beenie Man) have also come under recent fire for their stance on homosexuality.

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The Chicago legal community has been abuzz since Associate Judge Robert Livas accepted the Jamaican-style chicken from Darrius Logan this month over an objection from a prosecutor. Logan, 24, pleaded guilty last year to misdemeanor battery and criminal trespass charges.

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He’s most known for graffiti that pops up all over Jamaica posing the question that many in JA’s streets probably asked “Who Is L.A Lewis?”  The graffiti usually says something close to “We Love L.A Lewis” and “L.A Lewis is the Best D.J”, it is always written in the same handwriting and remarkably, L.A Lewis’ tag (written by his many fans) is in every crevice and corner of Jamaica.

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See Bolt on the news in Kenya when you Read the rest of this entry »

U.S. Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, of the 11th Congressional District in Brooklyn, announced recently that she will be presenting pioneer reggae group, the Mighty Diamonds, with a congressional proclamation recognizing their 40 year career. The presentation will take place this Sunday, November 1, on the occasion of the fifth annual Reggae Culture Salute celebrations taking place at Nazareth Regional High School Performance Center, 475 East 57th Street in the heart of East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York.

The daughter of Jamaican immigrant parents, Clarke said, “… as a Brooklyn native whose roots are firmly planted in my Jamaican heritage … aka Jamerican, it is an honor to be able to recognize the Mighty Diamonds. Their melodic sounds have become embedded in Jamaican culture, and their musical success has been celebrated worldwide. I look forward to honoring these great men and recognizing others who have made an impact on reggae culture at this year’s annual Reggae Culture Salute.”

(Source)

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Usain Bolt, the 100-metre world record-holder from Jamaica, will run seven races next year in the new IAAF Diamond League, the sprint star’s coach revealed on Thursday.

The Jamaican House of Representatives has approved a resolution supporting the removal of the trade embargo on Cuba by the United States. The vote was timely, as it came only a day before the United Nations’ General Assembly voted for the 18th year in a row to condemn the 47-year embargo.

Only the United States, Israel and Palau voted against. Although the vote has become almost an annual ritual, it has not shaken the United States’ determination to maintain the embargo until the Cuban administration shows greater respect for human rights.

“Jamaica believes that the continued unilateral application of the embargo by the United States against Cuba, affects the free flow of trade not only in the region, but in the hemisphere,” Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Dr. the Hon. Kenneth Baugh said.

(Source)

The Ill Na Na herself, Foxy Brown is making a comeback.  Billboard.com reports that after being a Def Jam recording artist her whole career, Fox has moved on to Koch Records and has brought her own company, Black Rose Entertainment with her.

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After a 2 year hiatus, the Soul Train awards are returning November 3, in Atlanta, Georgia.  This year’s awards will be hosted by Taraji P Henson and Terrence Howard who starred the movie Hustle and Flow together.

The Best Reggae Category nominations are Read the rest of this entry »

Rapper Shyne is now free!!

Reports are that Shyne, who was released after doing 8 years out if a 10 year sentence, was to arrive in Belize City at  2:40 pm local time. Shyne was not allowed to remain in the U.S but renowned Law Professor from Harvard Charles Ogletree (who has been working with him for a while) has accompanied the rapper to Belize to work on his re-entry into the US.

Shyne- you’re in a lovely island, wishing you all the best and umm brotha………. willl we have a new Shyne song bubbling the internet tomorrow morning????

Here's Shyne at the airport today in Tzitzit's- the tassles hanging from his shirt that are meant to represent remembering the 10 commandments, by Hebrew people (Israelites, Jews etc)

This is America, where it don’t matter if you’re black and white. The President has strong Black blood but that doesn’t matter. That’s why the opposing Republican National Committee can post a picture like this to their facebook and not see a problem with it.

President Obama please become a vegetarian!!!!

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Since Plies flooded the airwaves with his sex-driven lyrics on tracks such as “Becky” and “Bust It Baby”, the rapper has come off as being more than rated R as he has dubbed himself the realist. Being the realist, he has been one not to bite his tongue and say things exactly how he feels.

As a replacement for Gucci Mane this weekend at FAMU, however, the rapper showed that he is aware of that fact of timing and that there is a time and place for everything.

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The relevance of reggae legend Peter Tosh may be waning, as deejays usurp his online popularity and position on the charts.

The late Peter Tosh, who would have celebrated his 65th birthday last Sunday – October 18, is arguably the most important reggae star after the late Bob Marley, but while Marley dominates the charts and has an incomparable online popularity, this eludes Tosh.

Dancehall stars Vybz Kartel and Mavado have since April this year usurped Tosh in terms of Internet searches – a measure of popularity. In previous years it was the reverse. The Sunday Observer utilised Google Trends which compared as a ratio, the search activity for each artiste over time. Currently, for every 100 searches for Vybz Kartel there were 63 for Tosh. Mavado has an advantage over Tosh of two more searches per 100.

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A recent video by music channel HYPEtv has began the holiday hype in Dancehall Jamaica. The end of the year is always the climax for dancehall’s biggest beefing dj’s to battle out their differences at the Christmas time stage shows such as Sting.

The interview addresses the bubbling feud between Addi and his father Bounty Killa, that would no doubt be a hot button right about now with the recent barrage of tunes between the two artists since August.

Meanwhile, the video also brought up speculation that Kartel has a tongue Read the rest of this entry »

In 1971, Gil Scott Heron recorded, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” Although the song was written during the time of the Vietnam War, Heron could have just as easily been talking about the war against gangsta-ism being waged on the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), today.

Gil Scott Heron

Across the country , students are protesting the fact that student funds are being used to give fat paychecks to Hip Hop artists that promote violence and disrespect of women. Every year, black institutions of higher learning, collectively, spend millions of dollars bankrolling Hip Hop homecoming shows that promote the worst kind of anti-intellectualism.

Unfortunately, except for a few Hip Hop websites and scant local media coverage, the protests have received little attention from a black community that should be rallying around such efforts to protect the minds of African American youth.

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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A small group of Michael Jackson‘s dedicated fans have started an “awareness” campaign surrounding the upcoming movie “This is It,” saying it covers up the grim reality of the dead pop star’s final days.

“In the weeks leading up to Michael Jackson‘s death, while this footage was being shot, people around him knew that he looked like he might have died. Those who stood to make a profit chose to ignore it,” the group says on its website, www.this-is-not-it.com.

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South African newspaper Sunday World is reporting that T-Pain angered fellow performers at Friday’s Macufe African Cultural Festival in South Africa by exhibiting arrogant and disrespectful behavior backstage.

Under the headline “T-Pain in the ass for local musos,” the article stated that T-Pain kicked local acts out of the backstage changing area because he refused to share space with them.

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Frederick Richardson, the man accused in the beating death of A.J. Jewell, the ex fiancé of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kandi Burruss, was released from Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail early Tuesday after posting $10,000 bond.

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