‘Do not rush to judge’ – New York gets behind Denroy Morgan during legal woes

Last week Thursday, New Yorkers woke up to the shocking news that beloved reggae artiste and hit machine Denroy Morgan, 66, had been arrested in the Bronx, New York and charged for possession of some 25 pounds of marijuana.

‘NYPD scores major pot bust,’ the New York Daily News screamed. So too did the television networks, as word of Morgan’s apprehension reverberated throughout the reggae Diaspora, tagged, of course, by his 1981 hit single I’ll Do Anything for You.

Catch music-heavy documentary Le Premier Rasta

Le Premier Rasta could be Rastafarianism 101 for people whose knowledge of it doesn’t go much beyond dreadlocks, ganja and Bob Marley.

The first Rasta of the title is Jamaican Leonard Percival Howell (1898-1981).

Howell was the first to say that Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I was the Messiah who was predicted in the Bible.

Plug pulled on Third World

At least 400 locals can consider themselves lucky in having the opportunity to witness a world-class show by reggae ambassadors Third World on Friday night at Churchill Park, Lautoka.

Promoter Yusuf “Max” Khan pulled the plug on a second show scheduled for Suva last night ù admitting regret at having not properly marketing the event.

The dismally small crowd that did get to witness the reggae icons in action were however not let down by the world’s most innovative reggae band.

Freddie McGregor believes reggae suffers from abundance of overnight celebrities

FREDDIE McGregor is a man who always speaks the truth as he sees it. His sentiments may not always be favourable among everyone in the reggae fraternity, but McGregor isn’t afraid to speak his mind.

And frankly, with a career that has spanned more than 40 years, the Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely hitmaker has pretty much earned the right to comment on the reggae industry.

Man killed at Supa Hype’s studio following Gyptian-DJ Frass argument

Tragedy took hold of Prominent Dancehall producer, Steven “Supa Hype” Davis’ studio on Monday after a man was reportedly killed following an argument that developed between Dancehall/Reggae superstar, Gyptian & veteran Dancehall producer, DJ Frass.

Reportedly, Gyptian & DJ Frass were discussing a track that the “Nah Let Go” singer had voiced on Frass’ Riddim while at Supa Hype’s Studio at Dumbarton Avenue in St. Andrew.

Toots and The Maytals – Live At O2 Academy Brixton

Ska and roots reggae veterans Toots and the Maytals played a lively gig at o2 Academy Brixton on Friday as they drew closer towards the end of their 50th Anniversary tour. Widely regarded as at the forefront of Jamaican music, Toots and the Maytals cemented their reputation with an energetic show that saw them plough through their greatest hits.

Is Reggae Music On the Decline?

Over the years sales of Jamaican reggae music have been lagging in areas considered to be reggae-friendly like the USA, Britain, Japan, Europe South Africa and Kenya and this genre has found new devotees in reggae-mad Zimbabwe as evidenced by the recent concerts of Sizzla, Sean Paul, Beenie Man, Elephant Man and Capleton.From the look of things, local reggae in Zimbabwe also seems to be the music’s brightest outpost. In the Netherlands reggae music has priced itself out of the market.

On homes and real estate: Co-signer of loan surprised

Q. I am the co-borrower on an owner-financed property. I recently found out the mortgage bill was not being paid when I received a summons to court. I never received anything in the mail — no phone calls, nothing. They sent the contact only to the borrower. Now they want to take me to court and sue me, but they never notified me about anything.

A. I’m afraid they just did.

You once signed a promise to be personally responsible for that debt (the whole debt, by the way). And you still are. You should certainly have checked on whether payments were being made. I doubt if the mortgage documents say the lender was required to keep you informed about the status of the loan along the way.

Jah Cure dropped from MOBO Awards due to past convictions

Prominent Reggae singer, Siccature Alcock, more popularly known as Jah Cure has been removed from the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards’ list of contenders for the Best Reggae Act award due to prior convictions.

United Kingdom newspaper, The Sun confirmed that Jah Cure was dropped from the category due to his past convictions on gun possession & rape charges stemming from an alleged 1999 incident when the singer was just 19 years old. Cure spent 8 years in jail before his release in 2007 and whilst maintaining his innocence regarding said allegations, has released a plethora of internationally acclaimed singles such as “Unconditional Love,” “Call On Me,” featuring Phyllisia, “You’ll Never Find” & “Like I See It” featuring popular Dancehall singjay, Mavado & American hip-hop superstar, Rick Ross.

Penetrating from outside

Whether fact or fiction, there is the perception that unless you connect on home soil as a dancehall/reggae artiste, you have not made it .

A lot of artistes who have made names for themselves in their neck of the woods are still going all out to carve their own niche on the music scene in the land of their birth.