I ♥ Bad People Riddim

The Bad People Riddim is mashing up di place! It's hard to pick a favorite because each song is nice in its own special way. Enjoy!

#thingsjamaicanssay

So #thingsjamaicanssay is a trending topic in Twitter. I don't know how long it's gonna last but I'm gonna enjoy every minute of it.

Beenie Man - Swagga Mi Flow (Official Video)

We are still not together - D'Angel

Despite doing a song together and declaring that they still are married, D'Angel said she only shares a parental and musical relationship with her estranged husband Beenie Man.

In the song, You Are My First, which was released earlier this week, D'Angel sang, "My yute yuh a mi first man/ Dat mek yuh mi husband/ No other gal can love yuh like me/ So tell mi what di hell yuh did a do wid Bar-bee?/ Mi stuck inna yuh life and dem caan get mi out/ Nuh gal caan step inna di first lady house."

As for the relationship between himself and Bar-bee, Beenie Man responds, "a music thing." He continued, "Mi have mi wife a mi yard inna lingerie, she hot/ Some gal nuh have it/ Hotness is a gift/ A you a mi wife so a you alone mi kiss."

The song comes as somewhat of a surprise, as the two went through a very bitter, public break-up in 2007, after getting married in 2006. However, in recent times, the two have made appearances on stage shows performing together. And they seemed to be on good terms at their son's, Marco Dean, birthday party
in November.

With the release of their song, there has been a lot of speculations as to whether or not they are back in an intimate relationship. When asked, D'Angel said, "no, we are not."

"We have a great parental relationship and that is something that is going to be eternal. And we have to set a good example for Marco-Dean. We have to be role models," she told THE WEEKEND STAR.

"We have to show the world that regardless of what we have been through, we can deal with everything maturely and amicably, instead of a public charade when we have a situation. People have to know as adults how to settle disputes without going into the public with it."

This is their second collaboration, having done One Man in 2006. On this occasion, D'Angel said they decided to do the song for their love of music.

"It's just music. You can't be prejudice when you doing music. I want to build a legacy in music. He's a hitmaker. Beenie Man has been in music for 30 years. Who wouldn't want to do a collaboration with Beenie Man? Music is bigger than us," she said.

"Beenie is my child's father, so it is good that we can still come together and do music for the people 'cause that's what people know us for."

When asked if the song is a publicity stunt, D'Angel denied this, explaining that she does not need to do that at this point in her career.

"No, I don't have to collaborate with Beenie Man to get publicity. D'Angel is out there. We don't do music for publicity, we do it for the love of music. D'Angel is not a poppyshow. I'm above that. If I'm to do anything, it has to be from the heart," she said noting that her songs and music videos have been getting regular rotation.

Being the workaholic that she claims to be, D'Angel said she will be shooting the music video for Hot Gal A Road soon and one for You Are My First is already in the works. And, she is busy promoting songs like Come Over and Womaniser. In addition, she said she will be hosting her birthday party on April 10 at Club Jamaica Jamaica, St Ann, featuring artistes like Beenie Man, G Whizz, I-Octane, Tifa, Nesbeth and others.

Beenie Man & D'Angel New Song?!

After the very public divorce dispute, I was shocked to find out that Beenie Man and D'Angel were making music together. This was the last thing I ever expected to see. I think they have kids together, so I'm happy they can work things out.

Buju returns to court

Lawyers representing dancehall superstar Buju Banton returned to court today to demand more details on the confidential informant who is a key witness in the case.

Attorney-at-law David Markus told the court that while he has been provided with some information he did not have enough to cross examine the witness when the trial begins on April 19.

Mr. Markus said based on the information he has received so far the informant has already been paid US$35,000 for his role in helping prosecutors make their case against Buju and could get more if the dancehall star is convicted.

The attorney said the informant, whose name has not been disclosed, could get a portion of any money which the court orders Buju to forfeit.

Marcus, who has repeatedly argued that Buju was set up, claimed he needs details about a tax case involving the informant and details of the other cases the informant has worked on with law enforcement agencies.

Buju, whose correct name is Mark Myrie, has been in custody since last December when he slapped with drugs and firearm charges.

The reggae icon is accused conspiracy to posses cocaine and aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Reggae's Civil War

I traversed four Caribbean islands in the past two months and spied one common denominator: graffiti. Scrawled precipitously on a cliff suspended above the lush mountains of Saint Lucia, on the aluminum siding of a rum shop in French Saint Martin, on the concrete walls of a Trinidad office park, on accessible surfaces covering urban and rural landscapes across Jamaica, one of two words made its inevitable appearance: "Gully" or "Gaza."

No island-hopping tagger is responsible—blame Jamaican music's latest, scariest personal feud. "Gaza" refers to a swath of the working-class town of Portmore, home of Vybz Kartel, the man voted, in a recent poll, the island's most popular dancehall artist. "Gully" is for the Kingston neighborhood (a line of shacks, really, along a stretch of gully known as Cassava Piece) where fellow dancehall star Mavado was born. Initially, the two were musical teammates, protégés of the artist Bounty Killer, but since 2006, they've engaged in near-constant lyrical warfare. In track after X-rated track, Kartel has called Mavado a pseudo-gangsta, dubbing him "Mafraudo" and claiming to have had sex with his mother. Mavado retorted that Kartel was, among many other things, a "battyman" (a gay slur, in a country that takes such accusations very seriously), a skin-bleacher, and an atheist. The feud came to a head at a major stage show in late 2008, when the two stood face to face before a rowdy crowd—Kartel decked out in full army gear, Mavado sporting a Lone Ranger–style black mask—and engaged in a heated clash, hurling insults at each other as Kartel carted out a coffin with "R.I.P. Mavado" printed on it. Soon thereafter, Mavado abruptly marched offstage.

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Kartel - Thank You Jah (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Blak Ryno home firebombed!/Police raid studio - Member of Portmore Empire held

Deejay Popcaan of the Vybz kartel led Portmore Empire, was one of several men reportedly detained yesterday afternoon during a police operation
at a studio in Havendale, St Andrew.

Sources from the St Andrew North police told THE WEEKEND STAR that the operation was carried out by members of the Mobile Reserve and Joint Taskforce.

THE WEEKEND STAR did not gather much information about the raid as several high-ranking members of the Jamaica
Constabulary Force including Head of Operations, Deputy Commissioner Glenmore Hines, said they were unaware of the operation.

CIB Head, Assistant Commissioner Les Green, said he had heard of the raid but could not speak to it.

THE WEEKEND STAR was also informed that yesterday in a separate incident, Vybz Kartel visited the Constant Spring Police Station where he spoke with officers about undisclosed matters.

"The studio at Kirk Avenue was raided and some men were detained, about five of them including an artiste ... We also called in Vybz Kartel and spoke to him," a high-ranking officer from the St Andrew North police said when contacted last night.

The detention of Popcaan and Vybz Kartel's visit to the station comes a day after former 'Empire' member Blak Ryno's Winchester Court Apartment
in St Andrew was destroyed by fire.

firebombed

The cause of that fire is still not yet known but it is rumoured that the apartment was firebombed.

When contacted, Superintendent Derrick 'Cowboy' Knight, Head of the St Andrew central police said "We would not have received word on the cause of the fire yet... The fire people would still be doing their investigations."

Checks with the Half-Way Tree Fire Station confirmed that investigations were still being done.

Amidst the uncertainty of the cause of the fire, a resident of Winchester Court questioned the investigative skills of the police.

two witnesses

In a letter sent to THE WEEKEND STAR, the resident stated that; "... it was obviously firebombed. Witnesses saw and heard three men at the apartment right before the blaze."

The letter also claimed that three men had visited the premises earlier in the day and threw stones at Ryno's window while telling him to come out.

"Neighbours and two witnesses to this called the police who arrived late as the men had gone, but clearly made their intent known as they shouted that they were coming back "to deal with yuh case"....15 hours later the apartment was ablaze," the letter stated.

According to the letter, a lighter and a plastic container which had a strong smell of kerosene were found at the scene after the fire.

When THE WEEKend STAR spoke to police sources they said that they could not confirm if these objects were indeed found at the scene. Questions were directed to the investigating officer who was said to be out of office.

Only last week Blak Ryno left the Vybz Kartel-led Portmore Empire. A day after he left the group, his father's house in Portmore was shot up. And on Tuesday, a man was shot and killed at 'Big Yard', off Manning's Hill Road in St Andrew.

After his departure from the 'Empire', Blak Ryno recorded a song called Mi Lef, in which he was obviously throwing words at his former mentor. Popcaan also recorded a song, Dem Sell Wi Out. Later, former member of the group, Lisa Hyper, recorded Call To Addi, while Jah Vinci, who was rumoured to have left the group on many occasions, affirmed that he was still a member, with no intentions to leave, in Gaza.