Fantan Mojah booted off Sting line-up

 

Reggae artiste Fantan Mojah has been kicked off the Sting line-up for this year. Downsound Records (DSR) producer Skatta Burrell confirmed to The WEEKEND STAR that an executive decision was made by CEO Jo Bogdanovich to drop him from the line-up.

Rumours had been circulating that Fantan Mojah had disrespected Bogdanovich at the Sting launch on Wednesday night. Fantan has however, denied these allegations.

"I was invited to the Sting launch and just as I was about to begin my songs I said "Big up Downsound Records and big up Joe Bogdanovich, a unuh buss me to Jamaica and the world. A mi a di biggest ting buss from Downsound Records from that time till dis time." Mi never even get fi finish mi speech, but mi never say nutten wrong," he told The WEEKEND STAR.

On the other hand, Skatta stated that what Fantan Mojah said was not only disrespectful to Bogdanovich but also to the other artistes who are signed to the company.

"DSR invested in Fantan Mojah's career. They took a chance and made his career what it is today. Regardless of what happened, DSR has never tried to stop Fantan Mojah from making a living for himself. On numerous occasions he has been saying ill things about the company and we have ignored it because we realise that he is a mouthpiece and maybe he is emotionally hurt that he is no longer a part of this company," he stated.

Skatta also stated that DSR will not tolerate disrespect and that Fantan Mojah is a true example of being ungrateful and bitter.

"If Fantan Mojah was paid a deposit then he can keep it. We wish him all the best but anything DSR is a part of, Fantan Mojah cannot be a part of. Fans can check out DSR members Nature, Specialist and Ishawna at Sting," he said.

Fantan Mojah is however, undeterred by all the negativity. "Dem never pay me no deposit. Dem never give me a cent, so if dem take me off the show it nuh make no difference. Mi a go continue do good songs. Mi nuh have nutten 'gainst them. A dem buss me to the world but a me buss dem to. A me buss dem mek Jamaica know say a company name so. Nuff love to DSR, nuff love to Joe and nuff love to Skatta whe a fight me round deh wid him negative self."

'Scary’ Video: Tifa + Spice Ask ‘Why You Mad?'

Tommy Lee Sparta seems to really be having an having an impact on Jamaica—even dancehall divas Tifa and Spice, known more for being sexy than sinister, have gone the horror movie route with their latest video. Except their “Why You Mad?” clip is more like one of the Wayans Brothers’ Scary Movie flicks than one of Lee’s genuinely creepy videos.

The Linda Blair-in-The-Exorcist type chick rolling around in a hospital bed in “Why You Mad” got that way, apparently, because she couldn’t take Tifa and Spice being hotter than her, and the jealousy just drove her crazy. The lesson? Don’t badmind Tifa and Spice or you’ll end up in a mental hospital where Tifa, Spice and their hot nurse outfits will just drive you more crazy. OK.

Jamaican Play ‘Not About Eve’ Comes To NYC

Some of you may remember Karl Williams as the guy who played the unnamed, right-wing, anti-communist politician in the highly-regarded Jamaican film Better Mus’ Come. Well, Williams, a veteran actor whose theater acting credits in New York includes Pecong at The National Black Theater and Antony and Cleopatra at The Poets Den Theater, is about to impress New Yorkers again with his three-character drama, Not About Eve. It has already won the 2005 International Theater Institute Actor Boy Award for Best New Jamaican play, and the script was a 2011 A-List selection for the Readers’ Theater Series at the National Black Theater Festival in North Carolina. This play will be onstage in NYC for four days, premiering on November 29, at the Stage II Theatre in Times Square, just off Broadway.

Not About Eve is set in the middle-class home of the Shields family in Kingston, Jamaica. The household’s three women are at a crossroads in their lives, confronted by a changing society around them and the secrets in their own lives. The religious Mrs. Rochester clings to old-school values and is distressed when her fiercely independent granddaughter, Kimberley, a visual artist who represents a new generation seeking to define itself culturally and socially, begins to assert herself within the home. Meanwhile, the upwardly mobile Katherine, a sexually adventurous entrepreneur and widow, is literally caught in the middle, even as she herself struggles with the mistakes of her own past.

The cast of the New York production is comprised of Sharon Tsahai King as Mama Rochester, Ilana Warner as Katherine Shields, and Stacy Ann Brissett as Kimberly Shields, and is directed by Daphne Sicre.

Black Ryno's Brother Shot and Killed

The brother of former Portmore Empire deejay Romaine 'Black Ryno' Anderson was shot and killed metres away from him on the weekend, THE STAR understands.

Reports are that sometime after 3 a.m. on Sunday, Black Ryno and a group left a dance in the Maxfield Avenue area and were on their way home when they decided to stop and speak with friends along Waltham Park Road.

The deejay's brother, Kurtis 'Tatty' Bucker, stood some metres away while the entertainer was talking to a group of friends.

Our news team gathered that two unknown assailants approached Bucker and brandished a firearm before opening fire hitting him several times before he fell to the ground.

Dwayne Cole, Ryno's road manager, gave THE STAR this account.

He said, "When the shot dem fire, some people run and some just get flat - when dem come back on the scene, di deejay see him bredda a lay inna blood, so dem tek him up and on dem way to the hospital he died."

Sources close to the entertainer have since disclosed that rumours have been circulating that Bucker was killed in a case of mistaken identity.

The Mi Lef deejay is still in shock and traumatised about the entire incident.

Cole expressed, "Di artiste is human yu know. Tatty was a part of Ryno's street team, he's still in shock since the incident, talking to himself. He needed time to meditate, so as you may have noticed him turn off his phones."

The road manager continued, "Whenever I speak to him he constantly ask why me? Why my family?"

He further said that the deejay would be taking a break in an effort to recover from his loss.

Sources at the Hunts Bay police confirmed reports of the fatal shooting and advised our news team that an investigation is ongoing.

Black Ryno also lost another brother to violence about two years ago.

The deejay has upcoming performances in Antigua next month along with a host of local shows and appearances including Sting on Boxing Day.

During his expected brief time-out from the scene, fans of the entertainer are being encouraged to listen out for his releases.

These include multiple tracks for Markus Records including Wine Me and Bare Gyal and soon-to-be released tracks from Seanizzle Records.

Cham Releases Two New Videos

Two recently released videos, Lawless and Stripper Pose showcase the versatility of veteran deejay Cham who continues to inject his own brand of energy into the dancehall industry.

Lawless, produced by Cham's long-standing creative partner - producer Dave Kelly on the Mad House Records Label, shows off the deejay's hardcore and hard-hitting dancehall flavour.

The video was officially released in October and was directed by newcomer Dennis Brown of V.S.M.P.

Like the song, the video is a gritty rendition of life in the streets and was shot on Molynes Road and Mountain View with a cameo appearance from Shizzle of the Sherlock Crew.

According to Cham, the aim of the two videos is to give the fans a fun and creative product to enjoy for the remainder of the year.

"The idea was to make videos that are fun and creative at the same time. So for Lawless we went for a movie-like treatment and Stripper Pose is like a beach party vibe," said Cham.

Stripper Pose, another song produced by Kelly, is all about the girls in its content and in the video. The video, directed by Xxtreme of Cashflow and edited by Dennis Brown of V.S.M.P., was shot at Waves Beach in Portmore to capture an authentic party vibe.

Making a cameo at the end of the video is Cham's up-and-coming deejay wife, O.

Additionally, Cham also has his Portmore Anthem song out, which is getting rotation on airwaves as well.

With these videos and songs out, Cham feels he has satisfied his fans. "Anything else would be too much," joked the deejay.

For the remainder of the year, the deejay will be making a number of appearances, which include shows in New York, Florida, Georgia, Antigua, Guyana and Panama.