Showing posts with label kingston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kingston. Show all posts

Monday, September 26, 2011

Tivoli Stories Finally Claims Bruce Golding


BGRVB - Tivoli Stories Finally Claims Bruce Golding

The Prime Minister of Jamaica Bruce Golding has announced publicly that he intends to stand down as soon as an election is scheduled.



The fact is that he has been exposed for his deeds and is standing aside due to questions raised by the Tivoli Stories Series by BadGalsRadio.com.

BadGalsRadio Brings You Tivoli Stories Part 6 - Finally, Tivoli Speaks



For more than three years BadGalsRadio and Mama ASID have publicized the deeds of Mr.Golding; including his secret international deals with the USA for Christopher Coke instead of Himself. Tivoli Stories has shown Jamaica and the world the Real Bruce Golding and the picture looks more like a nightmare.

Be Sure to Check out the entire story at BadGalsRadio.com
http://badgals-radio.com/Scan to listen to badgalsradio

Thursday, December 23, 2010

The Truth They Tried To Twist - TIVOLI-STORIES* PART 5


We Present for you TIVOLI-STORIES* PART 5

The Truth They Tried To Twist -

Tell The Truth To Tivoli

So of course you already know that this is the Opening Salvo on the Tivioli Stories Episode Five - The Letter T; The Truth They Tried To Twist - Tell The Truth To Tivoli.


  • First Class - Isiah Mentor w. Turbulence
  • Burnin and Lootin - Kymani Marley w. Alborosie
  • They Call it Murder - Damien Marley
  • Small Axe - Bob Marley and the Wailers
  • Ambush in the night live in Nigeria - Bob Marley and the Wailers
  • Terrorists - Israel Vibration
  • Roman Soldiers of Babylon - Jaob Miller and Inner Circle
  • We Struggle - Bounty Killa w. Wayne Marshall, Mad Antz
  • Rampage - Buju Banton
  • Murda Dem a Play Remix - Bryan Art w. Queen Ifrika
  • Dub Wise - Dubmatix
  • Self Defense - Agent Sasco (Bad Reputation Riddim)
  • Bugle - Give Thanks
  • Vybz Kartell - Bad Reputation - first half
  • Erup - Beat Dem
  • Vybz Kartell - Bad Reputation - second half
Duration : A Divine 62 Minutes / 64k Digital Media @ 256 MHZ for Maximum Boom

Produced : 12/19/10 by RE Ausetkmt for ASID Hi-Power SoundStudios. UK/JM/US
Copyright : all rights reserved to original copyright owners; and RE Ausetkmt for BadGalsRadio.com; ASID Hi-Power SoundSystem and Studios UK/JM/US

Thursday, November 11, 2010

PODCAST - DOWNLOAD Gregory Isaacs A Timeless Rendition


Today In honor of the genius of Gregory Isaacs We Let Off A Lil Sumptin
We've put together just a very few of his hits to take us down memory lane. Do You Remember where you were when you heard your first Gregory Isaacs Tune? Who you were with. What you were doing. It's all key to your love affair with The Cool Ruler. Because once you heard him, you became a fan.


For Me, it was a tape given to me by a friend. In the old days Rastamen courted their potential queens with Music, Fruit, Incense and Ishens. yes those were the days.. The tape had alot of music on it, but most of it was Gregory Isaacs. That tape created an instant fan. from that day in 1977 I was hooked on the coolness of Gregory Isaacs.
This compilation is to highlight his career as an artist, producer and record label owner. Many people forget that his African Museum Label released all of Gregorys' music begining in the late 1990's. He did alot of tunes for a great many of the hottest producers of the day. But His Work came out of African Museum; and it had that special sound.
When you listen to his voice, you can't help but to feel the gritty smooth rudeness of the Kingston of the 1970's and 80's. Mostly because he croons it like thick coconut jelly. There will be many but there will only be One Cool Ruler.
This Tribute Contains the Following Twenty Tunes - along with a short two part biographical commentary. Next Week we will release the soundtrack minus narration; in two parts.

Be Sure You Subscribe so that you'll receive the first notice of the download.
To download this podcast - simply right click on the tape above and select Save As and download the file to your harddrive. For the sake of nostalgia, you can then burn it to CD Rom. Or you can just upload it to your mp3 player and enjoy.

  1. Ready We Ready - Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Brown
  2. Addicted to You - Gregory Isaacs
  3. Idlers Corner - Gregory Isaacs and the Mighty Diamonds
  4. Feeling Irie - Gregory Isaacs
  5. Something Nice - Gregory Isaacs
  6. Dreadlocks Love Affair - Gregory Isaacs
  7. Stranger in Your Town - Gregory Isaacs
  8. Cool Down the Pace - Gregory Isaacs
  9. Hush Darling - Gregory Isaacs
  10. Body Language - Gregory Isaacs
  11. Oh What a Feeling - Gregory Isaacs
  12. Raggamuffin - Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Brown
  13. Let Off Sumptin - Gregory Isaacs with Dennis Brown and Josie Wales
  14. Rumors - Gregory Isaacs
  15. Solitary Confinement - Gregory Isaacs
  16. The Border - Gregory Isaacs
  17. A Riot - Gregory Isaacs
  18. Mr Cop - Gregory Isaacs and Macka B
  19. Payroll - Gregory Isaacs
  20. Slavemaster - Gregory Isaacs
Duration : 77 Minutes / 64k Digital Media @ 256 MHZ for Maximum Boom

Produced : 11/09/10 by RE Ausetkmt for ASID Hi-Power Sound. UK/JM/US and BadGalsRadio.com

Copyright : all rights reserved to original copyright owners; RE Ausetkmt for BadGalsRadio.com; ASID Hi-Power SoundSystem and Studios UK/JM/US



Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Love Was Overdue for Gregory


Early Monday Morning a voice was stilled in London - it was an angelic voice that will forever grace our memories.  This morning we lost Gregory Anthony Isaacs to Lung Cancer. This is the Video announcing the death of Gregory Isaacs on TV Jamaica





Many of you only know the later Gregory Isaacs. Personally, We remember Gregory from the 70's rocking the soundsystems in town and country.
He was very popular in New York, Miami, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas and even Los Angeles; with the expat Reggae loving community. When the word came out that he was coming; we jammed into any small hole in the wall to get to hear the smooth strains of Gregory singing anytime he blew through.

Remember this gem - it was his most requested tune - Night Nurse



I was at this Sunsplash and got to see him with the Roots Radics. this is real music and this is a real singer. today this voice has left us but we shall not forget him.


Jah Gregory as we affectionately refer to him,  Has became the symbol for Reggae Royalty. His cool moves, smooth sounds and stellar shows set a whole new standard for those who would follow him. Seeing him live was an unforgettable experience.

He would glide onto the stage with his ever present Bossalini cocked to the side jammed down  tight ontop of  a mound of Dreadlocks spilling out here and there.  His suited up and shinny shoe style made many of the raggamuffin stylists of the day wish that they could garner the love from audiences that Gregory's sheer appearance brought.  Gregory was a Trendsetter Always -


You may remember this tune - Slave Master, which is a twist from his usual tunes.
even the track sounds rather bossa nova-ish. Mr Cool however never lets you forget that this is a revolutionary tune - smooth but deadly.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Who a Pree Dis ? WE LOVE JAH ROOTS



Ignorance to no end -



Yutes Tek Weh Yuhself, nobody nah pree dat folly.

Dancehall Music Review you need to think before you start your camera nexttime.
It makes no sense to put videos on YouTube pretending that they're news.

what you put out there on youtube should reflect genius - not wha ?

We Nah Pree di Daggerin a news. Too much Crucial Ting agwan fi folly rite now mi yutes. it well time fi unu rise up.

Pree Dis - Roots Music from Jah Roots


Jah Roots _CRUCIAL_ Official Video


Now Hol Dat ! 


Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Dudus Ratted Out - Snitches and Bitches pullin Switches;


Police say Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke was wearing this wig (above) when he was held yesterday.

According to our confidential sources, the amount of money on the head of Christopher Dudus Coke convinced a snitch to phone in to the JDF the Location and Time of the Surrender. the snitch was inside the US Embassy. YES Inside the US Embassy - this tells you that the surface of this simmering pot has been deceivingly cool for a little while, which the bottom bubbled with deceit.

Today somewhere in Jamaica there is a Very Rich Snitch, and We Hope that Their Peers Points Them Out. that's right we hope that someone RATS Them Out and then they meet their due. there is never a time in a situation like this to turn on the people who have supported you by playing along in your game. this is not going to end well, and we told you that in October 2009.

For All Those Who Didn't Know, This is the Door to Hell Opening in Jamaica. Get Ready for the Scorch Jamaica, cause you wanted it and now it agwan,

Cops tailed ‘Dudus’ for hours before pulling over car

‘Dudus’ captured

BY KARYL WALKER & KIMMO MATTHEWS
Wednesday, June 23, 2010

CHRISTOPHER ‘Dudus’ Coke — Jamaica’s most wanted fugitive — was captured yesterday afternoon in a police dragnet along the Mandela Highway in St Catherine.


Coke, is without his beard when he was held yesterday.

The capture of Coke, who is wanted by United States authorities to answer drug-trafficking and gun-running charges, comes just short of a month after he escaped from his former stronghold of Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston when the security forces stormed the community to execute an arrest warrant on him and restore order after gunmen loyal to him barricaded all entrances to Tivoli and launched unprovoked attacks on the State.

Coke was travelling in a car with the Rev Al Miller when he was held at approximately 4:00 pm at a motor vehicle spot check set up by the police who apparently had information that he would be travelling on that road yesterday.

A cop, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Observer that the vehicle in which Coke was travelling was being escorted by two cars carrying gunmen and that police officers were following the convoy for several hours. The cop said the car in front of that in which Coke was travelling was allowed to get away as Coke’s capture was their main focus.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Ghetto President Sold Out by Brucee



Just Listen to the Taxi Man speaking about the reality and current state of Jamaican Politics. He talks alot about how none of the Prime Ministers have done much to grow or stabilize the country. how some of them are even outright involved in deceptions and criminality. WOW




Amazing how people really feel in Jamaica about this whole situation. Deep





Let's See What Tomorrow Brings as it's hyping up right now

Join Us on TheSuss Live on The LadyDShow on Saturday between 12:30pm et and 1:30pm et discussing our updates, and how our revelations are actually coming true.  The Tivoli Stories Episode 4 will be dropping later this week. Be Sure To Subscribe to our feed so you get the crispiness, hot and juicy.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Let a Real BadGal Tell Yuh bout it Baby,



Let a Real BadGal Tell Yuh bout it baby,



Some of you who listen to BadGalsRadio may have heard our Remixed version of this tune. since we're feeling extra generous today, We're Giving You a Free Remix Wednesday -
Enjoy Our Version of Kingston State of Mind, mixed in the Sunshineshop during the spring of 2009.

This is of course our clever way of alerting you to the impending release of Tivoli Stories Pt.4. expect to see it hit the airwaves within the next two weeks.  we are awaiting some court actions to take place before we drop this episode, to be more timely. We Promise much more hot news this episode.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Tivoli Stories Part 3 - Listen To The Heartbeat of Kingston

Welcome to Tivoli and Tower Street

Tivoli Stories Part Three - Listen To The Heartbeat Of Jamaica

  • Dem Haffi Get a Beatin - Peter Tosh
  • Tired a Di Bangarang - Lester Sterling and Stranger Cole
  • The Road is Rough Dub Version - Joe Gibbs and the Professionals
  • Johnny Too Bad - Conrad Crystal
  • Two Sevens Clash - Culture
  • Gunman - Michael Prophet
  • Can't Tek the Gun Gun - Junior Reid
  • Natural Reggae Beat - Black Uhuru
  • Sodome and Gomorra - Misty in Roots
  • Ghetto of the City - Misty in Roots
  • Youths of Eglington - Black Uhuru
  • Dem No Worry Me - Super Cat
Click to Listen to Tivoli Stories Part Three [Play] [Play]
Duration : 56:46 mp3 - 256k / 44.1 mhz Joint Format

Produced by : RE Ausetkmt @ The Sunshine Shop - Tampa Fl. & BadGalsStudios - Motown MI 02/01/2010| mastered 02/09/10 at Top Secret Studios UK - Manchester UK

Copyright : RE Ausetkmt for BadGalsRadio.com and all rights reserved to original copyright owners for the artwork and music utilized in the podcast.



Friday, May 22, 2009

Trini Gangstas - Dial Out of Crime.. Co'mon You Can Do it

What Do You Want To Do on Holiday ?

When we saw this we thought wow it's vacation time, and folks would surely like to know where to go and where not to go. this year we are NOT Suggesting Your Take your Chances in Trinidad because Dem a Ramp Up Bad Bad Baddddd.

Read This Stuff and decide where you want to spend your holiday



Trinidad and Tobago crime rate tops Jamaica's

PORT-OF-SPAIN - As the country awaits the unveiling of the newest crime plan, criminals have gone about their business murdering and robbing citizens, more than they did last year.

First-quarter crime figures have shown an increase in murders and robberies as compared with the same period last year.

Murders have gone up by over a fifth, 21.69 per cent, and 441 more people have been robbed this year, an increase of 44.95 per cent as compared with the first quarter of 2008.

And compared with our Caribbean neighbour to the north, Jamaica, a country that has been the benchmark for regional violence, Trinidad and Tobago is in a worse-off position.

In Jamaica, there was a reduction in murders of almost six per cent for the first quarter of 2009, and a drop in shootings.

There was an increase in robberies, though, of 35.55 per cent on that island. However, this is no comfort as more people have been robbed in Trinidad and Tobago this year, 1 422 as compared to 713 in Jamaica.

On April 21, Prime Minister Patrick Manning announced that a new crime plan would be unveiled in three weeks' time.

The three-week mark has gone and National Security Minister Martin Joseph said recently that it was still being reviewed by the National Security Council.

Urban violence, fuelled by gang rivalry, remains the biggest source of carnage with the Port-of-Spain district, accounting for close to a quarter of all the murders committed for the first quarter of 2009.

The Port-of-Spain Police Division, which is geographically less than one-tenth the size of Trinidad and Tobago, has recorded 32 of the 129 murders for the period, 24.80 per cent.

The high number is the result of gang fights in Laventille, East Dry River and parts of Belmont, police say. The East-West Corridor continues to be the most violent place on the islands, accounting for over three-quarter of the country's murders.

The rest of Trinidad and Tobago, which makes up more than three-quarter of the islands' land mass, has recorded only 32 of the 129 murders up to March 31.

A total of 97 murders were committed between Carenage and Arima, 75.19 per cent, with the Port-of-Spain Division having the most homicides, 32, followed by the Northern Division (Arima to St Joseph) 25, Western Division (Carenage to St James), 20, and North Eastern Division (Morvant to San Juan), 20. (Trinidad Express)

Gangsters ‘dial’ out of crime
By NALINEE SEELAL Friday, October 24 2008
click on pic to zoom in

Are you a gangster? Dial 625-4932 or 623-8440 to get out of your life of crime.
That’s the appeal of Acting Commissioner of Police James Philbert who, yesterday, announced that two hotlines have been set up for members of gangs to call if they want to surrender and get help to turn around their lives.

The two numbers are the direct lines to the offices of Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Gilbert Reyes and Assistant Police Commissioner, Crime, Raymond Craig who are based at the Police Administration Building, corner of Sackville and Edward Streets, Port-of-Spain. Philbert said he has been overwhelmed by requests from men and women who have left gangs and want to live law-abiding lives.

Philbert, during a news conference at the Police Administration Building, said the police must give their full support to gang members who want to get out of crime.

Twenty men and women, who with the help of evangelical pastors had left gangs, went with their pastors to a meeting with Philbert at his office on Wednesday. Reyes and Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Maurice Piggott also attended the meeting, which was the second time Philbert had met with the former gang members. Last Sunday, they hired a maxi taxi and met with Philbert at an undisclosed location in south Trinidad.

“They wanted to get out because they got fed up. They wish to live a little longer, and to enjoy life a little longer, and they suddenly realise there is a God,” he said.

The former gang members told the top lawmen they want to help the police to bring an end to gang violence.

“They have said certain things to us and gave us an insight into what we are dealing with.

“We are willing and able to assist any gang member who is willing to change,” said Philbert.

Talking tough, Philbert declared the goal of the police was to stop gang-related crimes.

“We strongly deplore it. We will try to reduce it and eradicate it.”

Asked if the police would help those who may have matters in court, Philbert made it clear the law must take its course.



Sun, sand and savagery: Whatever happened to Jamaica, paradise island?

The holiday-brochure chic of its resorts belies the unremittingly harsh underbelly of the real Jamaica. Here, the eminence of drugs and guns have created a society in which 'respect' has replaced civic values – and where a lack of it results in a trip to the morgue. Ian Thomson ventures into the heart of the country to ask, what went wrong?

By Ian Thomson -  Sunday May 10, 2009
Guns, ganja and games: Peter Dean Rickards' ongoing photography project in Jamaica captures every side of the country, from its crime scenes to its church-goers and its obsession with sports
PETER DEAN RICKARDS
Guns, ganja and games: Peter Dean Rickards' ongoing photography project in Jamaica captures every side of the country, from its crime scenes to its church-goers and its obsession with sports

Whatever happened to Jamaica – for so many years Britain's pride and joy? Since independence in the early 1960s, the drug barons have taken over, hopes of social equality have faded and there's a pall of violence. Tourists rarely see anything of the twisted side of island life, as they hardly ever venture outside the stockaded beach resorts and private beaches advertised as "paradise". Tourism contributes an estimated $1bn a year to Jamaica's economy and has become a part of Jamaican life, with hordes of vendors, hustlers and "guides" ready to hound the unwitting visitor. Yet this "paradise" of holiday brochures is just as often derided as a criminal backwater.

With an annual murder rate of around 1,500, Jamaica is one of the world's most violent countries, on a par with South Africa and Colombia. A recent report by Amnesty International, "Let Them Kill Each Other" (April 2008), depicted a nation in tragic disorder. Stories of child labour, domestic violence and murder clog the national press. Kingston, the capital, remains locked in cycles of political and gangland violence; to live there today calls for special qualities of endurance.

In downtown Kingston, amid the shacks of Trench Town, the inhabitants are sullen and numbed. The neighbourhood was developed in the 1940s by the colonial administration to accommodate West Indian troops returning home. It has decayed into a violent, disaffected ghetto, whose tenement yards gave rise to the term "Yardie", shorthand for Jamaican gangland criminal. In Trench Town, gang members carry ever more lethal weapons to "rank" themselves higher in the narcotics trade. It might have been dangerous for me to visit on my own, so I was accompanied by a local pastor, Bobby Wilmot, whose job is to broker truces between gang factions.

We drove across scrubland, the morning hot and shadowless, while dogs slunk amid a roadside litter of plastic bottles and old KFC boxes. At an abandoned remand centre with collapsed razor-wire fencing, the pastor said: "I've seen quite a few shoot-outs here in my time, and it looks like the cowboy shows are still running." A crowd of women had emerged by a roadblock of burning tyres. One of them, flushed with rage, shouted out: "Pastor B!" I quickly put away my notebook (it gave me a provocatively official air), while Pastor Bobby slowed down and addressed the woman through the car window. "Wha gwaan?" We soon found out.
A youth from an adjacent turf had been executed – summarily – that morning by police; now another had been killed. By the police? No, a rival gang. The roadblock was to prevent retaliatory drive-by shootings. "Lord 'ave mercy," said Pastor Bobby. Violence is now so deeply ingrained in the local culture of "respect" that to be in charge, you have to "batter" people. As in parts of London, youths are caught in "district-code" warfare, where turfs are respected on pain of death.

In some respects, 21st-century Jamaica, with its mass poverty, social resentments and skewed distribution of wealth, is like pre-Revolution France, reckoned Pastor Bobby. Only, in Jamaica, there is no sign of a revolutionary movement, no glimmer even of organised social protest. "So the wealthy will have nothing to fear," he said. "The poor are too disorganised, too ill-educated, for social revolution." There is, however, something far worse: thousands of empty, wasted lives, and endemic violence, in which God is a US-import Glock. '

In the half-century since independence in 1962, hopes for a fairer, better Jamaica have not been met. Instead, a system of "clientism" has evolved, in which patron politicians provide their client supporters with jobs, protection and a flow of money, as well as narcotics and firearms in return for their loyalty. Incredibly, an estimated 55 per cent of Jamaica's goods are imported from the US; these include not only sugar, cars and electrical goods, but guns. America's liberal gun laws have fatally eased the transfer of firearms into Jamaica. (Conversely, many Caribbean drug kingpins in Brooklyn – "Little Jamaica" – were apprenticed in the Kingston ghetto.)

Carolyn Gomes, director of the human-rights group Jamaicans for Justice, believes the violent American culture of "respect" has flourished in Jamaica in the absence of civic values, encouraging teenagers to pursue power and money for their own sake. "When your life's so degraded," she said, "you need people to respect you." She added: "A youth with a gun is a youth to be feared and looked up to – murder is his badge of honour." Increasingly, Jamaica's justice system is undermined by violence and threats of violence. Pathologists are often too frightened to serve as observers at postmortems. They may be seen as witnesses or, worse, informers and suffer violence themselves.

The postmortem room at the Spanish Town Hospital, outside Kingston, typically has no refrigeration. So what might serve as evidence disintegrates fast. Bodies are brought in by the commercial funeral homes in the early morning, and piled up in corners. The pathologists rarely get to them before midday, if at all.
Jamaica is now a quasi-American outpost in the Caribbean, yet its legal system is clogged with British Empire-era red tape. The island's anti-sodomy laws, which carry a jail sentence of up to 10 years, derive from the English Act of 1861, and show to what a dismal extent Jamaica has absorbed values from its imperial masters. Similarly, the death penalty is still on the Jamaican statute books, though most capital punishments are overturned in London by the Privy Council, Jamaica's Court of Final Appeal. Thus an ancient British institution comprised of mostly white Law Lords has become the unlikely defender of human rights in Jamaica. A majority of Jamaicans – not just conservative, pro-monarchy ones – see hanging as the only effective deterrent against criminality: murderers must face death.

Yet the British Law Lords, through the grace of Queen Elizabeth II, use their power to prevent executions. Such paradoxes are part of the Jamaican confusion: Victorian standards that have long disappeared in Britain linger on in Jamaica – to Jamaica's detriment.

As elsewhere in the West Indies, Jamaica is a land with a continuous memory of slavery and slavish abasement. The deeper I ventured into the island, the more it seemed an insidious "shadism" has ensured that a minority of white (or near-white: what Jamaicans call "local white") inhabitants still control the plantations and other industries. Jamaica's oldest sugar estate, Worthy Park, was founded in 1670, and is still in operation. One day I went there for lunch. A sound of cocktail-making – a clinking of crushed ice against glass – greeted my arrival as bow-tied waiters hurried to whisk away flies from our plates. The elite of Jamaica's sugar industry was enjoying fine French wine and chilled soursop juice. They ate well – steak, lobster mayonnaise – and the food was served with a plantation-bred obsequiousness. Many of the guests turned out to be related; all were white.

For more than three centuries, Jamaica had been Britain's most profitable sugar bowl, a prize and inhumane possession. Worthy Park's slave-grown sugar, destined for the docks and refineries of Liverpool and Bristol, used to be king. No longer: sugar is a dying industry throughout the Caribbean, and Worthy Park is waiting on a government promise of money, otherwise it will not survive. The only time Jamaica prospered economically was during the sugar boom of slavery in the 18th century.

Nevertheless, Jamaicans had found a sense of hope in the 1970s when a leftist (and outwardly anti-American) government sought to instil self-respect in the black majority and rid them of the servility ingrained by slavery. Social reforms were implemented but, 30 years on, the island's class and racial divides are still in place. "Motty" Perkins, a controversial Kingston radio journalist, reckons the attitude to power in Jamaica remains that of the plantation system, where every little Trench Town Napoleon wants to be an overseer with a team of servants. "Man, I tell you, the Jamaicans who live in the big houses today – black, brown, yellow, white – they despise those niggers down there, the Trench Town poor." Imperial Britain did some terrible things in Jamaica, Perkins agreed, "but whoever said we have a fair society now?" Politicians exploit the poor for their own purposes, in a pattern stretching back through the 300 years of British slavery.

Jamaica's very social order betrays its slaving past. Near Montego Bay, I met an elderly sugar planter and land-owner known to the locals as "Squire Taylor". His Georgian residence was shuttered and silent in the afternoon heat; the door was opened by a black man in dungarees. "Master Taylor's asleep," he announced, "but he soon come." Taylor emerged from his slumbers, a thin man bent almost double with age, yet still every inch the "buckra", or white sugar boss. He gestured for me to sit down in a room whose scant furniture was eaten, visibly, by termites. Taylor's daughter had come out the other day from England with a removal van, he explained, and, staking a claim to the family heirlooms, "cleared out everything". Taylor added (apparently by way of apology) that she lived in Tunbridge Wells.

The Taylors had occupied this merchant's house since 1773 and, no doubt, like many of Jamaica's long-settled English, they were impervious to, and contemptuous of, African slave culture. Taylor began to rail against the native propensity (as he construed it) for idleness and skylarking. His family slaves had been "awfully lazy"; they rarely did an honest day's work. Honest? Jamaican slavery, with its arsenal of whips and chains, was, by contrast, brute mercantile greed. Upstairs, the rooms had collapsed; a mattress lay along one wall, next to a bucket for collecting rain. The house, like Jamaica's sugar industry, was on shaky foundations.

More so even than tourism, narcotics have transformed Jamaica. Kingston remains vital to the trans-shipment of cocaine from Latin America to the markets in North America and – the most profitable of all markets – Britain. Cocaine fetches three times as much in Britain as in other European countries. More than 300 Jamaican women are currently serving sentences in British prisons for drug smuggling, many of them single mothers. The drugs come in by air as well as by ship. "Mules" board planes at Kingston and Montego Bay, having ingested up to 100 condoms or (more dependably sturdy) surgical glove fingers filled with cocaine.
I spent an afternoon at Kingston's container terminal, Port Bustamante, watching vessels unload. Stockpiles of containers – P&O, Hamburg Süd – were stacked like giant Lego blocks along the wharves, among them "reefers" (refrigerated containers) crammed with frozen fish fingers and TV dinners. Omar Williams, chief of the port's anti-narcotic security, was carrying a pair of binoculars and a licensed firearm. He was on the look-out, he explained, for "high-risk" containers from Colombia, Venezuela and Nicaragua. X-ray equipment installed in 2006 by US security experts works only intermittently because "certain employees keep pulling the plug" on the cargo-scanning equipment; Jamaica's "guns for drugs" trade with Haiti is thought to be facilitated in this way.

"Shouldn't Jamaica tighten its border controls?" I asked Williams. "You could say that. But it's not just Jamaica. American guns are dropping into Kingston like mangoes off a tree." He answered my next question – about where exactly the guns come from – with a slight weariness. "We really don't know. Some say Haiti – as payment for drugs. Others say the Balkans. Maybe Manchester. Maybe Liverpool. Maybe Northern Ireland." Like any other globalised economy, in other words, the guns come from all over the world. They are cheap, and getting cheaper; and to the new breed of Jamaican criminal who uses them, so is human life.
On my last day, I went to Watercourse, a village so insignificant it fails to appear on any map. Even the name is misleading, as there are no watercourses in the area and, as far as anyone knows, there never have been. Thelma Smith, a Jamaican living in Brixton, south London, had urged me to visit. Thelma was born in Watercourse in 1923 and had relatives there; her childhood friend Benita Hailey was among them.
"Thelma sent you?" asked Miss B (Hailey's local name). I said yes, and she pointed me to a chair on the porch. "Sit down and relax yourself." A neighbour pegging out the washing looked at me curiously, while children's voices were raised in playful chatter somewhere. Watercourse was a hillside community of perhaps 800 inhabitants, situated near Kingston in the heart of orange-grove country.

"Yes, up here is country," Miss B said, pouring me a glass of coconut water, "and we country people is a good people who care for each other." The air, cool with a smell of juniper and orange, was a tonic to the fug of traffic-polluted Kingston. The world that Miss B had known as a girl, however, was falling around her; Kingston represented a confusion beyond the reach of reason, a creation of the devil. What used to be considered a crime there was now judged a non-crime – even murder. "But we're living in Jamaica, my dear, and we have to stay here now. Yes, we have to live," and I admired her for the attitude. How could you live in a country in a state of constant preparedness for the worst?

With a sigh, Miss B got up and led me by the arm to a shaded plot of earth where, under an orange tree, the gravestones of Thelma Smith's parents stood alone in the fading light. She reached up to the tree and pulled down one, two, then six oranges for me. "When you get home to Brixton," she said, dropping the fruit into my bag, "tell Thelma that Miss B give you some oranges – and kiss up your children for me."

That moment in Watercourse, with the sun descending over a secluded cemetery, and the green-lighted fireflies which had begun to dance over the graves of Mr and Mrs Smith, defined for me the survival of an older Jamaica. The island is beautiful; yet the Jamaican people, with their gift for humour and generosity, their creativity (and fabled aggression) are stuck in a post-colonial malaise. Independence arrived late – 14 years after India's – and by the time it came in 1962, the enthusiasm for change had been tempered by years of colonial prevarication. "Now of course Jamaica's gone to the American camp," Michael Foot, the Labour politician, told me in 2007. "And it's partly our fault – we've abandoned Jamaica." Having shaped Jamaica's past for ill, Britain had not helped to shape its future for good.

Yet, in the present uncertainty and emptiness, surely there is some possibility of hope, maybe even of a new beginning? Jamaica, a nation built on violence, remains a corrupted Eden haunted by the legacy of imperialism. The many wonderful things about the island – its extraordinary music-making, the physical beauty, its athletic prowess (six gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, including, famously, Usain Bolt's) – are shadowed now by crime and political corruption. Hope has not died, yet I was in no hurry to go back.

'The Dead Yard: Tales of Modern Jamaica', by Ian Thomson, is published by Faber at £14.99

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Jamaica is the one place you can always find Cops, Sex and Weed in the same place; Peep This

Lets catch up on a lil Jamaican news, courtesy of our friends at the Jamaica Star.



CUSTOMS SEIZE BARRELFUL OF MONEY


Man flees after container opened

It was quite a scene yesterday at the Customs Department in Kingston after a man turned up to clear a barrel which contained almost US$50,000.

Efforts to get an official comment from the department were unsuccessful however, a policeman who was on hand as the incident unfolded related the story to THE STAR.

Reports are that an unidentified man visited the compound with the aim of clearing a barrel which was shipped from overseas.

A broker attended to the customer and located the barrel which was then opened.

To their surprise, the money was found.

An alarm was raised and the man who had turned up for the barrel fled the scene.







this is what we expect the Duppy Conqueror will look like - a fierce warrior

DUPPY STALKS RESIDENTS FOR MONEY


Residents of the small district of Lilly Grove, St Mary, are living in fear. They said the ghost of a woman who ran a partner plan has being beating members of the community who allegedly owed her money.

The residents said they will be seeking the services of a 'duppy conqueror' next week as they try to get rid of the ghost which has been haunting them for more than two weeks.

THE WEEKEND STAR first got wind of the ghost tale earlier this week during a check with the Area Two police.

pardna (partner) money
A police source questioned one of our reporters: "Unnu nuh hear bout di duppy woman weh a haunt di people dem fi har pardna (partner) money?"

Although THE WEEKEND STAR did not visit the community, conversations with the residents were enough to send chills up anyone's spine.

"A firs' me a hear or si nuttin like dis, duppy a haunt people fi money ... . People all a get box up and dem sinting deh," one resident, Tallis said before noting that at least three persons have fled the district since the ghost started terrorising them.

"A bout a month now Mistress Campbell a walk eno ... . People get beaten, people who did owe har all a run weh cause dem a seh dem cyaa live in peace," another resident Harry claimed.

Residents said the ghost is that of Josephine Campbell, an elderly woman who recently fell ill and passed away. She had operated a partner plan and since her death, the persons who are said to have owed her money are being haunted.

during a dream

One of the persons who left the community first claimed that during a dream, the 'partna woman' had instructed her to have the owed money ready whenever she returned for a visit.

When the resident related the dream, it was taken for a joke but only a few days later she was attacked and beaten by the ghost.

Within the next few days, other persons were said to have been assaulted by the duppy, which is said to carry out her assaults at any time of the day.

"Day or night it no matta, da woman ya want har money, suh she cum roun any time," Devon, another resident said.

In addition to the incidents of beating, the residents said that branches and the leaves of trees sway as if they are being blown by strong winds whenever Mistress Campbell is around. In addition there are strange noises and the sounds of loud knocking on house tops.

Efforts by THE WEEKEND STAR to speak with the 'duppy conqueror', who the residents claim to have summoned were unsuccessful as a number provided rang without answer.




Constable pleads guilty to ganja charge

Tashieka Mair, Star Writer

WESTERN BUREAU

A district constable who spent more than two months in custody, and was scheduled to face trial for ganja possession charges, was fined after he pleaded guilty in the Montego Bay
Resident Magistrate's Court.

Jonathan Wright, a 50-year-old district constable for the past three years, had the dealing in ganja charge withdrawn and a fine of $2,000 or 30 days imposed.

When the matter came before Resident Magistrate Viviene Harris, only one witness turned up for trial. However, the matter was disposed of after Wright took the decision to plead guilty.

contraband

The officer, who worked at the Freeport police station at the time of his arrest, was charged after he was found in possession of the contraband.

Allegations are that on February 2, the investigating officer, an inspector, was given instruction by a senior officer to search Wright, who was on the cell block at the time. During the search, cigarettes, rizzla and lighters were found in a bag that Wright was carrying.

The inspector also observed a bulge in Wright's pants, which turned out to be a parcel of ganja weighing four ounces.







Jamaican Police seek to dispel corrupt reputation - They Are Gay,


the article never mentions the Gay cop or the Gay or Sex Problems - we added them where appropriate.


Assistant Commissioner of Police, Novelette Grant, is seeking the help of the media and other influential groups to build police-citizen rapport and dispel the perception that most members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) are corrupt. (gay)

She said the perception that the police are corrupt is being fuelled by the media and other sources, rather than personal experiences of corruption involving the police. She added that the perception that there is an antagonistic relationship between the police and communities is also a myth.

research

Grant's comments are supported by recent data gathered by a team of researchers involved in the Latin American Public Opinion Project. The study titled, 'Political Culture in Jamaica, 2008', has shown that the actual relationship between citizens and the police is not as negative as perceived and portrayed.

abusive enemies


The study, which was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was unveiled on tuesday, at the Knutsford Court Hotel, in Kingston, at a forum (trist in room 369) which brought together several stakeholders to discuss the findings.

The study revealed that 85.1 per cent of participants in the survey saw the police as helpful friends, while only 14.9 per cent saw them as abusive enemies. In addition, three out of four felt they and the police had a shared interest (gay sex).

More than 90 per cent of Jamaicans felt that working with the police would make a difference in crime fighting and more than 67 per cent indicated that they would be willing to collaborate with the police to solve crime. Ten per cent said they would be very hesitant to help the police, while 22.3 per cent said they would be somewhat hesitant.

negative perceptions

The survey, which is part of the Americas Barometer series, found that young people were much more suspicious of the intentions of the police, especially those under age 25. Persons who reported having been (sexually) victimised by the police were also more likely to have negative perceptions of the police's intentions and actions in their interactions with the community.



A Mirror on the wall in a home in seaview gardens shows war scars

SEAVIEW WAR STARTS AGAIN - Battle lines drawn in community


The fears of residents from Seaview Gardens, St Andrew, have been renewed as thugs from two sections of the community have imposed a 'do-not-trespass' order on each other.

THE STAR has learnt that a gully which parts the two areas, 'Marley' and 'Nitty Gritty', is being used as a 'borderline', while thugs urge that nobody from either side crosses or guns will blaze.

Both sides have been at odds for many years now.

On Monday, four men were shot, two fatally by gunmen who opened fire as the group sat in an abandoned building in Nitty Gritty.

suspected gunmen

The dead men have been identified as 21-year-old Sheldon 'Chiggy' Grandison and Corniel Gilroy, 28, both of Phase 2 in the community.

Sources within the community told THE STAR that the suspected gunmen were not from Marley, but from another area with which men from Nitty Gritty are also at odds.

Subsequently, men from Nitty Gritty urged men from Marley to be careful as to who comes through their area and to prohibit the crossing of the gully into Nitty Gritty.

Likewise, men from Marley relayed similar orders to those from Nitty Gritty.

The situation has now incited fears among residents of the whole community and not just Marley and Nitty Gritty as a woman who is said to have violated the orders and ventured across the gully into Nitty Gritty was reportedly shot and injured yesterday.

"A long time di two set a man dem nuh kick off eno and wi cyaa deal wid it now cause if it start, it might spread through di whole a Seaview," a 34-year-old resident who requested anonymity said.

His views on the situation were similar to those of others from the community with whom THE STAR spoke.

"A long time nuh war nuh gwaan a Seaview eno... . Wi know seh wen dem start, dem can gwaan wicked so wi nuh want it," another resident added.

The police say they are keeping a close watch on the community and will be increasing their presence in an effort to restore normality.



babsy grange jamaican mp
this is of course Jamaican MP Olivia Babsy Grange
we are not saying she is A DON; butterah she's not denying it.


DON WOMAN RULES RESIDENTS


Residents of Bailey Hill, a small community in Westmoreland, are both fearful and respectful of their new don.

This may seem like nothing new, but this don is far from ordinary. This community is governed by a 30-something-year-old woman.

The woman, though dubbed the peacekeeper in the community is feared by many and her donship tactics make hot topics.

Although THE WEEKEND STAR did not get the chance to speak with the woman, tales from residents help to paint the picture of a no-nonsense woman who knows no limit in governing her community.

bad like AIDS

"Da woman deh nuh play man, she bad like AIDS ... A she run di place and she nuh tek foolishness from nobody, whether man or woman," one resident, 24-year-old Lion Man, said.

THE WEEKEND STAR heard that the woman was elected to rule the community after her cousin, the former don, lost his battle with cancer almost six months ago.

Since then, she has been making her voice heard, and on a number of occasions has made her presence felt.

According to residents, both men and women have felt her wrath whenever they violate the normal operations.

An action by a resident, such as bringing police attention to the community, is considered a violation.

Consequences for violations vary, but in most cases, they say, beatings and broken limbs are ordered while others are dealt with in rather creative ways or simply told to leave.

"A whole heap a hand and foot broke roun ya man ... Yu nuh hear mi seh she nuh play wid people ... From yu go round di ting yu a go feel it," another resident, Fred, explained. "Yu have man who thief and dem ting deh a dem man deh get broke up ... Other people who might gi likkle trouble wi get some different punishment though ... People get all tie up pon tree and lef whole day ... If a nuh none a dem deh den yu jus affi leave."

These harsh measures, residents agree, are aimed at keeping a peaceful community.

Meanwhile, the Area One police say they have heard about the woman but are yet to come in contact with her.

"Well, we have heard of her but that's as far as it goes ... We really are not interested in any form of don so that's as far as it goes ... As for her trying to keep the peace we have to commend that," Inspector Vernon Hall told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Names changed on request




DIRTY WEB PAGE TARGETS STUDENTS - Describes their sexual exploits at UWI


The University Guild of Students and the principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, are expected to discuss in a meeting today a controversial web page that was created on Facebook describing the sexual exploits of several present and past students.

The web page, which went up on Easter Sunday, bore more than 50 photos of persons from UWI along with rather slanderous information/comments about the individuals.

closed by a hacker

It was forcibly closed by a hacker on Tuesday who was apparently one of the persons listed in the group. When it was closed down there were photos posted of persons mainly residing on the Chancellor and Rex Nettleford Halls. On Tuesday, the site was re-launched and was hacked into again by another individual who was also listed on the site.

On the site, the persons being slandered were listed as 'whores of the past', 'current whores' and more. Information posted ranged from allegations of extensive promiscuity among females, abortion, or as it was posted 'dash whe belly' and homosexuality, womanising ways and the granting of questionable sexual favours to females, on the part of the targeted males. There were also postings about males who boasted rather small private members.

buzz in cyberspace

One of the programmers who shut down the page by hacking into Facebook said it was creating quite a buzz in cyberspace with membership and viewers soaring to over 200 in a matter of hours.

The computer whiz said after hacking into the site and shutting it down, he got a hold of an email address that seemed to have belonged to the original creator of the troublesome group.

"I got an Internet Protocol (IP) address through that email and it traced back to UWI Mona campus. So whoever created the group did so from that location," he said. "I have not pinpointed who it is exactly or which of the halls that person is from but I'm still looking into it."

The hacker said that when he deleted the group on Tuesday, there were approximately 70 photos posted of people who were both past and present students and users were leaving nasty comments left, right and centre.

"I deleted the photos because a lot of those people are working professionals now. They have their careers and are settled and that stuff could be damaging for them," the hacker said.

Vishwanauth Tolan, newly elected guild president, said they are aware of the situation and termed it as very childish and irresponsible. The guild president said while they have not confirmed that an actual UWI students created the group, nonetheless, it was very disappointing and damaging for both the persons slandered and the university's image.

"We are going to make a statement to our students about the situation before the week ends," Tolan said. He said that the guild would play its part in assisting the administration and any other authority that may be brought in to investigate the matter.

Tolan continued that if it is confirmed that the perpetrators are indeed students, the guild constitution also allows for them to be barred from all guild services and activities, including the bus service and the UWI Student's Union. The UWI Administration may also enforce further penalties.






Jamaicas' Broadcast Commission requests better measures to block minors from X- and A-rated channels


The Broadcasting Commis-sion (BC) yesterday issued a circular requesting that all subscriber television licensees (STV) implement measures to prevent minors and others from gaining unintended access to X and A rated channels.

The commission also confirmed reports that some of the methods currently being used have proven inefficient and children sometimes do gain access to these adult channels.

STV operators have been ordered to implement the following procedures:

1. A-rated channels like the dancehall channel and X-rated channels like Playboy must not be packaged with any other channels.


2. Persons must not be given X- and A-rated channels automatically but must first be instructed on how to enter a personal code to protect the content from un-authorised access by minors or other members of the household not wishing to gain access to the content. Verifiable records should be maintained within the premises of the licensees that such instructions had been provided.

3. Only the registered owner of the main cable account should be allowed to authorise the activation of access to A-rated and X-rated channels.

4. Operators whose systems are affected by the loss of encryption to X-rated channels, as described above, are required to conduct an investigation and address this problem immediately.

STV operators are required to take the steps to implement these procedures immediately, and implementation is to be complete by June 1.

The measures are intended to ensure the protection of children and other persons who may gain accidental, unwanted or unauthorised access to these classifications of programming.

This move by the commission follows a number of similar moves to protect minors and to improve service delivery and quality in the broadcasting sector.




this is Sean Paul, and we know this story is not about him.
but he is fine as hell so we wanted to show you how fine he is.
now back to the story.


Computer programmer sentenced for ganja


Tashieka Mair, Star Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:




A computer programmer who was caught trafficking 94 pounds of ganja in a car he had rented, was sentenced to 30 days at hard labour and fined over half a million dollars when he appeared before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

pleaded guilty

Clarence Howard of Kent Avenue, St Catherine, was sentenced after pleading guilty to possession, dealing in and trafficking ganja.

Defence attorney Adrian Dayes pleaded with Resident Magistrate Viviene Harris to consider a non-custodial sentence for the accused claiming that his client 'embarked on a venture that would put him in better financial standing' as he was faced with some outstanding debts. He also asked the RM to be lenient for the sake of Howard's four children who are all minors.

searched

However, RM Harris said she did not hear any arguments in the mitigation plea that could persuade her not to send the accused to prison. however, she lowered the custodial sentence and increased the fines to show her displeasure of the accused man's actions.

He was fined $15,000 or three months for possession, $150,000 or six months for dealing and $350,000 or six months for trafficking ganja.

The facts are that on April 17 about 11 p.m, the police stopped a car being driven by the accused along the Montpelier main road. The car was searched and the ganja found in the trunk.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Entertainment Suss for Friday 08/29/08 - listen on Afrocaribradio.com

This is Entertainment Suss with Lady D and Mama ASID - 08/29/08
listen live from 4pm to 4:45pm every Friday - afrocaribradio.com

Kingston Police murdered Spragga’s son?

By POD313
URL: Police murdered Spragga’s son?
Police murdered Spragga’s son?
STARCover_1_PUAINspraggOM Kingston Police murdered Spraggas son?  Why ?
The family of Carlton ‘Carlisle’ Grant is seriously concerned about what they describe as a desperate attempt by the police to cover up his killing last Saturday night.
They say that the police have been acting unprofessionally and have fabricated a tale to cover their tracks after shooting the 17-year-old.
Fired gun

Grant, son of deejay Spragga Benz, was killed by the police along Church Street last Saturday night. Police allege that they were on patrol when two men were seen on a bicycle. They were signalled to stop and complied. One of the men, the police reported, pulled a gun and fired at them. The fire was returned and the men ran. The area was searched and Grant was found suffering from gunshot wounds. A semi-automatic pistol was also allegedly taken from him. Grant was taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

But this report, Grant’s family says, is totally false. They say they have witnesses who gave a completely different story.
Grant’s aunt and another family member who contacted THE STAR yesterday said the teen and another man were first signalled to stop. The police, they say, exited their vehicle, questioned the men and eventually fired a shot which hit the teen in his face.
The other young man, they said, was told to run and while he was doing so additional shots were fired at him.


Suspicious

What makes the family even more suspicious of the police’s report is that they saw a videotape that shows Grant going into a gas station near to Church Street to purchase a sandwich minutes before the incident. They say that there was no sign of a weapon on the teen. This video they say will be given to the police to use in their investigations.


Yesterday, to make things even worse, they say there was an attempt to arrest the other youngster after they went to make a report. “Is like them a try get rid ah him. Dem a try everything to cover up them tracks,” one family member said.

Grant’s death has been devastating for the family, especially for Spragga, who returned to the island on Monday. “Him fadda just hug up Sharon (Grant’s mother) and say she must not cry. And him not really saying anything, you just see pure tears running from him eyes,” Grant’s aunt said.

She describes the teen as a quiet child who wanted to be an actor. Having been in the movie Shottas, he was set to be part of another movie to be shot overseas later this year.

Efforts by THE STAR to get a comment from the Bureau of Special Investigations which is investigating the incident was unsuccessful up to press time.

SPRAGGA SAYS NO RETALIATION
Mi ah read the website, dancehallmuzik.com where Spragga Benz urges no retaliation for the shooting death of his son. In the interview, Spragga said: “I just want di yute dem fi take it easy and let the law take its course. Mek wi see what di investigations will find out. I want dem to know dat it’s all a part a life.” When asked if the police had officially spoken with him regarding the incident he replied, ” No, nobody nuh talk to me, but right now mi not even innna di frame a mind fi talk to nobody either.
And what a way dem find Dr. Dre son dead just so so so? This is a very bad week for celebrity dads.





TEACH !!, Tired of the Politricks, election 2008 | Leave a Comment

Black Leaders, Celebrities in Denver for Obama Camp ‘Unity’ Breakfast on MLK Anniversary

mlk Remembering The Dream..and making it Happen
August 28, 2008 12:51 PM
Kate Barrett
ABC News’ Jennifer Parker reports: Civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, Bernice King, and the Rev. Al Sharpton, as well as African American celebrities like Oprah Winfrey’s best friend Gayle King, Cicely Tyson, Lou Gossett Jr., and actors Alfrie Woodard and Blair Underwood, gathered for breakfast in Denver today on the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s famed ‘I Have a Dream Speech.’ The event, a “unity” breakfast organized by Barack Obama’s campaign, occurred just hours before Obama delivers his own historic acceptance speech as the nation’s first African American major party presidential candidate.
“I hope I can remain upright in my chair,” Gayle King told ABC News of Obama’s speech at Invesco Field, which is expected to be delivered tonight before an estimated 76,000 people.
When people say ‘I have a dream’ today, I say my dream is coming true,” she said. “I knew this day would come and I still know it.”
Of her friend Oprah Winfrey, who is in town for Obama’s speech, King said, “She wouldn’t miss it.”
For many black leaders the day is charged with emotion.
“Having been at the march in 1963 several feet from the platform and looking directly in the face of Dr. King when he made that historic address, today could not be more appropriate or more fitting,” civil rights leader the Rev. Otis Moss Jr. told ABC News.
“Sen. Obama represents the very thing that Dr. King articulated, not only in that speech, but in his entire life and work,” Moss said.
“I’m numb, I’m absolutely numb,” Tyson told ABCNews.com.
“I never, ever dreamed that, in my lifetime, I would be witnessing this,” Tyson added.
“I really don’t know what he’d say,” said Georgia Rep. John Lewis, when asked what civil rights icon King would say were he alive today. “But I think he’d say ‘hallelujah.’”
Lewis is the last living person who spoke at the MLK march.
Firing up a crowd of about 500 black Democratic delegates, celebrities and faith leaders, the Rev. Joseph Lowery, president of the Coalition for the People’s Agenda, said Obama doesn’t have to be a civil rights leader between now and November.
“He can go ahead and be president and leave the agitating to us,” he said to cheers and whoops of “That’s right!”
“The most important thing he can do for the nation is get elected,” Lowery said.
Bernice King also brought the crowd to its feet, arguing that, despite Obama’s historic accomplishment, her father’s work is far from done.
“He declared that he may not get there with us,” she said, “and we are on our way to the promised land, but we are not there yet and our next step is unity.”
“Let us be satisfied when our young men are going to college not going to jail,” she said to loud cheers and applause. “The movement is not there, let’s continue the movement!”
Not to be outdone, Sharpton brought the crowd again to their feet with a verbal slap against President George W. Bush.
“The media keeps talking about passing the baton,” he said of news coverage about former President Bill Clinton’s solid endorsement last night of Obama. “The only baton that we’re going to pass is from George Bush to Barack Obama.”
Sharpton said civil rights leaders will go in November to “states that seem to have difficulty counting votes.”
“We’re going to make sure that the names of African American voters don’t mysteriously disappear,” he said, “Not this time! We will not be divided. Not this time!”
Other speakers echoed that Obama’s candidacy alone isn’t enough.
Charles Steele of the Georgia Southern Christian Leadership Conference said Obama is about to make history, but the fight isn’t over.
“We might quit at this point, but we can’t quit, we can’t let Martin Luther King, and other civil rights leaders in the movement, down,” Steele said. “I challenge you to think about this moment not as a fulfillment of the dream, but an important step along the way.”
Steele said African Americans still have to fight on a daily basis against higher rates of poverty and racism.
Others expressed pride in Obama for being the first black to run for president on a major party ticket.
“I just wish my dad was here to see this,” said actress Holly Robinson Peete, whose late father, TV producer Matt Robinson, marched on Washington.
“He would be so proud of Obama,” she said.
“To have it occur on the 45th anniversary of the march on Washington — that it was destined to be. It could have never been anyone else,” Tyson said.
“My old friend Jane Pittman used to say that when a child is born, folks look into its face and ask, ‘Are you the one? Are you the one?’ Well, he is definitely the one,” she said.

Barack Obama.. what can I say

By POD313
Barack Obama Ignites the Crowd with his Acceptance Speech

DENVER, Colorado (CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama laid out his plan to lead the country into an era of change as he accepted the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday night, securing his place in history as the first African-American to lead a major party ticket.

Sen. Barack Obama accepted his party's nomination for the presidency Thursday night.
Sen. Barack Obama accepted his party’s nomination for the presidency Thursday night.
corner_wire_BL Remembering The Dream..and making it Happen
“Change happens because the American people demand it — because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time. America, this is one of those moments,” he told supporters at the Democratic National Convention. “I believe that as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming.”
Obama pitted himself against John McCain, repeatedly countering attacks from his Republican rival while casting the election as a choice between change and failure, as he addressed tens of thousands of cheering people and millions of primetime TV viewers.
In addition to slamming McCain on Iraq, energy policy and health care, Obama said his rival for the White House is out of touch with the concerns of the average American. VideoWatch Obama accept the historic nomination »
“He said that our economy has made ‘great progress’ under this president. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisers — the man who wrote his economic plan — was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a ‘mental recession,’ and that we’ve become, and I quote, ‘a nation of whiners,’ ” Obama said, eliciting boos from the crowd. VideoWatch Obama blast the status quo »
The speech marked the culmination of the four-day convention in Denver, during which party leaders pushed to heal the rift from a bitter and prolonged primary battle between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. By Thursday, Obama had received clear endorsements from Clinton and her husband former President Bill Clinton.

By early evening, the line of people seeking to get into Invesco Field to hear Obama’s address stretched for six miles, and the crowd that filled the stadium was more than 80,000 strong.
“I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring,” Obama told the audience. “What the naysayers don’t understand is that this election has never been about me. It’s about you.”
In a statement issued immediately after the speech, the McCain campaign called the speech “misleading” and said it was “fundamentally at odds with the meager record of Barack Obama.”
“When the temple comes down, the fireworks end, and the words are over, the facts remain: Sen. Obama still has no record of bipartisanship, still opposes offshore drilling, still voted to raise taxes on those making just $42,000 per year, and still voted against funds for American troops in harm’s way. The fact remains: Barack Obama is still not ready to be president,” said a statement from the campaign. The “temple” is a reference to the columns that formed the backdrop for Obama’s speech.
Obama also outlined his promises for the nation — vowing to cut taxes, end the country’s dependence on oil from the Middle East and offer affordable healthcare for all Americans. He also pledged to end the war in Iraq responsibly, and “finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.” iReport.com: Watch and share your thoughts on Obama’s speech
He wrapped up his speech by telling the crowd, “America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future.” VideoWatch as fireworks mark the end of the convention »
The crowd gave Obama a roaring welcome and met lines of his speech with chants of his catchphrase, “Yes, we can.”
Many political pundits said Obama hit it out of the park with his nearly 50-minute speech, and those in attendance agreed. interactive Remembering The Dream..and making it Happen See what CNN analysts have to say about Obama’s speech »
“It was an excellent home run,” said Matt Besser, an Obama representative to the DNC platform committee. “He did everything he needed to do. He gracefully dissected John McCain and then set out his own vision, and clearly everyone got it.”
In the hours leading up to the speech, a star-studded line up of musicians performed, including Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Sheryl Crow and Will.i.am. VideoWatch musicians perform at the convention »
The scene was much like a rock concert, with the foot-stomping, flag-waving crowd dancing and bouncing beach balls as they awaited Obama’s arrival.
When Obama officially locked in his party’s nomination on Wednesday, delegates sobbed, cheered and hugged in celebration of the historic moment.
The Democratic candidate’s address fell on the 45th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech.
In an emotional tribute to the slain civil rights leader earlier in the evening, King’s children paid respect to their father and said he would have been proud of the party and the generation that would realize his dream. Civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis and Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., son of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, were seen hugging each other and weeping.
McCain also honored Obama’s achievement in a television ad that aired during the convention.
art.gore.gi Remembering The Dream..and making it Happen
Earlier in the evening, former presidential candidate Al Gore turned the focus to the environment, an issue that received little attention earlier in the week. He also invoked the bitterly disputed 2000 presidential election to argue that Americans should elect Obama in November. Read about Gore’s address
Eight years ago, some said there was not much difference between the nominees of the two major parties and it didn’t really matter who became president,” he told delegates. “But here we all are in 2008, and I doubt anyone would argue now that election didn’t matter,” he said.


URL: Tourists, residents flee as Gustav swamps Jamaica


St Mary cop murdered
published: Friday | August 29, 2008

Not even the pouring rains of Tropical Storm Gustav were enough to quiet the gunmen who continued their murderous rampage in St Mary yesterday.

This time their victim was police Inspector Audley Smith, the acting head of operations in St Mary.

Reports are that Smith had just left the St Mary Parish Council Emergency Operation Centre and stopped at a bar in Race Course in the parish when he was fatally shot by the gunmen shortly before eight yesterday evening.

Up to late last night, details of the murder were not available and investigators had not determined a motive.

Minutes after the shooting, an obviously shocked Mayor of Port Maria Richard Creary expressed regret at the killing of the cop who spent most of yesterday involved in planning the council's disaster response.

Major send-off

"He was one of the best policemen you can find, everybody loved him and St Mary will not be the same without him," Creary said.

The mayor noted that residents of Retreat in the parish had staged a major send-off for Smith when he was transferred to the Oracabessa Police Station recently.

Smith was the 10th member of the police force to be murdered since the start of the year and the second inspector this month.

Inspector Dennis Gardner and Corporal Rodney Henry were murdered in separate incidents on August 2.

Gustav's gift to Rae Town
published: Friday | August 29, 2008


Residents of Rae Town, Kingston, scramble for fish as strong waves lash the Kingston shoreline yesterday.

While some Jamaicans were busy running away from the oncoming Tropical Storm Gustav, some residents of downtown Kingston were running towards it with buckets, scandal bags, pots, pans and everything else they could find. They were hoping to catch fish that were literally jumping out of the water and on to the beach.

The residents discovered the catch around 4 p.m. when they saw some policemen at the seashore staring down into the rough polluted sea along Victoria Pier. To their amazement, they saw a school of fish popping out of the murky water in almost miraculous proportions reminiscent of biblical miracles. Many quickly grabbed what they could, while others quickly fetched containers for the catch.

As news spread about the bounty, scores of people scampered to the area, anxious to get their share of the Gustav gift.

"Me see some police down there so and mi cousin call me and wi go down there and start pick dem up," said one woman, who had caught about a dozen fish.

It was a real fish fest, where a wide variety was available for the catchers. Grunt, parrot and grouper in various sizes will make quite a feast for residents. One man supposedly caught a jackfish. However, when our news team arrived, we were unable to locate him.

Lucky catch

The residents said their lucky catch was washed ashore by the storm currents.

The increased intensity of the rains caused by the storm did not deter other residents, who heard about the surprise catch, from seeking out a piece of the action.

Armed with crates, buckets and just about anything that could carry the fish, adults and children rushed to the waterfront, lining the shoreline from Rae Town to Port Royal Street. They moved feverishly to find the right spot that was offering the best reward. Despite the heavy downpours and the rising tide, the residents cast their fears aside for the prospect of a free-fish meal.


This resident of Rae Town, Kingston, carries a bucket of fish, which were washed ashore during wind and rain associated with Tropical Storm Gustav, yesterday. - PHOTOS BY Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

Marine biologist Peter Gayle surmises the fish could have jumped from the sea as a result of being robbed of oxygen because of excessive nutrients that could have washed into the marine environment from land.

"It could also be that there was something caustic in the water," Gayle guessed.

Environmentalist Peter Espeut has a similar theory. He believes the fish could have found themselves on land because of a condition called chemical oxygen demand, in which chemicals in the water could be robbing the fish of oxygen, forcing them to find air above the ocean.

"With the Kingston Harbour so polluted, it might be a possible explanation," he said.

Family emergency plan

Assign roles/responsibilities for hurricane preparedness and evacuation to each member of the household long before actual storm.

Establish an evacuation plan and map out exit strategy and route.

Review emergency plans monthly.

Ensure all doors and windows are properly secured to make break-ins difficult.

Alert parish disaster coordinator and police when evacuating premises.

Place furniture on raised platform, e.g. building blocks, to prevent flood damage.

If not carrying all important documents, such as passports and ID cards, lock them in a watertight container.


One person was injured yesterday as this minibus carrying four persons overturned on Hope Road in St Andrew. The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle after it skidded on the wet road. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

Hurricane tips

Three-day supply of water (one gallon per person, per day) and ready-to-eat non-perishable foods, such as tuna, sardines, canned sausage, crackers, canned fruit


This satellite image shows Tropical Storm Gustav over the Caribbean on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008. (AP / NOAA)
This satellite image shows Tropical Storm Gustav over the Caribbean on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008. (AP / NOAA)

Tourists, residents flee as Gustav swamps Jamaica

Updated Thu. Aug. 28 2008 8:37 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
The death toll from Tropical Storm Gustav is at 59 as the storm swerves across Jamaica - and may have its sights set on New Orleans.
160_ap_gustav1_080827 Tourists, residents flee as Gustav swamps JamaicaAt least 51 people died in Haiti from floods, mudslides and falling trees while eight more people were buried when a cliff gave way in the Dominican Republic. One woman died clutching her 11-month-old baby while five more of her children were smothered in the wreckage beside her.
As of 8 p.m. ET, Gustav was centered about 25 km west of Kingston, Jamaica and about 485 km east-southeast of Grand Cayman and is moving westward at about 11 km/h.
Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on this track the center of Gustav will cross Jamaica tonight and move near or over the Cayman Islands Friday.
A U.S. Coast Guard boat passes fuel oil storage tanks on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008. The brief respite for consumers at the pump may soon come to an abrupt end as preparations for tropical storm Gustav curtail refining activity near the U.S. coast. (AP /Mark Lennihan)
A U.S. Coast Guard boat passes fuel oil storage tanks on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008. The brief respite for consumers at the pump may soon come to an abrupt end as preparations for tropical storm Gustav curtail refining activity near the U.S. coast. (AP /Mark Lennihan)
Meanwhile, tension is mounting on the U.S. Gulf Coast as Louisiana and Texas national guards are on standby in advance of the storm.
Officials in New Orleans also pondering an evacuation of the city nearly three years to the day Hurricane Katrina battered the city.

Mayor Ray Nagin, who was attending the Democratic National Convention in Denver, left early to help the city prepare.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said he believes there’s a good chance Gustav will strike the Gulf Coast.

In Jamaica, authorities urged people in rural areas to find shelter while businesses remained open Thursday in Kingston.

Ronald Jackson of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness (ODPEM) told CTV Newsnet on Thursday that they’ve begun the process of evacuating parts of the southern and northern coasts of the island, but have not forced residents to leave their homes.

Jackson said they have seen a steady flow of people in the 34 shelters they have opened; five of which are now occupied.

ODPEM are not getting the high levels of compliance they would like to see with evacuation orders, Jackson said, but he added that it is a marked improvement from over the last six years.
In the Cayman Islands, tourists were being evacuated Thursday as resorts shut down in advance of the storm.

Stacey McLaughlan of Albany, N.Y., said she and her husband were told to leave their resort by noon Thursday.

McLaughlan told The Associated Press she was told that if she didn’t leave the island she’d have to go to a shelter.

700 persons now in 31 shelters - ODPEM

By POD313
The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is reporting that 700 persons are in shelters islandwide as of 6:00 pm with almost half of them in St Thomas. Meanwhile one shelter in St Catherine, Old Harbour High School,


Irie Jamboree may be effected by Gustav - Gosh !

By POD313
Thursday talk - Gustav to affect Irie Jamboree?
28 Aug 2008 | by Abena, Freelance Writer / one876entertainment.com
Iriejamboree07 Irie Jamboree may be effected by Gustav - Gosh !
WILL GUSTAV AFFECT IRIE JAMBOREE?
There are concerns that TS Gustav may affect Irie Jamboree’s promotional activities as a number of artistes may have had their flights postponed because of the inclement weather associated with the TS. Deejay Beenie Man who is in England, and singer Mavado are two of the headline acts who may have to tweak their travel arrangements if they intend to make it to New York for the show. Today, Air Jamaica plans to cancel all flights as of 12 noon at the Norman Manley Int’l airport and as of 2:30 p.m. at Donald Sangster International. When flights resume on Saturday, there could be an ugly backlog that could affect the availability of flights to New York. One876 will keep you posted to let you know what’s popping?
MACKA HOSTS BACK TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAY
macka_diamond_book Irie Jamboree may be effected by Gustav - Gosh !
Mi love how Macka ah give back to the community, she was a part of a back to school giveaway recently where she gave away Chubby back to school gifts and Caribbean Cool gift baskets to children.
BOLT RETURNS TO JAMAICA SEPTEMBER 3
Mi hear say Bolt will be returning to Jamaica September 3 so there is going to be pandemonium in Jamaica next week when him drop inna the place, worse, we just survive big storm and ah try build back. That will be like a big occasion fi we rejoice inna the fact that we are a blessed nation.


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Kartel and Mavado - is it Real or Memorex ?

What do you think about the feud between Vybz Kartel & Mavado – Real or Fake?

vybz_kartel_mavado_feud_song_artistes.jpgWhile Vybz Kartel and Mavado are not on good terms in Jamaica, the remix of ‘Gangsta’ by French producers Daddy & Hypa (D&H) is fast becoming a monster hit in France. The remix features Mavado, Vybz Kartel and newcomer Delus. You can listen to the Gangsta remix on the OutAroad music player
However, what we are here to discuss today is the feud between Mavado and Vybz - is it real or fake?

Kartel is a promotions machine “Money Over War”

By POD313

DJ Vybz Kartel’s Honda Accord bombed?

vybz_kartel_car_bombed_jamaica_fire_honda Kartel is a promotions machine Money Over War
Gangster lyricist Adejah Palmer more popularly known as Vybz Kartel was given a rude awakening when his Honda Accord motor car was allegedly bombed outside of his plush upper St Andrew home in the late hours of Sunday 24th August. According to reports from the area, a motorcycle was heard entering the road on which the Dj lives and moments later an explosion shattered the silence complimented by the sound of the motorcycle speeding off.
When the OutARoad.com team arrived on the scene, the charred remains of the car were seen outside the deejay’s gate cooling down.
The Dj was not available for comment, but OutARoad.com team hopes that he stays safe and that there will be no repeat of this incident.
It is unclear as to what were the motives behind the bombing but OutAroad.com will keep you posted as the saga unfolds.

vybz_kartel_car_bombed_jamaica_fire_honda1 Kartel is a promotions machine Money Over War

It was an Electrical Problem - Vybz Kartel

Dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel sent out a press release stating that his car was not fire bombed even though residents strongly believed that it was the act of a motorcyclist who sped from the scene seconds after the car exploded.
However, according to reports from Vybz Kartel, he had no idea of his car being bombed by a motorcyclist. He also mentioned that his Honda had an electrical problem, which might be the caused for the car to explode.
The deejay added that, he has nothing against Mavado and even if Mavado has something against him, it is not evident. Vybz Kartel said he has no time to focus on negative things right now as his focus is 100% about making money - money over war.

8 Babies and Still Baking - the one and only Elephant Man

By POD313
All Ele's Children

Elephant Man - File

STAR of the month Elephant man has dispelled rumours of having 27 children and used the opportunity to shed some light on his family life.
Most Jamaican people have heard of his famous 'anaconda' in his songs but they have also heard that Elephant Man has many children. However, he says he has only eight children; scattered in Jamaica and the United States. His youngest child is five years old and the eldest, 10 years old.
When THE STAR asked him about the rumours, he said, "Why dem did seh mi have AIDS? Dat's just people!"
Nonetheless, he says he has a good relationship with his children.
"Dem love give trouble 'cause dem know seh dem father name Elephant. Mi talk to dem every day 'cause de whole a dem have cell phone. Dem mek mi know weh a gwaan wid dem school work," Elephant Man told THE STAR.
Though the children are many, he was unwilling to disclose if he will marry one of his many babymothers.
"Mi nuh have no wife. No sah, mi nuh plan fi get married 'cause mi too young fi dat. When mi 'bout 50 years old, mi think 'bout dat," he said.
-Sadeke Brooks

New Bolt Dances Dash into the Dancehall

By POD313
New 'Bolt Dances' hit the street
Jamaica's Usain Bolt, left, and Asafa Powell celebrate winning the gold in the men's 4x100-metre relay on Friday at the Beijing Olympics in China. - AP
Usain Bolt did some of the latest dance moves while at the Beijing Olympics and to show their appreciation, dancers have created moves to represent the top Jamaican sprinter.
After completing the 100 metre men's finals, Bolt did Ovamar's 'Nuh Linga' and after the 200 metre finals he did Ice's 'Gully Creepa' and Shelly Belly's 'Nineties Rock'.
Upon seeing Bolt's actions, Ice says he was pleased to see the athlete show aspects of the Jamaican culture on the international stage; but more so because Bolt chose to do his dance.
Hence, after only seeing Bolt complete the race, he created the 'Gully Bolt'. It includes Bolt's signature lightening sign, the beating of the chest and Ice mimicking a runner.
"Him (Bolt) do di ting a Beijing but mi notice seh him neva did a deal wid di 'Gully Creepa' di right way so mi jus fix up something fi him," Ice told THE STAR.
Ice is not the only dancer to make a dance for Bolt as Timeless Dancer's Taz created another called 'Lightning Bolt'.
"Wah motivate mi is dat after him win the 100 metre him do 'Nuh Linga' and den when him win 200 metre him do 'Gully Creepa' and 'Nineties Rock'. So mi realise seh dem nuh have no dance fi him so mi seh him need a dance fi himself," Taz said.
In his dance, Taz starts by rotating his hands that are lowered, which is calling the other runners to come forward. Afterwards, he beats his chest with the right hand and then the left. He then extends his risen hands left and right and points to the imaginary scoreboard. In addition, he brushes his hair with both hands as Bolt did prior to the start of the race.
Since creating the dance, Taz says the public has been responding well to it. He says the dance was premiered last Thursday on Hype TV with Elephant Man, who sings songs like Gully Creepa and Nuh Linga. On Saturday it was done at The Gleaner Olympic Party and the Magnum Road show at the Kingston Waterfront. On Sunday it was done at Passion Sundays, which is held at Hillview Avenue.
Like the songs dedicated to Olympians, the dances in tribute to them are likely to pile in.

JA Star/ Debut Album For Buju Banton's Gargamel Music Label

Buju Banton - file

Dancehall up-and-comer New Kidz, the first artiste on international reggae star Buju Banton's independent label, Gargamel Music, will be releasing his new single, Woman, Tuesday, September 2.
The song is the first track from Kidz' yet-to-be titled album, slated for release early next year and will feature some of Jamaica's top producers including John John, Delly Ranx, Laba Laba, Liquid and, of course, the Gargamel production crew.
New Kidz, aka Anthony Bennett, was born and raised in Kingston in a home brimming with the rhythms of his father's sound system. He was drawn very early to a musical path inspiration that would shape his life.
Following a stint as selector, Kidz had collaborations with other dancehall greats including Elephant Man (Wash Out).
After rocking the crowds at some of the hottest Caribbean music festivals including Sting, Fully Loaded, Sumfest and touring for two years as the warm-up act for Buju Banton, Kidz has evolved into an entertainer, songwriter and budding producer, who is honed and ready to take centre stage. He humbly states: "Good music can talk to the people, influence people, teach people. I just want to lift music up ... Trust me. Just give me a listen."
New Kidz is currently in New York for several promotional events and is available for interviews through Thursday, August 28.
The Dutch Accept I-Octane

I-Octane. - file

Conscious singer I-Octane returned home on a high after making good on his first ever European performance at the Sundance Festival in Holland on August 10. The singer was surprised at the response he received from the estimated 30-35,000 patrons as he belted out his popular singles such as Stab Vampire, Poverty and Different Page.
He was surprised by how well they knew his songs. He felt that it was one of his best performances yet and was grateful to perform in front of a huge crowd of caucasians and hearing them singing his songs word for word.
The songs went over so well, that I-Octane found himself performing tracks more than once. When he touched Different Page, in the singers own words, 'It was a different page all together'. He had to do that song three times, before he could eventually satisfy their insatiable appetite for the single.
The singer had every reason to enjoy his first stint in Europe as he was a hot commodity there, doing one interview after another for magazines, radio and television stations. That was not the only thing occupying his time as he was also in demand to do dub plates and specials for various sounds in that part of the world.
I-Octane also did a superb performance in Canada at the Toronto International Music Festival, which took place last weekend at Oakville Italian Garden, Toronto.
The singer is expected to return to the island on Tuesday to shoot the video for his number-one single Different Page.
According to the singer's management company, Arrows Recording, they should have shot the video already, but rain put paid to those plans.


KANYE REMEMBERS MOM DURING DNC: Rapper wishes Donda could've been there to witness Obama make history.


*As America's first black presidential nominee was celebrated at the Democratic National Convention this week, the thoughts of many African Americans turned toward deceased loved ones who did not live to witness it happen.

"It's an incredible time to be around. I wish my momma could have seen this day," said Kanye West to the Associated Press early Thursday before his performance at Bono's ONE campaign party.
West, whose set included "Touch the Sky," "Home" and "Stronger," was also joined on stage by Jamie Foxx to sing "Gold Digger," which the Oscar winner preceded with a shout out to Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
"We make history, man," Foxx told the crowd. "With Obama, we make history. If you ready for Obama, make some noise. Yo man, let's do this for Obama."
West was backed by a band clad in black outfits that were described by the Associated Press as Mad Max-meets-DNC riot police. The Chicago-born artist also sang two new songs he said he'd written in the past several days – both more focused on relationships and heartbreak than politics.
The ONE party also drew such celebs as Forest Whitaker and Ashley Judd, who arrived with Foxx waving an American flag, Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner and former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle.



FAITH EVANS ADMITS BEATING LIL' KIM


*In her new book, "Keeping the Faith" singer Faith Evans writes of catching rapper Lil Kim red-handed and buck naked in the bed of her husband, the late Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace.
Evans writes: I don’t know what got into my head. But I decided that I needed to know once and for all what Big was really trying to do. On that night before Christmas, I drove to Big’s house on a mission to find out where I really stood.
The security guard at the gate just waved me in when I pulled up. It was Christmas Eve and she’d seen me come into the complex with the kids, so I guess she didn’t think anything of it. I parked in the rear of Big’s town house and walked up to the garage. It was locked. I hadn’t been over to Big’s house a whole lot but I did know that you jiggle the garage door a certain way and unlock it.
I got into the garage, where there was an elevator that would take me to both floors of Big’s duplex. There I was, rocking a black skully cap and a heavy goose-down jacket, tiptoeing into the elevator and pressing the button to go up to the second floor, where his bedroom was located. I got to Big’s bedroom door, turned the knob, and went inside. As soon as I saw a small lump next to Big’s large frame, I flew into a rage, ran over to the side of the bed, and pulled back the covers. I grabbed some chick out of the bed and started beating her ass. At some point, the chick’s wig came off in my hand; it was a short, cropped wig. I stopped throwing punches for a minute to get a good look at the chick I was beating up. It was Lil Kim. She was completely butt-naked, yelling as I pushed her around the room.
“So you not f***king her, right?” I screamed at Big. “Yeah, you not messing with her anymore, right?”
When they heard all the commotion, Cease, D-Roc, and Gutter came running into the room. ‘Oh sh**!” they yelled in unison. “It’s Faye! How the hell she get in here?”
Big sat up in bed and pointed at Kim, who was standing in a corner of the room, trying to cover her naked body with her hands while I was still yelling at Big. “Yo, get her outta here,’ Big said. They led Kim out of the room and she screamed and cursed the whole way.
It was absolutely crazy in that house. Kim was naked and being led somewhere to get dressed. I was still screaming on Big. Damion, Cease, and Gutter were laughing in amazement that I would be so bold. And Big looked like he was just too through with all of us. He sat up in bed shaking his head. Kim left the house and I stayed, talking to Big about why he couldn’t be honest with me about her.
"I thought it was all about Tiffany?” I asked. "You still messing with Kim, too?” Big had nothing to say.
I have to say I actually felt some pity for Kim. Big had a wife, and she settled for messing with him. Then he started dating Tiffany and Big had a wife and a mistress. And Kim still settled for being the other other woman. It seemed pretty sad to settle for that.
When I left a few hours later to get the kids, I noticed that Kim had taken my key to my Land Cruiser and scratched up my entire car, from the hood to the back bumper. Even though we ended up having sex that day, at that point I decided I was 100 percent through. I was not going to be a ride or die chick, always going to lengths to show Big how I felt. I was the mother of his child and his wife. But I was going to have to let go.


R. KELLY WANTED FOR QUESTIONING IN S.A.: Authorities probe link to tour scam.

Kells strikes back in statement saying it's all a lie


*Authorities in South Africa are looking to question R. Kelly regarding a scam in which he allegedly profited $130,000 from a tour despite failing to show up, reports WENN.




Busiswe Zakwe was arrested and charged with swindling thousands of dollars from investors by promising ticket sale profits if they brought an R. Kelly tour to the country in 2005. Kelly never stepped foot in South Africa, but the woman claims she deposited the investors' money into his account.
Local police have reportedly confirmed that the account Zakwe claims is Kelly's is authentic, but the money is nowhere to be found. Police want to question Kelly about the missing funds.
Zakwe has been charged with fraud and is due to appear in a local court on September 10.
UPDATE:
R. Kelly's camp today released the following statement regarding media reports about an alleged South African swindler who used his name to bilk investors.
"There is absolutely no truth to the reports that R. Kelly received money from a South African woman accused of swindling investors by convincing them to invest in a non-existent R. Kelly tour in 2005. Mr. Kelly has no knowledge of this woman, has never received any money from her, and has not been contacted by any law enforcement authorities regarding the matter. He will, of course, cooperate fully with any legitimate investigation of this matter, since he has nothing to hide.


SHAQUILLE ACCUSER HAS STALKING HISTORY: Woman filed restraining order against Alexis Miller last year.


*The woman who accused Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal of harassing her has herself been accused of stalking, reports TMZ.com.
Alexis Miller, an Atlanta rapper who goes by MaryJane, got a restraining order against Shaq last week, claiming he threatened her and, among other things, made heavy-breathing phone calls to her.
TMZ said it obtained court papers flied last year by Lakisha Renae Hall in which a judge ordered Miller to stay 500 yards away from her and avoid any contact.
Alexis Miller
The website also learned that in October 2007, Miller tried getting a restraining order against Jonathan Stubbs, claiming he stalked her -- once pulling out a gun, shooting it once and yelling, "Who were you with?" That petition was dismissed because Miller never followed through.


O.J. PUNCHED OUT BY ARNELLE: Simpsons get into a physical altercation over dad's girlfriend.

*The New York Daily News is reporting that O.J. Simpson was knocked to the ground Sunday by his daughter Arnelle in a tussle over his 32-year-old girlfriend, Christie Prody.

"Arnelle had a fight with Christie over Christie's behavior," a source told the newspaper. "That's what started the whole thing. Christie has some problems with drinking, and Arnelle got mad. O.J. said 'Don't talk to her like that,' and Arnelle pushed him."
According to the source, Arnelle, 39, called 911 in a fit of guilt after she toppled her 61-year-old dad, giving him a minor head injury. The National Enquirer quoted a source saying O.J. was "cut on the back of his head, blood was coming out the side of his mouth and his lip was cut."
Arnelle Simpson
The Enquirer said Arnelle was also upset with O.J. for giving money to Prody, while his high school sweetheart - Arnelle's mom, Marguerite Whitley - has to work at WalMart to make ends meet.
Additionally, Arnelle lashed out at OJ for "ditching" Whitley to marry Nicole Brown Simpson, the Enquirer reported. O.J. was acquitted of Nicole's murder in 1995. Two years later, a civil jury found him "responsible" for the killing.
The police report says the altercation ended when Arnelle agreed to leave O.J.'s house "in order to let things calm down."


MUHAMMAD ALI'S LONGTIME MANAGER DIES: Jabir Herbert Muhammad passed away following heart surgery.
*Jabir Herbert Muhammad, who served as boxer Muhammad Ali's manager for most of his professional career, died on Monday following heart surgery in Chicago, his son told the Associated Press. He was 79.


SUGE KNIGHT POSTS BAIL IN ASSAULT/DRUG CASE: Mogul accused of beating and pulling knife on his girlfriend.

Marion 'Suge' Knight

Marion 'Suge' Knight ... His name may derive from 'Sugar Bear', but he's far from cuddly.
Marion "Suge" Knight, founder of recently bankrupt Death Row Records, was allegedly beating up his girlfriend at 6.30am (Wednesday) when Las Vegas police all of a sudden interrupted. Knight was arrested and charged with battery domestic-violence, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a controlled substance and possession of dangerous drugs without a prescription, the Associated Press reported.

For someone whose nickname is derived from "Sugar Bear", 43-year-old Knight does not have a very cuddly personal history. He has been jailed for assault on numerous occasions, accused of assault on even more occasions, and Dr Dre himself allegedly has a Protection Order against the hip-hop mogul.

In this case, Knight was discovered in a car park near the Las Vegas Strip, "violently beating" a woman while holding a knife. Though the woman's name and age have not been released, police said she identified herself as Knight's girlfriend of three years. She had not been stabbed but was treated at a hospital for her injuries.
"This is a very large man," Las Vegas police lieutenant Chris Carroll emphasised to journalists. "He was on top of her, actually in the act of violently beating her when the officers arrived, with the knife in his hand."
Police were initially called to the scene due to a minor traffic accident. Knight's car had veered on to the curb after he punched his girlfriend in the head and she "grabbed the steering wheel", police said.

Knight was also found to be in possession of ecstasy and the prescription narcotic Hydrocodone.
Yesterday, Knight paid $19,000 (£8,500) in bail and agreed to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court on September 26 2008.

*Marion "Suge" Knight posted bail and was back on the street Wednesday night after being arrested and jailed for allegedly beating his girlfriend and brandishing a knife near the Las Vegas Strip, reports the AP.

According to a court spokeswoman, the 43-year-old founder of bankrupt Death Row Records posted $19,000 bail and was released with a promise to appear Sept. 26 in Las Vegas Justice Court.

Suge was arrested at about 6:40 a.m. after officers arrived at the scene of a minor traffic accident and found him hitting a woman in a parking lot off a busy thoroughfare.
"This is a very large man," said Las Vegas police Lt. Chris Carroll, estimating his weight at more than twice the woman's. "He was on top of her, actually in the act of violently beating her when the officers arrived, with the knife in his hand."
Knight dropped the folding knife when cops arrived and was taken into custody without incident, Carroll said.
The woman was not stabbed but she was treated at a hospital for injuries that Carroll said were not life-threatening. Police did not release the woman's name or age, but said she identified herself as Knight's girlfriend of three years.
View aerial footage of Suge's arrest here.