With Reviews ranging from ‘Incredible’ to ‘Informative’, to ‘the best music conference I’ve ever attended’, IMC 2024 is being hailed as successful, impactful and the best of its kind in the region and beyond. The Island Music Conference’s key objectives of being a facilitator, and gathering point to engage with artistes & Global industry practitioners, address pivotal questions that can significantly influence their careers, and ultimately propel Jamaica and the Caribbean’s entertainment sector forward as a cohesive unit, continued to be met in its sophomore staging.
The recently concluded conference, held in Kingston, Jamaica from February 21st thru 25th, featured an impressive line-up of influential figures, including WyClef Jean, Kes, StoneBwoy, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Spice, Teejay, Masicka and Jesse Royal.
Sirius Xm’s Alex Tear, Audiomack’s Brian Zisook, Meta’s Brittany Johnson, Youtube’s Tuma Basa, S-Curve’s Steve Greenburg, Warner Records’ Steve Carless, United Masters’ David Melhado, Amazon’s Madeline Nelson, Grammy’s Len Brown and Ranch Entertainment’s Costi were just a few of the prominent music executives and practitioners who unravelled and provided insights into a slew of crucial global music topics, among them, the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the music industry, the nuances of publicity, branding strategies, artiste management, digital music marketing and effective money management.
The five-day event was attended by over a dozen countries to include Guadeloupe, Trinidad, Grenada, Guyana, Dom Rep, SVG, St. Lucia, Costa Rica and Barbados. Zimbabwe and Ghana were represented from the Continent. Canada was represented as well as 13 states of the U.S.
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In addition to the powerhouse convergence of top-tier artistes and key stakeholders, IMC this year looked at “Defining your Style” with Caribbean Lifestyle Doyenne Novia McDonald Whyte, Ayana Riviere, Keneea Linton-George, Carla Gittens, Neko “Bootleg Rocstar” Kelly and Paris Cole.
There was an immersive two-day song writing workshop on February 22nd and 23rd, centered on the art of crafting impactful punch lines and clever rhymes. The workshop was lead by songwriter/Producer Mikey Bennett who says in all his years of doing workshops and camps “This was the best one and the most fun”.
The final day saw the Premiere of the DocuFilm BAD LIKE BROOKLYN DANCEHALL – a riveting exploration of the rise of Dancehall in Brooklyn. It detailed the immigration, the soundsystem culture and those that set and fed the genre in the cold. A perfect end to a week of culture.
IMC Chairman and Co-Founders Orville ‘Shaggy’ Burrell, Judith Bodley and Sharon Burke are pleased with the turnout and the outcomes of 2024, though they still want to see more of the new and rising artistes attend. They’ve promised that just like this year, 2025 will be even better than the year before.
The 2024 edition of the conference was endorsed by the Ministry of Culture and supported by the Jamaica Tourist Board. Onboard with the project in a big way were Tastee Jamaica Limited, YOUTUBE, the CDB, Pepsi, IRIE FM, ZIP FM, SUNCITY FM, CVM Television and The Jamaica Observer Ltd. Other sponsors included IPrint, KFC, Kendel, KitKat and Hertz.
Born on this date in 1974 in the City of Brotherly Love, Dwight Grant, aka Beanie Sigel, aka Beans, morphed into an icon in the Philly Hip Hop scene as the leader of the now-defunct Roc-A-Fella Records’ State Property. Even with all of his legal troubles and the untimely split of the Roc, Beanie is still regarded as one of the best emcees of his era and one of the very few who lives what he speaks in the booth.
With six solo albums, three State Property collabos, and four silver screen blockbuster appearances, it’s difficult to argue that Beans has not had a successful career. Anyone who could hold Hova’s attention for more than one album has some obvious skills to match his street bravado.
Happy born day to Beans and many more in the future!
On this date in 1992, the Brooklyn/Teaneck, New Jersey duo Das EFX dropped their game changing single “They Want EFX” on East West Records.
When Krazy Drazy and Skood dropped their signature, off beat, stuttering style, am entire wave of rappers with an identical or similar style emerged in Hip Hop during the early 90s. With samples from “Buffalo Gals” by Malcolm McLaren, “Blind Man Can See It” by James Brown and “Breath Control II by Boogie Down Productions.They Want EFX was the blueprint for many of those who came after them. Their usage of famous TV commercials and slogans distinguished DAS’ style from the others, but later proved that they can switch their stutter to a consistent cadence and still keep up with their peers.
The lead single from the group’s debut album Dead Serious did numbers commercially as well appearing at number 25 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 and even reached the pole position for Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs in ’92.
Almost everyone familiar with The Dave Chappelle Show are well versed on his Diddy Making The Band parody, but the most memorable part of the skit was unquestionably Chappelle’s impression of Making Of The Band contestant Dylan Dilinjah, who was perceived as always going against the show’s executive producer Sean “Diddy” Combs.
In a recent interview wit h the “We Are Flatbush” podcast, Dylan claims that The Chappellle Show skit “f***ed up” his career and says that he never named himself five times as the Top 5 as the comedian joked in the skit.
“Everyone is laughing. This is legend now, but I’m fucked up from what you just did,” said Dylan about the impact of the show.
In a bold move that could reshape the landscape of New York City’s entertainment scene, rapper Nas has unveiled a $5 billion proposal to transform Resorts World Casino New York City into a state-of-the-art casino complex in his hometown of Jamaica, Queens.
Partnering with Resorts World Casino, Nas aims to revitalize the neighborhood while creating new opportunities for local residents. The ambitious project includes plans for a multi-functional casino featuring a 7,000-seat capacity entertainment venue for hosting events and concerts. Additionally, the development will encompass park space, housing, hotels, restaurants, and upgraded transit options to JFK Airport and Manhattan, promising to generate an estimated 5,000 union jobs.
“This is an ambitious project that will give new opportunities to the hard-working families who call Queens home, attract top-tier talent, and build up the next generation of leaders,” Nas expressed during the unveiling, as reported by Rhyme Junkie. “It’s an honor to be here, to be a part of this with Resorts World, realizing the future, seeing what this can be and what it will be.”
The announcement comes as Nas’ proposal competes with fellow hip-hop icon JAY-Z’s bid for a NYC casino license. JAY-Z, through his entertainment company Roc Nation, has partnered with SL Green and Caesars Entertainment to propose a boutique-style casino at the iconic 1515 Broadway office tower in Times Square.
“New York is the epicenter of culture. We have the opportunity to create a destination at the heart of the true crossroads of the word,” JAY-Z stated in a press release. “My partnership with SL Green and Caesars has all the promise and commitment to economic opportunity, growth, and enrichment for the community and everyone that visits the Empire State.”
The competition for the coveted casino license underscores the potential economic impact and cultural significance of these projects. Nas and JAY-Z are not only vying for the license but also aiming to shape the future of entertainment and hospitality in New York City.
“When we stood here more than a dozen years ago to break ground on Resorts World New York City, our vision extended well beyond that already-ambitious original plan — today, that vision can soon become a reality,” remarked Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting America East, in a statement.
As both Nas and JAY-Z present their visions for the city’s entertainment landscape, the decision on the casino license remains in the hands of New York City officials. With their respective proposals, these hip-hop moguls are not only competing for a business opportunity but also aiming to leave a lasting impact on their communities and the city at large. The stakes are high, and the outcome will shape the future of entertainment in the Big Apple.
The legendary unfiltered comedian Katt Williams didn’t hold back during his three-hour appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience” this week, touching on a range of controversial topics and offering candid insights into several of his views.
The interview came nearly two months after Williams made headlines with his candid remarks on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast, where he suggested that Joe Rogan had avoided having him on his show. However, Rogan extended an invitation to Williams following the viral interview.
During the conversation, Williams addressed California’s ban on flavored vapes and menthol cigarettes, emphasizing the disproportionate impact on the Black community. He expressed concerns about the classification of menthol as a flavor, highlighting its significance to Black consumers.
When Rogan asked about the preference for menthol cigarettes among Black people, Williams acknowledged the sensitive nature of the topic Katt ripped into Rogan.
“That was fine, but they let it also hurt Black people in that it counted menthol as a flavor,” Williams said.
Rogan then asked, “Why do Black people like menthol cigarettes so much? What’s that about?”
Williams laughed, “You’re gonna get me canceled. This is very racist, this conversation. A Black person actually getting ready to answer this—it’s terrible on all ends.”
The popular comedian said Black people tend to prefer concentrated products and strong flavors.
“Before things were called concentrate, that’s what we appreciated, [what] was concentrated,” Williams said.
“There’s this whole thing with liquor and malt liquor and the difference between the two. One is richer and stronger and as a people, we tend to go with those products. And the fact that menthol is a natural thing, so anybody who’s from the South knows about mint plants — so you appreciate that as a flavor profile as well.”
Moving on to discuss transgenderism, Williams referred to it as a “satanic” trend rather than an identity, drawing parallels to the deity Baphomet, often associated with Satan. He reflected on his awareness of transgenderism as a concept and its connections to religious symbolism.
“20 years ago I knew that transgenders was gonna be a thing,” he said. “The earliest I had seen that word, transgender, was Baphomet, the transgender,” he added.
Baphomet is a deity with the head of a goat and the body of a man. He is often confused with Satan.
“So I knew that in the ritual of Baphomet, the transgender, to show allegiance to him you had to kiss his a*s ring.”
The outspoken opinion of Joe Budden is once again making headlines. Joe stated on his podcast that he believes Cardi B is scared to drop her new album.
The statement came while Joe and the crew were analyzing Cardi’s new freestyle “Like what?” and also detailing the “girl rapper wave is over.”
“Y’all ain’t gonna want to hear it from me, but the girl rapper wave is over. Just telling you what it is,” Budden said. “All of that ‘Go find a girl, send her to Columbia [for plastic surgery], get it done, put her in the studio with f–king Mike Will or any one of them n–gas.’ All that planting the girl in the scene, getting the record and it taking off, that wave is over.”
He then got a bit more pointed to Cardi B: “Cardi B is afraid and I’m tired of just nobody saying it. Cardi B is scared to come out, it don’t take this long to come out.”
Joe Budden speaks on the female rap industry currently
Cardi B released a new freestyle and video, “Like What.” The single features a sample of Missy Elliott’s “She’s a Bitch.”
The video for the new banger brings a glamorous Cardi B in a bathing suit, with fur draped across her body.
Offset directs the video and teases more music to be released with a video closing “Stay Tuned” label.
You can dive into the video below.
But Joe isn’t the only person who thinks Cardi is worried about releasing a new album. Hitting Instagram, Offset praised the sophomore effort from his wife and delivered a sharp message.
“Stop being scary and drop the album, sh*t goes crazy,” Offset said.
Usher received backlash online after visiting and enjoying yoga with Russell Simmons in Bali.
Simmons hit Instagram to show Usher visited his yoga class, taking a spot in the first row. He also celebrated Usher’s presence in his life:
When i was at the lowest point in my life i woke up and this man was sitting by my bed .. i had known usher since he was a kid but we really bonded because of our mutual love for self discovery and our belief in Yogic science as a direct route to realizing Gods conciousness in ourselves …People remember to remember this ..a friend walks in when others walk out … i will never forget the generosity of spirit i witnessed in this man God bless you baby bro @usher love you !!!!
That same harmonic energy did not transfer to fans as users hit X to criticize Usher’s visit and Simmons has been accused of many crimes against women.
Russell Simmons is a r!pist and Usher has chosen to be in his presence as a friend. So it’s fuck him too. And yes, this is a recent video! pic.twitter.com/AWg8Jxle36
Beyoncé has gone back to back on top of the Billboard Hot 100. Queen Bey’s country single “Texas Hold’ Em” will keep the No. 1 slot.
The single is the ninth chart-topper for Beyoncé, her most recent being “Break My Soul” in 2022.
According to Luminate’s tracking data for the week of February 23-29, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” released on Parkwood/Columbia Records/Columbia Nashville, experienced a surge in radio airplay, with 27.6 million audience impressions, marking a 72% increase. Despite this, streams decreased by 12% to 25.5 million, and downloads saw a decline of 24% to 22,000.
After holding the top spot for two weeks, the single slipped to No. 2 on the Digital Song Sales chart and dropped to No. 3 on the Streaming Songs chart. However, it climbed from 43 to 23 on the Radio Songs chart, earning the title of top Airplay Gainer on the Hot 100 for the second consecutive week.
Simultaneously, “Texas Hold ‘Em” secured its third week at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, using a methodology similar to that of the Hot 100. This achievement is historic, as the banjo-infused single marks the first time a Black woman or a female recognized as biracial has topped this list.
Lionel Messi marked his wife Antonela Roccuzzo’s birthday with an intimate dinner at Miami’s Gekkō, co-owned by David Grutman and Bad Bunny. Antonela stunned in a Saint Laurent dress while Messi was joined by soccer pals Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez. The group later moved to Gekkō Lounge, dancing to mixes by Argentine DJ and producer Bizarrap.
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love you !!!!
