Morgan Heritage To Release New “World Music” Album In April

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: DanceHallMag

 

Grammy award-winning Reggae band Morgan Heritage will be releasing what it has described as a “World Music” album titled The Homeland, on April 21.

Positive Vibration artist Roy “Gramps” Morgan and his brothers Peter “Peetah” Morgan and Memmalatel “Mr. Mojo” Morgan made the announcement on their respective Instagram pages on Monday morning.

“The new @morganheritage album The Homeland drops April 21st. This is the groups First World music album and they combine the sounds of Africa with the sounds of Jamaica on this Afro-Fusion album that features legends and future legends from both places,” the three artists noted.

The album’s description as “world music” means it could be a contender in the GRAMMY’s Global Music category for next year.  

The term World Music was initially used in the UK in 1987 to help differentiate music from non-western artists. However, over the years, the term has been shunned, with The Recording Academy (GRAMMYS) changing the name of their “best world music” album category to “best global music” album in 2020. 

At the time, the Academy said that the change was done in a bid to avoid “connotations of colonialism” and “Non-American, and to make the category more “relevant, modern, and inclusive”.

Established in 1994, Morgan Heritage, which is composed of some of the late Reggae singer Denroy Morgan’s 29 children, began initially as a recording octet, then a quintet.  However, it has morphed into a trio comprising the three brothers since then.

Morgan Heritage had released their debut album dubbed Miracle for MCA back in 1994, just months after making their first appearance on the main stage at the Reggae Sunsplash music festival. 

More Teachings, their follow-up album, peaked at #6 on the reggae charts, while Mission in Progress, which was released in 2008 spent 24 weeks on the charts after peaking at number one.

In 2015 their album Strictly Roots ascended to number one and spent 44 weeks on the charts.   That album has the distinction of taking home the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album, over other successful albums such as Jah Cure’s The Cure, Luciano’s Zion Awake, and Barrington Levy’s Acousticalevy in 2016.

The Down By the River band, which at the time comprised of five children of reggae artist Denroy Morgan, were also nominated for Best Reggae Album in 2017 for their Avrakedabra.

The upcoming album, which comprises 21 tracks, consists of collaborations with Popcaan, Youssou N’Dour, Shaggy, Beenie Man, Shatta Wale, Mádé Kuti, among others.

“This album is described as “a project of rebirth for the Morgan brothers, built upon a lineage that has lasted decades and one that will continue to forge forward”.  Musically, they take the listener on a journey that not only reminds them of days past, but the future ahead,” the group said in a  release.

So far, Morgan Heritage has shared the album’s first single Just A Number, Headline Fi Front Page with Jahshii, Rytikal and I-Octane, and I Will Never Forget with Ariel, Esh Morgan, and Jemere Morgan. 

The lead single Who Deh Like U, featuring Bounty Killer, Cham and Stonebwoy, was released today (March 20). “It’s hard to find anyone to compare to you. Even from a million miles away your value will never diminish because you are so unique…” Mojo Morgan said about the meaning of the track. 

“It will be hard to find another like you anywhere in the world.”

In August last year, Morgan Heritage had announced that it would be embarking on its first full-scale African tour, and that there were plans to join forces with some of the “freshest and biggest talents in each country”, to produce a collaborative album.

The tour, which was to take place over an eight-week period, had been dubbed the Island Vibes Africa Tour and would have seen the trio trekking across several countries in West, Central, East and Southern Africa for performances.

In elaborating on the tour, a release from the group, noted that their stint in the Motherland, was a gift to its people and a means of “strengthening the shared bonds between Africa and the Caribbean”.  That tour was later rescheduled for sometime later this year.

On March 28, Morgan Heritage will perform at the Grammy Museum (at LA Live) as guests of The Drop Series, which is expected to start the band’s global promotional tour, with concerts in Los Angeles, New York, England, Germany, France, Uganda and Ghana.

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Morgan Heritage To Release New “World Music” Album In April

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: DanceHallMag

 

Grammy award-winning Reggae band Morgan Heritage will be releasing what it has described as a “World Music” album titled The Homeland, on April 21.

Positive Vibration artist Roy “Gramps” Morgan and his brothers Peter “Peetah” Morgan and Memmalatel “Mr. Mojo” Morgan made the announcement on their respective Instagram pages on Monday morning.

“The new @morganheritage album The Homeland drops April 21st. This is the groups First World music album and they combine the sounds of Africa with the sounds of Jamaica on this Afro-Fusion album that features legends and future legends from both places,” the three artists noted.

The album’s description as “world music” means it could be a contender in the GRAMMY’s Global Music category for next year.  

The term World Music was initially used in the UK in 1987 to help differentiate music from non-western artists. However, over the years, the term has been shunned, with The Recording Academy (GRAMMYS) changing the name of their “best world music” album category to “best global music” album in 2020. 

At the time, the Academy said that the change was done in a bid to avoid “connotations of colonialism” and “Non-American, and to make the category more “relevant, modern, and inclusive”.

Established in 1994, Morgan Heritage, which is composed of some of the late Reggae singer Denroy Morgan’s 29 children, began initially as a recording octet, then a quintet.  However, it has morphed into a trio comprising the three brothers since then.

Morgan Heritage had released their debut album dubbed Miracle for MCA back in 1994, just months after making their first appearance on the main stage at the Reggae Sunsplash music festival. 

More Teachings, their follow-up album, peaked at #6 on the reggae charts, while Mission in Progress, which was released in 2008 spent 24 weeks on the charts after peaking at number one.

In 2015 their album Strictly Roots ascended to number one and spent 44 weeks on the charts.   That album has the distinction of taking home the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album, over other successful albums such as Jah Cure’s The Cure, Luciano’s Zion Awake, and Barrington Levy’s Acousticalevy in 2016.

The Down By the River band, which at the time comprised of five children of reggae artist Denroy Morgan, were also nominated for Best Reggae Album in 2017 for their Avrakedabra.

The upcoming album, which comprises 21 tracks, consists of collaborations with Popcaan, Youssou N’Dour, Shaggy, Beenie Man, Shatta Wale, Mádé Kuti, among others.

“This album is described as “a project of rebirth for the Morgan brothers, built upon a lineage that has lasted decades and one that will continue to forge forward”.  Musically, they take the listener on a journey that not only reminds them of days past, but the future ahead,” the group said in a  release.

So far, Morgan Heritage has shared the album’s first single Just A Number, Headline Fi Front Page with Jahshii, Rytikal and I-Octane, and I Will Never Forget with Ariel, Esh Morgan, and Jemere Morgan. 

The lead single Who Deh Like U, featuring Bounty Killer, Cham and Stonebwoy, was released today (March 20). “It’s hard to find anyone to compare to you. Even from a million miles away your value will never diminish because you are so unique…” Mojo Morgan said about the meaning of the track. 

“It will be hard to find another like you anywhere in the world.”

In August last year, Morgan Heritage had announced that it would be embarking on its first full-scale African tour, and that there were plans to join forces with some of the “freshest and biggest talents in each country”, to produce a collaborative album.

The tour, which was to take place over an eight-week period, had been dubbed the Island Vibes Africa Tour and would have seen the trio trekking across several countries in West, Central, East and Southern Africa for performances.

In elaborating on the tour, a release from the group, noted that their stint in the Motherland, was a gift to its people and a means of “strengthening the shared bonds between Africa and the Caribbean”.  That tour was later rescheduled for sometime later this year.

On March 28, Morgan Heritage will perform at the Grammy Museum (at LA Live) as guests of The Drop Series, which is expected to start the band’s global promotional tour, with concerts in Los Angeles, New York, England, Germany, France, Uganda and Ghana.

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St. Andrew Man Charged With Burglarising Kiprich’s Airbnb

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: DanceHallMag

 

The suspect who allegedly burglarised KipRich’s Portmore Airbnb apartment has been charged.

A source close to the entertainer reliably informed DancehallMag that 21-year-old Kemar Jones, of an 11 Miles Bull Bay, St. Andrew address, has been charged with housebreaking and larceny. The unemployed man was nabbed in Downtown Kingston last week after being positively identified.

The source said that on March 11, between 10:15 and 10:45 am, Jones broke into the apartment and took off with multiple valuable items, including cash.

A Rolex watch and chain were recovered by the Telephone Ting deejay at the Constant Spring Tax Office in St Andrew from a bus driver after following several leads.

He did not, however, recover the cash that was stolen.

Last week, the deejay credited the ‘street network’, fans and the police for the quick recovery of his cherished items.

“Mi never expect fi get back no money but from mi get back mi Rolex, plus mi chain and mi belt, mi good,” he said.

Last weekend, the deejay had reported to the police that an Airbnb apartment that he was renting in Portmore had been burglarised by a lone thief who forced open a kitchen window and absconded with more than US$50,000 (approximately $7.6 million) in cash and other valuables.

Last Sunday, the police confirmed that KipRich made a report to the Greater Portmore police station that his US$25,000 Rolex watch and a gold chain valuing more than US$12,000 were among several items stolen. Burberry sunglasses valued at US$450, and cash amounting to US$15,000 and CDN$300 (approximately $33,000) were also taken.

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Smart Agriculture Provides Caribbean With Solutions to Food Insecurity, Growth Within Agriculture Sector

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service

By Racquel Moses

Late last year the world passed an important population mark, with over 8 billion people now living on the planet. In the face of a growing movement to future-proof current infrastructure and systems, sustainable practices are being implemented across a wide range of sectors. Renewable energy, electric transport, blue and green economic opportunities, eco-tourism – these are all topics we see discussed relatively frequently, yet one sector will be critical in maintaining the global community: agriculture.

Smart Agriculture in Action

Smart agriculture has been a slow but steadily growing industry that seeks to maximize crop production using the least amount of resources and space possible. Currently, the market for smart agriculture is set to grow from $15.45 billion USD in 2022 to $32.37 billion by 2028. This represents a major shift for this burgeoning industry, and we are seeing it take hold in the Caribbean such as Flex Farms by Fork Farms in Anguilla, who have developed a compact hydroponics solution that works in tandem with local farmers to improve food security for the island. Introduced by the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator, this execution contributes to Anguilla’s food security plan which has regional implications.

“Knowledge is made to be shared, it does no good to keep it all to ourselves,” explains Government Minister for Agriculture Quincia Gumbs-Marie in an interview with the CCSA, “As a region we are very close but we are also very isolated, we don’t talk to each other enough about our problems. In that isolation we trick ourselves into thinking that the problems we face are unique to us, and when we talk to each other we realize we have shared problems and also shared solutions. [Anguilla] is part of the solution-sharing team.” As such, the Caribbean island is working to integrate smart agriculture into its domestic market, and identifying its capacities for sustainable long-term growth.

Food Insecurity: A Silent Crisis

A 2022 survey jointly carried out by CARICOM and the United Nations World Food Programme found that food insecurity in the region is on an ‘upward trajectory’. Almost 60% of persons living in the English-speaking Caribbean face food insecurity. For the WFP, this is a concerning trend that is being replicated globally, with a record 349 million people across 79 countries found to be facing acute food insecurity last year. Key to combating this issue is creating more opportunities for resilient locally-led agricultural projects capable of surmounting external shocks, providing more food choices in local markets at a cheaper price.

“For the first time in over two years, people’s inability to meet food and essential needs were top concerns, followed by unemployment,” said Joseph Cox, Assistant Secretary-General, Economic Integration, Innovation and Development, CARICOM Secretariat at the release of the WFP survey “CARICOM recognizes that further support is necessary to reduce the level of need in the region and establish systems which facilitate access to nutritious food for all. Leaders in the region are actively engaging with decision makers across all relevant sectors to identify solutions for increasing food production and reducing import dependency within the region in order to reduce the cost of food.”

Locals Solutions to Global Issues

Integrating smart agriculture into our communities can be one of the steps towards solving food insecurity issues, but collaboration remains our biggest advantage. Anguilla is providing the first step towards smart agriculture in the region, and we must capitalize on this opportunity to find the solutions that fit best for the Caribbean as a whole. “We are excited at the thought of bringing the region together through innovation and moving forward with our aspirations to achieve food security across the region,” notes Minister Gumbs-Marie, “As a world we are moving towards food security, and it is through partnerships like this that we move past identifying the problem and towards identifying the solutions.” Smart agriculture is one of the key solutions for the Caribbean to develop and make our own, Anguilla will lead the way, but more are certain to follow.

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Canada & the World Food Programme READY to advance resilience and adaptability to disasters in the Caribbean

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service

Canada and the World Food Programme (WFP) have entered into a new agreement to strengthen resilience and adaptability to disasters in the Caribbean. WFP Representative and Country Director for the WFP Caribbean Multi-country Office, Regis Chapman and Executive Director for Canada’s Caribbean Regional Development Program, Sharon Peake endorsed the CAD$15 million Resilience and Enhanced Adaptability to Disasters in the Caribbean (READY) project at the High Commission of Canada in Barbados.

First announced by Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau at the Forty-Fourth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in the Bahamas in February 2023, the Disaster READY Project aims to improve inclusive and gender responsive, comprehensive disaster management in the Caribbean region focusing on vulnerable populations, particularly women and girls.

Through various project activities, Disaster READY will help to ensure that the most at-risk households and populations are supported to prepare for and recover from shocks. It will also provide top-ups to increase disaster insurance coverage provided by the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF-SPC), to which Canada has already contributed.

The project will be implemented in eight CARICOM countries – Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname – with additional CARICOM Member States benefiting from regional project activities. As the home of the Regional Logistics Hub and Centre of Excellence, Barbados will also share in capacity building initiatives and technical assistance opportunities under the Disaster READY Project.

WFP Representative Regis Chapman shared, “We appreciate the partnership with the Government of Canada to increase the resilience of vulnerable people and contribute to the achievement of gender equality in the Caribbean. We look forward to continuing our support to governments, prioritizing those investments that safeguard the lives of women, men, boys and girls against climate, economic and other shocks, while also taking other vulnerabilities into consideration across all stages of life.”

The Disaster READY Project is one of five new initiatives announced by Prime Minister Trudeau last month, representing CAD$44.5 million in additional funding focused on biodiversity, climate resilience, and disaster preparedness and recovery to support CARICOM in addressing the climate crisis.

Executive Director for Canada’s Caribbean Regional Development Program Sharon Peake noted, “Canada is excited to be starting this innovative and people-first program of support with the World Food Programme to improve the resilience of the most vulnerable in society.”

Recovery from natural disasters and severe weather events can take many years and people living in situations of vulnerability are the least able to prepare for these events, which can further exacerbate vulnerability. Canada recognises the severe impact natural disasters and severe weather events have had in the Caribbean region. Through the Disaster READY Project, Canada reaffirms its commitment to support CARICOM countries in their efforts to advance resilience and adaptability to disasters.

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Government promises to give details of Bahamian PM’s visit to Bermuda

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service

Government Senate leader Owen Darrell has promised to give details of a visit to Bermuda last October by Bahamian Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis after the opposition asked if the hosts had incurred any costs.

Davis came to Bermuda as the guest of the ruling Progressive Labour Party, and spoke at the party’s annual delegates conference, telling Bermudians they had nothing to fear from becoming an independent nation.

Darrell, who is also the Minister of Youth, Culture, and Sport, fielded questions from opposition senator Douglas DeCouto, who asked whether the island had incurred “any costs by government protocol officers or things like that in conjunction with his visit”.

Darrell said the question would take technical officers more time than was allocated for the debate – but told the Senate “it will be addressed”.

He added: “Maybe not in this forum, but in another forum.”

DeCouto, speaking in the Upper House, also asked whether the government considered Davis’ trip to the island an official visit.

Owen Darrell said the questions would be answered “with entirety”.

Questioned at home on the financing of the visit, a spokeswoman for Davis, who has been prime minister since 2021, said last October that the trip was paid for by the ruling Progressive Liberal Party.

Davis was accompanied by several ministers, who discussed topics with local officials including transport, affordable housing, and climate change.

Davis said he was keen to forge closer ties with Bermuda in an attempt to boost the economies of both islands. Like Bermuda, international business and tourism are the main sources of revenue for the Bahamas.

Asked by the Royal Gazette newspaper what his message was to independence doubters here, Davis said: “There’s nothing to fear.

“Bermuda would still be part of a larger world. They will not be alone – they will still have friends and the whole world they can depend on because no country can go it alone in the world today. Even if they have independence, they still have the support of the world community.”

The Bahamas (population 410,00) will celebrate 50 years of independence from Britain this year.

But there has been no thirst for independence in Bermuda, an Overseas Territory with a population of around 64,000 since almost three-quarters of voters sided with the status quo and rejected cutting ties with Britain in a 1995 referendum promulgated by the now defunct United Bermuda Party.

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Former WTO Ambassador charged with fraud by US Securities Exchange Commission

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service

Justin Sun, Grenada’s immediate former Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is among nine people charged with fraud by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The Tron founder and his companies Tron Foundation, BitTorrent Foundation, and Rainberry were accused of having schemed since August 2017 to distribute billions of crypto assets known as Tronix (TRX) and BitTorrent (BTT), and artificially inflated trading volume.

The 32-year-old Chinese-born Grenadian cryptocurrency entrepreneur had served as the WTO representative from December 2021 but was recalled when the National Democratic Congress won the general election in June 2022.

According to a court document filed on Wednesday in the US District Court Southern District of New York, besides Sun and his companies, eight other celebrities were charged in the complaint. Singers Akon, Austin Mahone, and Ne-Yo; rappers Soulja Boy and Lil Yachty; actress Lindsay Lohan; social media personality and boxer Jake Paul; and porn actress Kendra Lust are accused of illegally promoting Sun’s crypto assets.

All but Soulja Boy and Mahone agreed to settle, without admitting wrongdoing, and together paid more than US$400 000.

The complaint alleges that Sun and his companies offered and sold TRX and BTT as investments through multiple unregistered “bounty programs,” which directed interested parties to promote the tokens on social media, join and recruit others to Tron-affiliated Telegram and Discord channels, and create BitTorrent accounts in exchange for TRX and BTT distributions.

It further alleges that Sun, BitTorrent Foundation, and Rainberry offered and sold BTT in unregistered monthly airdrops to investors, including in the United States, who purchased and held TRX in Tron wallets or on participating crypto asset trading platforms. The SEC said each of these unregistered offers and sales violated Section 5 of the Securities Act.

The Commission also alleges that Sun violated the anti-fraud and market manipulation provisions of the federal securities laws by orchestrating a scheme to artificially inflate the apparent trading volume of TRX in the secondary market.

The SEC said Sun’s activity generated tens of millions of dollars of illegal profit at other investors’ expense. He was also accused of concealing payments to celebrities to promote TRX and BTT on social media accounts, misleading the public into thinking they had “unbiased interest in TRX and BTT, and were not merely paid, spokespersons”.

In its complaint, the SEC said Sun sold TRX and BTT as securities, and thus their sale needed to be registered with the agency.

Justin Sun allegedly inflated apparent trading volume in TRX through extensive “wash trading”, involving simultaneous or near-simultaneous purchases and sales with no real change in ownership.

“Sun’s wash trading team, working under his direction, engaged in hundreds of thousands of TRX wash trades between accounts that Sun ultimately controlled. None of those trades involved any change in beneficial ownership or had any legitimate economic purpose,” stated the complaint.

From at least April 2018 to February 2019, Sun ordered employees to conduct hundreds of thousands of wash trades between two accounts he controlled, the SEC said.

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Caribbean Travel News And Deals

Black Immigrant Daily News

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. March 24, 2023: Here are the top Caribbean travel news and deals this week in 60 seconds.

Tributes are being paid to a British man, who drowned while on a sailing trip off the coast of St Vincent and the Grenadines with his wife.

Gareth Weekes, a former journalist and editor for the Bournemouth Echo, was snorkelling on March 8th when tragedy struck.

The 77-year-old father of three was an avid sailor who was remembered by his family as an adventurer and lover of life.

The Aruba Tourism Authority (A.T.A.) has launched a search to fill the World’s Easiest Job, inviting travelers to apply for a chance to be Aruba’s weatherperson for a limited time.

Apply through March 31, 2023 at Aruba.com/WorldsEasiestJob , to enter for a chance to win a 6-night, 7-day trip for two to Aruba to forecast the latest weather report on Aruba’s social channels.

Disney Cruise Line has revealed the inaugural 2024 dates and select itineraries for Lighthouse Point, its newest island destination in The Bahamas.

Disney Magic will sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to the cruise line’s newest beach retreat on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera starting next June. Bookings for the new destination are slated to open on March 30.

JetBlue is adding additional service to the destination in time for its biggest cultural festival, Spicemas. From August 7 to September 1, 2023, the carrier will operate a second daily nonstop flight, a 162-seat A320, leaving New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport at 9:50 p.m. and arriving at Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport (GND) at 2:47 a.m. The returning flight departs GND at 5:01 a.m. and arrives at JFK at 9:57 a.m.

Caribbean Airlines will increase its service to Dominica from Trinidad by adding a return service on Fridays beginning April 7, 2023. Travelers can now fly from POS, Trinidad on Thursdays and Fridays (beginning April 7, 2023) and depart Dominica on Mondays via Caribbean Airlines.

The Corales Puntacana golf Championship is currently underway at Puntacana Resort & Club, Corales Golf Course in the Dominican Republic.

This week’s deal is an all-inclusive flight plus hotel now between May 30th and June 2nd at the Iberostar Punta Cana – All Inclusive with flights from Fort Lauderdale for USD 703 per person. Book Now on Cheap Caribbean.

And Sandals Curacao has a sale for couples that will run through May 10, 2023, and applies to travel between now and December 31, 2023. Book 7 Nights or Longer at Sandals Royal Curaçao and Receive Your 7TH NIGHT FREE. In order to redeem the offer, guests must use promo code CURACAO23 and register their booking within 72 hours.

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Tommy Lee Sparta Released From Prison

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: DanceHallMag

 

Dancehall entertainer Tommy Lee Sparta, whose real name is Leroy Russell Jr., has been released early from prison.

Entertainment insider Heavy D confirmed that the deejay was released from the Horizon Remand Centre in Kingston at about 11 am this morning (March 23).

“Yeah man, breaking news, the deejay de a road,” Heavy D said.

Checks with the artist’s lawyer, Tom Tavares-Finson, also confirmed that the Rich Badness deejay was now a free man. “I have heard that he has been released,” Tavares-Finson told DancehallMag.

In March 2021, Tommy Lee Sparta was sentenced to three years for possession of an illegal gun and two years for possession of illegal ammunition.

The sentences ran concurrently and included the time served from when he was arrested for the crime in December 2020.

He had been found with the firearm along Holborn Road in New Kingston by members of the police SWAT division.

It was Sparta’s first conviction following several run-ins with the law over the last decade.

In an Instagram post in November 2022, a seemingly reformed Sparta called for criminals to abandon their illegal firearms.

He used a clip from one of Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ presentations at a sitting of the House of Representatives, which he described as a “fair speech,” to drive his point home about alleviating illegal guns in the country.

“Me nah lie not a #pnp or #jlp, but this is a fair speech,” he wrote.  “Unno put up the gun them an Mek we full joy life happiness come first.”

Adding that he is setting an example, the Spartan Soldier declared that he had buried the hatchet with all his foes.

“Mek me say this first I FORGIVE MY ENEMIES. Me want unno #iforgivemyenemies or #iforgiveyou a move onn. It take more energy to hate love is easier,” he added.

The 33-year-old artist got his big break in 2012 as a former member of Vybz Kartel‘s Portmore “Gaza” Empire and is best known for Spartan SoldierSpartan AngelPsychoRich Badness, and Blessings.

While in prison, Sparta enjoyed the release of Protocol with Skeng, his most successful song to date. Protocol, released in November 2021, has racked up over 50 million views on YouTube.

He also released a 26-track double album titled Transition, which showcased his “ying-yang” personality with collaborations from Chronic Law, Laden, Skillibeng, Jahvillani, Honey Milan, Dre Swade, Stylo G, Acemark, Leaha, and his son Skirdle Sparta.

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HoodCelebrityy Has Changed Her Stage Name

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: DanceHallMag

 

Walking Trophy artist HoodCelebrityy has rebranded to Tina, a stage name derived from her actual name Tina Pinnock.

Chatting it up with fans on Instagram Live this morning, the Jamaican-born artist attributed the new moniker to natural evolution.

Rapper Tina, formerly known as HoodCelebrityy

But there also seems to be some industry politics behind her rebranding.

Opting to “keep it real” with her fanbase, Tina shared, “You guys (are) about to go to the next level with me in my career and the next level where I won’t be able to be put in a box, cause I kept it real with y’all. They were trying to keep HoodCelebrityy in a box and for my fans, for people who love and support me and want to see me be at my full potential, HoodCelebrityy did her time. Now it’s Tina to take it to the next level.”

She’s ringing in the new name with a Bounty Killer remix of I’m Back, a bars-packed hardcore tune nestled on Black Shadow’s successful Buzz riddim, which hosted 2001 hits such as Sean Paul’s Gimmie Di Light, Mad Cobra’s Press Trigger, Sizzla’s Pump Up and Capleton’s I Love To See.

She premiered the visuals on Wednesday on her YouTube channel, which still bears the name HoodCelebrityy, but assured fans that all her platforms will soon be updated with her new moniker.

The visuals for Tina’s ‘I’m Back’ remix with deejay Bounty Killer

The livestream came following recent posts where Tina bid her former alias farewell. In a Story post on Wednesday, she shared a photo which bore the words “RIP to the old self, you served a great purpose”.

Fans have also noticed the name update on her Instagram page, inspiring insightful interactions.

“Much love Tina,” one supporter wrote. “Glad to see you finally changed your name. No more HoodCelebrityy.”

She responded, “Thank you. It’s official; no more HoodCelebrityy. She did her time, it’s all about Tina now.”

In another post reflecting her 2019 single Inside, she commented in part, “Welcome to the new journey.”

Hoodcelebrityy/Tina

In a 2018 interview on The Breakfast Club, co-host Charlamagne tha God questioned the longevity of the name HoodCelebrityy. 

“Yeah, I think longevity is in your craft and I feel like that name has a story behind it,” she said at the time. “The story with me coming from the hood and me really going hard coming from (working at) a sneaker store to actually achieving my goals and feel like I don’t have to change it (the name) to go further because they always say don’t judge a book by its cover, so, if you’re judging me by my name, you’re already going in the wrong direction.”

A woman of St. Catherine soil, Tina relocated to the States when she was 12, later becoming besties with Bronx native and rapper Cardi B. Though she was already writing music and doing freestyles on social media, Tina said she was more focused on supporting Cardi B’s career at the time. 

Former bestfriends Tina (left) and Cardi B

As fate would have it, one day, the Bodak Yellow rapper reposted one of her freestyles which played on Bounty Killer’s Another Level(featuringBaby Cham). It caught the attention of someone on Cardi’s team, signalling the start of her professional music career. 

Tina, undoubtedly, got her big break with the 2017 self-affirming anthem Walking Trophy, which toasted to her yard roots while appealing to mainstream audiences. Since then, she has followed up with numbers like Inna Real Life, The Brukwine Breakdown, Bum Pon It, and So Pretty(with Kash Doll).

She is known for hanging with the best of them when it comes to versatility, from the hardcore bars of I’m Back to the sensual feels of Signs and playful punches of Liar, her spin on Burna Boy’s Last Last. 

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