Black Immigrant Daily News

Ziggy Marley — the eldest son of Reggae icon Bob Marley and an eight-time Grammy Award winner — has accused a luxury villa in Jamaica’s North Coast of discrimination.

Marley, who recently wrapped up filming of the Paramount Studios Bob Marley biopic on the island, said he attempted to book the Sea Salt Villa at Old Fort Bay in Ocho Rios last month, but, according to the singer, the owner allegedly refused because he “does not rent his property to Jamaicans.”

However, when DancehallMag contacted Sea Salt for a response to Ziggy’s allegations and to confirm whether or not Jamaicans are blacklisted from staying at the property, a manager said the singer’s account of the matter was “absolutely inaccurate” and that he is still welcomed to stay at the villa on the condition that he follows their rules.

Ziggy had discussed the matter with Kabu on Irie FM this morning on a “The Africa Forum: Running African” program titled “The Privatization Of Jamaica’s Beaches.”

According to the singer, he could now relate first-hand to the discrimination many Jamaicans have complained about, as similar treatment had been meted out to him.

“We even face it wiself.  Becaw me face it di odda day.  Meck mi tell yuh weh mi mean.  Mi a try rent a place – wi come Jamaica, wi a work pon di movie- Trench Town, Jungle Bull Bay all ova.  Enjoy di time, hard work suh wi finish dat now, an mi seh mi family come, mi wife come, mi yute dem come,” said Ziggy.

“Suh mi find a nice place, a like villa someweh fi enjoy some beach life and what have you.   Old Fort Bay right yah suh, a Ochi a place name Sea Salt, a likkle villa name Sea Salt.  Only fi find out seh di man seh, when him hear seh a we, him seh him naw rent di place to no Jamaican,” Ziggy added.

He continued: “Mi a seh, wait a wha kind a place wi a live inna?  A discrimination… Yuh si even though mi a Ziggy Marley, mi still nuh roll inna certain circles.  My circle dem still deh inna di roots.  Suh dem still feel seh bwoy if dem rent Ziggy Marley a place, maybe some a di roots or suppm.”

Sea Salt has disputed Marley’s comments, revealing that the singer’s mother Rita Marley and her family had stayed at the property earlier this year.

“The villa was just rented to Rita Marley and her family a month ago who had written glowing reviews about their stay at the property,” the villa’s manager said.

A copy of the written testimonial, which was signed “The Marleys,” was provided to DancehallMag.

Sea Salt also explained that “the only strict policy that the villa has always communicated and kept consistent with is that there are no outside visitors allowed during a rental.”

“The villa’s homeowners have already communicated through Ziggy’s agent that they would welcome Ziggy and family if our standard rule is strictly followed,” they noted.

Built in 2007, Sea Salt offers a 5-bedroom main house on the beachfront, two 2-bedroom cottages, a butler, chef, housekeepers, and various luxury features. 

Their website reveals that the rates range from USD $29,000 to $44,000 for a 7-night stay. 

During the radio program, Ziggy said it is untenable that Jamaicans are being discriminated against in their own country, and consequently, he will be joining hands with persons and groups battling to eliminate the problem.

He said discrimination must not be tolerated, but nevertheless, he was happy that he had experienced it himself, so he can now take necessary action.

“Mi glad mi have the experience caw now mi know.  Mi tell dem seh mi glad, becaw now mi know.  Mi experience it now, suh mi can deal wid it now in a different level,” he said.

“Listen, Jamaicans are being discriminated against in dem own country… by a certain class… I don’t know what it is but we are being discriminated against.  And wi can’t stand fi dat.  This is our country. How yuh a discriminate against we so we can’t do this or we can’t do dat?”

“Even though me can pay, you still a discriminate gainst mi.  Fi wha?  Caw mi a Jamaican?  No man. Dat caan work,” he added.

The Tomorrow People singer said that some constitutional amendments are necessary to ensure that the rights of Jamaicans are fully protected.

“What a gwaan a Jamaica nuh right.  Wi haffi change di constitution.  Wi haffi give the Jamaican people rights.  Wi fight fi di rights – Paul Bogle, Marcus, Sam Sharpe, Nanny mi faada.  Wi fight fi dis country, you know…,” he said.

“Yuh si, independence without rights is not independence.   Freedom without rights is not freedom. Suh wi haffi have rights fi guh wid di freedom weh wi seh wi get, fi guh wid di independence weh wi seh wi get, or else wi nuh have nuttn,” he added.

Update: Ziggy responded to this story, writing in an Instagram comment on Sunday evening: “Unuh know me naah lie. Why would I? We have the witnesses and the evidence. Dem try to whitewash it now. They know the truth and so do I as well as those who witnessed and pleaded with them about their disgraceful policy.”

He continued: “I was more than willing to follow dem rules. It’s a disgrace how they think about Jamaicans as if we don’t have any class or respect. I found another place that was cool with a Jamaican renting their villa.”

“We have to stop the discrimination against Jamaicans in Jamaica. Hopefully, Sea Salt will no longer have a policy of no Jamaicans allowed. We must test dem and see.”

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Black Immigrant Daily News

British rapper Jethro ‘Alonestar’ Sheeran, first cousin of superstar Ed Sheeran, says his family has always been enthralled by Reggae music.

“The Sheerans are a big fan of Reggae. We grew up on it. I was born and raised in a West Indian cultural background in St Paul’s, Bristol when the frontline. Reggae music was blazing from every block from big sound systems (and) DJs playing block parties. I grew up listening to course Bob Marley, Hugh Mundell and my uncle introduced me to Afrobeat from the 70s—he was a world music DJ and played all sorts of Reggae music also,” Sheeran told DancehallMag.

Jethro’s single I’m A Star, which features Ed and American rapper DaBaby, recently peaked at No. 10 on the US iTunes Dance Chart. It was executively produced by Sean “Contractor” Edwards and co-produced by Herbert Skillz.

Sheeran noted that the track has been speaking for itself, so, the recognition was partially expected.

“I was really happy to see I’m A Star doing so well and climbing the top ten in the charts in the USA.  It’s such a great song and deserves to be number one. I was happily surprised, and slightly shocked as this song is 100 per cent organic growth with little to no promo. It just shows the listeners of today still appreciate great music and will seek a good song,” he said.

Sheeran has been an artist since 2004 under his record label Urban Angel selling CDs at shows in London. At this point in his career, he has surpassed 100 million streams cumulatively across several platforms.

He revealed that he and Contractor have had a long-standing working relationship over the years that has yielded positive results.

“I met Contractor in a pub in London. Both our girlfriends at the time knew each other and introduced us. I was not long back from living in Trinidad (and) being artists ourselves, and both a big fan of Hip Hop and Reggae and music marketing it was a matchup made to succeed. We have worked together ever since in some capacity,” he said.

Many Jamaicans would have formed a connection between the Sheeran clan and Dancehall when Ed collaborated with Ishawna on Brace It. Produced by Skatta, Donovon ‘Don Corleon’ Bennett, and Ishawna under her Legendary Records label, the official visualizer has 628,000 views on YouTube.

Around the time of its release, the track climbed to No. 9 on the iTunes Top 100 Reggae Songs charts in the United States, and No. 87 on the iTunes UK Charts.

Meanwhile, Sheeran reasoned that more Jamaican artists need to tap into the European market to see a boost in their listenership, fanbase, and profitability. 

“I believe for instance people like DJ Khaled, Ed Sheeran etcetera doing big colabs with Jamaican artists help bring them to a different audience in the world, and the other way around,” he said.

Added Sheeran, “I would like to see more Jamaican artists touring the UK and Europe  and more Europeans doing Reggae music also for people like Sean “Contractor” Edwards who has the key to the gateway with his marketing company for Jamaican artists, to help crossover in different territories. Bob Marley did this many years ago and was signed to UK record company Island Records. Bob Marley was everywhere on TV when I was growing up and seeing his music videos for Waiting In Vain etcetera. I think Damian Marley also helped a lot of artists crossover with his music and collabs with the likes of US Hip Hop star Nas.”

Sheeran said he has his eyes set on Tommy Lee Sparta and Mavado for future collaborations. 

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Shane O is counting his blessings once again, after Andrew Tate returned to Twitter and shared a video of himself pacing in a room while blasting the Dancehall star’s 7 Jacket, a 2022 song that tackled the issue of paternity fraud in Jamaica.

Tate, a controversial American-British internet personality and former world champion kickboxer, who is nicknamed ‘Top G’, had been detained in a Romanian jail on organized crime and human trafficking charges for the past three months.

“Since last year I’ve been in 24 hour lockdown. No yard time. Pacing a 3 metre cell with zero electronics or outside contact. Absolute clarity of mind. Real thoughts. Real plans. Vivid pain. One hour home and I can’t stand my phone. Some habits die hard. We must defeat Shaytan,” Tate noted yesterday.

Shane O was ecstatic after seeing the post, his second such endorsement by one of social media’s most talked-about persons, his first being DJ Khaled, who co-signed his Dark Room track last year.    

The Lightning Flash artist shared the video to Instagram and said not only was he inspired but was brought to tears by Tate’s post, which by midday on Saturday, 17 hours after it was posted, had received 30 million views on Twitter.

Shane O, who has been labeled one of Jamaica’s finest songwriters but also one of its most underrated artists, went on to lament what he said was the finer reception his songs get from foreigners, as opposed to his own compatriots.

“I will never stop doing what I’m doing.  I believe in my self so much u don’t even know.  I’m typing with tears trust me.   To see the love I get out there but yet still can’t get it where from why thou?” he said.

“I don’t write bullsh-t. Check out my topics, my flows and how I construct my words #stopplayablindeye,” he added.

Tate was initially detained in late December in Romania’s capital Bucharest, along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian women.  According to the Associated Press, all four won an appeal Friday, and will remain under house arrest until April 29. 

Over on Twitter where Tate made his post, Jamaicans turned out in their numbers to cheer him along.

“This guy went to prison and turn a Yardman,” one man wrote, to which another replied: “Only Jamaican music can have you meditate … blessings to all yaadman”.

“He was always a yardman. His patios is pretty good too,” another woman noted, while another man added: “str8 all him skank different”.

Tate has had a love affair with Dancehall music for some time.

In November last year, mere months before he was jailed, Andrew Tate had revealed that Dancehall music was his favorite genre, and that Skeng was among his best-loved artists.  

During an interview in November last year, Tate, while explaining why he was a big fan of Jamaican music, had said that the Dancehall artists who sing violent lyrics are not pretenders, as they, according to him, carry out the violent acts they sing about.  He said he respected and admired them as they were being true to themselves.

“I have an extensive playlist including many different tracks in the club from an eclectic selection of artistes.  However, the music I enjoy the most is actually – I like the Jamaican music because what they sing about they mean,” Tate had explained.

“When they say if you look at me wrong, I will empty the clip, I am like ‘yeah’, but if you Google each Jamaican artiste afterwards, they usually tell the truth. And I respect that.  So I like Skeng is my favourite guy.  I listen to Skeng,” Tate had added.

There are several videos of Tate across the internet playing violent songs by Vybz Kartel, Tommy Lee Sparta and others in his much-bragged-about Bugatti.

In June last year, Tate shared a clip of himself playing and singing along to  Tommy Lee Sparta and Skeng’s Protocol in his Bugatti .

“I don’t think Tommy Lee Starta has been played in a Bugatti before.  I don’t think Tommy Lee Starta is Bugatti music,” he said sardonically, as he searched and found the song and then sang along.

Last year Tate had featured Manchester artist 1Biggs Don on his show. 

He and his brother Tristan had declared Biggs Don “G of the Week” in May last year, after watching a clip of his Boy affi song.   

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