It was a moving reunion for Romantic Call collaborators Patra and Yo-Yo, who shared a passionate embrace ahead of the 2023 BET Awards over the weekend.

Both women appeared equally ecstatic to see each other, as shrieks of “Patra!” and “Yo-Yo!” filled what appeared to be a packed passageway where the two had converged. The moment, which was captured on video, saw the two pioneers locking each other into an extended bear-hug, following which the they would go on to exchange a few words.

“Oh my God! Yo-Yo! It has been so f@#kin’ long! This is great, man!” Patra, 50, excitedly told Yo-Yo, 51, whose real name is Yolanda Whitaker.

The rapper, who has been Ice Cube’s protégé and a beacon for female empowerment in Hip-Hop, showered the Queen of the Pack singer with kisses and a few endearing comments of her own.

“I missed you so much!” Yo-Yo told Patra amidst their embrace. “I love you!”

“Me too! I missed you too!” the Dancehall veteran responded. “Oh my God! This is so great! This is the moment, man!”

The two held the embrace while onlookers captured the moment on camera, before finally breaking the bear-hug to observe each other more closely.

Romantic Call, released in 1993 as a single from Patra’s Queen of the Pack album, climbed to No. 55 on Billboard Hot 100, and No. 9 on the Billboard Hot Rap Song chart.

Notably, the song’s music video features the legendary Tupac Shakur, who is, at points, sandwiched between Patra and Yo-Yo as they travel through the streets in a drop-top Chevy Impala.

Patra’s BET Awards performance was among the standout moments for Dancehall music amidst the celebration of Hip-Hop yesterday.

In a segment meant to be a throwback to the old days of the dance hall, a swarm of dancers filled the stage wearing colorful, Dancehall-inspired clothing, complete with mesh merinos, glittery fashionwear, and an arsenal of reasonably-executed dance moves spanning various eras of the genre.

The segment opened with a performance of Freaks by Lil Vicious featuring Doug-E Fresh, who entirely beat-boxed the tune’s backing Dancehall track, much to the crowd’s excitement. That performance of the 1994 single was followed by a vibrant entrance by Dancehall artist and rapper Mad Lion, whose real name is Oswald Priest.

Mad Lion delivered a crowd-buzzing rendition of his single, Take It Easy, which was released in 1994 and produced by his longtime collaborator, rap legend KRS-One. Busta Rhymes, who was being honoured with the BET Lifetime Achievement Award, was at points pictured jamming along to the Mad Lion’s gritty performance.

Bringing the curtains down on that dedicated segment for Dancehall and Dancehall culture was Patra – who parted the sea of background dancers to make a captivating entrance on stage.

Patra, dressed in classic Dancehall attire – batty rider jeans (booty shorts) and a black belly skin (crop top) – appeared not to have lost a step. The 50-year-old unleashed an energetic rendition of Romantic Call, and despite not being joined by Yo-Yo for that performance, she still managed to keep the crowd’s rapt attention. 

Yo-Yo, meanwhile, performed her signature song You Can’t Play With My Yo-Yo in a segment with Warren G, who performed his and Nate Dogg’s seminal hit, Regulate, Tyga, who did Rack City, and E-40, who went with Tell Me When To Go.

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Vybz Kartel‘s catchy summer anthem Summertime, released in 2011, has surpassed 100 million views on YouTube as of Sunday, June 25.

This marks Kartel’s first song as a solo or lead artist to reach such a milestone, following his collaboration with Spice on Conjugal Visit, which hit 100 million views in May 2023.

Summertime proved a shift from Kartel’s indulgence in gun-toting songs and became a refreshing reminder of the Portmore native’s nimble and often unmatched musical versatility.

The groovy and party-thumping track celebrates all the best things about summer with poolside partying, carefree vibes, and a swarm of girls permeating the eye-catching Kirk Lee music video. It was among the last few appearances made by the Worl’ Boss before his arrest later that year.

Summer Time by Vybz Kartel

Andreas Nilsson of the Stockholm-based Adde Instrumentals produced the song.

“I got my start in dancehall by sending riddims to Vybz Kartel, starting with Bike Back. I continued to send riddims and he voiced songs like Summer Time, Open Up and Bubble Hard,” Nilsson told FactMag in 2014.

“In 2011, I told Kartel he should have Popcaan and the other Gaza members voice the ‘Summer Time’ riddim I built. Popcaan voiced Ravin, which was a big hit, and I met him personally in 2012 when he had a show in my city, Stockholm.”

Shawn Storm’s Naa Lie, Sheba’s No Styling, and Vanessa Bling (Gaza Slim)’s Always also appeared on Adde’s Summertime riddim.

Nilsson also produced songs such as Skillibeng’s Crocodile Teeth, Alkaline’s Things Take Time, and Shenseea’s Subrosa.

Summertime is only another in a long line of hits by Kartel that would go on to rule the Summer of their respective years, including Fever, which ruled the summer of 2016 as an international hit; Clarks featuring Popcaan and Vanessa Bling, and Straight Jeans and Fitted, featuring Rvssian.

Kartel’s other popular tunes on YouTube include Colouring This Life (71 million views), With You (58 million), Fever (56 million), and Any Weather (50 million).

One of Kartel’s latest projects – a collab between himself, Rvssian and Trippie Redd titled Sixteen, has notched over two million views on YouTube.

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Jeremy Harding, playground riddim producer and former manager of Sean Paul, has declared Beenie Man Dancehall’s Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T).

“I have said it publicly and I will state it once again, that Beenie Man is the greatest Dancehall artiste ever in the history of this music.   Me Jeremy Harding seh suh,” Harding said in an interview on The Entertainment Report Podcast.

In the same breath, the producer declared Sean Paul Jamaica’s greatest crossover act but noted that neither he or any other Dancehall artist, dead or alive can match up to Beenie Man.

“Sean Paul is the greatest crossover artiste outta Jamaica in my opinion.  But the greatest Dancehall artiste, hands down is Moses Davis bro.  We love and respect Beenie for certain.  Let’s just get that out there,” Harding, who produced Beenie’s hit Who Am I, added.

Meanwhile, in a recent interview with Revolt TV, on Dancehall’s global influence, Sean Paul was asked about the period in the 2000s when he and Beenie Man reigned in Dancehall and even struck up some collabs.

“Beenie Man and I have done many songs that didn’t get released.   The last song with me and him came out in 2015,” Paul responded.

“Beenie Man is a consummate performer and a legend out here performing for people at nine years old. There’s been times where he was heavily booed and has now become the king of the space,” he added, seemingly referencing the time in 1992 when the King of the Dancehall was chased offstage at a concert in honor of Nelson Mandela at the National Stadium.

Beenie Man and Sean Paul’s last team-up was a collab with Future Fambo and Demarco for the Bloodclaute remix in 2015, from Fambo’s debut album titled Evolve- The Uprise.

The duo had also teamed up in 2013 for Greatest Gallis, on the Sneak Preview Riddim.

In 2003, Paul had also joined forces with Beenie Man and Lady Saw for the track titled Bossman, which was the second single from Beenie’s 16th studio album, Tropical Storm.   Produced by Pharrell and Chad Hugo (The Neptunes), Bossman went on to peak at No. 78 on the UK singles chart.

Sean Paul will be featured on Beenie Man’s long-overdue Simma album, which is still awaiting a release date. Simma will be Beenie’s 19th studio album, and follows on his last studio album titled Undisputed, which was released in 2006.    

The issue of Dancehall’s G.O.A.T has been a subject of much debate over the last few years.  

Another King of Dancehall contender Vybz Kartel, had, on June 2, 2020 declared himself Dancehall’s G.O.A.T, in a 270-word expository essay, which was shared on Zojak World Wide’s Instagram page at the time of the release of his Of Dons and Divas album.

“No one has had an impact on dancehall locally or worldwide in the last 20yrs like me. In the last 20 years no one has had an impact on dancehall as Vybz Kartel.  I entered the games officially as best new artiste 2002 ( by the then JFM) and three years later won deejay of the year, a title that I didn’t lose until badmind stop the awards,” Kartel had written.

Vybz Kartel

“My styles of music, topics that were previously considered taboo..like oral sex gogo dancers..etc…,my business savvy , my reality show, the fact that I affected the culture in such a way that even the old desert boot made a renaissance via my marketing power, rosary sold out in Jamaica that even the Catholic church has to write an article in the Sunday Gleaner’s magazine section, pointing out me that its not “rosary chain” …just rosary.   And don’t even talk about image, from jersey and drag to tattoos and extensions , before kartel how did dancehall artiste look compare to vybzkartel?” the Fever artist had added.

Continued Kartel: “Bro, no one has brought the level of excitement to the genre like I did. From the Spanish countries all the way to mother Africa its “worlboss worlboss” . If Bablyon didnt envy my greatness, I would have been had multi platinum record sales and numerous Grammys but even so, still selling gold from behind bars, still remaining the Aplha DJ the king..worldboss pharaoh immortal kartel teacha chancellor a me dat.. even a lot of the new generation of artistes, have something about vybzkartel in their persona , lyrics style flow or image….a me a name gaza. Oh plus I gave the world popcaan”.

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In the backdrop of the ongoing condemnation of violence against women and children, dancehall artists D’Angel and Razor B are denouncing domestic abuse on their new show, Live at 5. 

Sharing that she is a survivor of all types of abuse, D’Angel is using the platform – which livestreams on Instagram every Tuesday – to advise women across different branches of life. 

“I’ve been through, I think, absolutely everything in a relationship, everything in my career, everything in just trying to achieve (my goals) and the obstacles and challenges I have to go through on my road to success,” she prefaced. 

Saving the details of her abusive relationship for her autobiography, D’Angel instead shared how she is raising her son, Marco Dean Davis, to be a good man.

“Even though it’s just myself as a single mother, he’s not lack of love,” the Stronger singjay said. “I teach him everything, I’m there for him, I support him, I encourage him, I build him up, I show him love 24 hours a day, so, that is very important for mothers – even if you’re a single mother like myself – to show your children love. If you don’t show them love, they’re not going to know how to love.”

Co-host Razor B added that teaching children to respect others is just as important to mitigate violence in society. Ironically, he posited, “Any man that put him hand on a woman, him hand fi get chop off – just plain and simple… If yuh respect yuh madda, why would you put your hand on a female?… I have never put my hand on a woman, and I will never put my hand on a female no matter what the circumstance is.”

He said men should walk away instead of resorting to violence, even if scorned by a woman’s words.

“The only reason a man would put him hands on a female is because him know him stronger than her and more powerful than her.”

Their stance was challenged after interviewing a man who claimed to be a woman-beater. With his camera disabled, the man said “woman fi get a likkle slap up every now and then”, before sharing his story of beating his longtime spouse after catching her in his bed with another man. The caller detailed years of financial investment in the woman, even funding her children’s education. D’Angel sympathised with him. 

“If yuh meet a man weh a tek care of you and a do everything for you, don’t disrespect the man,” she said. “Even if you have a next man, don’t mek the man know… That man don’t deserve no bun because him already a tek care of you financially, tek care of your kids, everything, so, a man like that don’t deserve no bun.” 

Razor B, who had previously labeled abusive men cowards, chimed in.

“That’s why it’s good to hear everybody’s story because me did a look pon it as man just a beat woman and woman just a tek beating, and man just a beat woman unnecessarily. But fi a woman fi do that…a woman has to start looking into herself and say, ‘Listen, a f—kery yuh do enuh’.”

The entertainers encouraged him to heal from the situation, and not be closed-off from finding healthy love. Also sharing stories were survivors of domestic abuse, including a man. 

“I can safely say it was very educational, informative, and a start to healing for a lot of persons,” D’Angel recapped. “Stay tuned as we join you again next week Tuesday with my Co-Host @therealrazorb for another exciting episode of Live at 5.”

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Former music manager, Linda Smith Isaacs, in whose house the veteran singer Gregory Isaacs spent his last days while battling cancer, has died.

She passed away on June 21 at the age of 75. She suffered from emphysema and had breathing problems for a period of time before her death.

She is survived by three children, Anthony, Jason and Marie.

“She was a vibrant, powerful personality. She was one of a kind, a real character and she always had a ‘Plan’, she always had ideas,” her son, Anthony told DancehallMag.

Linda Isaacs was the last manager and agent of Gregory Isaacs before his death in 2010. She was well-known as the conceptualizer and promoter of the popular annual show, ‘John Holt in Symphony with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra’. Later, a John Holt live album was taken from these shows released in 2001. She dabbled in music production as well; as she was the executive producer of Gregory’s album, Brand New Me.

Linda Smith Isaacs grew up in Birmingham and was always proud of her roots. She married a Jamaican, Ken Jack, who grew up in Denham Town and was close to music figures like Ken Boothe and Strangejah Cole. She visited Jamaica quite often and was fond of the island’s culture and music.

She boasted an extensive record collection and also dabbled in music production.

“She has several unreleased records of Gregory Isaacs and other pop artistes in the UK, which have not been made available to the public yet,” Tony Owens, co-founder of Musical Youth in Birmingham and a close personal friend of Linda, said.

Linda is perhaps best known for the special relationship she shared with international reggae star Gregory Isaacs, labelled “the most exquisite vocalist in reggae” by the New York Times. Following the passing of the singer in October 2010, rumours surfaced surrounding the Night Nurse hit-maker’s relationship with his Linda, his UK manager at the time. In the UK media, she was often referred to as Isaacs’ wife.

Several people criticized Linda after Isaacs’ death after she said that the “proud” the star, who was dubbed ‘The Cool Ruler,’ had chosen to spend his final days with her at their home in the UK, as opposed to his birthplace, Jamaica.

A special blue plaque marking the Cool Ruler’s life was unveiled at Linda’s home in Weald Lane, Harrow Weald in 2016.

Linda, in interviews, often said that she and Isaacs were very much in love, even though their “union wasn’t recognised by law.”

“Gregory and myself were together for a few years, but we were not legally married. Last April, he wanted me to change my name by deed poll to Isaacs, so I did. And yes, he said I was his wife and I said he was my husband. If we did wrong, then let the Almighty judge us,” she was quoted as saying at the time.

Gregory Isaacs was legally married to June Isaacs at the time of his death.

Journalist Mandingo called Linda Smith Isaacs a “hardworking, independent and self-employed woman” and a real force of nature.

“She didn’t put up with any foolishness from friend, husband or stranger. She was a powerful woman, a mother many people on several continents. She layed a major role with the Roots Festival in Gambia, and she built a school in Gambia.. She was a great philanthropist who loved people,” he said.

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