Black Immigrant Daily News

The fashion police are out in their numbers for Minister Marion Hall, after the former Queen of Dancehall shared the cover art for her latest single, I’m Doing Better. 

The contentious photo sees the gospel artist showing off what she has described as her “God-blessed body” in a black sequined jumpsuit with mesh detail that reveals her stomach. For some critics, the look errs on the side of her former persona Lady Saw.

“There is a time and place fi everything,” one social media user wrote. “You had you time and you place. Go rest nuh.”

Another chimed in, “Aren’t Christians suppose to be the light of the world?? God is not a God of confusion nor is He to be mocked. If you know better, do better. NOBODY NUH COME TELL ME BOUT A SUH FOREIGN PASTOR DRESS…”

“Now Minister, you darn well know you can’t minister to people in a bralet and mesh. Unuh must stop it now.”

There was even the question, “Minister of what, local government?” 

Her response to the naysayers could have been “come kiss out mi Bible.” But instead, she directed them to a Bible verse that seemingly explained her intentions behind the artwork.

“For whoever have a problem with me showing of my God blessed body. Please read 1 Corinthians 9 verse 19 to 23 and Keep your opinions to yourselves,” Hall said in a Facebook post.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 reads:

“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 

“To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.“

“To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.”

“To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”

“I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

Some of Hall’s followers have also risen to her defense.

“She looks amazing,” one user said. “We just need to understand and respect that we do not get to choose how one lives his life. More love to her.”

Another wrote, “Who came up with the idea of ‘church clothes’? Grew up in church and I’m happy the day I became a MATURE AND INFORMED ADULT. I got to experience different cultures and God for myself. We can’t forget some of the most vicious people on earth are those disguised in ‘church clothes’. Live ya life Ms. Hall.”

The backlash is pretty much déjà vu for the church owner who came under fire in February 2021 for posting a photo of herself wearing a v-neck blouse that bore enough cleavage to anger some members of the Christian community.

She eventually removed the photo but posted a video response labeling herself a sexy Christian who won’t always be cloaked due to Miami’s hot weather. The uproar returned in April when she posted a beach pic of herself wearing a two-piece bikini.

Beyond this, she previously received backlash for the fashion worn in promo photos of her 2021 single If I Was Famous. Her full glam, silk blouse and blue fur coat had many, again, likening it to a Lady Saw aesthetic, though she hung up her secular shoes in 2015.

While the internet goes back and forth on what constitutes Christian adornment, Hall has been busy readying the music video for I’m Doing Better. In a recent live video, she spilled that popular director and one of her favs Jay Will is shooting the project which will see her living it up on yachts and at fancy restaurants. 

Hall worked with Grammy-winning musician and producer Gramps Morgan,Shannon Sanders (producer for India Arie and John Legend), and Downsound Records’ Joe Bogdanovich on the record which she is declaring a “definite hit”.

Released on March 16, the song is described as a testament to Hall’s “calling as an artist and her ability to reinvent herself time and time again.”

“I told you from last year (that) God is doing a new thing,” she said. “When I did If I Was Famous, I told you God was up to something big. The enemy came with distractions and shut it down, but this time, this song won’t be

She’s already pleased about the buzz the single is creating, especially as it relates to her intended audience. 

“It’s already reaching young people – those are the people we want to reach. Yes, we want to reach the rejects. There’s a line in this that God gave to me: ‘Jesus loves the rejects’, and that’s what I want you to hold on to. It doesn’t matter who rejected you, God will never turn His back on you. When you seek ye first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness, everything else will be added on to you.”

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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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Black Immigrant Daily News

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 Soldier, Spartan Angel, Psycho, Rich 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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Dancehall music producer Skatta Burrell has rated Norris Man’s 2000 hit Persistence, on which he worked as a sound engineer, as his best production ever.

Skatta gave Norris Man his accolades on Monday, in one of his regular throwback Instagram posts, where he shared the song’s accompanying music video and hailed the Rastafarian artist.

“How could I ever fail in life when Norris Man & Iley Dread gave me the opportunity to produce this monster Hit. My 1st #1 song that ripped thru over 60 charts worldwide and to this day hands down my best work, for it shaped My entire spirituality and Passion for music,” Skatta proclaimed.

In continuing his adulation of Norris Man, Skatta said that he would use his powers to ensure the singer appears at Reggae Sumfest this year.   

“I would love to see You on Reggae Sumfest this 2023 and I’m going to do everything to make it happen My Brother. Bigupp @badgyalcecile wit the beautiful harmonies and @benzlyhype on keyboards,” he added.

In an interview with YouTuber Teach Dem a few years ago, Norris Man had described Persistence as a poetic piece of songwriting, which he had done during a time of struggle as an upcoming artist in Reggae/Dancehall with his Kings of Kings stablemates Skatta, Cecile and singer Crisinti sharing the same issues.

“It was me, Skatta Burrell, who is today with Downsound Records.  We started out as bredrin; that’s how everything started out.  He was a engineer; I was an artiste.  We met up at Kings of Kings… at that time Ce’cile was the secretary working for the guy Stephen Ventura,” Norris Man had explained.

“It was a wonderful opportunity because is like we started out a camp.  Because at that time you have Xterminator, Star Trail Records; everybody was moving in camps.  And Skatta was the engineer who record me on a lot of songs.  All the songs on the album called Persistence, Skatta record them.  He also mixed the album.  It was his first big credibility,” Norris Man said of Skatta’s role in the 16-track debut album.

Norris Man had, likewise, praised Skatta as his best engineer ever.

“He was a good engineer and what happened at the time, I think Kings of Kings – he never really wanted Skatta hundred percent to mix all the songs… but he (Skatta) is an engineer who used to my sound, my voice.  Suh yuh just haffi be the best  When it comes to ne he makes it right.   Because we are friends and we started out togedda.  We been in the studio day and night…,” he added.

Norris Man, who is known for other hits such as Bad Road, Keep It Real, Woman Have Patience, and Home And Away, said that Persistence marked a turning point in his life, as when the song was released, it became an immediate hit due in part to his melodies, and intonations, which made the song memorable, and a highly impressed Irie FM disc jockey, who gave it steady rotation.

“Everything changed right there.  Give thanks to the disc jockey weh name Mighty Mike who discovered the song and send call me in person.  Because he thought the person who sing the song was a bigger person, a older person. When him meet me I was just a youth; him a look fi a big man,” he said.

“I was just writing what was coming to mi head. I didn’t know if I did do a  great ting or what.  I just know mi meck good music. Das all.   An from mi a yute mi always have dis idea.  I don’t want to do music just like dat.  I listen other artiste and den I seh ‘listen, I want to be different from  all a dem’.  Suh, I always experiment with mi melodies, so dat give yuh di sustenance on the song,” he added.

“It (Persistence) opened real doors, because VP decided dem want an album…we have a distribution deal with dem.   And from dat album come many great hits.  All bigh song outta Jamaica like ‘dem nuh want si wi strive’ [Bad Road] and Bright Days…,” he said. 

Norris Man said Persistence also enabled him to travel outside of Jamaica to Canada for the first time, along with Spanner banner and Ce’cile, and that it thrusted him into the limelight amongst the likes of the then-dominant Sizzla Kalonji and Anthony B.

“I don’t make many songs like they make, but the few that I do they set a great mark..,” he said.

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Dancehall star KipRich is thanking his lucky stars after recovering his chain and US$25,000 Rolex on Thursday.

The police’s Corporate Communications Unit has confirmed that the man suspected of robbing entertainer KipRich has been arrested and remains in custody. The suspect will be transferred to the Greater Portmore Police Station in St Catherine where investigators will continue to probe the case.

The Telephone Ting deejay revealed that he collected his chain and Rolex 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.

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.

Over the 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.

Police theorized that the culprit gave the bus driver the items to hold for him.

On 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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