Buju Banton Issues An Official Statement About His Upcoming Album (@bujubanton)

bujuSee below an official statement from international reggae / dancehall artist Buju Banton regarding his upcoming album “Upside Down.” The project is scheduled for release on June 26th, however, it will be available for pre-order this Friday (June 12th).

“As we approach this shift in time, in ages, in the consciousness of man, many things can be said but who is really listening? So much trouble in our world, yet are we aware? The battle lines have been drawn and it’s simple. Good vs. evil.

I am not here to tell you the side you should be on, rather my offering of music is meant to guide, inspire, uplift, educate and eradicate negativity from the minds of the masses.

We, who have been the political football of many, the economic underdog nations, say no! No more to this upside down system. This one sided view of justice and all the other issues affecting us as a people.

While I seek to highlight the systemic problems around the world, I am aware of the need of preserving dancehall culture along with the real essence that reggae music offers but these are not normal times so things cannot continue as normal.

We are the change we seek and it’s our time to cement this thought in the minds of our youth. To open their eyes, thus enabling future generations to continue on a firm path and solid foundation with music doing it’s job as the great healer, teacher, comforter and above all, the restorative force that propels human beings to higher heights.

My gift from Jah to you. Let’s get this UPSIDE DOWN 2020 world right side up.”

NeverLeveledTV to Launch with Beenie Man Concert On July 3 (@KingBeenieMan)

BeenieMan

NeverLeveled LLC will officially launch NeverLeveledTV with Life of a King, a live virtual concert experience with Dancehall King Beenie Man on July 3rd, 2020. Tickets prices range from $3.99 to $9.99, and go on sale on June 8th on NeverLeveled dot tv.

With record setting views on the Verzuz Beenie Man and Bounty Killer clash, the NeverLeveled team believes that Life of a King will be well received

[Submitted]

Beenie Man Launches Verzuz Collection Merch (@KingBeenieMan)

BeenieMan

Since the overwhelming success of the Beenie Man / Bounty Killer Verzuz competition a couple weeks ago, the Jamaican dancehall king has been very busy releasing and promoting new merchandise unique to the show.

His official online store – beenieman merch dot com – is up and running, and it features a stunning ‘Verzuz Collection’ t-shirt line. We cannot say how sales are going, but the online chatter is very positive and optimistic.

Karamanti Releases The Official Video For “Eyes Open Up” From Her “Hurt People” Album

kara video eyes open up

A few days ago Karamanti released the official video for “Eyes Open Up,” which is featured on her 2019 album, “Hurt People.”

The visuals were captured in Karamanti‘s city, Kingston 20 (Jamaica), a few weeks before the corona virus pandemic disrupted our daily routines. As this is her favorite song on the album, she insisted on creating a simple video that would not distract from the message in the music. That being said, the video shows her performing the song in a fun, but purposeful and deliberate manner, while clips of onlookers are sporadically placed throughout.

The “Hurt People” album was created to shine light on domestic abuse, child abuse and molestation (at home and in the church), severe despondency and dejection, and above all else, on the importance of reclaiming ones happiness after a traumatic experience. A couple years ago Karamanti went into, and eventually overcame, deep depression. The song “Eyes Open Up” was written around that time and it has since been a source of inspiration for her.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “EYES OPEN UP”

Maria Jackson Radio Is Now Back Online!

radioOur digital music station, Maria Jackson Radio (MJR), is now back online! The station began broadcasting again on June 2nd, 2020 after being off air for a couple of weeks due to technical difficulties.

Now that the station is back online, listeners can expect some changes to our playlist. In the past we only streamed reggae music and all sub-genres deriving from that style; however, going forward MJR will begin to slowly incorporate other urban genres providing the content is positive.

The theme of the station will follow our overall theme, which is: “Promoting Positive Black Music & Telling The Stories Of The People Behind It.” We stream 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with new music added to our playlist every week.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MARIA JACKSON RADIO

Chris Martin, Nadine Sutherland, Jesse Royal & D Major All Confirmed For The Irie Jam Virtual Concert This Weekend (@Nadinesutherlan @JesseRoyal1)

Chris Martin Nadine Sutherland Jesse Royal

Over the past few weeks, Irie Jam Radio, which is based in New York, has been giving us quality digital concerts to tie us over while we were all on lock-down and in quarantine.

Even though a lot of the stay at home orders are now being relaxed the show will still go on this Saturday, June 6th, at 6:00 PM EST. There will be performances from Chris Martin, Nadine Sutherland, Jesse Royal, D Major and Zac Jones. The concert will be streamed live on Irie Jam Radio’s social media platforms.

Koffee Issues Statement On The Unjustified Killings Of Black Americans At The Hands Of Police

On Saturday, May 30th, Jamaican pop star, Koffee, shared the following statement on her social media platforms:

“As we witness the constant injustice towards our brothers and sisters, we must stand together. I may be young, but I can fully feel the weight of the decades of oppression and abuse towards not only Black Americans, but Black people all over the world. Let George Floyd’s life be not in vein. We must fight for freedom and fight against injustice. We are all in this together. None of us are free until all of us are free.”