TLC & Shaggy’s “Hot Summer Nights Tour” Kicks Off Next Month (@DiRealShaggy @OfficialTLC)

In March, GRAMMY Award winning R&B group TLC and Jamaican music legend Shaggy – who is also a GRAMMY winner – announced that they will join forces on the Hot Summer Nights Tour. Together they will bring decades of their most beloved hits to stages across North America.

The Hot Summer Nights Tour will also feature performances by special guests En Vogue and Sean Kingston on selective shows. Below are the confirmed dates and locations.

June 01 – Pelham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
June 03 – Miami, FL – FPL Solar Amphitheater @ Bayfront Park
June 04 – St. Augustine, FL – The St. Augustine Amphitheatre
June 07 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park @ Walnut Creek
June 09 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
June 10 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
June 11 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
June 13 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
June 15 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
June 16 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
June 17 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre
June 21 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
June 23 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 24 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
June 25 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
June 28 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 30 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion At Toyota Music Factory
July 01 – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
July 02 – Lake Cowichan, BC – Laketown Shakedown
July 03 – Austin, TX – Bass Concert Hall
July 06 – Salt Lake City, UT – Granary Live
July 07 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
July 08 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre
July 09 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
July 13 – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton EXPO Centre
July 14 – Calgary, AB – Cowboys Music Festival

Enjoy The Best Of The 80s & 90s With Spragga Benz (@SPRAGGABENZ3)

Dancehall legend Spragga Benz will be featured at the bashment edition of the Original Strictly 80s & 90s dance, set for Saturday, June 10th at Compound – 190-01 Linden Boulevard – in Queens, New York.

Benz had a string of regional hits in the early 90s that would help shape dancehall trends for years to come. He also produced several full-length albums, including the party-ready 2000 release Fully Loaded. Collaborations with rappers like Foxy Brown, Wyclef Jean, and Nas were instrumental in putting the dancehall giant on an international stage.

Tickets for the Original Strictly 80s & 90s dance, which can be purchased from eventbrite, start at $45 USD.

Beenie Man Shares New Visuals For “Mankind” (@KingBeenieMan)

Three months ago, Cigar Records released an introspective dancehall single performed by Beenie Man. The song, titled Mankind, garnered a lot of attention initially, because it is unlike the dancehall king’s usual upbeat, party tracks. At the time a lyric/studio video was also shared.

This past Thursday however, Beenie Man released the official video. Click here or on the image above to watch it, and remember to like, comment and share.

Reggae Legend Sister Carol Continues To Highlight The ‘Nubian Wombman’ (@Tadsrecord)

Originally a native of the Denham Town district in West Kingston, Sister Carol – Jamaica’s Black Cinderella – is still using her music to teach, strengthen and inspire! Her most recent release is Nubian Wombman, a strong reggae song that was strategically shared in Women’s History Month,  2023. This was done because as the name implies, Nubian Wombman is a tribute to black women at home (Africa) and in the diaspora. 

On the record, Sister Carol was intentional in highlighting the black woman’s beauty, acumen, exuberance, and relevance, as well as several other noteworthy attributes inherent in all melanated African women. She also used the biological version of woman in the title – wombman – which signifies her commitment to the Rastafarian faith and way of life. 

“The Nubian Woman can never, ever be in danger as our brother Bob Marley said, ‘you running and you running away but you can’t run away from yourself’. The gift of Melanin is one of our greatest gifts from The Most High and we can never deny. To know thyself is an important part of the journey. Once you bolster that self-love, self-pride and self-esteem, then you can’t lose impact easily.” The preceding is Sister Carol‘s impassioned sentiment regarding the Nubian Wombman.

The song, produced by the Black Cinderella herself, was officially released on March 24th. It is available for sale on all digital platforms worldwide, courtesy of Tad’s Record Inc.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD “NUBIAN WOMBMAN”

Ziggy Marley Performs At Vienna’s Wolf Trap Next Month (@ziggymarley @Wolf_Trap)

The Wolf Trap is closing out the spring with a massive two-day concert that stars reggae royalty Zigga Marley, the big easy’s best musicians, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, as well as blues legend Mavis Staples.

The dates are June 17th and 18th, at the Filene Center – 1551 Trap Road – in Vienna, Virginia. Tickets start at $49 USD. Get ticket and additional info here.

Anthony Cruz Goes “Under The Covers” On New Album (@JahCruz @Tadsrecord)

One of Jamaica’s most soulful singers – Anthony Cruz – has emerged with a mellifluous eighteen-track album, titled Under The Covers. The self produced project was released this past Friday, April 28th, via Tad’s Record, the imprint for which it was exclusively created. 

Cruz, who is always a leader in his field, has led again by doing something quite unique. He has done a full-length reggae-remix studio album that includes favorites like: R. Kelly‘s Step In The Name Of LoveAlexander O’Neal’s If You Were Here TonightRoberta Flack and Donny Hathaway‘s The Closer I Get to You, as well as several other chart-topping grown folk music.

Musicians and producers that contributed to this masterpiece are Donald ‘Danny Bassie’ Dennis, drummer Kirk Bennett, keyboardist Paul ‘Wrong Move’ Crossdale, Bobby Digital, King Jammy, Donovan Germain, Chris Knight, Tad Dawkins Jr., and Mark HoSang.

In a recent interview, an excited Anthony Cruz made the following prediction about the LP: “I know it’s going to create history, because it’s never been done before — a full cover version album. Jamaicans love it, people love it across the world, they love when you sing over their songs in Reggae, ‘cause Reggae have the power.”

Under The Covers is now available on Apple Music, Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, and all other streaming platforms. It is being distributed by Tad’s Record Inc.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD “UNDER THE COVERS”

Olatunji & Voice Will ‘Shine’ On Memorial Day

Back to Basics Entertainment and BlackStar will present Shine – The Art of Music on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29th. So far they have announced performances by the Engine Room king Olatunji Yearwood, and the youngest Soca Monarch Voice, along with his band Top 5.

Shine – The Art of Music will take place at Coney Art Walls on Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. Running time is 2 to 9pm. Click here for tickets.