As promised, Kanye West kicked off a weekly roll out of albums released under the G.O.O.D Music label. This week, he released the long awaited collaborative album, “KIDS SEE GHOSTS” featuring Recording Artist Kid Cudi. While the album featured 7 tracks, there was one that caught many off guard. On track 4 titled “Freeee” a.k.a. “Ghost Town Pt. 2“, it starts off with the words of the late Jamaican Scholar, Activist, Teacher, and National Hero, The Rt. Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey. Produced by Kanye, vocals from a speech and Interview Garvey was a part of in the early 1920’s about his trial and persecution for Mail Fraud was used in the first few seconds of the track.
All are invited to the Live. Work. Travel. Creative Workshop Series. It is a collaborative effort between 7AM Magazine, Remote Year and The Hub. The excellent and highly anticipated Live. Work. Travel. Talk that was held previously has been extended into individual workshops to properly equip you with the knowledge and resources you need to live, work and travel abroad. This 3-part series takes place each Saturday afternoon at The Hub, Jamaica’s premiere coworking space in New Kingston, starting on Saturday, May 19, with LIVE. Then WORK on Saturday, May 26, and finally, TRAVEL on Saturday, June 2. The workshop begins promptly at 2 PM each day.
At the LIVE Workshop you can expect to learn the practical tips for living abroad part-time or full time. To have an interactive discussion on international culture, how to secure accommodations, covering living expenses, facing language barriers and how to maintain your home, car, and relationships while away.
The WORK Seminar will teach you the many ways of generating income while traveling abroad – from taking your existing profession on the road to learning how to work remotely and finding work you can do from anywhere. Explore the different work lifestyle options: 9 to 5, freelance, co-working, startups and how they work best while traveling, as well as resources for finding work and additional income. The guest speaker, from NextGen Creators will share experiences of living and working around the world.
Learn how to TRAVEL abroad like a pro at the final workshop. Discover more about various countries, the travel requirements, cultural travel groups and affordable options for travel, flights and more. The guest speakers, Hub members from TW Tours, will guide you through passport and visa procedures, and answer any questions you may have.
Book all three workshops and get a personalIzed LIVE. WORK. TRAVEL. resource guide, and discounts for The Hub + Remote Year.
Jamaicans islandwide were treated to a “Wakanda-style” celebration for the Charles Chocolates Dancin’ Dynamites Competition finale last Sunday. Roars of screams and applause filled the venue as crowd favourites Street Team were announced as the Season 13 winners to roars of screams and applause.
The show hosts, judges, and audience members donned their finest dashikis and asa okes during the live show, as the winning team – which had also entered the competition last year but placed fourth – thrilled audience members and beat four other competing dance crews with their quick footwork and eye-dazzling afro moves.
Roxanne Brown, Brand Manager for Charles Chocolates, said she was pleased with the outcome of the grand finale. “This ‘Clash 13’ season was extremely challenging but the dancers stuck to it and we’re glad that they performed well,” she said. “The weekly challenges were demanding, however, Street Team was determined. They covered the craft lessons they had learned from the previous competition and I’m really happy that they won. They deserve it.”
The team, which comprises Kemar Boyd, Adrian Jonas and Andre Henry, received the public’s top vote and cash prizes of over J$1 million from Jenny Jenny Productions, title sponsor Charles Chocolates, and associate sponsors. Anchovy High, the only team from a secondary school, placed second; New Era placed third; and Unruly Skankaz placed fourth; taking home J$400,000 from Jenny Jenny Productions and Burger King, J$200,000.00 and J$50,000.00, respectively, along with other prizes in kind.
The finale’s “Wakanda” theme paid homage to this year’s huge box office Disney-Marvel action hit Black Panther, which boasted a predominately black cast and crew as it became the top grossing solo superhero movie of all-time. In keeping with the theme, the dance routines from the clashing teams resembled popular African dances such as the ‘gwara gwara’ from South Africa and the Ghanian ‘azonto’.
Street Team’s Kemar Boyd said, “This year, we come back fi it mad! We don’t settle as losers. We always aim high and we aim for first place.” Also admitting that they had to employ a much different approach to gain the edge, he said, “Everything weh we do last year, we do it twice as hard this year and think outside of the box. We get up early inna di morning and campaign.”
The show’s Jamaica College Auditorium venue was graced with the presence of Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport the Honourable Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, who also joined in on the action on stage with Chi Ching Ching during his performance debuting his new song and dance move ‘Rice and Peas’. Dancehall duo and Charles Chocolates Ambassadors Voicemail and gospel artiste Kevin Downswell also provided musical entertainment.
Roxanne Brown, Brand Manager of Charles Chocolates, poses with Andre Henry (left), Kemar Boyd (second right) and Adrian Jonas of Street Team at last Sunday’s finale staging. The dance crew are the 2018 winners of the Chocolates Dancin’ Dynamites Competition.
The Charles Chocolates Dancin’ Dynamites Competition feted audiences with the sweet sounds of Soca last Sunday as six teams faced off showcasing their best ‘Wine and wuk-up’ moves at the carnival-themed semi-final staging.
The evening’s proceedings took off with the competition’s own festival of high-energy after the announcement that dance crew Street Team was the crowd favourite with the most votes from the public since their dance routine the week prior.
The night’s Soca theme, highlighting just one of the many other musical genres of the Caribbean, is timely and comes just after this year’s record-breaking turnout for Jamaica Carnival, which saw more than fifty thousandtourists visiting the island to participate in what stakeholders called ‘The biggest carnival in Jamaica’s history’.
The performances utilized popular elements of the annual carnival festivities, including bright colours, wave rags, gems and glitter, as judges Orville Hall, Kerry-Ann Henry and Charles Chocolates brand ambassador Kevyn of Dancehall duo Voicemail commended their overall “solid movements”, “good energy” and “nice vibe”. The clear favourite for the evening – Street Team – danced to roars of applause and screams from the crowd with Hall stating in his review that they are “the ones that can potentially win the competition”.
The weekly ‘Clash 13’ showdown ended with a street battle between Overload Skankas and Unruly Squad after a random draw selection and saw Unruly losing out to the rival dance group, which won the J$20,000 on-the-spot prize, after last week’s one-minute face-off in the Nannyville community.
Roxanne Brown, Brand Manager, Charles Chocolates, said she’s expecting high energy synonymous with the rousing launch to be the clincher for the Season 13 ‘Clash 13, Cut and Clean’ finale. “There’s a lot of excitement as we approach the much-anticipated finals this Sunday, and we want the teams to bring it! From vibes, to synergy to energy – every team has to put on their best show to secure the top honours after the dust has settled.”
The Charles Chocolates Dancin’ Dynamite grand finale is set to take place on Sunday, May 20, at the Jamaica College Auditorium. After the impending elimination, five teams will go head-to-head for the winning title, bragging rights and over J$3 million in cash and prizes from competition organiser Jenny Jenny Productions, and title sponsors Charles Chocolates.
Charles Chocolates brand ambassadors and dancehall duo Voicemail – Kevyn (left) and Craig (right) – pause for a photo op with Charles Chocolates Brand Manager Roxanne Brown.
Jamaican-born Industrial Designer Mathieu Vaughan ranks high in the 2018 Pensole World Sneaker Championship. With 64 total entries, Vaughan is currently in the Top 32 after the competition’s 1st elimination round through online voting. A Pensole Academy Alum and currently enrolled at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Vaughan’s design theme is “Abstract Approximation“, and is inspired by the Last (a mechanical form that has the shape similiar to the human foot, and is used by Shoemakers in the manufacture or repair of shoes). The finished product aims to give the wearer great support, comfort, and performance while adapting to the “Moc” style offered by some of the current Sneaker makers.
The competition is currently at the 2nd round of eliminations, and you can place your vote for Mathieu Vaughan here so that he can advance to the top 16. The competition continues elimination in the Top 8, Top 4, and offers previously eliminated entrants a 2nd chance at redemption before the Top 2 elimination and final winner. If Vaughan emerges as the winner, he will receive prizes from Tech company Wacom, have a limited run of his design being sold at select Footlocker locations, and a $20,018 cash prize.
The Pensole World Sneaker Championship was created in 2014 as the first global Sneaker Design Tournament to discover and develop the next great sneaker Designers. The Tournament goes through a single elimination, all or nothing style process in numerous rounds, and receives thousands of designs from all around the world yearly. It is sponsored by Wacom, Vibram, EDCO, and has partnered with Footlocker. Stay up to date with the competition on their Instagram, see more of Vaughan’s work here, and get familiar with the “Ja Got Sole” online community.
If you’re living under a rock (or you were pretty busy), the Carters (Beyonce and Jay Z) are in Jamaica! With their “On The Run 2” Tour dates drawing near, they’ve decided to hop on a Plane and pass through “Jamrock” to get some things done. Word is they’re shooting a video, and you know fans from all over are trying to get some camera time with Queen Bey and Jigga. While they’re no stranger to the Island, we’d like to highlight 5 times Jamaica has been a part of their careers. If no island vibes nuh inna it, it nah go nice! Check them out below!
Beyonce’s 2011 single was the anthem for Women Empowerment worldwide, and off the album, “4“. Produced by The-Dream, Switch, and Shea Taylor, the single sampled “Pon De Floor“, a collaborative effort between Major Lazer and Dancehall Icon Vybz Kartel. Beyonce’s single went on to become one of her biggest ones to date, and gave the “World Boss” some writing credit too.
2. Jay Z has rapped over a few Dancehall/Reggae samples.
Jay Z’s from Brooklyn, New York, an area that is heavily populated by Caribbean folks. He must have some sort of Jamaican influence in his songs, right? He has thrown some patois in the lyrics, but singles like “On To The Next One” off his “Magna Carter…Holy Grail” album borrowed a piece of Cutty Rank’s infamous intro off his 1992 single, “A Who Seh Me Dun“. Other samples include Max Romeo’s “Chase The Devil“, which was featured on “Lucifer“, the late John Holt’s “I Will” on “Encore“, Sizzla’s “Solid As A Rock” on “Crown“, and Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam” and Jacob Miller’s “Tenement Yard” on “Bam“. Big up the Producers involved.
