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Multi-talented singer, songwriter Abby Dallas is headed to New York to work on some new music for the hew year. While her stay on the big Apple, the songstress will do a condensed radio promo tour and visit the various stations that have showed love and support of her 2015 debut EP "Destined". As the new year kicked in gear, Abby continued to spread her musical message by blazing the airwaves and various performances in Jamaica, while her videos "From My Heart" and "He's Just NOT Into You" off her "Destined" EP have remained present on various worldwide platforms. MPR Consulting is now scheduling Abby Dallas interviews, please e-mail Consulting.MPR@gmail.com and/or call (347) 292-8005 ABBY DALLAS Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Abby Dallas grew up in the sunny town of Portmore, where she attended the Bridge Port High School. At the tenderage of six, Abby was exposed to music through her Church , School and Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Sponsored Events. Time and time again, Abby was recognized for her outstanding vocal talent by the JCDC: Most Outstanding Soloist (2005), Best Female Pop Singer (2005) and Most Outstanding Junior Vocalist (2005). Abby was also awarded a scholarship to the premier music college in Jamaica, the Edna Manley College of Performing and Visual Arts, where she gained a diploma in Music Performance. Abby has been writing, arranging and recording songs and has gained the respect of Jamaicans through songs such as What’s Going On and Real Girl. When not writing and arranging songs, Abby tours with International Artists like Diana King and Tanya Stephens. She has also done session and backing work with accomplished talents like Dean Fraser, Shaggy, Queen Ifrika, Mavado and Yellowman. Her easy going and relaxing style, which often reminds one of Nina Simone, makes her a favourite on the Cabaret and Jazz circuits as well as National Gala Events.. Abby has experimented with various genres and now tends to favour Reggae, Jazz, and Rhythm and Blues. Her focus going forward is to continue to thrill her audience with a combination of contemporary and classical hits, while developing and refining her inimitable style so admired by her fans. Since signing with One Jam Music in late 2013, Abby has released two songs: Destined for Love, a lovers rock duet with JayQ, and Extraordinary (I am that Girl), a solo effort on the gritty Harder than Hard dancehall beat. These two songs show her wide vocal range and versatility and are earning her comparisons to dancehall divas such as Lady Saw and Cecile, as well as to reggae songbirds Tessanne Chin and Diana King.

Making his mark in the musical arena, St-Mary, Jamaica native now U.S based dancehall and reggae Lex-A-Million has worked with various notable names such as acclaimed JA production, Delly Ranks, and multi-media Diva Nikki Z to name a few. After a brief musical hiatus, the rising star is kicking off 2016 with hit bound dancehall single "Aye Gyal". Produced by Emilio Bowens for Track Starr Music Group and written by Lex-A-Milliom himself, the single aims to make you dance while evoking feel good feeling and a sense of musical euphoria. Speaking on his new track, the rising star explained "I feel as an artist it's my duty to make the masses feel good by creating feel good music, that's what this new song is about. I think anyone can relate to Aye Gyal, but from a male perspective this girl from no where just has an immediate hold on me whether it's a mental , physical, or even a physical attraction which leads me to come to the conclusion seh she must breed fi mi... Or in other words lets turn this into a forever thing lol. But I definitely wanted to cater more to the ladies and with the help of TrackStarrMusic, TheFaceykid, my peers, and my city I feel like "Aye Gyal" was perfect to Kick Off my #Milli campaign." To support "Aye Gyal", a video is slated to be released in the upcoming weeks.

Kemar Davis , the brother of Flippa Moggela convicted for his part in smuggling cocaine to New Jersey was sentenced Friday to 20 years in state prison. Kemar and others were directed by Andrew Davis aka Flippa Moggela to ship cocaine from California to New Jersey, where it was then distributed to dealers, investigators said. Prosecutors said that an investigation dubbed "Operation Next Day Air" run by state and federal officials netted 26 kilograms of cocaine, more than $500,000 in cash and two handguns. Kemar and Roger Davis both pleaded guilty and Roger was sentenced to 10 years in state prison for drug charges. Andrew Davis (Flippa Moggela) was convicted after a seven-week trial in December. He faces 10 to 20 years in state prison for the cocaine distribution charge and five to 10 years in prison for money laundering and conspiracy charges. A mistrial was declared on a charge that he led a drug trafficking network. "This case sends a powerful message to drug traffickers who sell addiction, misery and death into our communities — no matter where you live, we're going to investigate you, track you down, and bring you to justice," New Jersey acting Attorney General John Hoffman said in a statement. A co-defendant in the Camden County trial, Marsha Bernard , the common-law wife of Andrew Davis, was sentenced last month to 21 years in prison. Prosecutors say she received large cocaine shipments that she distributed to other drug traffickers. Six other defendants pleaded guilty and were sentenced to between three and 16 years in state prison.

Raised on the beautiful, yet small island of St. Maarten, Shane “Tha Hot$hot” Kelly became influenced by Hip-Hop music at a young age. Having always been known as the quiet child, he proved his ability to openly broadcast his opinions by dedicating his time to writing a few rhymes every day after coming home from school, as a way to release his tension and thoughts about a variety of topics. Rapidly, Shane started to become increasingly involved with his music and delivering messages in a positive way. Not only did this up and coming rapper develop a new form of confidence, but he made it very clear that he would work his hardest to achieve his dream. “I'm one of the most confident and determined people that you'll ever meet.” Shane says. “I use the positive aspects of my life as motivation to get what I want and need, in order to succeed in the things that I want to accomplish in life.” ​ Shane also discovered a new tool for motivation, following the untimely death of his childhood friend, Gerald “Young G” James , who used to chant raps with him as a child. Knowing how much Gerald supported him, Tha Hot$hot continued to push harder for his dream, and used his friends passing as a source of encouragement to make him, and many other loved ones proud. He made it his goal to create powerful lyrics that have the ability to encourage an audience regardless of their age, race or gender. Tha Hot$hot is currently under the independent record label D.Y. Entertainment , and released his second mixtape “Swagger 101 Vol. 2: From Local to Global,” on May 18th 2012, which was hosted by Toronto's own DJ Wikked . This mixtape made Shane the first St. Maartener to gain over 50,000 views and 4,000 downloads on the popular Hip-Hop website Datpiff . Furthermore, he was awarded the “Best Male Rap Artist” at the 2012 SXM Music Awards and his first music video for his hit single “Reppin’ It ,” made its debut at the #1 spot on TEMPO Networks’ Cross Caribbean Countdown and remained #1 for 6 consecutive weeks. It continued on the countdown for a total of 6 months, marking Shane as the first artist out of St. Maarten to do so. In addition to these accomplishments, Tha Hot$hot’s website “ thahotshot.com ” went public as well, enabling him to spread his music on a more international platform. Shane continues to dedicate himself to releasing high quality music in every aspect, and is expected to release new original music and more projects to continue adding to his resume, as well as remaining in the spotlight. On September 17th, 2013 Tha Hot$hot released his first official single “ Tropical Limelight” featuring songstress $tekaly Tha Singer . The single was released on iTunes and Amazon, along with a variety of other digital music stores. His label/management D.Y. Entertainment then teamed up with Pantason Music & Subkonshus Music out of Jamaica; and on June 10th, 2014 released the “Tropical Limelight” Remix which again featured $tekaly Tha Singer & added the Dancehall Star Konshens ! He became the first St. Maarten Artist to feature the Dancehall Star, and since then went on to be on rotation on many different radio stations throughout the Caribbean and the rest of the world. ​ D.Y. Ent. /I From Here Music & Southern Smoke presented Tha Hot$hot's brand new mixtape project “ Anticipation For Greatness ” hosted by the World Famous Dj Smallz . The mixtape was released on Livemixtapes.com & datpiff.com on August 12th, 2014, as he became the first Recording Artist from St. Maarten to work with Dj Smallz. Smallz is the CEO of the Southern Smoke Brand is one of the top Hip-Hop mixtape DJs in the world. Following the success of his mixtape, Tha Hot$hot covered “The Rhythmic Lounge Magazine” September/October Volume 11 Issue. An up and coming magazine located in Connecticut, USA which features Artists, Entertainers & Musicians from around the World. This marked his first time covering any magazine and an article on him was featured on pages 6-7. Success nearly repeated itself when the music video for his 1st official single “ Tropical Limelight” landed at #3 in its debut on the Cross Caribbean Countdown on TEMPO Networks. He became the only St. Maarten Artist to debut in the TOP 3 on two separate occasions, and to also secure a TOP 3 position with 3 different videos. The video then went on to capture the #1 position in its 6th and 7th week on the countdown, before being retired at #3 in its 8th and final week. This made him the only St. Maarten Artist to remain at #1 with 2 different videos for consecutive weeks. In March of 2015, he opened the calendar year by adding another accomplishment to his name, as he became one of only a few artists from St. Maarten to have his music video featured on the well known Hip-Hop website “ WorldStarHipHop.com .” The music video for his single “ Out With A Bang ,” which comes off his “Anticipation For Greatness” mixtape was premiered on the website. Quickly following the premier, his “‎Tropical Limelight” single charted at #59 on the “Urban Charts” of ChartBase in Denmark. The Chart is based on several international urban-charts and the biggest mainstream urban-hits in the world. He stepped into the history books for his home island of St. Maarten yet again, when he was booked as an Opening Performer for Lil Wayne, Rich Homie Quan, Lil Dicky and K. Camp, at The “ Dope Music Festival ” in Everett, Washington on December 18th, 2015. D.Y. Entertainment Independent Record Label & Management established a settlement with a Booking Agency based in New York, which gave Tha Hot$hot the opportunity to open for his first show in the USA, and will also provide more shows both regional and internationally. From his admirable attitude and perspective on music, to his compelling lyrics, it's safe to say Tha Hot$hot is an artist we all need to look out for!

Chi Ching Ching Video Roast Or Fry (Bread Fruit) on The Wicked Wicked Riddim Produced By Jamie Roberts For YVP, Video Directed & Edited By RD Studios JA @chichingchingja @jamie_yungvibez @rdstudiosja @jwonder21

You may have thought Rihanna had her plate full, following a brand new album launch, world tour in the works and debut collection as creative director at Puma—but the songstress shows no signs of stopping her bid for full domination of the music and fashion worlds. Today, the singer joined forces with iconic shoemaker Manolo Blahnik for a collaborative Spring 2016 shoe collection. Riri has long been a fan of Blahnik—often seen sporting his sexy heels on and off the red carpet. Now she's collaborated with the shoe mastermind himself on a capsule collection called "Denim Desserts." The 6-piece range will feature different styles from strappy mules to sexy boots (which Rihanna describes as "trouble") all made of denim, sequins and artisan embroidery inspired by the singer's hand tattoos. If you're one of the lucky women to snag a pair from the upcoming collection, you'll want to watch your back. "The day I see a woman in the street wearing my shoes... I am sorry for that woman because I'm going to literally run after her, shouting, 'Stop! Selfie! Who are you? Where did you get them?' I'm going to have a moment!'" the songstress said in an official statement. Actually, we wouldn't mind taking a selfie (or a shoe-fie?) with our favorite bad gal. All styles will be available to purchase on May 5th in Manolo Blank stores in London, New York and Hong Kong only with prices ranging from $895 to $3,995. We have no doubt that they will sell out just as fast as her Rihanna x Puma sneakers—start lining up! Source

The Rolling Stones will perform a groundbreaking concert in Havana, Cuba on Friday March 25, 2016. The free concert will take place at the Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana and will be the first open air concert in the country by a British Rock Band. Always exploring new horizons and true pioneers of rock, the Stones, who have toured every corner of the globe, will bring their high octane performance and incredible music catalogue to the Caribbean for the first time ever. This once-in-a-lifetime concert event follows the band’s America Latina Ole tour, which is currently receiving rave reviews, playing to huge audiences in stadiums in Santiago, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Rio De Janeiro, São Paulo and Porto Alegre with Lima, Bogotá and Mexico City following next week. The band are also leading a musician to musician initiative in which much needed musical instruments and equipment are being donated by major suppliers for the benefit of Cuban musicians of all genres. Donors include The Gibson Foundation, Vic Firth, RS Berkeley, Pearl, Zildjian, Gretsch, Latin Percussion, Roland and BOSS with additional assistance from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. The Rolling Stones said: “We have performed in many special places during our long career but this show in Havana is going to be a landmark event for us, and, we hope, for all our friends in Cuba too.” This historical concert will no doubt have Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood mesmerizing a new audience of fans with a set packed full of classic Stones hits as well as special gems from their million selling albums. The Rolling Stones concert, which has been in the planning stages for several months comes only days after President Barack Obama’s recently announced visit to Cuba. This entire event is being made possible by the benefaction of Fundashon Bon Intenshon on behalf of the island of Curaçao. Fundashon Bon Intenshon initiates and supports international charitable projects in the fields of education, athletics, cultural literacy, healthcare and tourism as well as other attempts to mitigate the impact of general poverty. It is being promoted by AEG’s Concerts West and Musica Punto Zero who extend their gratitude for the support provided by the Institute of Cuban Music in bringing this event to the people of Cuba. The Rolling Stones “Concert for Amity” will be filmed and produced by award winning production company JA Digital with Paul Dugdale directing and Simon Fisher and Sam Bridger as producers. Julie Jakobek of JA Digital said: “It’s a great honour to be working with the Rolling Stones again on this hugely exciting and historic event”.

"The Father You Are My Source" tour is a celebration of Caribbean Gospel Inspirational, stirring and exhilarating music for the whole family featuring renowned Stephen Murphy, Nanamous and Kweli Simba . Speaking of this inspirational musical journey, the tour organizers explained "The Father You are My Source Tour seeks to demonstrate that not in our own strength we succeed but that our strength comes from Jehovah the source of all good things. As individual artists; we understand that unity is strength and as soldiers on a mission the joining of musical forces will allow us to better impact our audiences and enhance our individual outreach." They further added " We have a bond that was forged through working on the stage together in the past with great measures of success. Although our styles are different we compliment each other giving a flow from one sub-genre to the other with seamless grace and ferver. This tour will potray the different hues of our music into a collage that the audiences will greatly appreciate." Music with a message is what each artist will convey. Steeped in Christ from birth, Stephen Murphy , born the son of a preacher, has always had a personal relationship with Christ and made his life goal to bring young people to him by using a musical message. From church drummer to a professional musician, he has played on stages with artist’s such as, J Moss, Papa San, Nigel Lewis, Troy Genius, DJ Nicholas, and Prodigal Son just to name a few. Also taking the stage will be Reggae Gospel Artist and song-writer Kweli Simba , (Lion Of Truth). Singing since he was nine years old, Kweli started writing his own songs influenced by the likes of brother Albert Minott (Jolly Boys), Bob Marley and Freddie McCgregor . With roots firmly places in reggae, Kweli has fused his roots with catchy-phrased songs that connect with audiences while inspiring. In recent years he has shared the same stage with Carlene Davis, David Keane and the Sunshine Singers, Alvin Slaughter, Papa San, Stephen Murphy, Emrand Henry and many other recorded artists. Rounding up this uplifting trio is Howard Osbourne known as Nanamous, a trailblazer from the Selah Muzik Family, known with hit songs like: “When Father God Calls You”, “Enemy Line Ft Stephan Peninsilyn”, among many others. Nanamous mission is to minister while entertaining, to inspire with delivering the word of Jesus Christ. "It’s all about him. So when I minister, I take comfort in the fact that it’s not my will or words but his (JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD & SAVIOR)." To have the "Father You Are My Source" Gospel Reggae Tour in your city or church, please contact (954) 907-8001 or (954) 303 - 5633, and/or e-mail MurphyBookings@gmail.com

Tifa was in top form over the weekend when she invaded the sunshine state delivering a scintillating performance to the packed house at the Dunns River Island Café in Tampa, Florida. The audience, an amalgamation of Caribbean and North American nationals saw the dancehaller unraveling her growing catalogue to much fanfare as patrons showed bountiful adulation and sang in unison to hits such as ‘ Spell It Out’, ‘Crawny Gyal' and the award winning ‘Jealous Ova ’ among others. Despite being newly released her latest efforts ‘ Bout This Love’ and ‘ Big Bumper ’ were also well received as patrons reveled in a crowd participation exercise during her set. Speaking with members of the media following the concert a seemingly exhausted but happy Tifa said, “The show was just too awesome! The crowd was lit! The vibes was right! I even stayed back and partied til the lights came on. Pure niceness!". In recent times the Jamaican star has seen an upsurge in international popularity, a trend which is being furthered by U.S based FADER Magazine . In an article written by Owen Myers and Ruth Saxelby in the January 2016 edition of the American tabloid titled “25 Artists From Around The World You Need To Know Right Now ” the music connoisseurs placed Tifa at No. 21 stating that, “Jamaican dancehall star Tifa has been making music for almost a decade, but she's not run out of explosive subject matter yet. Her most recent mixtape, Stay Away, addresses sexual taboos with wit and wine-inducing beats.” [ READ ARTICLE ] Of note is the fact that she is the ONLY Jamaican and one of two Caribbean nationals making the list. The other Caribbean representative is Trinidad’s Bunji Garlin. Responding to the endorsement a seemingly jocund Tifa added, “I'm honoured flattered and excited! A whole lot of great emotions ran through me when I saw it. It's a good look not only for myself, but Jamaica and dancehall! Definitely one of the proudest moments of my career. Fader Magazine is a big deal! Drake was on their last cover! Lol” Meanwhile, currently on a week-long business and promotional stint in Florida Tifa is set to return to the island later this month to commence an aggressive promotional campaign around her new singles ‘ Bout This Love’, Big Bumper’, ‘The Champ ’ and ‘Dreaming ’ the latter produced by radio jock turn producer DJ Nicco on the Vacation Rhythm.

Revival, Resurgence and Revitalization, all depictions used of late to describe reggae music and the new wave of young consciousness-raising, spiritually awaken artist evoking a golden era when Bob Marley sang of oppression. Undoubtedly one of the more intelligent and exciting young musicians, to emerge out of Kingston, Jamaica, Dre Island exhibited a very strong interest towards music at a young age. Nurtured and encouraged by his grandmother, Dre’s natural talents developed early with piano lessons, the latter honed Dre’s craft and musical ear. Introduced thereafter to a recording studio, a young Dre observed keenly the ins and out of every facets, while he developed the knack for building beats (Rhythms). His stage performance abilities were nurtured in church, and refined with showcases and local concerts. His professional journey working as a producer in some of Jamaica’s top recording studios led Dre to successfully complete projects with both local and international artistes such as Jah Cure, Sizzla, Pinchers, Julian Marley, and Junior Reid. With the experience garnered as a producer, and an unwavering support from family and friends, Dre Island made the transition to recording artiste. A true artist, Dre hasn’t limited his art nor confined himself, as he explores and lives in every genre of music in order to get his message out to everyone across the globe. Possessing a distinctively smooth, mellow voice paired with conscious and prolific lyrics, reggae artist Dre Island's music has laid out his solid stance at the forefront of the roots and culture movement. His socially-conscious messages have prompted his meteoric rise. With many notable productions in his repertoire, Dre Island's latest release "M16" off the upcoming debut Project Now I Rise, coined "Trapment genre by E5 Records executive Mini, the artist uses his voice and music to answer an ongoing call as a musical messenger for the destruction of the an unjust ‘Babylon’ system. The lead single graphically compares the potency, power and impact of the artist lyrics to that of an 'M16 rifle. With a creative and serious play on words Dre Island "rings the alarm" calling out the "champions" and the "youths" to wise up and dismantle the existing system that has them under pressure and suffering. Inspiring the youths to realize their true potential with "Lyrics Like An M16". Project 'Now I Rise’ is set for release early 2016.

Andre Ellis , more popularly known as Nature , is a free-spirited individual and positive songwriter who delivers his music with great passion, who hails from St. James. Known for such singles as “ Wasting Time ” and “Hold On" , the 26-year-old singer has received various accolades for his music including the best singer award at the Eastern Awards in 2008 and a trophy for his singing and songwriting in a competition held in St James by Danger Zone in 2002. Since then, he has recorded with Big Ship , King Jammy’s , Truckback Records and Ricardo Gardener’s Heart of Love Music label. CEM did a Q&A with the man whose name that signifies his love for the environment “NATURE” How the name “Nature” did came about? The Name Nature came about when my older brother and I were thinking of an Artiste Name that would depict what I'm about. He came up with Nature because he knows that I love to plant and climb trees etc. How did you get started in the music industry? I got started in the industry when Heart Of Love Productions produced and promoted my first two original singles - Hold on and Wasting Time between 2007 and 2008. This led me to perform at several major Reggae shows in Jamaica. Which then led to international appearances in Europe and Australia and Reggae Jam in 2010(Germany) We know the music Industry is very challenging what were some of the challenges that you faced? Some of the challenges I faced in the music industry was not enough attention because I was not from a certain place or being from a certain family background or I did not attend their "prestigious" institutions. But I will never stop growing because this world craves the positive messages that I bring. Do you write your own songs? Where does your inspiration come from? Yes, I write ninety five percent of my songs, co-write three percent and two percent written by other writers; my inspiration to write songs comes from the most high God, Just by reading a newspaper, watching the Television, things that I experience and most of all, being around friends, love ones who sometimes may raise an important topic that might interest I to write about it; just being around the people inspire me. Who have been your inspirations growing up that also inspire you today? My inspirations are Artistes Such as Garnett Silk, Beres Hammond, Tracy Chapman, Celine Dion, Kenny Rogers, Michel Jackson, James Brown and Bob Marley, just to name a few. If you were not a recording artist what would your next career choice? If I was not a Recording Artiste maybe I would be a farmer or some type of business man. Do you think Reggae music has evolved over the years? How? Reggae music has always been on a high level based on the numerous amount of genre of music that has been fused with it ever since Reggae became popular in Jamaica, but regards to spreading (yes), eg., places like Australia is now taking on to reggae music on a much larger scale than it normally did before and so many other places I could say the same about. Do you ever find it hard to keep up with the changing times, as far as the music industry goes? Yes, I find it somewhat challenging because there are not enough programs to highlight the power of Reggae music and how beneficial it can be to the Human Race and also the economy (locally and internationally) What are the advantages and disadvantages of social media to you as an artiste? The advantages of social media is that you don't necessarily have to work so hard to promote a song worldwide anymore, songs can be promoted by the clicking of a few bottoms if the person at the computer knows his or her trade, but one of the disadvantages is that almost anyone can decide that he or she is a producer or Artiste and start to promote music which is not always the best quality instead of going through a process call Audition and screening before the music is put out, and as a result when you're looking for quality it's not that easy to see, because in most cases, quality is surrounded by too much quantity. Joss Stone was named “Reggae Artist for 2015 “by Billboard what’s your thought on that? No thoughts You are currently signed to Down Sound Records how did that came about? This came about when I was performing at a show in Kingston and a member of the DSR Team was there and enjoyed the show (Cordell Skatta Burrell), then we had dialogue backstage .A few weeks later he introduced me to Mr. Joseph Bogdanovich (the CEO of DSR), we had a long talk, then we decided to team up, shortly after, we made it official with a contract. You have performed on many big stages. What is that “one stage” you are dying to perform on? I am not dying to perform on any stage, I am living to perform on all stage that am required to by the most high God; but it would be a joy to see myself ministering to large Audiences all over the world, not just one specific in my mind right now but all (Smiling) Who would you love to collaborate with in the future? I would love to collaborate with Artiste such at Kenny Rogers, Beres Hammond, Celine Dion, Tracy Chapman, just to name a few . Your debut album “Life’s Journey” tell us about the title. My Album Life's Journey consists fifteen tracks which touches on every aspect of a human life, whether you are classified as poor, middle class or wealthy; there is something for everyone who listens to Nature's album - Life's journey; some of the producers who worked on Life's Journey are Dean Frazer, Sly and Robbie, Jon FX, josh Moreland, Cordell Skatta Burrell, Patchy, Peter Harrison, Mikey Bennett; The Album can be found on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify. Fans can find links to these sites on my website: www.naturereggae.com When should we expect your next album? My next album can be put to the table at anytime; I am always working on an album. Always recording. But a specific time would have to be determined by my management company. What’s next for you, what are you currently working on? I am currently working on my craft because there is always something new to learn, myself and my company DSR are working on doing some international shows and putting out more works and doing more promotion so this world can be healed through positive music.

Rihanna's “ Work ,” currently spending its second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, isn’t your typical chart-topper. No, the Drake-assisted song isn’t part of a new genre that many in the mainstream media are calling “ tropical house .” And no, it isn't one of the pop anthems we're used to from Rihanna, like her last album's lead single, "Diamonds. ” As the first half of her ‘Work” video, filmed in the beloved Caribbean restaurant The Real Jerk in Toronto, makes explicit, Anti’s lead single is undeniably drenched in dancehall -- a genre with deep roots in Jamaica's club scene that spun off from reggae in the 1970s. The track is a proud, powerful reminder of the Barbados-born singer's West Indian roots -- and a milestone for dancehall: The last song in the genre to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 was Sean Paul's “ Temperature ” in 2006. Last year’s ubiquitous “Cheerleader ” featured traces of singer Omi’s Jamaican roots, but it was undeniably a dance-pop song at heart. On the other hand, “ Work ,” is an interpolation of “Sail Away ,” a 1998 dancehall riddim by Jamaican singer Richie Stephens and features Rihanna singing in patois. Of course, the West Indian vibes of “Work” aren't new to Rihanna Inc., nor should it be to a Navy member or casual follower. Her first two albums -- 2005's Music of the Sun and 2006's A Girl Like Me -- were loaded with dancehall vibes that put her on the map, debuting at No. 10 and No. 5 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, respectively, the latter even going platinum. Her debut led with the infectious dancehall-influenced tune “ Pon De Replay” -- a title that translates to " upon the replay" from Bajan Creole, the official language of Rihanna's native Barbados -- and was remixed by Elephant Man . Music of the Sun also featured dancehall-leaning tunes like “ You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)” featuring vet Vybz Kartel and “ Rush ” featuring rapper Kardinal Offishall . Although her sophomore effort began to infuse more pop sounds, it still carried “ Break It Off ” featuring aforementioned dancehall king Sean Paul . To lead off her third album Good Girl Gone Bad , Rihanna signaled a new direction -- and reached a new level of stardom -- with the Jay Z collaboration “Umbrella. ” It was an edgy pop song with rap and rock touches, earning another No. 1 and a Grammy for best rap sung collaboration in 2008. Rihanna was also rallying up fist pumps with her stint with EDM, benchmarked by " We Found Love " featuring 2012's Calvin Harris (her longest-leading No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks) and 2011's David Guetta collaboration "Who's That Chick?" as well as her own track " Where Have You Been. " Five years later, she led her seventh studio effort Unapologetic (which boasted a whirlwind seven-city, seven-day stint called the 777 tour) with the power ballad “Diamonds, ” also a multiplatinum success. However, despite becoming a pop powerhouse, she still brought her island influences with her to the top. With 2009’s infectious “ Rude Boy ” -- a pop record that uses West Indian slang -- and 2010’s reggae-influenced track “ Man Down ,” Rihanna accompanied both singles with visuals displaying the vivid fashion, dance styles and dialects of the West Indies. Even her Instagram binge during her 2015 trip to the Barbados Cropover festival -- an annual celebration of the local sugar cane harvest that wraps in the provocatively beautiful Carnival/Kadooment parade -- was a sexy glimpse into the island nation she calls home. Director X , the veteran music video director who helmed the first half of the "Work” visuals, says his vision and mission was clear: bring West Indian culture front and center. "I'm a West Indian; my mother's from Trinidad," he told Billboard. "We're a proud culture and we love people to be a part of it and we're also a worldwide culture so there's always a part of us that's proud to put ourselves on display." While mainstream critics may be uncomfortable with Rihanna’s gyrations or misconstrue her patois as gibberish, “ Work” -- much like Beyonce’s “Formation ” -- is an example of an unapologetic black woman proudly showing her heritage at a time when our politics are dominated by #BlackLivesMatte r and Donald Trump’s racist, xenophobic and misogynistic tirades. Black culture is often only recognized after it’s been appropriated by the mainstream, but Rihanna puts it front and center. “Work” is certainly an achievement for the singer -- Rihanna now has 14 No. 1s, one more than Michael Jackson -- but it’s also a proud moment for West Indian people. by Taj Rani Source