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Federal prosecutors have agreed to drop a firearms charge against Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton, who is already serving a 10-year sentence. The U.S. Attorney's Office announced Thursday that a deal with Banton calls for his waiver of all future appeals related to his 2011 conviction on a cocaine distribution conspiracy charge. Banton is scheduled to be released from federal prison in January 2019, at which time he will be deported to his native Jamaica. Banton's attorneys previously argued that he should be released early under a change in federal drug sentencing guidelines. But the change didn't apply to most minimum mandatory sentences. Banton's 10-year sentence is the minimum mandatory sentence for his conviction stemming from a 2009 arrest following a sting operation. The Associated Press

Legendary Blues singer B.B. King died Thursday at his home in Las Vegas. He was 89. King’s death was confirmed by Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg. Brent Bryson, his attorney also confirmed the date stating the King died peacefully in his sleep at his home. The Mississippi native's reign as "king of the blues" had 15 biological and adopted children, 11 of which are still alive. Born Riley B. King on Sept. 16, 1925, to Albert and Nora Ella King, both sharecroppers, in Berclair, a Mississippi hamlet outside the small town of Itta Bena. His early life was hard. He was educated in a one-room schoolhouse and had to overcome a stuttering problem He was raised by his grandmother after his parents separated and his mother died. The 15-time Grammy winner released his first album in the 1940s and would go on to inspire some of the world's greatest guitarists, including Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix and Keith Richards. King played a Gibson guitar he affectionately called Lucille, creating a style that included single-string runs punctuated by loud chords, subtle vibratos and bent notes, building on the standard 12-bar blues. King suffered from diabetes and had also been in declining health during the last year. He collapsed during a concert in Chicago in October, blaming dehydration and exhaustion.

On reggae music legend Bob Marley's 34th death anniversary, we look back at some interesting facts about the singer's life and work... Bob Marley was actually named Nesta Robert Marley but a Jamaican passport official would later reverse his first and middle names. As a young boy, Bob Marley learnt to play the guitar from popular reggae musician Joe Higgs , who also helped Marley and his friends, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Beverley Kelso and Junior Braithwaite, who would later go on to form a successful band their vocal harmonies. Bob Marley was an avid football fan growing up and followed the Brazilian club Santos and its star player Pelé. He even made Jamaican international footballer Allan “Skill” Cole his tour manager in the 1970s. After his band the Wailers disbanded in 1974, Bob Marley embarked on a solo career in 1977. His first solo album, 'Exodus' established his worldwide reputation and produced his status as one of the world's best-selling artists of all time, with sales of more than 75 million records. Bob Marley's life has been the subject of several documentaries. The first of which titled, 'Rebel Music' won various awards at the Grammys and contained contributions from Marley's wife Rita, The Wailers, and Marley's lovers and children. Another documentary, 'Bob Marley: The Making of a Legend' made by his ex-girlfriend and filmmaker Esther Anderson along with Gian Godoy was released in 2011. A third feature, 'Marley' directed by Kevin Macdonald was released on 2012. A statue of Bob Marley stands next to the national stadium on Arthur Wint Drive in Kingston, Jamaica to commemorate the legend. After being diagnosed with a type of malignant melanoma under the nail of a toe, a harmful cancer, Bob Marley was advised by the doctor to get his toe amputated but the singer refused citing his religious beliefs. Instead the nail and nail bed were removed and a skin graft taken from his thigh to cover the area. Bob Marley continued touring the world despite his illness. His band completed a major tour of Europe after the release of his album 'Uprising' in 1980, where it played its biggest concert to 100,000 people in Milan. Marley then toured America, where he performed two shows at Madison Square Garden as part of the Uprising Tour and appeared at the Stanley Theater (now called The Benedum Center For The Performing Arts) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 23 September 1980, which would be his last concert. Bob Marley had a number of children: three with his wife Rita, two adopted from her previous relationships, and several others with different women. His official website acknowledges 11 children. Bob Marley was an ardent follower of the Rastafari movement religion, whose culture was a key element in the development of reggae. He was instrumental in taking their music out of the socially deprived areas of Jamaica and onto the international music scene. Inspired by Jamaican political leader Marcus Garvey , Bob Marley was a Pan-Africanist, and believed in the unity of African people worldwide and had anti-imperialist and pro-African themes in many of his songs, such as 'Zimbabwe', 'Exodus', 'Survival', 'Blackman Redemption', and 'Redemption Song'. In 1978, Bob Marley performed at the One Love Peace Concert, again in an effort to calm warring parties. Near the end of the performance, Michael Manley (leader of then-ruling People's National Party) and his political rival Edward Seaga (leader of the opposing Jamaica Labour Party), joined each other on stage and shook hands as per Marley's request. Apparently, Bob Marley's final words to his son Ziggy were "Money can't buy life." Source: http://www.mid-day.com/

Signature by Terry Donovan Events presents The 7th Annual Summer Sizzle BV I, a fashion & lifestyle dream destination event in the beautiful British Virgin Islands. Scheduled for July 23 – 27, 2015 , Summer Sizzle BVI is a fabulous destination getaway for a weekend of fashion, sun and fun. The event will be hosted by Empire star Taraji P. Henson. Her costar Jussie Smollett will be a special guest. Summer Sizzle BVI offers an escape to the Caribbean, combining fashion, decadent parties, island tours, sailing excursions and more. Summer Sizzle events include the Culture and Style Welcome Party, the Sunset White Fashion Fete, a Sailing Excursion, the highly anticipated fashion gala, VIP after-party, and other fabulous activities. The highlight of Summer Sizzle BVI, the Global Glamour fashion show, serves as a platform for showcasing international and Caribbean trend-setting fashion designers and models from some of the world’s top agencies including Ford, IMG, Elite, DNA, Major, Muse and RED. Sessilee Lopez, Arlenis Sosa, Georgie Badiel and Tara Gill are among the diverse selection of top models who have strutted the runways. Terry Donovan Events also offers emerging designers and artists an opportunity to develop their skills in technique and business by offering workshops by some of the industry’s top celebrity artists. Originally created in 2007 by Terry Donovan of Signature by Terry Donovan Events, Summer Sizzle began as a fashion show with the purpose of promoting the Virgin Islands. Since then, Terry’s vision has culminated into a four day fashion and lifestyle event attracting celebrities, designers, models, international media, industry executives, buyers and also a diverse audience of affluent professionals and influencers from around the globe.

The beautiful island of Aruba will host a brand new multi-day music event, the Aruba Summer Music Festival , which will kick off June 26th 2015 at the Harbor Square Arena. International Latin Grammy Award winners will showcase a variety of music genres alongside Aruba’s best local bands at the national port of Aruba! Headlining for the Aruba Summer Music Festival is the popular Pitbull, the American artist from Miami with multiple hit-songs, awards and successful concert tours. Most recently he concluded an extensive tour in Asia and in 2014 Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias sold out multiple venues in the US with a joined-tour. The famous Colombian singer-songwriter Carlos Vives is another Latin sensation who will perform in the Aruba Summer Music Festival . Vives currently is very popular around the world, because of his long list of hits, concert production and charms. Another artist who has already confirmed to be participating in this festival is “Bebe de la Salsa” from Puerto Rico Jerry Rivera who has revolutionized the world of salsa in the 90’s. His unmistakable way of interpreting salsa and his charismatic presence has made thousands of fans fall for him and he always ‘shakes’ the venues he performs at. Another well-known artist who will be on stage during the Aruba Summer Music Festival is the merengue and bachata star also born in Puerto RicoElvis Crespo, known especially for his great hits ‘Pintame’ and ‘Suavemente’. For the younger fans the most popular reggaeton artist Nicky Jam, will be performing in the Aruba Summer Music Festival. He is one of the most prestigious singers in the Latin music scene. The line-up for June 26 2015 (Friday Night) will be Grammy award winner Carlos Vives, merengue giant Elvis Crespo and salsa legend Jerry Rivera. For June 27 2015 (Saturday Night) the attendees can expect an out-of-this-world performance by successful reggaeton artist Nicky Jam and the famous Pitbull . Together with these international artists there will also be our local DJ’s, bands and artists performing like Zion, DJ Gogo, DJ Beatz, Nutzbeatz, N’Fuzion, Tsunami, Le Groove, D’Licious and Robert Jeandor and his Solo Banda Show. For more detailed information including travel packages visitwww.arubasmf.com , www.aruba.com, or search for Aruba Summer Music Festival on facebook. The Aruba Summer Music Festival is being produced by Loco Lobo Production, SD Concerts and supported by The Aruba Tourism Authority.

Brian Cox is an Emmy Award-winning actor born in Dundee, Scotland who has performed over 200 roles in films and television over a career spanning 5 decades. Cox first came to attention in the early 1970s with performances in numerous television films. His first big break was as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in “ Manhunter ”. Cox’s career prospects and popularity continued to rise. Cox has had roles in several major films including “Red” and “Red 2”, “Braveheart” , “X-Men 2”, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and of course, his amazing performances in the Jason Bourne Films. He was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2003 Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for his accomplishments in theater, film and television. The Cayman International Film Festival CayFilm 2015 runs from June 18th - 21th

Dancehall veteran Lady Saw seems to have a hit on her hands with her latest single Whine, which was produced by Hitmatic Records. The up tempo dancehall tune sees Saw at her best bringing it like only she can. It is featured on the Bumpa Shake riddim. Producer and CEO of Hitmatic Records, Oneil ‘Clarkie’ Clarke said getting Lady Saw involved with the project was an easy task due to his previous affiliation with the iconic dancehall diva. ‘I have been working with Lady Saw for years now because I am also a promoter in the Tri-State area, so it was easy to get her on this project’, said Clarke. The Bumpa Shake riddim also features up and coming Hitmatic Records recording artiste Lady Ali who recorded the track Knee N Pray, and former Born Jamericans member Notch on the track Push it Back. A video for Lady Saw’s Whine was recently shot on location at Lime Cay and directed by Wayne South. The New York based Hitmatic Records has been around since 2010. Among its previous projects are the Ackee Seed riddim which featured Lady Saw, Vybz Kartel, Capleton, Beenie Man, Sizzla and Mad Cobra among others. The label also released the Hold a Medi riddim with Gentleman, Capleton, Richie Stephens, Christopher Martin, I Wayne, TOK and others. ‘Hitmatic Records is here to give young artistes a chance and opportunities to be featured on projects with major artistes in reggae and dancehall’, said Clarke. Click to watch Lady Saw - Whine Official Music Video - Hitmatic Records Click to Download Lady Saw - Whine - Official Video - Hitmatic Records

Eddie Murphy has released a video for his song called " Oh Jah Jah, " just four after the song debut. This is not the first reggae song and video for Murphy; in 1993 he did "I Was a King" with dancehall great Shabba Ranks which featured a music video shot in Portland, Jamaica. Oh Jah Jah , which follows his previous reggae effort Red Light – a collaboration with Snoop Lion which was released in 2013. Murphy also worked on a song with Beenie Man that is scheduled for release later this year.

Bahamian actor Jamaal Hepburn will be guest starring on an upcoming episode of the new season of CBS science fiction drama series "Extant." "Extant." stars Halle Berry as Molly Woods, an astronaut who returns from a 13-month solo mission in space only to discover she's pregnant, despite believing herself to be infertile. Hepburn have previously appeared in iPhone 5S and Boost Mobile ad campaigns. The second season will begin on Wednesday, July 1, at 10 PM EST

Nicki Minaj will be joining the cast of the Barbershop 3, which stars Ice Cube and Cedric the Entertainer. Minaj will play Draya, a sassy new hairdresser of the beauty shop side of the barbershop. Minaj joins a group of newcomers which includes Common and Regina Hall. In 2012 she made her movie debut in lending her voice for "Ice Age: Continental Drift". In 2014 she made her first screen appearance as Cameron Diaz's assistant Lydia in “The Other Woman” She also will be appearing in a supporting role in the upcoming Lake Placid Vs. Anaconda. “Barbershop 3″ will be directed by Malcolm D. Lee (The Best Man) from a script by Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver. No release date has yet to be announced.

Nick Cannon, Whoopi Goldberg, Busta Rhymes and Karl Bradshaw are currently in Jamaica shooting a movie called "King of the Dancehall". Other stars include Jamaican actors Dorothy Cunningham, Camille Davis and Kimberly Patterson . Nick Cannon on the set of "King of the Dancehall" The movie is about a young man from Brooklyn, New York with Jamaican heritage who visited the Island and falls in the music and culture. It surrounds the island's dynamic Dancehall culture where dance crews battle each other at nightly street parties creating explosive, spontaneous entertainment. The set of "King of the Dancehall" Top local entertainers are slated to make cameo appearances, such as Beenie Man the ‘ King of the Dancehall ’, Sean Paul, Ky’Mani Marley, Ninja Man and TOK. No word on when the movie will be released.

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC), widely recognized as the most prestigious and respected international songwriting competition in the world, has today announced its 2014 winners. With over 18,000 entries submitted from 118 countries, a total of 345 songwriters are honored in the competition. ISC's overall Grand Prize is awarded to Australian singer/songwriter Vance Joy for his song " Riptide. " It is the first time in ISC's 14-year history that any entrant has ever received perfect scores across the board. The song is being called an instant classic by both critics and fans across the world, launching Joy's career with sold-out tours, worldwide chart success, and critical acclaim. "It is such an honor to win this songwriting prize," Joy said in a statement. "Writing songs is what gives me a feeling of purpose. I'm proud to receive this award voted on by my songwriting peers." The Grand Prize winner receives $25,000 in cash plus $45,000 in services and merchandise, including a custom-built Lowden guitar valued at over $11,000, a Hammond organ, Abelton Push and Live 9 Suite, and much more. Winners were selected by a panel of Judges which included: American Authors, Pat Metheny, Sarah McLachlan, Bastille, Avicii, Sara Evans, Keane, Casting Crowns, Darryl McDaniels (Run D.M.C), Newsboys, Wayne Shorter, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, London Grammar, Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), Gerald Casale (Devo), Dan McCarroll (President, Warner Bros. Records), Craig Kallman (Chairman/CEO, Atlantic Records), Mike Smith (President, Virgin EMI Records), Jeff Castelaz (President, Elektra Records), Ted Cockle (President, Virgin Records UK), and many more. "ISC is one of the most successful ways for artists to have their music heard and recognized on not only a national scale, but also an international one ," states Candace Avery, Founder and Director. "The competition encourages songwriters to create, develop, and challenge their artisty by creating something truly meaningful. It is vital for all artists to be recognized for their talents, as well as to be awarded respect and validation for their accomplishments. Vance Joy exemplifies the extraordinary talent we are looking to honor." Having already sold more than a million copies worldwide, " Riptide" was inspired by a motel that Joy visited as a child when he would go on family holidays down the coast of Australia, staying at a motel named Riptide. The motel became the title of this memorable song that not only has charmed the world but has also led to the explosion of Joy's career. Soon to embark on a seven-month tour as the support act for pop superstar Taylor Swift, the Australian is popping up everywhere, including recently performing "Riptide" on the MTV Europe Music Awards in Glasgow, Scotland. Joy's accomplishments also include reaching the #1 spot on Triple J's Hottest 100, and the single has been certified 5x platinum in Australia and 2x Platinum in the US. Furthermore, the songwriter took home the prestigious 2014 APRA award for Song of The Year. The track also went to #30 on Billboard's Hot 100 and #1 on the Rock Airplay chart. Created in 2002, ISC awards more than $150,000 in cash and prizes to winners of the competition. Winners range from amateur songwriters who are just starting their careers to professional songwriters who have years worth of experience. Previous ISC winners include Bastille, Passenger, Kate Miller-Heidke, Lindsey Stirling, Gotye, The Band Perry, Kasey Chambers, Gin Wigmore, King Charles, Kimbra, Gregory Porter, Omar Sosa, For King & Country, and many more. ISC is sponsored by: Lowden Guitars, Hammond USA, Abelton, Gauge Microphones, Slate Digital, DiscMakers, D'Addario, Taxi, IndieProMix and FinalMix, Inc., Indie Venue Bible, George Stein, Esq., Berklee College of Music, Thayers, AirPlay Direct, Celebrity Access, SongU, The Music Business Registry, Lurssen Mastering, and Vosges Haut-Chocolat. ISC is now accepting entries for 2015. More information can be found at: http://www.songwritingcompetition.com . For a complete list of 2014 ISC winners and to hear the winning songs, go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners