




Where many of his contemporaries inexplicably use their albums to declare their love for flossin’, wild women and the flashiest whips, Fabolous smartly uses Loso’s Way, a 16-track record, to announce his arrival at a new level in his expanding career. Considering his rise to stardom, it becomes obvious that he still could have delivered a strong album without the many cameo appearances. But the guests, along with such hitmakers as Tricky Stewart and The Runners, serve to enhance a stellar product.
Fellow Brooklynite Jay Z adds his brand of urban swagger to the head-nodding “When The Money Goes Remix” while Ryan Leslie brings a taste of R&B to the hook on “The Fabolous Life”. The Dream appears on the popular and materialistic “Throw It In The Bag”, which recalls T.I.’s “Whatever You Like”, while pop princess Keri Hilson brings her spice to “Everything, Everyday, Everywhere”. An even stronger collabo, though, is “Stay” (a touching song about a strained father-son relationship), which features Marsha Ambrosius, formerly of Floetry. He also has winning chemistry with urban-pop newcomer Jeremih on the take-no-prisoners anthem “It’s My Time”.
Still, Fabolous shows he can successfully carry a track all by himself. The long album intro, “The Way”, proves this. His flow and energy rides the bass-heavy beat as he shows off his wicked rhyming skills. Other standouts include “Pachanga”, a well-written and groovy track that speaks to dealing with friends and enemies; the introspective and heartfelt “I Miss My Love” (about losing someone close) and the ego-boosting “Feel Like I’m Back”. However, tracks like “Lullaby”, “Makin’ Love” and “Last Time” lack the fusion of quality and punch that distinguishes the other songs on the album.
In short, Loso’s Way allows Fabolous, one of the most reliable men working in hip hop today, to show that he has grown as an artiste and improved his flow over a beat and behind the mic. Hip hop may be ailing, but it is not dead -- not if committed disciples like Fabolous have anything to say about it.
DOWNLOAD: “When The Money Goes Remix”, “It’s My Time”, “Pachanga” and “The Fabolous Life”
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Saturday, August 8, has been declared a national day of mourning. On that date, Lady Gladys Bustamante, widow of National Hero and former Prime Minister of
Lady Bustamante, who passed away at the
Since her death, Lady Bustamante has been hailed for her pioneering contribution to the trade union movement in
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Best-selling author E. Lynn Harris died of a heart attack last week while staying at the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.
Yesterday, July 28, an autopsy was performed on the 54-year-old celebrated author, revealing that the cause of death was hypertensive, arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Harris had a history of diabetes.
"He died of natural causes," the L.A. Coroner's Office told the media. "Essentially, he died of a heart attack."
Arteriosclerosis is the "hardening and thickening of the walls of the arteries." The condition is usually a build-up of fatty deposits on the inner lining of arteries (atherosclerosis), calcification or thickening of the muscular wall of the arteries from chronically elevated blood pressure. However, when arterioscleros affects the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle, a shortage of oxygen delivered to the heart itself can cause a heart attack.
Last Tuesday, Harris, a former IBM executive boarded a train from Alburquerque, New Mexico, to Los Angeles for a meeting with CEO of Edmonds Entertainment, Tracey Edmonds, reportedly to sell the rights to his books. During his travel, he fainted but medics aboard the train said his vital signs were okay.
Two days later while meeting with one of his students from his alma mater, University of Arkansas, where he served as an adjunct professor of English and sponsor and coach of the cheerleading squad, Harris took his last breath.
"Lynn and his student were about to order some food when the student got up to turn on the TV and heard a loud thud," said Laura Gilmore, Harris's personal assistant. "When he turned around, Lynn was on the floor and they called the ambulance who arrived in five minutes, but they weren't able to revive him."
Harris had also completed a screenplay for a remake of the 1970's African-American cult classic, Sparkle (to be produced by Warner Bros. with Deborah Martin Chase and Whitney Houston) and was tapped by Fox Television to write the pilot of a new dramatic series.
Funeral services for Harris will be held on Thursday, July 30, at the Gaines Street Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. A memorial service is tentatively scheduled for the end of August in Atlanta.Music has become one of Jamaica’s major exports thanks, in part, to its wealth of naturally talented recording artistes, too numerous to name. But we sometimes forget that there is an entire industry diligently working behind the scenes. Even our most globally recognized legend, Bob Marley had such foresight that he undertook steps to start his own record company.
Through the ‘Making of Music’ tour, Tuff Gong International wants to offer both tourists and locals the opportunity to be exposed to the lesser known aspects of music production.
Tours are conducted on weekdays, beginning at 9:30am; the last tour begins at 4:30pm. Each guided tour is approximately half an hour long.
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TALLAWAH: Since the start of your acting career, you have played a slew of supporting roles. How do you feel about tackling more leading roles at this stage of your career?
I am very enthusiastic and welcoming of more lead roles. I feel that I am at the stage of my career where I want to do more. There’s no other way to explain it. I just want to do more as an actress. I feel like I have to challenge myself with characters and really surprise myself. And doing more lead roles is definitely a step in the right direction.
TALLAWAH: What did you learn about yourself while researching and rehearsing for this role, and creating this character, who happens to be a ‘go-go’ dancer?
I’ve learned that there is a serious distinction between “work”, as in the go-go dancing, and home. “Work” is the means of survival. It’s not who I am when I’m home.
TALLAWAH: What kinds of characters appeal to you most? Why?
The ones that are furthest from who I am, because they are the ones that challenge me and make me afraid to approach them.
TALLAWAH: What has been the biggest challenge you've had to overcome as you strive to be a better artist?
The biggest challenge I’ve had to overcome would have to be myself. My fears.
TALLAWAH: What would people be most surprised to know that Camille Davis enjoys outside the theatre?
I love bowling.
TALLAWAH: So are you planning to settle down anytime soon, and what do you find sexiest about men?
I’ve learnt to not really plan your love-life. Just be as honest as possible with yourself and your partner, and take it from there (Laughs). What I find sexiest about men? Muscles. A nice physique!
Diana opens on August 1 at the Centrestage Theatre in New
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Public Enemies (Universal Pictures)
Director: Michael Mann
Cast: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard and Channing Tatum
Running Time: 2hrs 23mins
Tyrone’s Verdict: B
LIKE many other biopics about notorious crime figures, Public Enemies occasionally falters, but it is a sturdy film. Masterfully and artfully directed by Michael Mann (Collateral), the film is a committed character study of John Dillinger, the outlaw, gun moll and bank robber, who was declared
Dillinger is played authentically and stylishly by Johnny Depp, who seems ideally cast. It is refreshing to see Depp tackle a role that doesn’t require him to dress up as a pirate and act a fool. Through Dillinger, we see a brave and clever criminal and womanizer leading a crime wave across the
The film also provides sizeable roles for Christian Bale, who appears as Melvin Purvis, the veteran cop out to bring Dillinger down; and Oscar winner Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose) as the impressionable French-Indian beauty Billie Frechette, who falls for Dillinger’s sweet talk.
The settings move breezily and regularly between
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WHAT: Book Reading of Jean Lowrie-Chin’s Souldance
WHEN: Friday, July 24 (at 6:30 pm)
WHERE: Stella Maris Church Hall,
Ian Randle Publications will be hosting a reading of Jean Lowrie-Chin's Souldance on Friday, July 24, at the Stella Maris Church Hall in St Andrew, commencing at 6:30pm. This event is free and open to the public.
Besides the reading of selections from the acclaimed new book, the audience will be treated to performances from musicians Dwight Richards and Boris Gardner. Part proceeds of book sales will benefit the St Vincent DePaul Society charities.
Souldance: Poems and Writings captures the voice of every Jamaican, as well as their thoughts and dreams. Taken from writings spanning Jean Lowrie-Chin's 30-year career, the pieces reflect the events that uplift, as well as burden, Jamaican society. Lowrie-Chin’s poetry is both universal and prophetic, from the warnings against the rat race in 'Slow Down Child', to the startling take on the life of Lee Boyd Malvo in 'Your Son Too'.
Her column selections are both amusing and inspiring, and they reflect on the achievements of outstanding Jamaicans such as The Honourable Louise Bennett-Coverley, Usain Bolt, and examine Jamaica's most pertinent issues, like the future of Jamaican men, in “A Vision of Our ‘Men at Risk’”.
Book reviewer Huntley Medley calls Souldance “a work of literary art that presents a celebration of life vividly captured, even before you begin to turn the pages.” Medley adds that “Lowrie-Chin achieves much with Souldance… [she] has a lot to say and does so beautifully and with power.”
Souldance is now available at bookstores islandwide, other outlets and on Amazon.com.