The Mich Rich Show launches with compelling Christmas episode

As the yuletide season unfolds, Dr. Michelle Richards also known as Dr. Michelle E has made her official return to television with ‘The MichRich Show'. Debuted on December 25th (Christmas Day) via GetVisioned TV (getvisionedtv.com), the inaugural season features several noted personalities from Corporate America, Politics and Sports, including The United Way, Child Net alongside one of the most accomplished sports superstars out of the NFL. Special attention was also given to our frontline workers who continue to keep us safe amid the current crisis. Serving up some entertaining and informative scoop, host Dr. Michelle E says, the show will be aired weekly (Mondays at 7 pm) and is geared towards a family audience.

“Being the first season of the show, we are amping things up a notch. Firstly, let me say, it’s a family-oriented program therefore, everyone can watch. Prepare to laugh and cry because some of the episodes are quite compelling. I’m hopeful the audience will appreciate what we bring to the table starting Christmas Day.” – she intimated.

This also marks not just her return to media but also a rebranding exercise for her company with its plethora of offerings.  What is  ‘The MichRich Show' you may ask? It is a thirty-minutes solution-oriented showcase tackling some of the most topical and pertinent issues affect the diaspora of South Florida. Shot in the suburbs of Coral Spring the show will also be heavily driven by social media platforms such as Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook as part of the new format and thrust to broaden the audience scope.

Known for her vivacious personality and colorful ensemble Dr. Michelle E is not just an interesting character but also an evangelist, mortgage expert, former banker, and consummate philanthropist, who continues to scribe her name in the annals of kindness for her benevolent effort. Some of her most recent work involves shipping relief supplies to disaster and economically challenged countries throughout the Caribbean, Central and South American regions including her homeland Jamaica.

Badda General Wishes Come Through

The popular sound system selector and producer is seeing positive responses to his recording artiste material in recent months and is now preparing a full-length project for his growing fan base. 

 Badda, who has been in the industry for over two decades, only recently decided to launch his own music career and has already seen his single 'I Wish' take flight.

 

"I just wanted to be different with my music and stand out. I Wish is saying things that other artistes aren't saying and touching topics that no one else is touching so the uniqueness is what is pulling people in,' Badda explained

 

This uniqueness he believes resonates in all 10 tracks from the full-length album called the Money App Project which will be released this month. Featured on the project are DJ Liquid and Wayne Wonder and of course the raspy vocals of Badda General himself.

 

"The I Wish single is opening a lot of doors and I know the entire project is just as ‘out of the box’ so fans will love it,’ Badda General added

 

Fans can also watch the fun visuals for the I Wish single directed by ShotByShak on YouTube. Badda General will also be shooting more visuals for the album in the coming weeks. Money App Project will be officially released on all digital platforms on October 27.

Singer July Bailey Ready To Make Big Impact

In recent years, it seems Spanish Town has become a hub for unearthing some of Jamaica’s most prolific musical talents, from Grammy Award alumni Chronixx and Koffee to dancehall heavyweight Govana, and now another talented aspirant is pledging to keep the banner waving as she makes her foray into the industry. Hailing from the St. Catherine community but now based in Atlanta, Georgia, dancehall songstress July Bailey has been dabbling in music since her formative years as a teenager.

Penning her first recording at age fourteen with the assistance of her two older siblings, July Bailey knew definitively from that moment a music career was her divine destiny. After completing high school and migrating to the United States to complete her tertiary studies, she became more impassioned with the art form and continually kept honing her skillset amid academic pursuits. Of note was her improved songwriting ability which subsequently landed her gigs with numerous noteworthy talents within the industry. However, 2019 was a turning point in her career that saw the unveiling of her first two professional recordings titled ‘Bad Yaadie’ and ‘Paypa’ that would forge the path for her official introduction as an industry recording artiste.

Alluding to her continued pursuit of music and influences July Bailey noted, 

“It wasn’t a conscious decision at all. I feel like you can’t run or hide from your destiny, and in my eyes, music was always mine. I’m a huge Tanya Stephens fan. My approach to writing is heavily influenced by her and of course, Vybz Kartel.”

Garnering favourable response across the North America diaspora the talented songstress soon found herself performing on major music platforms throughout the U.S, opening for acts such as Aidonia, Busy Signal, Mr Easy and Afro B among others. During this period, she also steadily amassed a carefully curated cluster of songs that serves as a microcosm of her artistry. When perusing her discography, it is evident that although she is undoubtedly dancehall, she has range, this can be heard in her latest offering titled, ‘Nuh Tell Nobody’, a sound which she describes as ‘Dancehall-Soul’.

“I’m not so much concerned about the hype of it all. I care about refining my artistry because dancehall is a conveyer belt, music on a whole. You can be the hottest thing at breakfast, and by dinner, you’re a ‘has-been’. I put out music that I can look back, and the fans could reflect on in ten years and still be just as impressed by.  Longevity that’s the aim."     

July Bailey admits that despite the current challenges being faced by the entertainment industry worldwide with the COVID-19 pandemic she is ready to officially introduce her brand of music to the rest of the globe and preparations are now afoot for an aggressive promotional campaign to increase her presence in Jamaica and other Caribbean states.

Rondell Positive Pens Tribute To His Wife

Amid several media reports that the emergence of COVID-19 has caused a spike in the divorce rate among other relationship issues globally, this trend has not affected entertainer Rondell Positive. In a show of gratitude, the inspirational singer has penned a tribute to his wife Latoya titled ‘Shunammite’.

According to Rondell, “The song represents what I believe men should be dishing out to women, to celebrate them. Worldwide almost 95% of the songs about women are not necessarily highlighting the more worthwhile attitudes and attributes they possess. I wanted to also underscore the positives and power of marriage which many couples enjoy.”

‘Shunammite’ is a term taken from the scriptures of the Old Testament describing a woman from the small village of Shumen, the biblical text lauds her a woman of great virtue.

Alluding to the inspiration behind the intriguing title, Rondell exclaimed, “Shunammite is a song I wrote in tribute to my wife Latoya Allen and by extension all women worldwide. It’s a song that I believe I have been privileged to write. COVID-19 gave us more time together and so I began loving my wife all over. The Shunammite woman is a woman who is industrious, wise, discerning, and has faith in God. She's trustworthy, patient, a great wife and mother and by the way, these traits are built into every woman and just need to be tapped into.”

Relating to the production, Rondell Positive says he was connected to Frankie Music by a mutual friend and following a meeting, he listened to several tracks and the moment he heard this particular beat the melody popped in his head. However, it was Catherine Goodall who encouraged him to pen a song for his wife and that was all the confirmation he needed.

Currently available for pre-order on all major digital platforms, the single distributed by VPAL Music is slated for release on Friday, October 9th with the accompaniment of an official video.

Govana and Koffee Featured on FIFA 21 Soundtrack

Grammy Award winner Koffee and dancehall hitmaker Govana have successfully tackled their way onto the official soundtrack for FIFA 21. The compilation released on Monday, September 28th saw the two making the final cut alongside compatriots Buju Banton and Rvssian. The featured tracks include Rema and Rvssian’s ‘Beamer (Bad Boys)’, Buju Banton’s ‘Unity’ taken from his ‘Upside Down’ album and Koffee and Govana’s collaborative effort ‘Rapture Remix’.

For the 28th instalment of the popular football simulation game, Electronic Art (EA) has curated two individual soundtracks, one specifically for the game and another for the new VOLTA mode. The compendium is currently available for consumption on several digital platforms including Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music.

Alluding to the accomplishment the Strike Force boss says he is pleased with the accomplishment and cites it has a win for the culture,

“I feel good about the addition, I believe it is a win for the culture, the country and Spanish Town, in general, considering myself and Koffee are both from that community.”

He continued, “It’s great to see it on such a major global platform as FIFA. As a teenager, I never dreamt I would live to see the day something like this would happen. Now as a recording artiste I never expected it but I am not surprised because we have been putting in the work over the years and these are the types of accolade I aim for musically.”

Set for release on October 9th, via all the popular console formats (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch etc.) FIFA 21 will feature more than 30 official leagues and 17,000 players representing over 700 professional teams worldwide. Release dates for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Google Stadia are still unspecified. The official cover art depicts an ebullient photo of French professional football star Kylian Mbappe. 

Dancehall Artiste HYDAL Cheats Death

Dancehall artiste Hydal is now on the mend after narrowly escaping what could be classified as an explosive situation. The Spanish Town-based entertainer says he is today a thankful man as he reflects on an incident a week earlier that almost cost him his life.

According to Hydal, he was on the set of a video shoot in the vicinity of Manor Park, St. Andrew when the production team decided to break for lunch. While sitting on a bench outside a popular plaza consuming his meal, he heard a loud explosion which flung him from the bench onto the ground. Disoriented from the blast, Hydal said he could feel pieces of shrapnel all over his body. An audience soon converged and further investigations revealed that the explosion came from an unoccupied restaurant on the premises. The blast shattered the glass windows at the front, several pieces of which hit the entertainer in his back.

Hydal said despite being momentarily disoriented from the blast he was able to agonizingly drive himself to the hospital where he was treated and kept a few hours for observation.

“Imagine I leave my house to go to a video shoot and end up in an action movie because all now I can’t believe this really happened but give thanks to the Almighty because I could have died but it was not my time. Thankfully no one else was injured.” – the deejay exclaimed.

Placed under strict instructions from the medical team and ordered to a week of bed rest, Hydal says based on the initial examination, he got some minor injuries most of which were superficial but still occasionally feel some minor pains especially when he tries to bend his back.

“Since the incident, I have been at home resting, my management team has been making sure my affairs are in order and have also contacted our attorney to determine the way forward with this matter.”

Best known for the hit singles ’Rental’ and 'Like Woah’, the latter featuring Konshens and Kemar Highcon the dancehall hitmaker is now gearing up for the release of several new projects including a new single titled ‘BMW – Bad Man Wagon’.

Konshens, Kemar Highcon & Hydal Refuse To Cancel Summer

Despite a complete lockdown of the local entertainment industry due to the current global pandemic, dancehall artistes Konshens, Kemar Highcon and Hydal refuse to let that slow their momentum as they continue to churn out music for the fans.

The trio, recently joined forces with recording imprint Big Laugh Music for ‘Like Woah’, a catchy collaborative ditty fit for partygoers across the diaspora.  According to Spanish Town-based deejay Hydal, the song was not planned.

“The collaboration wasn’t a planned thing, we were just at the studio on a regular night because we’re working on our individual projects but on this particular occasion, all of us were holding a vibe and Big Laugh rhythm was playing in the background I starting vibing it, found a verse and then Kemar Highcon constructed the chorus and Konshens forward with a second verse and it just works, just like that.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by Kemar Highcon, “we never planned anything, it was just a vibe and then the song came about. I think right now is a good time for the single because everybody feels like summer is cancelled post-COVID-19 but summer is on and this song is a sense of motivation so I hope people gravitate to it and catch a vibe from it.”

Accompanied by an official video released less than a week ago via Vevo, the single continues to enjoy favourable rotation across the airwaves and various streaming platforms. Shot in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, the visual was directed by burgeoning filmmaker Khingcam Visualz.

“The video was exciting and a lot of fun to shoot, the same energy you see in the video was the same energy on set” – Kemar Highcon added.

Meanwhile, Hydal best known for his breakout hit ‘Rental’ is gearing up to release new projects courtesy of Frankie Music and 3Keys Records.

MEET: Dancehall Artiste RUSHAWN

Born Rushawn Gary Williams, a native of Kingston, dancehall artiste Rushawn emerged onto the music scene in 2019 with a dream of becoming the next big star on the world’s stage from his musically famous island home, Jamaica. With stalwarts such as Bob Marley, Shaggy, Popcaan and Sean Paul, Rushawn’s musical mission is to be recognized on an international level and make music that transcends time and all barriers.

Growing up in the tough inner-city community of Nannyville, Kingston, Rushawn always knew that music was going to be his way out as he grew up in a music-loving family. Penning his first song at age six whilst attending Mountain View Primary. He recalls that the song may not have been his best effort because he was only a child. Nevertheless, it felt good for him to start writing at that age. He kept writing despite the inability to record his art until age 15.

Rushawn’s segue into dancehall music came during his tenure at the Kingston based Vauxhall High School, where he had written a song in collaboration with a group of friends called Hustle. The song went unreleased but it was just the impetus he needed to relentlessly pursue a career in music.

The self-proclaimed ‘Young Don of Dancehall ’ made his first musical release in June 2019. The song titled ‘Winta Fresh’ gained him much recognition from some of the dancehall most noteworthy names. The likes of Ding Dong (also a native of Nannyville), Dj Chemist, Govana, Teejay and Romeich of Romeich Entertainment have all given the ‘young don’ positive reviews, which translate to Rushawn as his musical journey going in the right direction. He followed up his first release with ‘Young & Hype’, ‘We Alright’ and ‘Nothing to Smile About’ which all continue to enjoy premium rotation across the diaspora.

With musical influences such as dancehall veteran Buju Banton, Vybz Kartel, Mavado and dancehall’s golden boy Popcaan, Rushawn’s musical style is very hardcore. His peers see Rushawn as a great writer and lyricist, one who is sure to get much accolades and notoriety in the foreseeable future. Equally, Rushawn’s goals are to achieve major awards such as the Grammy and MOBO Awards and to become a titan for the dancehall genre globally.