Grenadian celebrity flack to steer Buju forward
Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z may
have encountered a slight
stall with the National Football
League in his effort to
advance the football career of
Colin Kaepernick but recent
reports are that his Roc Nation
music label is speeding steadily
forward with a partnership he
allegedly inked with Jamaica’s
dancehall deejay Mark Myrie
aka Buju Banton, the Gargamel.
As a matter of fact, since
signing the deal, the Gargamel
released a full-length video and
tuneful dancehall release called
“Steppa.”
Slated to coincide with a
pop-up shop opening in Miami,
Florida on Nov. 29, the track is
the first of an anticipated medley
of music slated for release in
2020 and marks Banton’s first
in a decade since his Grammy
winning “Before The Dawn.”
To that end, Jay -Z summoned
one of his strongest
ammunition to steer the publicity
campaign in a direction
that will be palatable to universal
audiences. The Brooklyn
native tapped Yvette Noel
Schure, a Grenadian celebrity
flack whose associations with
Mariah Carey, John Legend,
Destinys Child and Beyonce
— among top pop achievers
— have only yielded amicable
public relations.
The two met in Kingston last
weekend to discuss the way forward
Caribbean L 12 ife, Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2019
and probably most importantly
how the controversial
deportee can regain trust with
audiences he might have lost
since the release of FBI film
footage captured him sampling
cocaine for sale.
For that he was jailed, convicted
and found guilty of a
litany of charges related with
intent to distribution the illegal
substance.
Throughout his incarceration,
many of his loyal fans, primarily
those from his diasporan
Caribbean communities
maintained hope and campaigned
for his release with a
“Free Buju” slogan.
After spending almost a decade
in lockup his release was
met with jubilation and an
inverted mantra “Buju Free!”
Three months later he tested
the waters by headlining concerts
in the region. Reportedly
successful at each destination
the Gargamel may now want
to cross the waters into Asia,
Africa, Europe where in addition
to the stain of conviction
is surpassed by an indelible
taint of homophobia which
might impede promoters from
booking concerts for fear of lingering
resentment from members
and sympathizers of the
LGBTQ communities.
In order to win global appeal
the nicknamed Gargamel must
commit to a more universal,
diverse and humbling politic
— one that extends past the
Caribbean borders where he is
revered.
Perhaps Jay-Z’s handpicked
Spice Islander may be able
to secure international visas
and inevitably renew access to
Buju Banton and Yvette Noel Schure in Kingston, Jamaica.
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American audiences.
‘TOAST’ JAMAICA’S
KOFFEE: FIRST
BLACK FIRST LADY
BECOMING GRAMMY
WINNER
Jamaica’s teenaged deejay
sensation Mikayla Simpsom
aka Koffee is ending the year in
a big way. After a blockbuster
year of heating up the clubs
with her scalding hot single
“Toast,” the newcomer will not
only count her blessings for the
success she acquired in 2019
but may also usher in 2020
with a victory celebration of
her Grammy-nominated acquisition.
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