Portmore Finalists

Jah Cure, Keri Hilson record 'World Cry'

Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

Keri Hilson during a performance on International Night One at Reggae Sumfest '09 at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Centre, in Montego Bay. - File photos

Singer Jah Cure recently nabbed an International collaboration with R&B songstress Keri Hilson and American writer/producer/singer Pooh Bear for the heart-warming song World Cry.

When THE WEEKEND STAR spoke with Jah Cure recently he said the song was recorded three weeks ago and should be released very soon.

culture song

Cure said, "how the song came about, Pooh Bear, who is a very good writer approached us about the song and we put Keri on it, she wanted us to do a song together as well. It's a culture song about the poor and the needy so we decided to make a three-way song including Pooh Bear who has a very John Legend kinda voice."

Keri Hilson, known for hits such as Knock You Down and Turning Me On, was in Jamaica last year for Reggae Sumfest where she met Jah Cure. While Pooh Bear, real name Jason Boyd, has written and produced songs for a number of top R&B and hip hop stars including Chris Brown for I Can Transform Ya, 112's Peaches and Cream and Usher's Caught Up. For Hilson this will be her second Jamaican collaboration having done the remix of Sean Paul's Hold My Hand.

Cure recorded his part of the song at Shaggy's Big Yard Studio in Kingston, while Hilson recorded her part in Los Angeles and Pooh Bear in Miami.

"The song is already finished I just need to change one of my lines which says Montego Bay to Haiti. Then it sounds like they gonna put it out after that," said Jah Cure.

According to Cure, the song is a cultural one with a cross over beat that he sees reaching far and for him the project was a fun one to work on.

crazy chemistry

For Hilson, working with Jah Cure was an experience like non other, she told THE WEEKEND STAR, "Cure and I were taking our time searching for the perfect song to do together since we met in Montego Bay. We knew it would be crazy chemistry when our worlds collided. I've learned that he's one of the rare low key and untainted celebrities, so World Cry couldn't have been more on point for a man like him. I can't wait to work with him again, hopefully next time I'll get to come back to Jamaica."

Having released The Universal Cure for SoBe Entertainment/Danger Zone Music Group last April, Cure says he is not working on his next yet-to-be-titled album to be released this year. In the meantime, he says he has a lot of new singles out including: Unconditional Love, 2010 on Don Corleon's Feelings rhythm, Protect You like a Soldier, Never Say Never and End of Time alongside Stephen Marley and Christopher Ellis.

He says, "I'm finishing up some nice songs that I know my fans gonna love, I'm not dropping my standards or their expectations."

http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/20100129/ent/ent2.html

VOTING TIME

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM JAH CURE

There have been recent media reports about a DNA test result that involved Jah Cure. While not wishing to join the media circus that has ensued because of these revelations, Jah Cure wishes to outline a few facts and settle the matter once and for all.

Jah Cure has supported the mother throughout her pregnancy and had his father and manager be with her at the time of delivery in the US. His support for her throughout this period was unwavering.

Before the birth of the child Jah Cure requested a DNA test, a request which the mother refused. Despite this, Jah Cure continued to support the child and the mother.

Now that the DNA test has been done and it has been shown that he is not the father, Jah Cure wishes to move on.

The fact is that the most important individual in this whole affair is the child and the longer that this continues the more damage is being done to the child. Jah cure will not now abandon the child but wishes that the media respect the privacy of the parties as the child is indeed innocent and did not contribute to the mistakes of the adults involved.

JAH CURE NOMINATED FOR SIX EME’S

With voting on in earnest Jah Cure leads in three categories in the race for the 2010 Excellence in Music and Entertainment Awards.

The artiste who had very successful 2009, is nominated for Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Cultural /Positive Artist of the Year, Collaboration of the Year and Recording Artiste of the Year. He currently is ahead in the voting for Vocalist of the Year, Song of the year for Call on Me with Phyllisia, and Best Collaboration of the Year for the same song.

The artiste is a close second in the category of Cultural/Positive Artiste of the Year and is competitive in the Album of the Year section. For Recording Artiste of the Year, Jah Cure is significantly ahead of Tarrus Riley but trails Mavado and Vybz Kartel by several votes.

CEO of Danger Zone Music Group Delmar ‘Della Danger’ Drummond who is also nominated for Producer of the Year is excited at the prospect of Jah Cure winning an EME award: “The EMEs are a signpost in the Jamaican music landscape of the work that an artiste has done over the period under review. Jah Cure has been constantly putting out positive & uplifting music and Danger Zone is pleased with the nominations and the voting”.

The EME Awards will be held on Thursday February 04 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

VOTE FOR HEZRON

Hezron is nominated for Vocalist of the Year (EME 2010)

VOTE FOR HEZRON: HERE

Vote for Delmar Della Danger (2010 EME Awards):

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR (Reggae): VOTE HERE

VOTE FOR JAH CURE (EME AWARDS 2010)

VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: VOTE HERE

SONG OF THE YEAR: VOTE HERE

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: VOTE HERE

RECORDING ARTISTE OF THE YEAR: VOTE HERE

CULTURAL/POSITIVE ARTIST OF THE YEAR: VOTE HERE

BEST COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR (Reggae): VOTE HERE

MAGNUM KINGS AND QUEENS OF DANCHALL AUDITIONS SELL OFF

The next audition for Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall takes place this Saturday January 9 in the resort town of Ocho Rios...

Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall continues to captivate the masses. Since the beginning of December 2009, Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall has had three auditions bringing out almost fifteen hundred hopefuls vying for a chance to be the next King and Queen of Dancehall and walk away with over a million dollars in cash and prizes each.

The first auditions for the 3rd season of Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall took place in Montego Bay at the Wexford Hotel on December 5. The Mobay auditions saw hundreds of contestants coming out from as far away as Hanover in the west to Trelawney in the east. The talent from Montego Bay has always been of a high quality and for the first audition it was no different.

The Judges were pleased with the quantity and quality of the talent and judge Scatta Burrell commented that Montego Bay has a special place in the competition as it produced the first Magnum Queen of Dancehall: “Contestants from Montego Bay have a lot to prove as this was where Baby Tash honed her talent. When we came, we expected to be treated to good Sing Jays and Deejays and we were not disappointed. We also had a good turnout of female artistes and are happy for that in particular as one of the main aims of the competition is to expose fresh talent from both sexes”

The competition then moved on to the sunshine city of Portmore where it got its highest turnout yet. Over six hundred prince and princesses converged at the Afrodeziac Night Club on December 12 for their chance to buss. There were the usual repeats but a vast majority of the contestants were fresh talent seeking their chance at Magnum stardom

Assistant Producer for Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall, Natalie Parboosingh, was pleased with the turnout and the talent: “Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall has always received great support from the Portmore community. As usual for Portmore the turnout was large in numbers and the talent was amazing. I am very happy that we are able to be a vehicle by which these young artistes can get exposure”

Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall moved on to central Jamaica where, at Leiba’s Esso, May Pen, it took root on Saturday December 19. May Pen, also teeming with talent, was a testament to Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall’s growing popularity.

The next audition for Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall takes place this Saturday January 9 in the resort town of Ocho Rios at the Amnesia Night Club. Auditions begin at 9:30am sharp and contestants are advised to come out early as large crowds are expected.

The final audition for the 3rd season of Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall will be held at Limelight in Half Way Tree on Saturday January 16. The competition will then move on to the elimination stage on TVJ on Saturday, January 23. Then the top 50 contestants from the five auditions will then vie for twenty places on the Magnum live stage.

JAH CURE AND KERI HILSON TEAM UP FOR WORLD CRY

THE friendship forged between reggae singer Jah Cure and R&B/hip hop singer Keri Hilson at the 2009 staging of Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay, has resulted in a collaboration titled World Cry. The song was written and produced by Mostdevotedmusicanalive better known as Pooh Bear.

Pooh Bear whose real name is Jason Boyd, has written and produced songs for a number of top names drawn from the R&B, hip hop and rap scenes. His name is credited on tracks including Chris Brown's I Can Transform Ya, 112's Peaches and Cream and Usher's Caught Up.

According to Pooh Bear, the inclusion of Hilson on the World Cry recording, was suggested by Jah Cure. "I didn't think about putting Keri on the track, it was Jah Cure's idea to have her. The end result is quite good. I think it's a modern day We are the World record," Pooh Bear said in an interview at Shaggy's Big Yard studio in Kingston, recently.

Jah Cure who was also at the studio, was equally excited about World Cry. "It's a really good song and its touching on world issues and topics that people can relate to. This song is a good look, and for me its good to talk about other issues that people are facing".

Jah Cure said the link with Hilson came about naturally. "She is a fan of mine and I met her at Reggae Sumfest, when she wanted to take picture with me. We exchanged numbers and we talk on blackberry messenger every day. She said she always wanted to do a song with me," Cure explained.

Cure said that although he always wanted to record a collaboration with Hilson, he was waiting on the right song, that was satisfying enough to have her on board.

Pooh Bear who said it was his first time working with a reggae artiste, has a lot of expectations for the World Cry single. "World Cry is a message to kinda wake up everyone because there are war issues, hunger issues and poverty. And that's really touching," said Pooh Bear.

Jah Cure who released the album The Universal Cure via SoBe Entertainment/Danger Zone Music Group last April, is coming off a successful 2009. He topped the charts with two popular singles You'll Never Find and Call On Me, which featured American R&B singer Phylisia.

Keri Hilson won two awards last year, namely the Soul Train and BET Award for Best New Artiste, is up for two Grammys in the 2010 Grammy Awards.

Her debut solo album In a Perfect World has sold double platinum. To date she has racked up hits on the Billboard charts including Slow Dance, Turnin Me On, and Knock You Down.

She recently hit the Top ten on the Billboard R&B chart alongside R Kelly on the collaborative single Number One.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Jah-cure--amp-amp--Keri