分类： entertainment

Nearly seven months after a life-altering on-stage accident left her with serious injuries at the Miss Universe competition in Thailand, Dr. Gabrielle Henry, the 2025 Miss Universe Jamaica, has stepped back into the public eye for a high-profile charitable event. As first reported by *People* magazine, Henry appeared as a featured speaker at the Integrity Children’s Fund’s annual Dinner en Rouge Gala, held May 16 in Atlanta, Georgia. For the engagement, she delivered her remarks from a seated position on stage as she continues her ongoing recovery process. The non-profit organization that hosted the gala, founded in 2002 and based in Georgia, works directly to address persistent childhood illiteracy, a cause Henry has prioritized supporting even amid her own health challenges.

In November 2024, Henry suffered traumatic head injuries and multiple additional wounds when she fell from the competition stage during the preliminary evening gown round of the Miss Universe pageant held in Thailand. The accident forced her to withdraw immediately from the international competition, derailing what she had hoped would be a chance to represent her home country at the highest level of the pageant world.

In a reflective Instagram post shared earlier this year in February, Henry opened up about the emotional and physical journey of her recovery. “This season has redefined restoration and renewal for me,” she wrote at the time. “At a time when I wanted only to represent Jamaica at my fullest, I faced the most unexpected injury of my life. It shifted everything. Yet I have learned that a fall can uncover a depth of strength you did not know you possessed. My greatest strength has been in choosing to rise, even while I am still on the journey.” She also extended public gratitude to the medical teams in both Thailand and Jamaica who have supported her care throughout her recovery.

Speaking at the Atlanta gala, Henry reaffirmed her commitment to her advocacy work, explaining that even months of intensive rehabilitation could not keep her away from an event supporting a mission close to her heart. “Despite the prolonged recovery I have been going through, I could not miss being present to support such a remarkable event,” she told attendees. She went on to recognize the contributions of Jamaican diaspora members who have dedicated their time and resources to advancing the organization’s work: “Today we recognise and celebrate the amazing efforts of our fellow brothers — members of the Jamaican diaspora who have poured out their hearts and souls into something so meaningful.”

Looking ahead, Henry emphasized that her accident does not mark the end of her public journey, but rather the start of a new chapter focused on impact and legacy-building. “This period has given me space to reflect. I know my story is still unfolding,” she said. “What happened was not an ending; it marked the beginning of building a stronger legacy, creating impact and leaving a meaningful mark. I remain committed to making my country proud and to inspiring every person I encounter along the way.”

One of dancehall music’s most iconic figures, Bounty Killer, has thrown his weight behind emerging Jamaican dancehall artist Keywee, amplifying the rising star’s latest single 9 to 5 via a high-profile repost on his Instagram platform.

The endorsement has already generated massive engagement, racking up more than 4,000 likes and over 2,000 additional reposts from fans and industry followers across the platform. For the up-and-coming musician, the co-sign from the legendary entertainer has already translated to tangible career growth.

In an interview following the viral repost, Keywee expressed overwhelming gratitude for the veteran artist’s support. “Big respect to Bounty Killer,” he said. “Ever since he shared my song, YouTube views have skyrocketed, Spotify streams have jumped significantly, and I’m now getting booking requests from top selectors for custom dubs. Bounty Killer is the real general of this culture.”

Centered on the daily grind of traditional full-time work, 9 to 5 carries a raw, lyric-driven sound that aligns with Bounty Killer’s well-documented commitment to elevating authentic, socially conscious new dancehall work. The track’s core lyric laments, “9 to 5 ah kill we, ah beat we / man affi work so hard to make ends meet,” and lays bare the financial frustrations facing everyday working people.

Keywee explained that the track draws directly from the universal experiences of working-class people navigating economic inequality. “The 9 to 5 song was inspired by everyday living within the working system,” he noted. “The system was created to entrap the unfortunate, and this creates a bit of a paradox for most, because the harder you work, the more taxes you pay, the less money you take home and the bills just keep hiking. It is a vicious cycle and a very relatable topic.”

This public endorsement of Keywee is far from an isolated gesture. For decades, Bounty Killer has made mentoring and uplifting emerging Jamaican artists a core part of his cultural legacy. In recognition of his decades of contributions to Jamaican music and community, the icon is set to receive one of Kingston’s highest honors in 2026: the Key to the City, alongside an official street renaming in his childhood neighborhood of Seaview Gardens.

9 to 5 is featured as a track on the newly released Jamtor riddim compilation, which also features collaborative and solo work from a roster of emerging and established talent including Semojrah Naki, a joint project from Nature Ellis and Keywee, Empress Leh Leh, Planky Don, Izrel Di Cotton Pikka and Kae Music. Prior to dropping 9 to 5, Keywee built a small but loyal fanbase through earlier breakout singles including 2020’s Melanin Pop and Clean Like Skeleton, and 2021’s Nuh Use to Gyal.

As the world enters a new year of musical releases, multi-talented artist Krueshef kicks off his 2026 output with two distinct tracks that showcase his range as a creator: *My Sound* launched in January, and *Blaze dem Up* set to drop on May 15. Both releases are heartfelt tributes to the Jamaican music that shaped Krueshef’s childhood growing up in St. Croix, weaving personal history and cultural legacy into every bar. The first offering, *My Sound*, features guest work from artist Lawgiver, and counts Krueshef himself, Steely and Clevie, Jtwist, Lawgiver and Kimani among its co-producers. The second track, *Blaze Dem Up*, was created in collaboration with co-producers Austin Joseph and Lloyd Laing.

In sharing the core messaging behind his new work, Krueshef broke down the distinct purpose each track serves. For *My Sound*, the artist frames it as an anthem of self-affirmation, designed to lift listeners up and reinforce a strong sense of personal identity rooted in royal African heritage, rather than being defined by the legacy of slavery. “My Sound is a song to uplift and strengthen one’s self-esteem and have confidence in knowing who you are and where your history began. It didn’t begin with slavery but it began with royalty,” he explained. *Blaze Dem Up*, by contrast, carries a message of accountability and spiritual protection: the track encourages listeners to hold loved ones accountable when they make missteps, while leaning into faith for security, reminding audiences that divine protection ensures enemies cannot overcome them. He said, “Blaze dem Up is a song to rebuke and correct your friends and family when they mess up and to stay with Yah Jah because you are protected by the blood of Yahusha Jesus, so your enemies will not triumph over you.”

The theme of overcoming adversity is deeply personal for Krueshef, born Clarence Joseph, who built resilience growing up in the United States Virgin Islands long before he launched his music career. As a young artist, he drew influence from a wide swath of Jamaican music, cutting his teeth on iconic roots-reggae from legends like Bob Marley while also immersing himself in the hard-hitting sound of leading dancehall acts including Bounty Killer and Merciless. Early in his career, recording under the stage name Splittt Personality, Krueshef cut multiple tracks that paid homage to these foundational influences, blending the two genres that shaped his creative identity. Today, he remains equally comfortable working in both styles, having grown up writing and performing to legendary riddims out of pure love for the craft. “Both genres I am very comfortable with because I grew up listening and making songs to both legendary ‘riddims’ for fun and for the love of music. I still love listening to Bob Marley and the latest dancehall kings,” he noted.

Krueshef’s ability to roll with life’s challenges extends far beyond music, too. Before he focused full-time on his recording career, he was a competitive super-middleweight boxer, compiling four wins as a professional and even earning a spot on the United States national team for the 2004 Olympic Games held in Athens, Greece. His musical discography reflects his evolution as an artist: under his earlier Splittt Personality alias, he released the full-length album *Introspective*, and as Krueshef, he has already dropped one previous project, the EP *We Rise Up*. With his two new 2026 releases, he continues to build on his legacy of genre-blending, message-driven music that honors his roots while speaking to universal experiences of identity, community, and faith.

As a rising voice in conscious reggae music, King Inkosi is set to ignite critical public dialogue with his latest release, *Cannabis* — a bold, culturally rooted anthem that confronts a longstanding inequity at the heart of Jamaica’s cannabis regulation framework. The track argues that even after the country implemented cannabis decriminalization years ago, working-class small-scale herb farmers still face systemic unfair treatment, while benefits of the changing legal landscape flow exclusively to wealthy, well-connected elites.

Raised in central Jamaica’s Manchester Parish, King Inkosi draws personal authenticity to his advocacy, having spent years observing the daily hardships of ordinary Jamaicans who depend on the cannabis trade for their livelihoods. In his reflections on the shifting legal status of the plant in Jamaica, he traces a consistent pattern of exclusion: from decades of brutal persecution for simple possession or use of cannabis to the current regulatory regime, policy changes have only served the interests of the upper class, leaving low-income producers and participants in the trade still vulnerable to arrest and prosecution.

The young artist’s core mission with *Cannabis* is to push for full, inclusive legalization that delivers widespread economic and social benefits to all Jamaicans, rather than concentrating opportunity in the hands of a small privileged group. For King Inkosi, the framing of the plant is central to his argument: he emphasizes that cannabis is a naturally occurring herb, not a dangerous controlled substance, and argues that current decriminalization policies are designed solely to generate profit for elite commercial interests, rather than serve the public good.

King Inkosi approaches the topic through multiple overlapping lenses that reflect its deep roots in Jamaican life, highlighting the plant’s profound cultural, spiritual, medicinal, and recreational significance across Jamaican society — most notably for the Rastafarian community, which has long held cannabis as a sacred sacrament. As someone who honors Rastafarian traditions as a core part of his cultural identity, he embraces all of cannabis’s roles: as a holy sacrament, a healing medicinal plant, and a substance for gentle recreational use.

While the topic of cannabis legalization remains politically and socially sensitive in many Jamaican circles, King Inkosi says he is not intimidated by the prospect of public pushback. He acknowledges that his single may spark some controversy among certain local groups, but he views that debate as a necessary part of driving meaningful change.

Produced independently by King Inkosi himself, *Cannabis* leans into a classic, uncompromised authentic reggae sound, shaped by the artistic legacy of iconic reggae trailblazers including Garnet Silk, Ini Kamoze, Peter Tosh, and Burning Spear — all artists who built their legacies on speaking truth to power through reggae music. For King Inkosi, his musical style is a direct reflection of his lived experience as a Jamaican working-class artist, and that commitment to authenticity is what distinguishes his work from many of the commercial acts that dominate today’s reggae and dancehall scenes. Unlike polished, market-driven content that ignores community struggles, King Inkosi says his art centers the lived realities and experiences of ordinary Jamaican people.

Looking ahead, King Inkosi is in early discussions about a future extended play (EP) project to expand his catalog of conscious reggae. For the immediate future, however, his full attention is on building global momentum for *Cannabis*, with plans for a full promotional rollout that includes an official music video, live performance appearances, and targeted digital marketing campaigns to spread his message to audiences around the world. For the artist, his work on the global stage extends far beyond entertainment: it is a platform for education and advocacy to advance justice for working-class Jamaicans.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — One of Jamaica’s most high-profile recording artists, Beenie Man — legally known as Moses Davis — has issued a forceful public rejection of recent unsubstantiated claims that he physically assaulted a fellow entertainer, slamming the accusations as completely untrue, harmful, and legally actionable defamation.

In an official statement released to the press this Tuesday, Davis confirmed he has already retained a team of legal representatives and is currently assembling a formal body of evidence to disprove the damaging allegations circulating online and in public discourse.

The statement laid out clear demands for the accusers and any outlets that have spread the claims: “We hereby demand the immediate removal of all posts, videos, stories, and other publications asserting or repeating these claims, together with a full public retraction and apology.”

Davis’s legal team warned that failure to meet these demands in a timely manner will open the door to full legal recourse. According to the statement, if compliance is not forthcoming promptly, Davis will pursue “proceedings for defamation, damages, injunctive relief, and any other relief available at law” to clear his name and hold responsible parties accountable for the harm caused by the false claims.

One of Jamaica’s most anticipated music industry celebrations is getting a major facelift ahead of its September return, as organizer Kennedy Mensah expands the event to recognize more standout talent from across the global music scene. When Mensah touches down in Jamaica this September for his third iteration of the annual awards gathering, the event will bear a new name, occupy a larger purpose-built venue, and feature an expanded format that incorporates international certification programs.

Formerly branded the Grammy Certificate Ceremony, the event has been rebranded as the Music In Excellence Ceremony to reflect its broader scope of honoring musical achievement across markets. Scheduled to take place on September 15 at the spacious Courtleigh Auditorium in central New Kingston, the ceremony leaves behind its long-time previous Kingston home at the nearby Audi Showroom, a change driven by steady growth in the event’s size and ambitions.

What sets this year’s event apart from previous stagings held in Kingston, South Florida and London is a new collaborative partnership between Mensah’s Back 2 Da Future Music Limited and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). For the first time, the ceremony will present BPI-certified platinum, gold and silver discs alongside traditional Grammy certificates, honoring the work of Jamaican and international artistes, producers and session musicians who have achieved major commercial success on British music markets. Returning as a partner for the second consecutive year is The Royalty Network Inc, a leading New York-based music publishing firm that supports independent and established creators worldwide.

In an exclusive interview with Jamaica Observer Online, London-born organizer Mensah, who has Ghanaian heritage, outlined the changes coming to this year’s ceremony. A total of 25 creators will walk away with either a Grammy Certificate or a BCI-certified disc this year, a significant milestone for the fast-growing event. “The ceremony has grown and we needed a dedicated space that would allow us to have a live band. Unfortunately, growing pains means that we have had to find a purpose-built venue to accommodate our expanding programming,” Mensah explained of the venue shift.

The last iteration of the ceremony, held under its original name in South Florida this past January, honored a roster of iconic Caribbean talent including esteemed musician Robert Browne, celebrated singer and multi-instrumentalist Gramps Morgan, Grammy-winning reggae group Morgan Heritage, and influential dancehall singer Wayne Wonder. Mensah founded Back 2 Da Future Music Limited in 2005, and launched the inaugural Grammy Certificate Ceremony in South Florida in July 2024, which paid tribute to legendary guitarist Rad Bryan, best known for his work with iconic reggae bands The Revolutionaries and The Maytals.

The Jamaican music community is mourning the loss of iconic reggae vocalist Roland Burrell, who passed away suddenly on May 14 in Montego Bay. The news of his death was first confirmed by his cousin, veteran music producer Earl Messam, who shared the details with local outlet the Jamaica Observer, though no official cause of death has been released to the public.

Born in the quiet Pennants district of Clarendon, Jamaica, Burrell spent much of his childhood and formative years growing up in Trench Town, the culturally rich Kingston neighborhood that spawned dozens of reggae’s most legendary names. He launched his professional recording career in the early 1970s, but waited more than a decade for his big breakthrough: in summer 1982, he cut the track Johnny Dollar at Kingston’s iconic Channel One studio for producer Alton “Tanka” Hill.

Backed by the genre-defining rhythm section Sly and Robbie — already the most in-demand and celebrated musicians in global reggae at the time — Johnny Dollar became a worldwide sensation. The track climbed to the number one position on reggae charts across Jamaica, the United States, and the United Kingdom, cementing Burrell’s place in reggae history. The 1982 release was paired with a cover of American soul singer Garnet Mimms’ 1964 hit A Quiet Place.

Following the runaway success of his debut hit, Burrell quickly followed up with Stormy Night, another production from Alton Hill. Originally recorded by the group Creation Steppers in 1975, Burrell’s version of the track also earned strong commercial traction in both Jamaica and the UK.

Burrell never stepped away from the industry he loved: two years before his passing, he recorded an updated reimagining of Johnny Dollar for Philadelphia-based label Wildfire Records, which is owned by his cousin Earl Messam. Messam also produced many of Burrell’s later original works, including fan-favorite tracks My Conversation, You Have Caught Me, and a reggae reworking of the Temptations classic Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.

Burrell is survived by four children and multiple grandchildren, leaving behind a decades-long legacy that shaped reggae music across the globe.

On Friday, May 15, global hip-hop superstar Drake sent shockwaves through the music industry when he unexpectedly dropped three full-length studio albums at once — *Iceman*, *Maid of Honour*, and *Habibti*. Among the long list of creative contributors tapped for the historic release was Montego Bay-based beatmaker, producer, and rapper Mvssivh, who earned production credits on not one, but two high-profile tracks across the collection.

Mvssivh’s first credit comes on the cut *New Bestie*, featured on the *Maid of Honour* project. The track makes a lyrical shoutout to iconic Jamaican dancehall artist Vybz Kartel, a nod that carries particular weight for the Jamaican creative. His second credit is for *Ran to Atlanta*, a cross-genre banger from *Iceman* that sees Drake joined by guest features from rap heavyweights Future and Molly Santana.

For the rising Jamaican talent, landing a spot on one of the biggest international rap releases of the year is far from his first brush with global success. Back in 2019, when he was just 18 years old, Mvssivh produced two tracks — *Cinderella* and *Waterfall* — that were included on Russian trap star Kizaru’s triple-platinum certified album *Karmageddon*. He also notched another credit on Kizaru’s *Carousel*, a track that appeared on the artist’s double-platinum selling extended play *Say No Mo*.

In an exclusive interview with *Jamaica Observer* on the day of Drake’s album release, Mvssivh — born Justin Junagadala — opened up about the winding path that led him to the OVO Sound camp. “I actually was working with people very close to him. I flew out to Canada for the Vybz Kartel show and I met with a couple people. I then went to Miami and worked with my other boys who work with the Drake’s OVO label very closely and we got to this point,” he explained.

Reflecting on the years-long process of seeing the collaboration come to fruition, Mvssivh expressed gratitude for the opportunity. “I feel blessed to be a part of this. I’ve been working on this project for the last few years, and I was shocked to see it turn into three albums,” he said.

When asked what the career milestone says about his range as a creative, Mvssivh highlighted that the credit proves he can excel beyond the dancehall space that many fans already associate him with. “It shows my versatility. The fact that I was able to show my talent in trap music and not solely dancehall in which people know me from,” he noted.

Mvssivh’s love for music began long before his first industry credit, starting in his early childhood growing up in the West Gate community of St James, Jamaica. He attended both Heinz Simonitch and Hillel Academy, and recalled that music was a constant companion from his youngest years. “I always had love for music from I was a kid. I couldn’t sleep without listening to music and I was playing piano as a little kid. I started listening to trap music and EDM (electronic dance music) and found a liking for the beats more, and the rest is history,” he shared.

A self-described introvert in his youth, Mvssivh said his quiet nature pushed him to lean into music creation as an outlet. “I was an antisocial kid, that’s why I ended up doing music. I didn’t have that many friends and I was always listening to music and making beats,” he explained. He credits his mother for nurturing his early connection to sound: his mother played drums in marching bands and encouraged him to start piano lessons when he was just six years old, laying the foundation for his future career.

Unlike many producers who rely on outside teams for post-production, Mvssivh handles all mixing and mastering for his own work, and he says a commitment to originality sets him apart from other creatives in the industry. “My sound is different from everybody else when it comes to the beats and the actual songs. I feel you have to be original and not follow anybody else. If you want to make it you have to be willing to try whatever. Zone out and go into a whole other world. Creativity is what matters now,” he said.

Prior to his Drake collab, Mvssivh had already built an impressive resume working with A-list talent across the global hip-hop and Jamaican music scenes. His list of international collaborators includes rap stars Chief Keef, Trippie Redd, Famous Dex, Smoke Purp, and Lil Poppa. Closer to home, he has partnered with the 6ix collective, Jamaican rappers Rude Jerms and Bakersteez, and top dancehall acts including I-Waata, Intence, Maestro Don, and Jada Kingdom.

The Drake credit has already unlocked new opportunities for his career, he confirmed. “A lot of doors have opened, and it has become easier for me to contact artistes. It makes it easier for them to take me serious about what I do,” he shared.

Beyond his work as an in-demand producer, Mvssivh also pursues a career as a solo rapper under the stage name Bvsed Justin. Looking ahead, he has a stacked slate of upcoming projects ready to roll out. “Man, I got my official producer album on the way with all the top artistes locally and a few internationally as well as my first official album as an artiste myself. Also got a few big projects I’m working on right now, stay tuned, the show isn’t over,” he teased.