分类： entertainment

For two millennia, Judas Iscariot has stood as history’s most reviled figure, his name a global byword for treachery and betrayal after he handed Jesus Christ over to authorities for just 30 pieces of silver. Now, a first-time Christian author is upending centuries of conventional wisdom with a provocative new take on the infamous disciple, framing his story as a mirror for the internal moral struggles that all people face.

Paloma Price, a South Florida-based practitioner of Christianity originally raised in Portmore, St Catherine, spent three years crafting her debut book *Learning From Judas*, which hit shelves in April. Long passionate about writing but never having pursued it as a professional career, Price says the project was born from divine direction. According to Price, God prompted her with a probing question: “Who is a son of perdition?” That inquiry launched her into months of deep research focused on how people who are seen as righteous can lose their moral direction, eventually leading her to the figure that has puzzled biblical scholars for centuries.

Unlike traditional interpretations that paint Judas as a one-note villain, Price’s work reframes him not as a distant, one-dimensional figure from ancient scripture, but as a reflection of the conflicting internal battles every person navigates. The book invites readers to confront the parts of themselves that long for God’s will but repeatedly resist the path God lays out. Drawing together spiritual revelation, psychological reflection, and actionable practical guidance, *Learning From Judas* guides readers toward deeper self-awareness, emotional healing, and alignment with the divine plan Price argues God has for each person’s life.

Price explains that Judas emerged as the ideal subject to illustrate a critical lesson: when people refuse to let truth reshape their character and choices, the damage can become irreversible. The author emphasizes that her work is not a text focused on condemnation of Judas or any reader; instead, it is an open invitation to personal transformation. Her core hope for audiences is that after engaging with the book, they will leave with greater compassion for their own failures, clearer insight into their inner world, and the courage to confront the subtle internal forces that drive their choices. For Price, examining the story of Judas is ultimately a journey of self-discovery: confronting the betrayal and moral struggle embodied by the infamous disciple is how people come to better understand themselves and realign their lives with God’s purpose.

The global music community is mourning the loss of one of ska and rocksteady’s founding trailblazers, Stranger Cole, who passed away at 83 on Thursday at the University Hospital of the West Indies. His death was confirmed by his son Wilburn “Squiddly” Cole, a professional drummer, in an exclusive conversation with Jamaica’s Observer Online. According to Cole’s son, the iconic singer had been in poor health for an extended period before being admitted to the medical facility two weeks prior; no official cause of death has been released to the public.

A beloved figure across international music scenes, Cole maintained an active performance schedule well into his later life. As recently as December 2023, he completed a run of six sold-out shows in Australia, where he retained a fiercely loyal fan base built on his decades-old catalog of 1960s hits. He also commanded a large, dedicated following across Europe for decades.

Born in the rural parish of Portland, Jamaica, Cole relocated to the capital city of Kingston during his childhood, eventually settling in the iconic neighborhood of Trench Town. In the early 1960s, Trench Town emerged as the creative heartbeat of Jamaica’s burgeoning music movement, as ska began to capture the attention of clubgoers and dance attendees across Kingston. It was in this fertile creative environment that Cole launched his professional recording career.

His first breakout charting singles, *Rough And Tough* and *When You Call My Name* (a collaborative track with vocalist Patsy Todd), were produced by legendary Jamaican producer Duke Reid. He followed this early success with a string of enduring hits that remain staples of the ska and rocksteady genres, including *Just Like A River* recorded with keyboardist Gladstone Anderson, and *Bangarang*, which he cut with Lester Sterling of the iconic Skatalites collective.

Beyond his own celebrated recording career, Cole played a pivotal, often underrecognized role in nurturing the next generation of Jamaican reggae and rocksteady talent. He supported the early careers of legendary artists Ken Boothe and The Mighty Diamonds, even writing and producing the group’s very first commercial release, *Oh My Baby*.

In the early 1970s, Cole immigrated to Toronto, Canada, where he quickly became a core member of the city’s fast-growing Jamaican expatriate reggae community. His decades of contributions to Toronto’s cultural landscape were chronicled in the 2018 documentary *Ruff and Tuff — Stranger Cole’s Toronto Roots*, directed by filmmakers Chris Flanagan and Graeme Mathieson.

Cole is survived by seven children, as well as multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The global dancehall scene is witnessing the rapid rise of one of its most exciting new creative voices: Kingston-born, Jamaica-based producer DJ Mac, born Jason McDowell. What began as a passion for connecting audiences through sound has evolved into a trailblazing career, marked by chart-topping work, industry recognition, and a groundbreaking new partnership that sets the stage for global expansion.

DJ Mac has built his formidable reputation by crafting infectious rhythms that dominate party sets and streaming playlists alike, resonating deeply with dancehall fans across Jamaica and international markets. What sets his work apart is a deliberate, crowd-informed creative approach: he blends unorthodox, underused sonic textures with the core cultural roots of traditional dancehall, balancing vintage flair with modern innovation. As a working DJ, he brings unique insight to the production process, drawing on firsthand experience of what energizes crowds and keeps audiences engaged to guide every studio session, whether he’s building a beat from scratch or refining an existing track.

That experimental yet audience-centric strategy has already delivered major career milestones. In 2025, DJ Mac teamed up with co-producer CrashDummy to release the breakout WYFL rhythm, a project that took both the mainstream and underground dancehall worlds by storm, earning a spot on the U.S. iTunes Reggae Songs Chart. The rhythm’s widespread popularity sparked an unprecedented wave of creativity, drawing more than 200 separate recordings from artists across the genre within just a few months of its launch. This response cemented WYFL as one of the largest juggling projects in dancehall history and turned it into a genuine cultural phenomenon.

With the success of WYFL and other projects, DJ Mac has become one of the most in-demand producers of his generation. As his catalogue grows and attracts international attention, he recognized that creative excellence alone is not enough to build a long-term sustainable career in the modern music industry. To strengthen the business and intellectual property side of his expanding brand, DJ Mac recently signed a global publishing agreement with Hapilos Publishing, a leading publisher in the reggae and dancehall space backed by the global infrastructure of Sony Music Publishing, the world’s largest music publishing group.

The deal covers every track in DJ Mac’s existing catalogue as well as all of his future creative work. Under the agreement, Hapilos will take on full administration of his work, including securing licensing and sync placement opportunities, managing global royalty collections, and enforcing copyright protection for his productions around the world.

DJ Mac noted that his decision to partner with Hapilos stemmed from the company’s reputation for transparency, trustworthiness, and a proven track record of supporting creators. “Hapilos being my publisher is definitely something I would recommend. I’ve recommended it to other people as well, because I feel like it’s a straightforward process,” he explained. “They make sure to notify you on anything you release, even works that were released before. They’re on time and on point with the management of your songs. They pay on time, you get your statements, and everything is clear and straightforward. It’s an easy process to use and something I would highly recommend.”

As the global music industry continues to shift and adapt, publishing administration has emerged as an increasingly critical pillar of a sustainable career for producers and artists alike. Beyond just collecting royalties, strategic publishing partnerships help creators maximize their earnings, unlock new revenue streams through sync placements for film, television and digital media, protect their intellectual property from infringement, and ensure their work is properly managed across global markets.

For DJ Mac, this new partnership marks another key milestone in a career built on a foundation of passion for dancehall and a commitment to creating sounds that connect with communities of listeners. With a rapidly expanding catalogue, growing international recognition, and a leading publishing partner behind him, the young producer is well-positioned to reach even greater heights as he brings his distinctive take on modern dancehall to audiences around the world.