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  • Neymar and Robinho Jr publicly reconcile after altercation

    Neymar and Robinho Jr publicly reconcile after altercation

    In Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay, a tense behind-the-scenes conflict between Brazilian football star Neymar and his 18-year-old Santos teammate Robinho Junior has been resolved, with the Paris Saint-Germain icon issuing a public apology for crossing a line by slapping the young prospect during a weekend training session. The incident, which first made headlines earlier this week, stemmed from a heated moment during a Sunday practice drill: Brazilian media reports confirm Neymar, Brazil men’s national team’s all-time leading goalscorer, took offense after being dribbled past by Robinho Jr., the son of former AC Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester City striker Robinho. Immediately following the altercation, Santos club officials launched an internal investigation into the behavior of both players, adding extra scrutiny to the already high-profile clash.

    Following Santos’ 1-1 Copa Sudamericana draw with Recoleta on Tuesday, Neymar opened up to reporters, addressing calls for a public apology directly. “If you want an apology in front of the press, here it is. I had already apologised to him and to his family. I crossed the line,” the 34-year-old striker stated, framing the incident as a common, if unacceptable, moment of tension in the sport. “He’s a boy I like very much, for whom I have a special affection. It happens in football; you argue with your friend, your brother.”

    Robinho Jr. has since confirmed Neymar’s account of the confrontation and confirmed the pair have buried the hatchet, noting the situation was particularly difficult for him given Neymar’s longstanding status as a personal hero. “Everything is resolved,” the teen prospect told reporters after Tuesday’s match. “It’s a situation that upset me because he’s been my idol since childhood… I talked about it with my parents and I accept his apology.” On the pitch during the game, the pair signaled their repaired relationship: Neymar netted Santos’ only goal of the match, and invited Robinho Jr. to join him in the celebration with a public hug.

    Beyond the club conflict, Neymar is currently in a critical period as he pursues a spot on Brazil’s 2026 World Cup roster. Sidelined from international play since October 2023 due to recurring injury issues, the veteran striker has made clear he still hopes national team manager Carlo Ancelotti will select him for the tournament, which kicks off on June 11 and runs through July 19. Ancelotti is set to announce his final 26-man squad on May 18, leaving Neymar just weeks to prove his fitness and form ahead of the global competition.

    Notably, the incident has drawn additional attention due to Robinho Jr.’s father: 42-year-old Robinho, a former Santos teammate of Neymar and one of Brazil’s most recognizable strikers of the 2000s, is currently serving a prison sentence in Brazil following a conviction for gang rape handed down by Italian courts.

  • Larry and The Mento Boys to re-release ‘Jamaica Farewell’ album in summer

    Larry and The Mento Boys to re-release ‘Jamaica Farewell’ album in summer

    In the vibrant landscape of Jamaican popular music, a beloved early classic is making a comeback: Larry and The Mento Boys’ 2013 album *Jamaica Farewell*, a collection of iconic mento tracks, is set to be reissued this summer by Tad’s International Record. The project anchors itself to the original *Hill And Gully*, a foundational mento standard that has recently seen new popularity as the inspiration for the viral Hill And Gully riddim from acclaimed dancehall producer Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor, led by Masicka’s bold hit track Slip & Slide.

    The reissued *Jamaica Farewell* features 18 tracks, drawing heavily from the core mento songbook. Standouts include fan-favorite staples like the patriotic *Island In The Sun*, *Shame And Scandal*, *Big Bamboo*, and the album’s namesake *Hill And Gully*. Beyond traditional mento fare, the album also includes the band’s distinctive interpretations of three Bob Marley classics — *No Woman No Cry*, *Three Little Birds*, and *One Drop* — plus a cover of *Ma & Pa*, the track that first rose to fame through Trinidadian performer Lord Creator.

    Tad Dawkins, founder and leader of Tad’s International Record, shared the backstory of the re-release with Jamaica’s *Observer Online*. He explained he was first introduced to Larry and The Mento Boys by veteran broadcaster and performer Bob Clarke, who spent decades entertaining guests at tourist hotels across Jamaica’s St Ann and St Mary parishes, where he built a longstanding connection with the band.

    “There’s something timeless about mento that carries listeners back to simpler, earlier days, and the tracks on this album are genuinely great,” Dawkins said. “Even today, there remains a strong, dedicated market for authentic Jamaican mento music.”

    For many music scholars, mento holds the distinction of being Jamaica’s first commercially popular genre, laying the cultural and sonic groundwork for reggae and dancehall that would rise to global fame in later decades. The genre broke through to mainstream audiences across the 1940s and 1950s, driven by charismatic performers like Lord Flea, who earned enough international notoriety to appear on iconic U.S. variety programs including *The Perry Como Show*.

    Mento retained its place on Jamaican radio through the 1970s, even as roots-reggae dominated the national music scene, largely thanks to the work of legendary artist Stanley Beckford. Beckford scored multiple major hits with tracks like *Soldering* — which later received a high-profile cover from pop duo Hall and Oates — *Broom Weed*, and *Leave my Kiselo*, and he took home top honors at Jamaica’s Festival Song Competition on multiple occasions.

    In more recent decades, Portland-based group The Jolly Boys have led a renewed interest in traditional mento. Their 2010 album *Great Expectation* earned rave reviews from leading international outlets including *The New York Times*, and opened the door for the band to headline tour dates across the United States and United Kingdom, introducing the genre to a whole new generation of global listeners.

  • Forensic gap

    Forensic gap

    A senior ballistics expert with nearly two decades of forensic experience has delivered key testimony in the high-profile murder trial of six current and former members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), revealing that most expended bullet cartridges recovered from the scene of a 2013 fatal shooting failed to match any of the firearms submitted for forensic analysis. The January 12, 2013 incident on Acadia Drive in St Andrew left three men — Matthew Lee, Mark Allen, and Ucliffe Dyer — dead following what police reported as an armed shootout, with a fourth individual reportedly escaping the encounter. Now, more than a decade later, six JCF officers — Sergeant Simroy Mott, Corporal Donovan Fullerton, Constables Andrew Smith, Sheldon Richards, Orandy Rose, and Richard Lynch — stand trial on three counts of murder; Fullerton faces an additional charge of submitting a false statement to Jamaica’s Independent Commission of Investigations.

    Testifying before a seven-member jury at the Home Circuit Court on Monday, the testifying police superintendent, who has 16 years of service with the JCF and 19 years of specialized experience in ballistics analysis, detailed the chain of evidence and his forensic findings. A total of 11 firearms, a large collection of expended bullet casings, and multiple bullet fragments were collected from the shooting scene and sent to Jamaica’s government-run forensic laboratory for testing. Among the evidence submitted were three 5.56-caliber JCF service rifles, three 9mm service pistols, two illegally held firearms that investigators claimed were recovered from the three deceased men, and dozens of unused and expended ammunition rounds recovered from the scene.

    When processed through the laboratory’s computerized ballistics matching system, the vast majority of the expended cartridges recovered from the site failed to produce a positive match to any of the submitted firearms. The expert explained that a definitive ballistics match requires agreement on both class characteristics (general traits shared by weapons of the same model and caliber) and individual unique tool marks left by a specific weapon’s firing pin and barrel on each cartridge. For most of the casings in question, he said, there was insufficient matching of the unique individual marks to confirm a specific weapon fired the round.

    While the superintendent confirmed the unmatched cartridges were consistent with ammunition fired by M16-style 5.56 rifles, the standard service weapon for JCF officers involved in the operation, he could not tie them to any specific weapon submitted for testing. He outlined multiple plausible explanations for the lack of a match: poor quality reproduction of tool marks on the cartridge casings, irregularities in the ammunition itself, wear or damage to the firing weapon, or the possibility that the actual weapon that fired the casings was never turned over to investigators for examination. Notably, the expert did confirm that spent casings matching the two illegal firearms seized from the scene were found at the site.

    The testimony was not without procedural controversy. Attorney Hugh Wildman, who represents four of the six accused officers, raised a formal objection to prosecutor Kathy-Ann Pyke’s line of questioning regarding the firearms and cartridge evidence. Wildman argued that the evidence in question had never been formally tendered to the court, making it improper for the witness to testify about it. The objection stemmed from earlier testimony from the detective constable responsible for packaging the evidence, who admitted he could not definitively confirm that the items tested by the forensic lab were the same items presented in sealed packages to the court. The packages have never been opened in court, so their contents have never been formally entered into the official trial record. Despite Wildman’s objection, the presiding judge allowed Pyke to continue her questioning.

    The trial is scheduled to resume proceedings on the following day, with more testimony expected from prosecution witnesses as the case unfolds. The legal team for the accused also includes Althea Grant-Coppin and John Jacobs.

  • Parenting workshop brings relief and encouragement to families recovering from Melissa

    Parenting workshop brings relief and encouragement to families recovering from Melissa

    KINGSTON, Jamaica – In the rural communities of Bartons and Newton in Jamaica’s St Elizabeth parish, hundreds of parents and caregivers are walking away with renewed confidence, practical tools, and a stronger sense of community support after taking part in a trauma-informed parenting workshop organized by the Children First Agency (CFA) in collaboration with UNICEF Jamaica.

    The workshop, branded “From Surviving to Thriving”, was designed specifically to address the overlapping mental health and parenting challenges families have faced in the months after Hurricane Melissa swept through the region. The event filled a critical gap for storm-battered households, giving caregivers a structured space to process their grief, connect with other community members facing similar struggles, and learn actionable strategies to support their children’s development amid ongoing recovery.

    Facilitated by Dionne Levy, a seasoned counselor and veteran educator, the session centered on four core pillars: positive child-rearing practices, stress management, child protection protocols, and healthy family communication. During the interactive workshop, Levy guided participants through discussions on how unprocessed post-disaster stress and unresolved personal trauma can unconsciously shape parenting approaches and strain family dynamics. She introduced participants to evidence-based techniques centered on emotional self-regulation, intentional caregiver self-care, and self-compassion – tools that not only boost caregivers’ own mental well-being but also help build nurturing, stable connections with children.

    For many attendees, the impact of the day was immediate and deeply meaningful. Kaydia Wright, a single mother of three who lost her home’s roof during the hurricane, shared that the workshop left her feeling reenergized and grounded. “I liked every part of the session, especially the group counseling portion led by Dionne. After Melissa hit, most of us here are still picking up the pieces of our lives, struggling to get back on our feet. Just having this space to be heard took so much weight off my shoulders, even for just one day. Workshops like this motivate us and teach us real, usable ways to support our kids and ourselves,” Wright explained.

    Unlike top-down training models, CFA uses a community-led group facilitation approach that invites caregivers to reflect on their own parenting habits, share lived experiences, and co-develop solutions that work for their households. This structure fosters a non-judgmental, supportive environment that encourages lasting positive behavior change. Beyond supporting individual families, the model also strengthens protective parenting practices, lowers the risk of household violence, and speeds up collective community recovery in the wake of the storm.

    Claudette Richardson Pious, executive director of the Children First Agency, emphasized that sustained, accessible support for caregivers is critical to breaking harmful intergenerational patterns. “Without targeted, coordinated support, many parents fall back on the parenting approaches they experienced as children, which can sometimes involve harmful disciplinary methods without them even realizing it,” she noted. Richardson Pious called on government actors and civil society partners to expand this type of support to reach more storm-affected families across the island.

    Olga Isaza, representative for UNICEF Jamaica, echoed that commitment, noting that supporting caregivers is a core part of UNICEF’s post-disaster recovery mandate. “As communities rebuild after Hurricane Melissa, UNICEF’s top priority is making sure every child grows up surrounded by stable, supported caregivers. Our partnership with CFA allows families to build positive parenting skills and create the safe, nurturing environments kids need to heal, learn, and grow,” Isaza said.

    This initial workshop in Bartons and Newton marks the first launch of a full series of parenting support sessions that are part of a larger psychosocial recovery initiative led by CFA and UNICEF Jamaica. The project also receives financial and programmatic support from the government of the United States and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

    The initiative builds on years of CFA’s existing work advancing family support across Jamaica, including the Social Justice (SO JUST) Project, which trained caregivers in positive discipline, open communication, and trauma-informed care, and the Spotlight Initiative, which expanded gender-responsive parenting practices and established the national Parenting League community support group. For caregivers across the country who cannot attend these in-person workshops, additional support is available through the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC), which operates community parent hubs, a free national parenting support helpline, and a structured parent mentorship program.

  • YOUNG MAN’S GAME

    YOUNG MAN’S GAME

    The Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) is undergoing a striking generational shift, with competition organizers laying out an ambitious long-term goal to cut the league’s average player age to 19 in the coming years. This push for youth integration comes as ongoing data already shows a steady downward trend in the competition’s average age over the past decade, signaling growing buy-in from club leadership across the country.

    Owen Hill, Chief Executive Officer of Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL), the governing body that oversees the JPL, outlined that the strategic vision goes far beyond simply lowering age statistics. The dual core goals of the initiative are to accelerate elite player development and boost the market value of Jamaican talent for domestic and international transfer opportunities. As the 2025-26 season wraps up its regular round this Wednesday, the highly anticipated playoff phase is scheduled to kick off this Sunday, capping 39 weeks of competitive action across the league.

    New data compiled from official league registration rolls, analyzed by the Jamaica Observer, reveals just how far the youth shift has already progressed: of the 580 total registered players for the 2025-26 campaign, 162 are 20 years old or younger. This figure is actually conservative, as it does not account for players who turned 21 during the season, which runs from August through May. A decade ago, the league’s average age sat at 26, with every club’s roster averaging at least 24 years old. Today, that average has fallen to 24.5, a 1.5-year drop that reflects the growing commitment to giving young prospects minutes in top-flight competition.

    Current team breakdowns highlight the range of approaches across the league. Two-time defending champions Cavalier once again field the youngest roster in the JPL, with an average age of just over 20. Harbour View, Arnett Gardens, and Chapelton Maroons have also fully embraced the youth movement, boasting average ages below 24. At the other end of the spectrum, Tivoli Gardens and Spanish Town Police maintain the oldest squads, with an average age of 27.

    The success of young integrated players already speaks to the promise of the strategy. Twenty-year-old Christopher Ainsworth, a utility left-sided midfielder for Cavalier, has started every one of the club’s 38 regular season matches this campaign, notching nine goals and adding five assists. His standout performances have already earned him three call-ups and caps for Jamaica’s senior men’s national team, the Reggae Boyz. Ainsworth is far from the only young prospect making an impact: a wave of national under-17 and under-20 team players have stepped into key roles across the league, including Arnett Gardens’ Giovanni Taylor, Mount Pleasant’s Jabarie Howell, Chapelton Maroons’ Sean Leighton, Waterhouse’s Jamone Lyle, and Montego Bay United’s Nashordo Gibbs.

    Hill emphasized that the shift toward youth is not a top-down mandate, but a growing consensus among progressive club owners and administrators. “It’s a bigger vision that is shared by most forward-thinking football administrators and lovers,” he explained. “There is a cohort of us who believe that once you lower the average age of players competing in the top league, the opportunities for long-term success grow exponentially.” He added that the link between early senior exposure and higher market value is unambiguous: “Globally, when players matriculate into top-flight competition at an earlier age, their market value rises — that’s a direct relationship you can’t ignore. Beyond market value, early opportunities build young players’ confidence, and it expands the league’s fan base too: supporters from their high schools, local communities, and broader Caribbean networks follow their progress, growing the sport’s reach overall. We’re very grateful that clubs have embraced this vision and are now delivering on it.”

    Leijeigh Williams, a leading football analyst and JPL match commentator, traced the rising number of impactful under-20 players back to major investments in Jamaican grassroots football development over the past decade. Citing a long-held observation from legendary former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, Williams noted that “young players do not make astronomical gains in their technical ability after age 16 to 17. The biggest gains come from preparing them physically and mentally for the senior game.” That preparation, he argued, is now being delivered by the expanding network of elite youth academies across Jamaica. “The growth of academies has prepared younger players mentally, professionally, and physically to compete at the senior level,” he said. “That’s why we’re seeing an influx of young teenagers and under-21 players making a serious impact across the JPL right now.”

    When highlighting standout young talent from this season, Williams pointed to Mount Pleasant attacking midfielder Powell as his pick for young player of the season. “He’s notched five goals this campaign, and practically every one of them has been a spectacular finish,” Williams noted. “After finishing his run in the Manning Cup high school competition and rejoining Mount Pleasant in January, he’s made an immediate impact on a title-contending team in a crucial attacking midfield role. For me, he’s been the standout young prospect of the season.”

    For Hill and the PFJL, the current progress is encouraging, but there is still more work to do to hit the 19-year average age target. “Young players just need consistent opportunities and high-level exposure,” Hill explained. “The more minutes they log in top-flight competition, the brighter their transfer prospects become. Our strategy is clear: we work to empower and promote this approach across our club network. A number of clubs have fully bought into this vision, they’re executing it, and they’re already seeing strong results.” He added that the 19-year target is not an arbitrary number: “We’re dreaming of the day we can say our league’s average age is 19. That’s a goal we’ve deliberately set because if players are logging meaningful minutes at the senior professional level at that age, their future trajectory is set, and their value rises immediately.”

    Beyond domestic success, Williams argued that this intentional focus on youth integration will strengthen Jamaica’s pipeline of talent for international competition. “We saw the under-17 national team qualify for the U-17 World Cup, and the under-20 team currently has a strong chance of qualifying for their own World Cup,” he noted. “This early matriculation into senior football has been a missing link in Jamaican football for decades. Now, we’re getting players primed and ready for top competition at a younger age, and when they succeed in senior football this early, it can only bode incredibly well for their long-term development.”

  • Teams set to clash in netball league semi-finals on Tuesday

    Teams set to clash in netball league semi-finals on Tuesday

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — After nine weeks of non-stop action that has already featured 324 competitive matches across multiple divisions, Netball Jamaica’s 2026 Annual Club League is entering its most hotly anticipated stretch, with semi-final showdowns scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 5. First pass is set for 5:45 pm at Kingston’s iconic Leila Robinson Netball Courts, where four matchups across two divisions will determine which teams advance to the championship decider.

    In the Lucozade-backed Intermediate A division, the tournament’s only undefeated side, Titans, will lock horns with Jobs Lane ‘A’, while Friendship and Speg ‘A’ face off in the other semi-final. Analysts and fans alike expect both games to deliver high-tempo, physical netball, where even the smallest mistake can derail a team’s title hopes.

    The evening’s headline action will unfold in the Supreme Ventures Major League, where Upsetters ‘A’ will battle Rockerz ‘A’ before crowd favorites Jamalco take on Tivoli in a primetime lights clash that has been billed as the most anticipated matchup of the semi-final round.

    The road to the trophy does not end with the semi-finals. Most divisions will host their third and fourth-place playoff games on Thursday, May 7, kicking off at 5:30 pm. All divisions will then crown their 2026 champions on Saturday, May 9, with the grand finals getting underway at 2:00 pm.

    The quarterfinal round, which wrapped up last week, delivered no shortage of drama to set up this weekend’s semi-finals. A host of teams earned standout statement wins to book their spots in the final four, including Panthers ‘D’, Excel Eagles ‘B’, MD Strikers ‘A’, Spartan, Global ‘B’ and Untouchables ‘A’. Many of these upsets and close results have underscored the depth of talent across this year’s competition: Global ‘B’ edged out Speg ‘B’ by just three points, 33-30, while Untouchables ‘A’ outlasted Hagley Park ‘A’ 35-29 in a grueling, four-quarter battle.

    More than just a competitive tournament, the Annual Club League stands as a cornerstone of Jamaica’s sporting culture, showcasing the deep, widespread love of netball across the island. By bringing together community teams from every region of Jamaica, the league creates an accessible, high-stakes platform that nurtures emerging talent, highlights the value of teamwork and discipline, and strengthens the entire national netball ecosystem. For communities, every run up the tournament bracket fuels local pride, turning a simple sporting competition into a unifying annual celebration.

  • Fashion Radar: Loeri, The Organic Mum

    Fashion Radar: Loeri, The Organic Mum

    Ahead of this year’s Mother’s Day, which falls on Sunday, May 10, Tuesday Style Fashion (TSF) is shining its weekly retail spotlight on Loeri Robinson, a Jamaican mumtrepreneur building a mission-driven wellness brand rooted in organic principles.

    Robinson’s connection to wellness and self-care dates back to her teenage years, when she first developed a passion for spa experiences and healthy living that would shape her long-term career path. Early on, she built a professional foundation in the insurance and investment industry, drawn by a core personal mission: empowering people to make choices that improve both their own quality of life and the well-being of their loved ones.

    But as Robinson worked as a financial advisor helping clients strengthen their financial security, she began to notice a critical pattern across the many clients she served. A large number of her clients struggled with chronic health conditions, and her close work with them gave her a unique front-row seat to observe how people approach medical treatment and long-term health management.

    What struck her most was the outsize role that intentional nutrition and consistent, holistic self-care play in both preventing and managing illness. This observation sparked a complete career pivot, leading her to first launch her own spa business. To deepen her expertise and source high-quality products aligned with her values, Robinson traveled to international wellness expos, where she attended specialized workshops and conducted deep dives into organic wellness offerings. She prioritized finding products that were not only safe and beneficial for consumers but also practical and enjoyable to use.

    That journey of exploration and entrepreneurship ultimately led to the launch of Unwind Distributors, her organic wellness distribution company. What began as a side passion project has grown into a thriving enterprise, and today Robinson leads a business she is proud to stand behind—one focused on uplifting and nurturing health and wellness across Jamaica.

  • Next ‘ticket days’ for Kingston set for May 8 and 9

    Next ‘ticket days’ for Kingston set for May 8 and 9

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s judicial branch has announced plans to host a two-day targeted intervention event for unresolved traffic citations in the parishes of Kingston and St Andrew, scheduled to take place at the National Arena on July 8 and 9, 2026.

    Launched as a strategic, intentional solution to a growing problem that has clogged court dockets across the region, the Traffic Ticket Public Day initiative was designed to tackle long-standing backlogs of unresolved traffic cases. Beyond clearing case backlogs, the effort also aims to expand public access to judicial processes, boost overall compliance with national traffic laws, and streamline administrative operations across local courts.

    Details of the event were made public via an official press release issued by the judiciary on Tuesday. Eligibility for the program extends to all motorists who received traffic tickets between February 1, 2018, and 2026. Motorists with qualifying outstanding citations are being strongly urged to register for the event, giving them a structured, timely opportunity to resolve their cases before court-issued arrest warrants are executed for non-compliance.

    In a statement accompanying the announcement, Chief Justice Bryan Sykes emphasized the urgent need for collective, decisive action to address the backlog. “The volume of outstanding matters within Kingston and St Andrew has reached a level that necessitates decisive and coordinated intervention,” Sykes said.

    He framed the event as a balanced, practical path to resetting overloaded court systems while upholding core judicial principles. “This initiative represents a measured and pragmatic approach to restoring equilibrium within the system, while reinforcing the principle that adherence to the law is mandatory and that breaches must be addressed with due dispatch and procedural integrity,” Sykes added.

    Registration for the 2026 Traffic Ticket Public Day will open to eligible participants on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, and close at midnight on Sunday, May 31, 2026. Motorists may complete their registration by submitting three key pieces of information: their full name, Tax Registration Number (TRN), and individual ticket details. Three submission channels are available: email to traffictickets@jamaicajudiciary.gov.jm, or WhatsApp to either 876-453-5060 or 876-453-5242.

    To help motorists prepare ahead of registration, the judiciary is also encouraging drivers to check and confirm their outstanding ticket information in advance via the official government online lookup portal at trafficticketlookup.gov.jm.

  • Zhané’s Hey Mr DJ goes platinum in New Zealand

    Zhané’s Hey Mr DJ goes platinum in New Zealand

    Three decades ago, the infectious R&B track “Hey Mr DJ” by American female duo Zhané took global music charts by storm, peaking at the sixth spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The single quickly found success across international markets too: it cracked the top 10 in Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands, and landed at number 26 on the UK Official Singles Chart. After earning gold certifications in the United States and Australia decades earlier, the track earned its latest milestone two weeks ago, when it was awarded platinum certification by music regulators in New Zealand.

    In a recent candid interview with the *Jamaica Observer*, Renee Neufville — one half of Zhané, alongside bandmate Jean Morris — opened up about the unexpected decades-long success of the track, revealing that she never anticipated the song would resonate with millions of listeners around the world. “I didn’t know that I was writing a hit record. It took me literally 30 minutes to write that song,” shared Neufville, who was born in Brooklyn, New York to Jamaican immigrant parents. “However, it is one of a few hit records that God has blessed me to create. So I have to give the honour and the glory to Him.”

    Neufville explained that even after finishing the writing and recording process, she only trusted her own artistic judgment, with no way of knowing the track would connect with mainstream audiences. “When I completed the record I just knew it was right to me. One cannot assume that that would resonate to others; I tried my best to trust my own taste and judgement. I didn’t know that it was going to be a hit,” she said. She also recalled the surreal first moment she heard the song playing on major U.S. radio, calling it a milestone she still cherishes to this day. “All I could think about was how big God can be. Here is something that you take for granted — your singing voice. I knew we were embarking on something bigger than ourselves. The music itself was considered feel-good music. That was a very powerful moment, one that I never took for granted to this day.”

    Produced by Kay-Gee, then an in-house producer for iconic rap group Naughty By Nature, “Hey Mr DJ” was recorded in a simple basement home studio. The track’s iconic beat draws from a sample of Michael Wycoff’s early 1980s track “Looking Up to You”: Neufville recalls that as soon as Kay-Gee played the 8-bar loop from a cassette tape, the melody came to her instantly. Beyond its own success, the track has had a lasting impact on pop and R&B, directly inspiring hits including Rihanna’s breakout debut single “Pon De Replay”, as well as tracks from Madonna and Missy Elliott. “It has been a cultural staple in our music,” Neufville noted, adding that at the time of recording, she was a student at Philadelphia’s Temple University working a part-time job to make ends meet.

    Zhané released two full-length studio albums during their time together. Their 1994 debut *pronounced Jah-Nay*, released under Motown Records, went platinum and spawned a string of additional hit singles including “Groove Thang”, “Vibe”, “You’re Sorry Now” and “Sending My Love”. Their 1997 follow-up *Saturday Night* also produced fan-favorite hits “Request Line” and “Crush”. After the duo disbanded to pursue individual projects, Morris launched a new musical project with her husband called The Baylor Project in the early 2000s, which has earned the pair multiple Grammy Award nominations.

    For her part, Neufville spent years touring and recording with jazz legend Roy Hargrove’s Collective RH Factor. Today, she prioritizes time with family, caring for her 87-year-old father Albert, a former Jamaican teacher who retired to the U.S. Neufville’s mother Joyce, a former registered nurse at Kingston Public Hospital, passed away several years ago. Her family has deep roots across Jamaica: her parents moved to Brooklyn in the 1960s after marrying, her older brothers were born in Jamaica, the family once owned a home in the Kingston neighborhood of Mona, and she still has extended family spread across the island. Notable Jamaican cultural figures count among her relatives: 1960s ska star Millie Small was married to her mother’s uncle, and retired champion sprinter Marilyn Neufville is her father’s cousin.

    In recent years, Neufville has earned new recognition for her trailblazing contribution to Black American music. Last year, she was inducted into the National Museum of African American Music, honored for her work shaping African American cultural expression as a songwriter. She also recently contributed expert commentary to the documentary about iconic Jamaican dancehall artist Sister Nancy, *Bam Bam*. Neufville performed on a bill with Sister Nancy last December and says the legend is still as captivating as ever. “Sister Nancy and I shared a bill in December last year and she’s still got it. She’s finally reaping the benefits. She truly is a legend,” she said.

    Now, 33 years after “Hey Mr DJ” took the world by storm, Neufville is gearing up to release new music. She has finished mixing a brand-new track titled “I Am”, an affirmative anthem crafted for modern audiences, and is preparing to release her eighth EP, also named *I Am*, later this year. “I have completed mixing a new song written for the people for times such as these. It’s called I Am. It’s a song about affirmation and it’s coming soon. I am looking forward to putting out more new music this year,” she shared.

  • Lotto jackpot of $81 million hit in Portland

    Lotto jackpot of $81 million hit in Portland

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — A life-changing $81 million Lotto jackpot is waiting to be claimed by an anonymous ticket holder from the parish of Portland, Jamaican gaming operator Supreme Ventures Limited has confirmed. The winning combination — 02, 15, 24, 30, 35, and 36 — was purchased on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Exquisite Tavern, a small local retailer in the coastal town of Buff Bay, Portland. The outlet now joins a long list of lucky Jamaican vendors that have sold a jackpot-winning Lotto ticket.