Barbados Singer & Songwriter, Amanda Reifer is incredibly honored to be featured on Kendrick Lamar’s 5th Studio Album titled ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers ‘. Amanda, the lead singer with the band Cover Drive, lent her smooth vocals to the track ‘Die Hard’ alongside Kendrick & Blxst.
Cover Drive were a four-piece band from Barbados consisting of Amanda Reifer, T-Ray Armstrong, Barry “Bar-Man” Hill and Jamar Harding.
The Bajan Songstress took to her Instagram recently to share the following sentiments:
‘Thank you for the incredible honor @kendricklamar of including me in this masterpiece… I’m speechless. Working with you has been the greatest creative experience of my life. Shout out to @blxst from loving your music to now being on the same song. Still in awe of the way that God orchestrates such beautiful serendipities and experiences. Thank you to @republicrecords and @title9inc and everyone who was a part of the journey. I’m going to go cry again now..’
The album which was released as a double album, is Kendrick Lamar, the Grammy-award winning Hip-Hop star’s, fifth and final studio album with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), which is an American independent record label founded in 2004, by CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith.
The highly anticipated album which was officially released on May 13th, 2022 caused quite a stir online back in May when Tiffith teased fans about the upcoming project. ‘Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers’ covers a range of topics as Kendrick delves into fatherhood, generational trauma, cancel culture, queerness, addiction, and a lot more. Also featured on the album alongside Amanda Reifer is Summer Walker, Sampha, Blxst, Kodak Black, just to name a few.
SugahRhe closes out 2021 with an inspirational track paired with international production. For Barbadian singer-songwriter SugahRhe, 2021 can be best described as the year of transformation and growth. Her newest release, ‘On My Way’, with Grammy award-winning producer Jason “JG” Gilbert attests to that and hits airwaves on Friday, 10 December 2021.
“Jah Jah show me ya plan, keep me at your right hand, Your blessings I will receive, I’m worth it and I believe”, SugahRhe speaks on her favorite lyrics in the song, sharing the emotion of knowing that she can achieve her goals and is worth the blessings coming her way. Her deep desire of wanting to know what’s next while trying to be patient; a daily struggle for many of us.
SugahRhe co-wrote this very personal track with Michael “Errrthbound” Russell and recalls the writing experience being refreshing and a reminder that experiences are not individual. “After I sang the lyrics that came to me when I first heard Sweet Ting Riddim, he shared his thoughts and it was like the words we wrote flowed from one brain” sharing the same journey and emotions to be felt throughout the song. They hope that her fans and listeners will identify with the song and be inspired to continue on, wherever they are in their journey. Your blessing is around the corner.
Earlier this year SugahRhe began the process of rebranding, working with a team on her image, brand voice, and creating a new, unique style to her music. She had the opportunity to meet with various musicians, writers, and producers to work on projects such as this to aid in her development. When asked about the experience SugahRhe responded saying “I felt really intimidated at first when I walked into Happy Parrot Records and met JG, this guy has worked with artists I look up to but once the music started and I saw he liked the vibe we just kept going. It was great, I was at home.”
SugahRhe & Jason “JG” Gilbert
Jason “JG” Gilbert, originally from the Cayman Islands, is a record producer, songwriter, mixing engineer, and DJ. JG is the founder of J Eagle Music and Happy Parrot Records. He has worked with artists such as Eminem, Jadakiss, Christina Aguilera, Akon, and Stephen Marley. Gilbert won his first Grammy in 2011 for his production work with Eminem on the album Recovery. Additionally, JG created Skorch Bun It and has collaborated on the soca hits “Cabin Fever” with KES and Sekon Sta “Tambourine” with GBM Nutron and worked with artists KES, Sekon Sta to name a few. More recently JG was featured on The Wedding Album by Machel Montano, co-writing and producing “2U”. He continues to produce tracks with artists such as Lyrikal, Nessa Preppy, Swappi, Timeka Marshall, Erphaan Alves, Olatunji, and many more.
Fans can be sure to hear more coming out of this collaboration between SugahRhe, Skorch Bun It, and Jason “JG’ Gilbert in 2022 and beyond. At the start of 2021 SugahRhe released her title track “Reminisce” followed by hits “Tick-Tok” and “Weakness” affording her with the opportunity to perform before audiences in the US and opening for Farmer Nappy at a backyard jam event. SugahRhe continues to develop her craft and work with local and international producers on pieces of empowerment and a sophisticated sexy vibe for women and men to party to.
SugahRhe began her career in 2005 with her debut track “Luv 2 C” a self-penned song. In 2017 she became a Bashment Soca finalist with “Bare Trouble,” a collaboration with Coopa Dan. Her success with bashment continued the following years with her in the finals in 2018 with “Bounce” and in 2019 with “Press My Buttons.” She was a semi-finalist in the Soca Monarch competition in 2019 with “Sugah.”
To stay updated Follow SugahRhe on Instagram, Subscribe to her YouTube Channel, or contact her for bookings via bookings@sugahrhe.com. Her music can be found on all music platforms such as Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audiomack, and more.
Bajan Bashment Soca sensation and super-producer King Bubba FM recently captured the attention of Haitian Grammy-Award-winning artiste and producer Wyclef Jean. His recently released single ‘Dog Bite’ now features vocals from the legendary Fugees member.
King Bubba FM
The interactions that led to the culmination of this collaboration reinforce the power of social media. The short version for inquiring minds is that Bubba witnessed Wyclef playing ‘Dog Bite’ during one of his Instagram live streams. The Bajan artiste proceeded to capture and post the video on his Instagram feed thanking Jean for recognizing the song. What followed was an expression of interest from Jean to be featured on the song, which Bubba excitedly accepted.
Bubba’s inquiries unearthed that Wyclef found “Dog Bite” through music industry veteran and VP of Promotion at 300 ent, Dee Sonaram. When Bubba released the first version of the song, his goal was for it be widely received. Thus far, it has been garnering what he considers to be “tremendous support.” Nothing, however, could have prepared him for this collaboration with Wyclef Jean. “As a disc jockey coming up, songs from the Fugees were frequently played in my sets now I get to work with Wyclef,” shares Bubba. He sees this collaboration as a great opportunity for Bashment Soca and the genre of Soca.
Bubba and his team anticipate that through joint efforts with Refugee Sound, ‘Dog Bite’ will capture the attention of larger audiences.
Song Credit
Written by: Problem Child & Wyclef Jean
Produced by: Swick B Productions & Platta Studios
Mixed & Mastered by: Scratch Master
Supported by: Riddimstream
It seems like our Bajan Billionaire Rihanna has dropped her lawsuit against her father Ronald Fenty. According to court documents, the initial lawsuit had previously alleged claims that her father and his business partner, Moses Joktan Perkins, had been misusing the multi-hyphenate’s name for their own benefit.
Rihanna also accused her father of pretending to be her manager and booking unauthorized concerts for millions of dollars. Claims were also made that Ronald had tried trademarking the name ‘Fenty’ as part of his plan to open a chain of hotels under the name.
Ronald Fenty and daughter Rihanna at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards 2012
Fast forward to the present, according to recent court documents, Rihanna alongside her company Roraj Trade LLC and Combermere Entertainment Properties filed a stipulation of dismissal of the entire lawsuit on September 7th 2021, having reached a settlement behind closed doors allegedly. The suit had named Fenty Entertainment LLC, a California-based company, as well as Ronald Fenty and Moses Joktan Perkins. This decision was made just two weeks before both parties were due to appear in court on September 22nd, 2021.
In some other RiRi news, the countdown to the upcoming Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 special is officially on. The unveiling of the new collection on Amazon Prime kicks off on September 24th, 2021. With fans having the chance to shop the collection via the Amazon Fashion Store and the Savage X Fenty site.
Rihanna has officially joined the Billionaire’s Club!
According to Forbes, the business magazine which tracks and publishes data on the world’s wealthiest individuals, reported recently that the 33-year-old Bajan pop star’s estimated net worth is now $1.7 billion (£1.2 billion), with an estimated $1.4 billion coming from the value of her Fenty Beauty cosmetics company, making her the world’s wealthiest female musician and the second-richest woman in entertainment behind Oprah Winfrey.
Rihanna has been on a music hiatus since 2016 after the release of her eighth studio album ‘Anti’ which spent a total of 63 weeks on the Billboard charts. Since then, Rihanna has been diligently building her Fenty Beauty makeup brand and her Savage x Fenty lingerie brand.
Robyn ‘Rihanna’ Fenty
Forbes estimates Fenty Beauty (which was launched in 2017 in partnership with luxury goods company LVMH) to be worth a total of $2.8 billion. In 2018, the makeup brand which is sold at Sephora stores was generating more than $550 million in annual revenues, earning more than Kim Kardashian West’s KKW Beauty, Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics, and Jessica Alba’s Honest Company, the magazine reported.
The rest of RiRi’s fortune comes from her Savage x Fenty lingerie brand, worth an estimated $270 million, and her earnings from music and acting. However, not all of Rihanna’s business ventures have paid off as the 33-year-old Business icon had to shut down her Fenty fashion label after less than two years in production.
Beauty and Brains mixed with a little Baddie is the definition of Bajan Songstress Faith Callendar. With two new releases ‘Always Summer’ and ‘Brek It Off’ steaming up the airwaves just in time for summer, we at Caribbean Entertainment Hub caught up with Faith recently all the way in Barbados as she took some time to chat with us.
Joining us in ‘The E-Hub’, our brand new brand Instagram Weekly Live series, Faith gave us some insight on her musical journey thus far, how she’s been coping and staying relevant during Covid, starting her Investment Group, and even revealed that she is in fact working on a new music video for her fans. Check out the full interview below!
We’re super excited about her upcoming music video for her hit summer single ‘Always Summer’. And knowing Faith, she never disappoints when it comes to those sexy and spicy visuals. If you haven’t already, you should definitely add this track to your summer playlist!
If you would like to connect and stay updated with this Bajan songstress, be sure to follow Faith on Instagram and subscribe to her YouTube channel for new music.
And as always don’t forget to join us Each & Every Friday at 5.30 pm EST/AST on Instagram for more LIVE interviews on ‘The E-Hub’, hosted by Caribbean Entertainment Hub’s very own Neicy, as she ‘Chat and Chill’ with some of your favorites on the Caribbean Entertainment scene.
She’s sugar and spice and everything nice. Meet the sweet and sassy Bajan soca songstress, ‘SugahRhe’ that has been adding her unique musical flavor to the Caribbean soca pot for some time now.
‘SugahRhe’ Biography
Caribbean Entertainment Hub caught up with SugahRhe this week on our brand new Instagram Weekly Live series ‘The E-Hub’, where she gave us a much-needed introduction to her music, her career, what her journey has been like thus far, and even surprised us with some brand new music. Check out the full interview below!
Yes, we did say she surprised us with her brand new release and we’re loving it. Her latest release ‘Tick Tok’ is officially out now, take a listen below!
Be sure to join us Each & Every Friday at 3pm EST/AST on Instagram for more LIVE interviews on ‘The E-Hub’, hosted by our very own Neicy as she chat it up with some of your favorites on the Caribbean Entertainment scene.
Well-known Bajan soca stars Peter Ram and Lil Rick are amongst a list of artistes who have been called out publicly by the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley for their involvement in a controversial music video that began circulating online recently.
The controversial ‘Trojan Riddim Music video’ mix which features the following (10) artistes- Lil Rick, Peter Ram, Mole, Screwface, Mallis, Lead Pipe, Brutal Crankstar, Chiief Diin, SK and Quan De Artist; was produced by Dwain ‘Dwaingerous’ Antrobus of BassInk. The 16-minute music video for the riddim first caught public scorn after retired Voice of Barbados talkshow host and moderator of Down to Brass Tacks, David Ellis spoke about it on Monday.
The Prime Minister also made a public statement concerning the video expressing her personal disappointment in the video that she considers to be glorifying gun violence. She also urges the persons involved to have the video removed while requesting a public apology be made to the people of Barbados (see full video below).
Since the public uproar, a few artistes involved took to their social media to issue an apology, including Peter Ram who posted a video on his social media stating the following:
“Sincerest and humblest apology to all followers, fans, sponsors along with the general public for the lyrical content that was freestyled on a riddim a year and a half ago. I hope you accept my apologies for the lyrical content on the freestyle.”
“It was never my intention to offend anyone so as one of Barbados’ top entertainers, I deeply apologize to all my fans and friends and all the little kids who look up to me….”
Lil Rick also posted a written statement expressing his views on the issue.
Though the backlash on the video is evident, some fans have also voiced their opinions stating that the artistes did nothing wrong and should not be forced to apologize for their simple expressing their creativity. Some even went as far as to compare the lyrics to that of dancehall music which has been glorified in our culture. We at Caribbean Entertainment Hub would like to hear your views on the issue.
Do you agree or disagree that the artistes featured on this riddim are promoting gun violence?
Did you agree or disagree with the Prime Minister’s request for an apology and the removal of the video?
Comment below and let us know your thoughts!
Sources include: https://www.nationnews.com, https://izzso.com, https://tt.loopnews.com, Artistes social media platforms
Christmas in the Caribbean is unmatched, but the true vibe of Barbados yuletide season keeps both locals and visitors comfortable, content and of course, satiated.
Most Bajans will tell you that Christmas officially gets going as soon as independence celebrations wrap up on November 30th. The blue and yellow patriotic decorations which adorn our commercial buildings are replaced overnight with bright, festive lights and all the trimmings to match.
Our radio stations and local media follow this trend as well. We take a break from our local and regional favorites as the airwaves are dominated by the music of the season. There are the humorous stylings of the contemporary West Indian parang and parang-soca which are mixed with the Christmas classics sung by the likes of Dolly Parton and Elton John to cater for the more traditional amongst us.
Maybe it’s the lighthearted atmosphere of Bridgetown which really cements the joy of Christmas in Barbados. Swan Street, the heart of Bridgetown, is transformed into a hive of activity as merchants bring their stock right onto the street. Toys, rugs, curtains, you name it, all become part of the roadside shopping experience. The more creative vendors are known to dress in various Christmas-related costumes as a way of enticing children and their parents to spend a bit more than budgeted.
One of the best aspects of Christmas in Barbados is that no one is left out. There are many companies and charitable organizations that arrange toy drives, lunches and even free concerts with our local entertainers for those who struggle financially in our communities. These very charities also provide haircuts and clean clothes for the homeless so that they, too, are part of the Christmas action.
As the sun rises on Christmas day, people make their way to Queens Park. The men especially are dressed to the nines. It’s truly a sight to see them sharply dressed in three-piece suites, with hats and canes to match. This is a time to listen and dance to live musical selections and reunite with acquaintances you haven’t seen since the year before.
With our homes freshly painted and adorned with brand new curtains, while smelling deliciously of ham baked in the juices of local beer, it’s then time for everyone’s favorite part: the food! Certainly, food is best when shared with others so it’s definitely time to lime. That’s how we in Barbados love to spend Christmas: lots of music, lots of food and of course, lots of friends.
As I sit by my window and the sun tells a story different than the cold outdoors,
I remember a place where the sun kisses the water,
The people, and the poinsettia red with warmth.
I remember Christmas in the Caribbean
The sweet smell of sorrel boiling, or that of hot bread fresh out the oven, or even the aromatic scent of a baked ham, immediately brings the holiday season to mind. For Caribbean people, this says Christmas is around the corner.
With the sound of sweet soca parang music filling the airwaves in the Caribbean , you know that Christmas time is here. According to veteran soca artiste, Shurwayne Winchester, ‘Let’s have a Parang Party and Jam whole day’. As the countdown for 2019 Christmas draws near,
‘SugahRhe’ Biography
Heralding Christmas