entertainment

King of the Dancehall Vybz Kartel earned his fourth Billboard charting song with PBT, a collaboration with American rapper and singer Travis Scott and South African singer Tyla.

PBT moved up from #23 to #18 on this week’s Billboard Rhythmic Airplay chart. It has been on the tally since it debuted at #38 on the chart dated August 16, 2025.

Vybz Kartel’s previous Billboard song entries were Pon De Floor with Major Lazer, which peaked at #41 on Billboard’s Dance Digital Song Sales chart in 2010; Ramping Shop with Spice which topped out at #76 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart; and Fever, a certified gold hit that stalled at #36 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip Hop Airplay and #23 on Rap Airplay charts.

TBA is featured on the 17-track Jackboys 2 compilation album, which was released on July 13 via Cactus Jack Records and Epic Records. Other artistes featured on the compilation include Future, Playboi Carti, NBA Young Boy, Glo Rilla, 21 Savage, and Bun B.

Jackboys 2 topped the Billboard 200 albums chart with first week sales of 232,000 album equivalent units.

Still on the Billboard Rhythmic Airplay chart, Ginger by Sean Paul remains at #14, while Sugar Sweet by Mariah Carey featuring Shenseea and Kehlani inches down to #32.

The song continues its downward trend on Mainstream R&B/Hip Hop Airplay, where it steps down from #17 to #18, and on R&B/Hip- Hop Airplay it backtracks from #24 to #26.

Moving now to the streaming and sales-driven Billboard Reggae Albums chart, Bumpin Uglies debut at #7 with
Crawling Up the Wall.

Released on September 19 via Ugly Records, the 14 track Crawling Up the Wall consists of ska music. This is the sixth entry for the group, which topped the chart in 2018 with Beast from the East.

The group’s other entries include Buzz (EP), which peaked at #2 in 2019; Keep it Together, which rose to #3 in 2016; and Better Faster Stronger, which topped out at #2 in 2016.

Elsewhere on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, Bob Marley and the Wailers have logged 298 non-consecutive weeks at #1 with Legend, while Best of Shaggy: The Boombastic Collection is steady at #2.

The Trinity by Sean Paul, which is officially 20 years old, is at #3, while World on Fire by Stick Figure and
Greatest Hits by UB40 are #4 and #5.

Dutty Rock by Sean Paul holds the #6 position, Wisdom and Set in Stone by Stick Figure are #8 and #9.

Damian Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock is #10.

On regional charts, 2 Time by Khago spends a third week at #1, while Where Do I Fit In by Kashief Lindo steps up from #11 to #10.

New entries are Special Lady by Richie Stephens (#22), Single Mothers by D’Angel (#23), and a cover of
To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before by Leroy Sibbles and Andrew Cassanova.

On the New York Reggae chart, How Dem Fi Fight Reggae Music by Sizzla and Bounty Killer remains at #1 for a third week, while Khago’s 2 Time debuts at #25, and Where Could I Go (But to the Lord) by Derrick Scott is at #28.

At the 2025 Reggae North Music Awards in Canada on Sunday night, singer Blk Orchid took home the award for Top Reggae Single of the Year for the chart-topping How Long.

The song, which was written in 2016, was inspired by events surrounding the killing of 18-year-old Mike Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.

“It was an emotional response to the violence against black people in music form,” Blk Orchid told Observer Online on Tuesday.

“It took me as long as it did to release the song because I didn't want to put it out in the place because it was so politically charged and I wasn't in that mind frame as an artiste at the time to put it out, plus I was in the background as a producer and I wasn't quite yet ready to introduce myself as an artiste. The producers of the song are Cut and Clear Productions and Indie Rootz Records,”Blk Orchid shared.

She said she never expected the song to do as well as it did.

“No, I did not expect to have such great feedback on the song and that people could relate and be moved by its message but I'm happy it was well received,” said Blk Orchid, who added that when her name was announced as winner in the category, it came as a surprise.

“I was very shocked and surprised to see my face on the screen and hear my name being called. It's a surreal feeling. I was just overwhelmed and full of gratitude that my hard work paid off.”

The other nominees in the Top Reggae Single of the Year (Female) category were Rise by Tonya P, Baby I Love You by Ammoye, Mek it to Di Top by Paris Ivey, Rayze Up by Rayzalution, Put It On by Tasha T and Bless Me by Celena.

Blk Orchid was also nominated in the category Top Female Vocalist.

In 2023, Blk Orchid (real name Renee Brown) scored a chart hit with Single Girl Blues, a collaboration with Empress Divine.

She has new music on the way.

“I'm currently working on a project experimenting with developing AI artistses by writing and producing for them. I am also currently working on a follow up song to Single Girl Blues with Empress Divine called No Longer Lonely and pushing Loving You Forever with Tesharah as well,” said Blk Orchid.

Blk Orchid’s father is from Porus in Manchester, while her mother is British. She has been to Jamaica three times and worked alongside Sly Dunbar fine-tuning Canadian singer Chelsea Stewart’s JUNO nominated album Genesis.

“The most notable producer I've worked with in Jamaica was Sly Dunbar on Chelsea Stewart's JUNO nominated EP Genesis.  I got the chance to see him in action building riddims in his studio in 2017,” Blk Orchid disclosed.

With his latest song, God is My Strength, having a spiritual feel, singer Kenne Blessin went beyond the conventional when he wrote and produced it.

The Atlanta-based artiste wanted the track to be extra special.

God is My Strength was released on September 26 as part of the Blue Flame Riddim, a four-song EP with songs by Anthony Malvo, Delly Ranx and Fucha Kid.

“Because of the keys, and the way the piano plays the violin, it creates a feeling, an emotion to say something that makes valuable sense, instead of rhyming two bars that sounds dope or sounds wicked,” Kenne Blessin told the Observer Online.

Co-produced by his Dacosta Music and Malvo Ent, the Blue Flame Riddim is also driven by Malvo’s Watch da Girl Deh, How I’m Living by Delly Ranx and Big Man Cry from Fucha Kid, who is from Antigua.

Unlike most ‘riddim’ projects which have songs that reflect the artiste, Kenne Blessin had a concept for the Blue Flame.

“I wasn’t looking for a particular sound, I just wanted content that makes sense,” he said.

Kenne Blessin is also promoting his cover of Elton John’s Russia-inspired Nikita, which was also recently released.

Born in Kingston and raised in St Thomas, he released Get Up & Go, his first album, in 2018. Millions, his sole EP, came out two years later.

—  Howard Campbell

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Kingston Creative has announced the launch of a new Creative Placemaking Programme called Mobay Creative, which is designed to boost cultural tourism, create new income streams for creatives and strengthen ties between the creative and tourism industries.

Set in St James, the year-long initiative will deliver a series of activities aimed at positioning Montego Bay as a vibrant cultural destination.

Key to this initiative are two large-scale murals to enhance the visual appeal of Montego Bay for both locals and visitors. It will be supported by a Creative Placemaking Training Programme, which will equip local creatives and community leaders with the essential skills to plan cultural events and develop a thriving cultural district.

The project will culminate with an Artwalk Festival, a major music and food event showcasing local artisans, performers and cultural entrepreneurs to a wide audience in the heart of Sam Sharpe Square.

“Montego Bay is undergoing a purposeful transformation—one rooted in cultural pride, community resilience and the creative power of our people,” commented Richard Vernon, mayor of Montego Bay.

“The Mobay Creative project and Mobay murals will be visible steps toward the inclusive, sustainable city we envision under Vision 2030. These murals will reflect our stories, our struggles and our aspirations. They will bring beauty to our streets, opportunity to our youth and dignity to spaces long overlooked.

“As we continue to invest in placemaking and civic engagement, we are shaping a Montego Bay that continuously commands global recognition, but more importantly, we are building a city that is deeply representative of the people who build it every day. I thank our artists, our partners and every resident who will help to bring this vision to life. This is our city, and this is our moment,” he continued.

The initiative is expected to directly engage 25 creatives, create 20 paid opportunities, engage 800 members of the public, and build lasting partnerships with at least seven key stakeholders.

“This partnership delivers more than murals,” said Andrea Dempster Chung, executive director of Kingston Creative. “We are expanding our model of ‘arts for social and economic transformation’ and we are excited to work with creatives from the west. I would encourage corporations based in the western parishes to become a part of the change! We believe that local artists and artisans will make Montego Bay a city destination known for its art and culture.”

The programme is supported by Target 8.9, with funding from TUI Care Foundation, under its TUI Colourful Cultures initiative, as well as by the S-Hotel Montego Bay, the Montego Bay Cultural Centre and the city of Montego Bay.

Implementation is slated to begin in October 2025, and funding of $8.75 million from Target 8.9 has already been committed.

“This partnership represents a powerful opportunity to advance the objectives of the TUI Colourful Cultures programme by unlocking the creative and economic potential of Montego Bay,” commented Coral Purvil-Williams, destination manager, Target 8.9.

When Aaron Silk first saw the lyrics to Painful Birth (A Mother’s Cry), he felt instant empathy for women who have lost their children, many of them to inner-city violence.

The song, written and produced by Michael Orrett, was released on September 8.

The veteran roots singer told the Jamaica Observer that its message hit home.

“As a parent, as a father, the first time I looked into my first child’s eyes was the first time I experienced love that I never knew before. It was the first time I realise that this is someone I would die for; it’s a feeling like none other,” he said. “So, I can just imagine a mother who, for nine months, carried her child, and to lose that child, not through natural circumstances, but through violence. To try and imagine it bring tears to my eyes.”

Aaron Silk revealed that he knows women who have lost children to violence. Their deaths often result not only in grief, but to those women questioning their faith and why God took their children.

A graphic music video starring actress Audrey Reid helps illustrate Orrett’s poignant message. It was shot by Fareye Productions and released on September 18, 2025.

“I wrote the song, but Aaron owned it. He made it his and delivered an exceptional rendition with his captivating voice,” said Orrett explaining that for him it gives voice to the voiceless and offers solace to grieving hearts.

For Aaron Silk, Painful Birth (A Mother’s Cry) is an appeal for parents to be proactive.

“This is a call to protect our children, I’m shouting out to protect our children. We have to forward to the days when a village grow a child,” he said.

“This one hit deep. We want to call on everyone — man, woman, boy, politicians, churches, — all of us to come forward and take action to stop violence... We want to ensure that... our sons and daughters do not die before fulfilling their dreams and mission,” said Aaron Silk.

The song has been released on all major platforms such as Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, Pandora, Boomplay, Amazon music, the itunes Store, Spotify, etc.

Aaron Silk is the younger brother of Garnet Silk, who died in December 1994 at age 28. He started his recording career shortly after his sibling’s death in a fire at his mother’s house in Manchester, where both artistes were born.

In a 30-year recording career, he has released many singles. Bless I Oh Jah, his only album, came out in 1999.

— Howard Campbell

ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica—In recent years, several events have been held on a regular basis in the parish of St Elizabeth.

Aside from the annual Calabash event, there was the recent inaugural staging of BLK Festival headlined by Masicka, and coming up over the Heroes holiday weekend, popular soca series I Love Soca will invade the bread basket parish.

The popular Sandz party series is also heading to the parish.

According to Floyd Green, member of parliament for St Elizabeth South Western, an entertainment culture exists within the parish.

"It has always been a part of my vision to look at the assets that St Elizabeth has and to use those assets to drive the economy. Black River (the capital) has a great history - a lot of tourism sites that a lot of people don't recognise that are in close proximity to each other. We have an entertainment culture in St Elizabeth," Green told Observer Online in an interview at the launch of the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel last Friday.

Said Green, who is also the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, "Now, what people are seeing is the snowball effect, and it's really catching momentum. So Heroes Weekend, we have I Love Soca, Sandz is also coming, and we have been having so many major events. In November, there is the Food, Rum and Reggae Festival, and you're going to see more of this."

According to Green, entertainment provides opportunities to several people and contributes to the country's gross domestic product.

"Events life everybody. The people who set up the barriers at the events, the people who work in the bar, the people who supply the drinks, the jerk chicken man, the people who do hair and eyelashes, all these people do well when these events take place," Green reasoned.

He cited Independence Park as well as the entire stretch of beaches in Black River as venues for the hosting of events within the parish.

"I want to see more family-type events. Funfest, I would love to see a Funfest being held in St Elizabeth," said Green.

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The creator of an AI actress who exploded across the internet over the weekend has insisted she is an artwork, after a fierce backlash from the creative community.

Tilly Norwood -- a composite girl-next-door described on her Instagram page as an aspiring actress -- has already attracted attention from multiple talent agents, Eline Van der Velden told an industry panel in Switzerland.

Van der Velden said studios and other entertainment companies were quietly embracing AI, which her company, Particle6, says can drastically reduce production costs.

"When we first launched Tilly, people were like, 'What's that?', and now we're going to be announcing which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months," said Van der Velden, according to Deadline.

The AI-generated Norwood has already appeared in a short sketch, and in July, Van der Velden told Broadcast International the company had big ambitions for their creation.

"We want Tilly to be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman, that's the aim of what we're doing.

"People are realising that their creativity doesn't need to be boxed in by a budget -– there are no constraints creatively, and that's why AI can really be a positive."

AI is a huge red line for Hollywood's creative community, and its use by studios was one of the fundamental sticking points during the writers' and actors' strikes that gripped Hollywood in 2023.

"Scream" actress Melissa Barrera said performers should boycott any talent agent involved in promoting the AI actress.

"Hope all actors repped by the agent that does this, drop their a$$. How gross, read the room," she wrote on Instagram.

Mara Wilson, who played the lead in "Matilda" in 1996, said such creations took work away from real people.

"And what about the hundreds of living young women whose faces were composited together to make her? You couldn't hire any of them?" she said on social media.

In a lengthy post on Norwood's Instagram page, Van der Velden defended the character and insisted she was not a job killer.

"She is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art. Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity.

"I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool... AI offers another way to imagine and build stories."

The use of AI has become increasingly visible in recent months in the creative industries, generating controversy each time.

The virtual band "The Velvet Sundown" surpassed one million listeners on the streaming platform Spotify this summer.

In August, Vogue magazine published an advertisement featuring an AI-generated model.

KINGSTON, Jamaica—DF Entertainment Ltd will host a live music session on Monday night, dubbed ‘Jam Works’.

According to founder and CEO, Dannareo Fearon, the production—which will be the biggest of its kind since its inception in January—is a comprehensive undertaking.

“This time, we are highlighting the various services that the company offers. So, we are going to be setting up an actual stage, sound, lighting, backline, streaming, among other things. All production variables will come together on that night, coupled with amazing talent from the parish and other surrounding communities,” Fearon told Observer Online.

Set for 7:00 pm at Lot 41 Mineral Heights, May Pen, Clarendon, the event is free. It will feature live performances from special guests.

DF Entertainment is the home of the parish’s first state-of-the-art recording studio and rehearsal space.

Fearon—who is a trained music teacher as well as international Jamaican artiste Shenseea’s musical director and band leader— noted that the aim of the monthly live music series is to nurture talent in the rural parish.

“The inspiration came from the lack of activities in the parish, I wanted to give young musicians and creatives an outlet, a safe haven to be express themselves; a home. My day one goal has been for Clarendon’s name to be associated with great talent, excellence, and to be a place that has its own tools and resources. In this case, the rehearsal space and studio, as DF Entertainment is the only complete rehearsal space in the parish and surrounding communities,” he said.

As it relates to the name of the event, Fearon explained: “Jam Works is a full culmination of the idea of musicians and creatives of Jamaica working together. It also is a play on words as I thought about the jam session working to achieve the greater goal of networking and community fellowship within the parish of Clarendon.”

Since the official launch of the space in December 2024, Fearon says that its impact has been steadily growing. He however, reasoned that there is still work to be done in reaching the masses.

“It has inspired many persons and is slowly but surely building momentum. We want more business, but I believe the minds of people need to be addressed. I think others think they have to drive to Kingston to be exposed to that level of quality when it’s literally right there. So, I think I have a bigger job of working on the psyche of the persons within the parish. This is also is a reason for Jam Works—to show them that all that you need is right here in your backyard,” he said.

National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ), on Sunday, September 28, 2025, opened the ‘One Nation, New Symbols’ exhibition to the public with entertainment provided by Fatalic Sounds.

Monique Barnett-Davidson, curator of the ‘One Nation, New Symbols’ exhibition at the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ) says it is the perfect opportunity to depict various aspects of authentic Jamaican history with a modern twist.

“The key vision behind the One Nation, New Symbols exhibition is the fostering of civic dialogue through the work of Jamaican visual artists, as they celebrate, challenge and reimagine various symbols that shape our nationhood. From national emblems to everyday icons, the 43 artists featured in this national art show demonstrate that the visual arts reflect and shape public consciousness, especially when rooted in lived Jamaican experiences,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

The exhibition will remain on view until March 29, 2026.

Participating artists include Justeen Bailey; Kobi Bailey; Kimani Beckford; Stephanie Brown; Dana-Marie Bullock; Karlando Butt; Margaret Chen; Tiana Christie; Robin Clare; Katrina Coombs; Francis Coombs; Keith Anthony Cousins; Javier Dayes; Neila Ebanks and Nadejah; Shediene Fletcher; Jonel Forsythe; Kyle Gooden; Dwayne Grant; Christopher Harris; Jordan Harrison; Kirk Henriques; Hanif James; Andy Jefferson; Oxana Lim; Malcolm Lindsay; Dushaine Lorraine; Tajhore Lynch; Jhada & Jonadee Martin; Garvin Millen; Rashleigh Morris; Kate Moyston; Yulanah Mullings; Oliver Myrie; Victoria Neil; Janice Reid; O’Neil Scott; Shedding and Nourishment by Afe Abeni & Chinelle Miller; Ammoy Smith; Joshua Solas; David Sykes; Isabel-Marie Thwaites; Trudy-Ann Webb, and Delford Wilson.

The NGJ put out a a public call for submissions for the exhibition which ran from March to June earlier this year. The 166 applicants who qualified participated in two rounds of judging officiated by a jury panel of stakeholder representatives, who eventually made a final selection.

Barnett-Davidson explained that among the main reasons for the exhibition is reimagining national symbolism through contemporary art, centring Jamaican artistic voices in national discourse, and facilitating civic dialogue through accessible, public-facing exhibition strategies.

“To provide a public platform for Jamaican artists to respond to current social, political, and cultural conditions through visual language, building on a tradition of art as social commentary,” she added.

— Kediesha Perry