Jimmy Cliff was indicted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame this week (check out how psyched he looks in all the vids)! Wyclef Jean introduced Cliff, repeatedly calling him “The Godfather”:

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Hard to find a better role model for the ladies to learn from – then or now. BIG UP Killer Mike for being so direct and honest with Lyte about her positive influence. A tuff gyal like she is needed in this game now more than ever. Keep blazin MC Lyte!! Ya voice not too ruff, too gruff – I think it’s sexy…

Roy Shirley goes wild for the crowd with his “Rock Steady” show:

Excerpted from the reggae episode of the Aquarius tv show circa 1976. (Imagine the 1980 cult film Babylon if it were a BBC documentary and you’d have the reggae episode of Aquarius.)

Those who know reggae’s history, know that Niney the Observer is deeply rooted in the evolution of its sound. Niney came up from the streets with a rebel sound and attitude at a time when recording studios were accessible to the people for the 1st time. (Similar to independent labels sprouting up to reduce dependency on the majors…) Niney launched the Observer label in 1971 with “Blood and Fire” which in turn influenced the music of Big Youth, Burning Spear, The Wailers and more. (I credit Niney for the change in The Wailers’ sound when it became more militant, rebellious and dark – my favorite era of Wailers music.) Niney has worked with many of reggae’s most recognizable names like Lee Perry, Dennis Brown, Beenie Man and Freddie McGregor (father of Steven di Genius McGregor who’s killing it in dancehall today).

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David Katz, a music journalist and Lee Perry’s biographer, wrote a good review of the reggae book that I contributed to: “The Reggae Scrapbook”. The review was published in Riddim Magazine in Germany. Riddim was briefly published in english, distributed in the US and immediately became my favorite publication about reggae music. Many of the dub and dancehall artists I wish I had space for in the Reggae Scrapbook are regularly featured in Riddim. Unfortunately, the publishers halted the american edition and haven’t returned to it yet, so you can only get the magazine in german. Roger Steffens was kind enuff to email a copy of this review to me, so I thought I should publish it here for those who would otherwise never get a chance to read it. If you do speak german and you love reggae music, I highly recommend Riddim Magazine. In the meantime, here is David Katz’ book review of the Reggae Scrapbook by Roger Steffens, Peter Simon, Roy Sweetland and me, Molli Fire! ([More →])

Revolutionary radio dj, musician and champion of reggae music Mikey Dread was diagnosed with a brain tumour and is undergoing chemotherapy. Dread is legendary for his late-night radio show on now defunct JBC Radio in Jamaica and he has been a huge force in reggae music history and Jamaican music culture. Last year he celebrated his 30th year as The Dread At The Control, dubbed so for his radio show that championed local ska, rock-steady and dub music at a time when the airwaves were dominated by american motown, RnB and pop music. His broadcast showcased new music by local artists, which led to growing respect and recognition for the music and the studios creating it. ([More →])

I don’t have a full concert review to share just yet, but I wanted to give you a glimpse at what happened last night when Pato Banton came to town. He performed at the Independent, with the Mystic Roots as backup. He had just launched into his biggest hit song – “Gwarn” when he noticed a guy in the audience wearing a GWARN T-shirt. He pulled that guy up on stage and the two of them ended up doing the most ridiculous duet I have ever seen! Pato swears it wasn’t rigged and you could see the genuine surprise on his face when this guy, Frank, busts out. ([More →])

What would Bob Marley think of his albums being released in every new media? These days, there are many options for the rastaman on the go. USB, SD, mp3, and ringtones, Bob Marley and the Wailers are as mobile as a rasta can get! That’s right, ringtones! Verizon Wireless and Universal Music Group announced a deal today that makes an extensive catalog of Bob Marley tunes available as ringtones for Verizon cell phones. A press release about the new ringtones puts Bob Marley on the highest musical pedestal and hails Verizon as a leader in mobile music for inking the deal with Universal. ([More →])

Always at the forefront of revolution – the 30th anniversary of Bob Marley’s Exodus is being celebrated with the album’s release on the new music formats USB Memory Stick and Micro SD Memory Card. Marley has entered the Matrix. 4000 copies of the USB version in glorious red, green and gold include the entire album of music plus 3 video tracks recorded in June 1977 at the Rainbow Theatre in London during Marley’s exile in Britain. ([More →])