"Now the soap opera is over," said Kaka, decked out in a yellow Brazilian national term jersey after a practice session ahead of Wednesday's Brazil-Paraguay qualifier in the northeastern coastal city of Recife.

"The only leftover details were the medical exams, and I've done them. The negotiations are closed and I have sealed my transfer to Real Madrid."

Real Madrid announced the signing of the attacking midfielder from AC Milan earlier Monday. The Spanish club gave no financial details but reports said Madrid will pay Milan $92 million (65 million) for Kaka, making it one of the richest deals in football history.

The largest previous transfer was set by Zinedine Zidane when he joined Madrid from Juventus for 76 million in 2001.

Kaka, who passed a medical in the northeastern Brazilian city of Recife earlier Monday, signed a six-year contract.

"Kaka is one of the players that every team would like to have and Madrid had the chance to get him," Madrid president Florentino Perez told radio station Onda Cero just before the signing was announced.

Kaka is the first player to join Madrid since Perez regained the club presidency unopposed last week.

Perez has said he intends to revive his "galactico" policy which, along with Zidane, attracted star players like David Beckham, Ronaldo and Luis Figo to Madrid earlier in the decade.

Kaka called Perez' strategy "an interesting sports project."

"He's trying to buy other players, and I think he can make a very offensive team," he told a media conference. "That's behind my decision to go to this team."

Kaka said he talked with Beckham about his transfer, and the England veteran said it would be the best step for his career.

"I hope to be part of this new project and help to win titles, both European and Spanish," he said.

Kaka, the 2007 FIFA world player of the year, turned down a record 100 million transfer to Manchester City last season.

Presently in Brazil for World Cup qualifiers, Kaka will travel to South Africa with the national team for the June 14-28 Confederations Cup.

Despite previously saying he was happy at Milan, the size of Madrid's bid appears to have proved too much for the Italian club to ignore. Last week, Milan president Silvio Berlusconi and chairman Adriano Galliani said the club had made huge financial losses in recent times.

Madrid's interest in signing Kaka goes back some years. Former Madrid president Ramon Calderon pledged to sign the player in 2006 when he was running for election.

Perez told Onda Cero that Madrid's pursuit of the 27-year-old, whose real name is Ricardo Ezecson Dos Santos Leite, was aided by a collaborative agreement it has with Milan.

Milan vice president Adriano Galliani was reportedly in the Spanish capital last Tuesday to pave the way for the deal, along with Kaka's father and manager Bosco Leite.

Perez is expected to attempt to sign several more top names for Madrid before the start of next season. Last week, he announced that Madrid would also be looking to land Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Perez is hoping to revive Madrid's fortunes after a poor season in which it failed to win any silverware while archrival Barcelona won the Champions League and the league and cup double.

Nine-time European champion Madrid has not reached the quarterfinals of Europe's top club competition in the past five seasons.

Last week, Madrid appointed Chilean Manuel Pellegrini, formerly of Villarreal, to replace Juande Ramos as coach.

The departure of Kaka, who won the Champions League with Milan in 2007 and the Italian league in 2004, came a week after the coach Carlo Ancelotti left to take charge of Chelsea.

Kaka also said he believes Argentine striker Lionel Messi of Barcelona should be declared best player in the world, but hopes Madrid will overcome its archrival.

"I hope this Barcelona domination ends and that Real Madrid wins the new titles," Kaka said.

-- Edited by ***DK*** on Monday 8th of June 2009 09:07:45 PM

The Government is again hinting that it could be forced to seek help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to meet Jamaica's demand for foreign exchange.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding said yesterday that the Government was concerned that there might not be adequate supplies of foreign exchange to meet the country's demand throughout the fiscal year.

Golding was responding to questions from opposition members in Parliament.

Impact of crisis

He said this was because of the impact of the global financial crisis on Jamaica's main sources of foreign exchange, particularly bauxite, remittances and tourism.

Two local bauxite companies have been temporarily closed as a result of the crisis, while remittances have dipped by 14 per cent this quarter compared with the similar period last year.

He said talks with the IMF were only a precautionary measure.

Golding said discussions with IMF so far were only to identify the facilities available at the fund if Jamaica needed to seek support for its balance of payments.

SOURCE

According to Bossip.com, Nivea and Lauren London will be pushing carriages around the same time. However, Wayne is supposedly making Nivea his wife and leaving Ms. London hanging as his baby momma. Wayne getting married?, I highly doubt that one is coming from the man who wants to F*ck every girl in the world.

Dear Editor, To the supporters of an ignoble regime who choose to hold our people and our music in stagnation, I respond personally. Yes.

You all took my statement out of context and I am not surprised.

I am quite aware of how much you would like to tarnish, but you cannot stop truth.

This music evolves like everything else in life. For you and all your so called 'musicologists' to say the music is all about one person is totally unfair to those like myself who have been making a significant contribution.

Now, let us get this clear, Bob was great, talented, charismatic, the teacher, the father.

But what about Peter Tosh, Alton Ellis and Bunny Wailer? We owe our musical greatness not just to one individual but concerted effort by a brave set of people.

Now after almost 50 years have gone, a new sound and a generation have emerged.

Must we subject them to the scrutiny of an age gone when our reality is much different? Give us a chance to grow.

HEALTH officials and officers at the May Pen Police Station in Clarendon are working hard to contain an outbreak of Chicken Pox at the lockup after six inmates contracted the contagious disease last week.

According to Deputy Police Superintendent Ian Mowatt, precautionary measures have been bolstered at the station to prevent the illness from spreading to staff and other inmates.

"It is not so much an outbreak but prisoners had it. And so we have moved swiftly to inoculate our staff and also other members of the prison population to prevent an outbreak. About six inmates had it last week," Mowatt told the Observer yesterday.

The Deputy Superintendent said that the matter was quickly detected, and that the sick inmates have been isolated and are being treated.

Yesterday, a source told the Observer that "mitigation measures have been put in place (at the station)" by the Clarendon Health Department.

"As far as I know most of the cases were on the men," the source said.

Chicken pox is a highly contagious illness caused by viral infection which generally starts with a skin rash on the body and head.

The rashes can become itchy raw scars or small open sores, which most times heal without scarring.

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Clean up your act! - Dancehall DJs urged to be professionals
published: Tuesday | July 8, 2008

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Peggy Quattro

FOUNDER AND publisher of the Reggae Report magazine, Peggy Quattro, has taken leading dancehall performers to task, saying their violent lyrics and unprofessional conduct have alienated music industry heads in North America and Europe.

Quattro told The Gleaner that recent events involving dancehall acts Bounty Killer and Mavado, and Red Stripe's boycott of some live shows, have made it even more difficult to market the genre outside of Jamaica.

"They (record companies) are looking for professional artistes who will deliver a good product so they can sell records," Quattro said. "But these guys incite violence wherever they go, charge outrageous fees and don't show up on time. They are their own worst enemies."

Quattro did not name the record companies, but said their concerns are similar to Red Stripe's announcement in April that negatives associated with dancehall had forced it to withdraw financial support from major events.

Clean up acts

She said it is time controversial acts take a leaf from the books of Jamaican performers who have racked up platinum sales without being nasty.

"If they want to be accepted internationally, they need to clean up their acts," Quattro said. "They need to look at Shaggy, Sean Paul and Sean Kingston and ask: 'why are these guys big and we're not?'"

Sean Paul and Shaggy broke into the pop market with million-selling albums like Dutty Rock and Hot Shot, respectively. Sean Kingston, grandson of 1970s record producer Lawrence 'Jack Ruby' Lindo, followed suit in 2007 with Beautiful Girl, a cheesy hip-hop song that topped Billboard Magazine charts.

In contrast, hard core performers including Beenie Man, Elephant Man and Mavado have not returned strong album sales in the United States, despite backing from labels like Virgin and VP Records.

Strong representation, Quattro believes, has made the difference.

"Shaggy has Robert Livingston, a great manager. Sean Paul has Jeremy Harding. They are presented professionally and they behave professionally. They're not out there talking about killing people," she said.

Several incidents this year contributed to Red Stripe's tough stance. In April, Bounty Killer and Mavado were banned from performing in Guyana, while Mavado was arrested on gun-related charges in March. He was eventually freed.

Quattro, who started Reggae Report in Miami in 1983, said it is critical the Jamaican music industry move quickly to clean up the dancehall.

"They need to have seminars where young artistes can go and learn what it takes to be a professional performer. It's not rolling up your pant leg and talking about chopping up somebody. That's so over," she said.

When dancehall was king

In the mid-1990s, Shabba Ranks, Patra, Super Cat and Cobra were among the dancehall acts signed to major American record companies.

Shabba Ranks, Patra and Cobra each had gold albums for Sony Music International.

Shabba Ranks had big hits on the Billboard pop charts with House Call and Mr Loverman.

Super Cat, signed to Columbia, had 'c****ination' hits with Kriss Kross and Sugar Ray.

Dawn Penn had a strong seller for Atlantic Records in 1994 with the Steelie and Clevie-produced You Don't Love Me (No, No, No), a song she first recorded in 1967 at Studio One.

SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth - Sheldon Brown, the special constable charged with three counts of manslaughter following a motor vehicle accident on the Gilnock main road just east of Santa Cruz on January 8 has been granted bail.

The bail, in the sum of $500,000, was offered when the policeman appeared in the Santa Cruz Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

The 25-year-old Brown, a resident of Clarendon, was banned from driving and ordered by the court to surrender his travel documents as well as report every Wednesday to the Chapelton Police Station.

Allegations are that on the evening of January 8, the car being driven by Brown overtook improperly on a bend and collided head on with another car travelling from the opposite direction.

Three people, including a special constable and two elderly women died in the accident. Several others were injured.

 

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IT WAS a case of the missing CPUs and computer monitors at the Justice Ministry, valued at $435,000 that sapped the energies of members of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday, as they tried unsuccessfully to get answers from Permanent Secretary Robert Rainford to what appeared to be a complex puzzle.

The PAC members wanted to know how seven monitors and six CPUs could be taken from a storage area on the second floor of the building, which had limited access to staff.

Youth programme donation

Committee members were told that the computers were a donation from a non-governmental entity to assist a youth empowerment programme.

Rainford told the committee that the computers went missing in July 2008 and the ministry approached the commissioner of police in an effort to get a speedy investigation into the matter.

However, he told the committee that, to date, the police have not made a breakthrough in the investigation.

Quizzed about how many persons had access to the storage area, Rainford could not provide an answer.

The permanent secretary was also unable to say when the computers were last seen in the storage facility. He did not know how many computers the ministry had received for the programme.

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The Government will have to come up with more than $2.7 billion by next week to pay sugar workers whose positions were made redundant last year.

Next Tuesday is the deadline for the payments and Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton yesterday announced that all was in place for the Government to meet the legal time frame.

The bulk of the money, $1.9 billion, is expected to be provided by the European Union as part of its assistance to the Government with the divestment process.

Tufton met with officials of the trade unions representing sugar workers yesterday and assured them that the payment would be made on time.

Welcome news

That was welcome news for the union leaders, including Vincent Morrison, president of the National Workers' Union.

"We are happy that we finally have a date when the workers will be paid," Morrison told The Gleaner.

"We have had a lot of stops and starts with dates missed for the workers to be paid and we expect that this time they will get their money," Morrison added.

However, Clifton Grant, first vice-president of the University and Allied Workers Union, said there were issues to be sorted out before the workers could begin their celebrations.

"We are to meet with the management of the SCJ (Sugar Company of Jamaica) to sort out the notice-pay calculation and how the company is computing the years of service for the employees," Grant said.

In the meantime, Tufton has disclosed that four companies are now shortlisted to purchase the Govern-ment's stake in the sugar industry.

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THE captain of a ship which was docked at the Montego Bay Freeport was found dead aboard the vessel yesterday morning.

Police identified the dead ship captain as Vladimie Panovskiy, 61, a citizen of Ukraine.

According to the police, the captain, who had retired to his cabin about 8:00 Monday night, did not respond to calls from the chief officer when the vessel was scheduled to set sail at 4:00 o'clock yesterday morning.

The first officer and other crew members went to investigate and found the captain's body in his cabin, said the Constabulary Communication Network. The police and a doctor were called and the ship captain was pronounced dead, the scene processed and the body removed to the morgue.

The Freeport police are awaiting the results of a post-mortem to determine the cause of death.

 

SOURCE

TESHA Miller, the reputed leader of the feared Spanish Town-based Klansman gang, was yesterday freed of murder in the Home Circuit Court, following a decision by the prosecution not to offer any further evidence against him.

The move brought the trial to an unexpected end, less than two hours after its commencement.

The prosecution's decision to discontinue the matter was based on the fact that it was unable to link Miller to the April 7, 2004 murder of Robert Haughton on St John's Road in Spanish Town.

Following the prosecution's decision, which came after the testimony of Detective Sergeant Asa Leslie, Justice Norma McIntosh directed jurors to return a formal verdict of not guilty in favour of Miller.

The acquittal comes just months after the 28-year-old Miller was cleared in similar fashion in the triple murder of Oraine Jackson, Jeffery Johnson, and Nicole Allen in Braeton, St Catherine on January 14, 2005.

The prosecution was pursuing yesterday's case under Section 31 of the Evidence Amendment Act, as the sole witness in the matter was murdered in St Elizabeth after giving several statements to the police. The prosecution was also relying on voice recognition to pin Miller to the murder.

The witness, a taxi driver named Jason Cranston, had said in his statements to the police that on the day of Haughton's murder, April 7, Miller, whom he said was also known as 'Rat', called and asked him to take two men to St John's Road.

Cranston said that after dropping off one of the men at the location he heard several explosions while he was in the process of turning the vehicle. He never saw the actual shooting.

Haughton's body was discovered moments later with gunshot wounds.

SOURCE

HERMOSILLO, Mexico (AP) - Grieving parents buried their children Sunday after a devastating day care fire killed 40 infants and toddlers, stunning Mexico and prompting its president to promise a thorough investigation.

Funeral processions drove slowly to churches in the north-western city of Hermosillo decorated with balloons and flowers.

The family of two-year-old Maria Magdalena Millan dropped white roses on her casket and attached a Dora the Explorer balloon to the cross marking her grave at one of the first funerals held on Saturday.

"I love you and I don't want to leave you here!" her mother screamed.

President Felipe Calderon arrived in the city late Saturday. He wished surviving children a speedy recovery and promised families full government support and a thorough investigation into the fire's cause.

"I want to say to the mothers and fathers of the little ones who died that we share their profound sadness," Calderon said earlier in the day.

The death toll rose to 40 on Sunday after two children died in hospitals, according to Sonora state health secretary Raymundo Lopez Vucovich. Most of the victims had died of organ failure caused by smoke inhalation, he said.

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Two pupils, aged 10 and 11, have been caught dealing marijuana at school.

They were arrested after police said they were caught conducting a marijuana deal at school.

The incident happened at Brookview Elementary in Warren, Indiana. A school spokesman said a student told school officials he saw a classmate sell a "marijuana-like substance" to another student.

"We are getting to a state of emergency," said the Rev. Byron Alston, director of Save the Youth, an Eastside social services program.

"When you have elementary students selling dope in the school, we've got a serious problem."

Police said 1.88 grams of marijuana was recovered, enough for one or two joints.

Both boys were suspended from school pending an investigation. They were taken to a juvenile detention centre.

Rapper T.I. has requested to remain free while searching for a minimum security prison closer to his home to serve his sentence, reports Allhiphop.com.

T.I. was originally sentenced to serve 366 days in Arkansas Forrest City Federal Correctional Complex starting on May 26 for his conviction stemming from trying to purchase illegal fire arms.

50 Cent can admit when he is totally wrong and his gambles dont pay off. For most of last year, he took the advice of Interscope Records and fell back from the mixtape circuit because the label had advised him that it was taking away from his official record sales. That was right around the time DJ Drama and Don Cannon were having issues with the RIAA.

But 50 has made up for lost time in the past six months, releasing three mixtapes since last fall.

"They think Im crazy," 50 told us last week in his Connecticut mansion, chuckling about what Eminem and Shady Records tell him about giving away so much material for free. "Sometimes [Em] misses why I put it out. He goes, Why did you put it out? But I cant be as hot as Im gonna be if I dont play around. I gotta spar before I go fight the champ. Thats my concept of it. If I dont go out and make material and lock in, Im not gonna make the best possible material for the next [official] project."

Fif who has been working on a new freestyle with Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo over the beat of Snoop Doggs "Neva Have 2 Worry" obviously hasnt been slowed down by any of his recent issues with his hip-hop peers. Lately he and Fat Joe have been going back and forth in interviews, songs and Photoshopped pictures on the Web.

"The Hip-Hop Weekly [a fake cover] came out, and it was a thing with [Benzino] supposed to be [sleeping] with Fat Joes wife," 50 said. "I didnt make that. I didnt have anyone [Photoshop] that. Why would you do that? I work for Hip-Hop Weekly? Theyll know that there are issues between me and Joe, so when he approaches them, theyll say, Nah, it must be 50. You know how 50 is. But I didnt care, cause I dont like Joe neither. It doesnt matter to me that they did it, but it didnt come from me."

But several days ago, 50 did hold a mock funeral for Joe online. In the video, he started to cry, saying the SoundScan returns of Joes The Elephant in the Room killed him. He also warned Joes friend Rick Ross not to align himself too tightly with the Terror Squad general.

"Rick Ross is doing good," 50 elaborated. "I also complimented him that he had the #1 album. I said, Just dont stand too close to this fat piece of Im saying that because of what [Joe's] trying to do. He runs to Miami and hangs out with them like hes running Miami? Does Fat Joe run Miami? I dont think Fat Joe runs Miami. I think people from Miami would be upset youre even questioning that. The fact he can influence DJ Khaled on the radio, does that mean Fat Joe runs Miami? I dont care if [Khaled] ever plays my records. Hes not important enough to what Im doing for it to matter. Not to say Miami doesnt count. He doesnt count for it to matter to me."

The G-Unit album, tentatively titled Shoot to Kill, is slated for this summer, while Fifs next solo LP, Before I Self Destruct, is coming toward the end of this year.

Last year's Sting has come and gone and saw Mavado and Vybz Kartel squaring off. But now, various members from the rivalling groups (Alliance and Portmore Empire) have voiced songs attacking each other.

The latest song that has sparked much discussion since its release last week is Vybz Kartel's When Since on Foxx's 'Life After Death' rhythm.

In the very explicit song, Vybz Kartel holds nothing back as he attacks Mavado, Wayne Marshall, Bling Dawg and Bounty Killer. He even goes as far as to stating that at least two of the members of the Alliance participate in oral sex.

Already one of the Alliance's members, Bling Dawg, has responded to When Since, saying that Vybz Kartel is hooked on ecstasy. In his song, he said: "You a di worse deejay 'cause yuh a repeat rhyme/ mediocre arguments caan phase elite line/ your style beneath mine."

Alliance leader Bounty Killer, however, said his crew members will not be spending time answering the disses from the Portmore Empire.

"Kartel a carry belly fi DASECA 'cause him cannot voice fi dem. Alliance nah answer nobody right yah now. Him (Kartel) a try create a likkle animosity. A nuh every time somebody seh 'A' we ago answer," Bounty Killer told THE WEEKEND STAR.

lyrical confrontation

Adding: "Certain time we nah inna certain mind frame fi certain foolishness. Mi tell Mavado seh low it (the lyrical confrontation), yuh see how long Mavado nuh do no gun song? Him sing Again and Again, den him sing High Unda."

And although, Bounty Killer does not have a song dissing the Portmore Empire, he had more to say.

"From a guy ago sing and tell my friend (in reference to Mavado) about him madda, me ago tek it personal ... a bare *u*king, *u*king, *u*king him (Kartel) a sing bout because he is a freak," Bounty Killer said.

Bounty Killer said Vybz Kartel was hurt by his comments in a previous interview with THE STAR, and did the song When Since as a result.

"Yuh sing bout Last Man Standing and we tek it, suh wah jump up inna him now? A di interview weh mi do and seh Mavado always three points ahead of him ... a dat hurt him. Mi know it hurt yuh dat Mavado is bigger than you, but hush," Bounty Killer said.

In addition to Kartel's lyrical assault, another Empire member, Lisa Hype, recently did a song, Dat Dem Gone To, in which she made reference to DASECA. The Alliance affiliated group's sexuality is questioned in the song when she deejays: "Ah straight people mi roll wid/That's why mi link Don (Corleon) and not DASECA

Blak Ryno's song is Drive Thru Price while Popcaan did Roll Out and Bun Dem Skin.

Bounty Killer in his interview with THE STAR had quite a lot to say, especially about Blak Ryno.

"All di likkle one weh name Blak Ryno, guh call my name inna song, any weh him sing dat again, a box out teeth a gwaan. How him a guh talk seh Killa nuh buss nobody ... a who yuh fadda (Kartel) sey buss him? Di way how dem yute yah ungrateful dem cyan speak truth ... bout him a stinga, him a sting wid tongue. We have sum'n weh wi really sting," Bounty Killer said.

Popular dancehall artisteLaden, accused of using expletives to a policeman in Junction, St Elizabeth, is to face the Santa Cruz Resident Magistrate's Court today to answer to charges of indecent assault and disorderly conduct.

The 23-year-old singjay, whose real name is O'Keefe Aaron, of Cheapside district in the parish, was arrested and charged for the offences by the Junction police on Wednesday, May 27, following an incident.

female student

It is alleged that about 6:25 p.m. on the day in question, a friend of the entertainer was having a conversation with a female student of a prominent high school in the parish when the policeman approached the student, asked her what she was doing on the street in uniform at that time of the evening, and ordered her to go home.

It is further alleged that Laden, who was standing nearby, heard and intervened and told the student not to go anywhere.

argument developed

An argument developed between Laden and the lawman, who is a sergeant of police, and it was reported that the artiste began using several expletives and shortly afterwards, was accosted and taken into custody, where he spent the night.

The following day, his lawyer turned up at the police station and he was offered bail in the sum of $20,000.

The singjay came to prominence about three years ago after appearing on the Digicel Rising Stars competition.

SOURCE

While the facts surrounding the kidnapping and rescue of the Maersk Alabama Captain Richard Phillips have been widely reported, less well-known is that ship which saved him was commanded by a black woman, Rear Admiral Michelle Howard.

Howard received the assignment of leading the U.S. Navys counter-piracy task force just three days before the Maersk Alabama was attacked by Somalia pirates.

Its probably one of the most exciting missions the Navy has been on in for a long while, Howard told the Navy Times.

READ WHOLE STORY

Watch a Video on Michelle Howard

 

PHILADELPHIA A Philadelphia cable network's early morning broadcast of a Good Friday service at the Vatican abruptly changed to something wildly different _ a 30-second "Girls Gone Wild" ad.

Comcast spokesman Jeff Alexander says the 2 a.m. Friday programming glitch was due to a required test of the Emergency Alert System. He says such tests are usually done in the overnight hours.

The test automatically tunes viewers to a preselected channel that would provide information in the event of an emergency. But during tests, the channel airs regular programming, which in this case included a paid advertisement for the racy videos.

Alexander says the problem affected the network's entire local area, but only one person called to complain.

Posted here

 

FORT MYERS, Fla. A passenger landed a twin-engine plane in Florida after the pilot died in flight with a total of six people on board.

Federal Aviation Administration officials say the pilot died after takeoff from an airport in Naples on Sunday. It was on autopilot and climbing toward 10,000 feet when the pilot died.

The passenger who took over is licensed for single-engine planes but isn't certified to fly the larger King Air craft.

An air traffic controller helped the passanger down by calling a friend in Connecticut who knows the King Air plane and relaying instructions. The plane landed safely at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers.

The plane had been headed to Jackson, Miss. The names of the pilot and passengers have not been released.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. A state investigative report said a surgeon performed an appendectomy on the same patient twice after he mistakenly removed a piece of fatty tissue instead the first time. The Star Tribune reported that the surgeon realized his mistake two days after the first operation after a hospital pathologist reported what was removed was "not an appendix."

The patient had been complaining of pain and fever and was ordered back for a second surgery.

The by now ruptured appendix was removed, after which the unidentified patient spent 11 days in the hospital with complications from the second surgery.

The Health Department found no evidence the hospital did anything wrong. Complaints against doctors are handled by a separate state agency. The Board of Medical Practice isn't commenting on the case.

Posted here

What should have been a simple funeral procession along the Barbary Hall main road, St Elizabeth, last Saturday has left the Constantine family of Watchwell district in that parish swimming in an ocean of sorrowful tears.

In a quick and tragic turn of events, 25-year-old Richard Constantine, who was a member of the funeral procession, was killed by the hearse that was transporting the body of his deceased friend, Lester Crow.

Speaking with THE STAR yesterday, Gregory Constantine, Richard's brother, painfully recalled the heartbreaking afternoon that has left the family distraught.

 

Music in a truck

"We were making our way to the graveside. There was a band playing music in a truck, there were the bikers behind that truck and then there was the hearse," Gregory said. "The rain had stopped so we stopped the truck to remove the tarpaulin so people could hear the music from the band better."

Gregory added that, as the tarpaulin was being removed, the driver from the hearse came out to ask what was the problem.

"So, we told him that we were only removing the tarpaulin and then he went back inside the car," Gregory said. "It look like he left the car in 'drive' or something because as soon as he went back in the car it jumped off and ran over everybody before hitting in the back of the truck."

Gregory said his brother, who was one of the bikers that was hit by the hearse, was stuck under the vehicle. He continued that the hearse driver fled the scene, fearing that he would be harmed.

Richard was taken to the Black River Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Sunday morning. The other persons are said to have escaped the freak accident with non-life threatening injuries.

"Right now the family just a try keep strong because it rough," Gregory said. "We really have to hold it together."

 

Tearful disbelief

Another person who was injured in the accident, giving her name only as Wendy, said the experience has left her in shock and in tearful disbelief. She said she was travelling on Richard's bike initially. However, after the vehicles stopped and the tarpaulin was being removed, she jokingly decided to hop onto another bike that was further up front.

"Less than a minute later the accident take place," Wendy said. "All of us were hit to the ground, but I was now further up front. Even when I spoke with Richard before he died he was saying I was lucky that I came off his bike because I would have probably died."

Police reports said about 5 p.m. Constantine was driving a Honda motorcycle in a funeral procession along the Barbary Hall main road. On reaching a section of the roadway, a truck in the procession stopped and Constantine and two other motorcyclists stopped behind the truck. The hearse, which was behind the motorcycles, suddenly moved off, hitting the three motorcycles against the truck, pinning the drivers and pillion riders. They were taken to the Black River Hospital where they were admitted. Constantine died about 10 o'clock on Sunday morning.

The Santa Cruz Police have since charged the hearse driver with manslaughter. He is to appear in the Black River Resident Magistrate's Court today.

A 38-year-old man who was charged in connection with the murder of the uncle of Jamaican sprint sensation, Asafa Powell, appeared in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

The accused man, Robert Pryce, otherwise called 'Sukoo', of Waterloo in Ewarton, St Catherine, is on charges stemming from the 2007 murder of Corey Reid, 31, of the same community.

When the case was called up on Tuesday, two witnesses were not present. As such, Pryce had his bail extended and is booked to return to court on June 24.

Allegations in the case are that on April 27, 2007, at 9:15 p.m., Pryce was selling cigarettes to Reid when an argument developed.

A knife was brought into play and Reid was stabbed in his stomach and later died in the hospital.

The murder weapon is alleged to have been found in Pryce's possession, and he was subsequently arrested and charged.

A 12-year-old suspended from school for fighting killed a 10-month-old baby by throwing him to the floor at a home where several young children were unsupervised, officials said Wednesday.

The preteen boy, whom authorities wont name because of his age, was charged as a juvenile with capital murder. A judge Wednesday ordered him held in juvenile detention.

The 10-month old, Deandre Washington, was injured on March 12 and died two days later at a hospital, said Child Protective Services spokeswoman Estella Olguin.

Authorities still are trying to determine how many children were in the house in a working class section of southeast Houston when the mothers of the two sets of siblings left them alone. They also dont yet know whether the 12-year-old, who was the oldest in the group, was specifically left in charge.

The Director of Public Prosecutions yesterday ruled that charges of outrageous public indecency be brought against a policeman who reportedly revealed his privates to schoolchildren at an all-girls school.

The policeman was attempting to impress a number of female students at the institution when the incident occurred on Monday.

Allegations are that the girls sounded an alarm after a man showed his private part to the students of the Corporate Area school. The authorities at the school are said to have called the police, who responded quickly.

Upon their arrival, the policemen accosted the strange-behaving man, who was later identified as a member of the police force. He is said to be attached to a police station in the Westmoreland Division.

When contacted the Half-Way Tree police about the incident, Deputy Superintendent Michael Phipps confirmed that the incident happened but he did not reveal the name of the accused.

The accused policeman, who is in early 20s, is scheduled to appear in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court today.

Since the recently implemented guidelines by the Broadcasting Commission on certain forms of material, many have heralded the actions as a new beginning for dancehall and reggae music.

Such that it would allow artistes who portray uplifting and inspirational music more airtime and force the artisans of so-called negative music to retool in order to maintain visibility.

However the bans seems have done very little to quell the ongoing feud between two of dancehall warring factions the Bounty Killer led Alliance and the Portmore Empire headed by Vybz Kartel.
 
Earlier today 876radio.com received an exclusive copy of a dissed track aimed at the Alliance camp namely (Bounty Killer, Mavado, Wayne Marshall and Bling Dawg) recorded by oust member Vybz Kartel.

The song entitled 'When Since' a sinister composition was produced by Kartel's own label mate Notnice and sees him taking a series of blatant swipes at his former friends turn foes.

Puzzled as to the origin of the rekindled feud 876radio.com was told by a members of the Empire camp that it was the Alliance who started it again and the song was a direct response to rivals tracks on DASECA's Sixteen Rhythm compilation.

Pree this si the HIJACKER BWOY DEH.. maddest one a the most recent.. the net have some before him go CRACK.. done tell unnu ULTIMATE LINK

A Serbian union official has been explaining why he chopped off his finger and ate it in a protest over unpaid wages.

Zoran Bulatovic said he staged the grisly stunt to highlight the desperation of himself and colleagues, some of whom who have not been paid earnings dating back several years.

He said: "We, the workers have nothing to eat. We had to seek some sort of alternative food and I gave them an example. It hurt like hell."

Bulatovic, a union leader at the Raska Holding textile factory in Novi Pazar in south-west Serbia, used a hacksaw to cut off most of the little finger on his left hand.

He decided to act after his deputy, "a single mother of three, was the first to say she would cut off her finger".

"I could not allow her to do that," he added.

State-owned Raska Holding was a major textile producer in the late 1980s with a workforce of 4,000.

It suffered during the collapse of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s and a loss of markets and mismanagement during a decade of wars and sanctions led to massive job cuts, leaving the company with only 100 workers.

Some employees have not been paid for years, only collecting social benefits such as free medical care.

About two dozen workers went on a 19-day hunger strike last year.

Bulatovic said his comrades will not back down from their demands, but they will postpone planned self-mutilations at least until talks with government officials in Belgrade scheduled for tomorrow.

A mother who attempted to discipline her 12-year-old child came within inches of losing her life when the child allegedly attempted to kill her by placing rat poison in her food.

The mother wept openly while she related to the Spanish Town police the allegation that her daughter had attempted to kill her by putting poison in her porridge.

The police, who took the child into custody on a charge of attempted murder, still have the 'murder weapon', the porridge, in their custody.

Police reports are that the child, who had reportedly carried out some acts of indiscipline, was reprimanded by her mother. During the argument, the child, it is alleged, threatened to kill her mother.

It is reported that the girl then volunteered to cook a pot of porridge for the family and apparently still upset at her mother, allegedly tried to exact revenge.

Our Sources was told that it is alleged that the misguided child ate her portion of the porridge before deciding to place bits of rat poison in her mother's share.

The mother, quite cognisant of the strained relationship between her and the child, saw the strange objects, which she later found to be poison. A report was then made to the Spanish Town police.

Following the investigations, the child was removed from the home and is now at a place of safety.

Two elderly Portland farmers were the 'talk of the town' earlier this week after they contested two rounds of fist fighting to the amusement of many who gathered to witness the 'boxing match'.

The fight was reportedly sparked after one of the men, who are both in their 60s, was accused of beating a cow which belonged to the other.

Following the incident, the men were arrested and charged. They are to appear in court next week.

Constable Hopeton Henry of the Area Two police said the men engaged each other in what witnesses describe as a boxing match which lasted only two rounds as both became way too tired to fight anymore and could only lay beside each other afterwards.

"We were alerted but when we got there the fight was over ... based on what we heard from witnesses, the two men took on each other on two occasions on the same day," Constable Henry said.

beating his cow

According to reports, on Sunday afternoon, one of the men is said to have gone to his neighbour's house in Big Hill in the parish and accused him of beating his cow for no reason.

The accused cow beater is said to have replied that the cow had ventured on to a section of his planting ground and trampled some crops. The man then admitted to using a stick to strike the cow several times.

This did not go well with the cow's owner who reportedly then said, "yu love beat, me and you ago fight fi dat today."

After a heated exchange of words one of the men was punched in the face.

A fist fight ensued and both men were injured and had to be parted by residents who took both men inside their homes.

But the fight was not done. In a matter of minutes, the two were at it again but this time they were not parted.

fell to the ground

The police say based on the statements they received, both men threw and landed punches on each other for about five minutes before both fell to the ground, seemingly too tired to continue any further.

"When we got there, residents were just picking the men up off the ground ... . Both were bleeding and even still arguing," explained Constable Henry.

Both men were then slapped with charges of assault.

News of the men's funny fight then spread throughout the parish as people from other districts even visited Big Hill with hopes of meeting the now 'famous fighters'.

"A di talk since wa day ya man, dem two ole bway deh bad nuh cowfoot ... . Mi hear seh dem a throw fist like any professional ... a jus seh dem ole suh dem nuh have di stamina doe," a laughing Demar Douglas, 25, from Port Antonio in the parish, said.

Jodi Wykle knew her son would be thrilled when she gave him a new Nintendo DS for his birthday.

Instead, he was rocked.

According to WTSP-TV, the confused teen opened up his gift only to find bunch of stones and a rolled up Chinese newspaper in place of the popular handheld.

Needless to say, mom was equally stunned.

"When he opened it, he was pulling the seal off, my sister-in-law carries a pocket knife and she opened it and that's when he pulled it out and it was Chinese newspaper and a bunch of rocks," she explained.

The troubling discovery prompted the Florida woman to contact the local Wal-Mart where she bought the curious box and complain, but reportedly workers there told her it wasn't their problem and that she should contact Nintendo instead. Of course, Nintendo told her roughly the same thing, leaving mother and son with a $138 box of rocks.

"They don't want to do nothing. They want me to keep the box of rocks. I'm not buying a box of rocks for $138," she said.

Amazingly enough, however, Wal-Mart soon caved after learning that the same box of rocks had been previously returned by another disgruntled customer. How exactly it made it back onto store shelves remains a mystery, but for her troubles, Wykle was given a full refund and a $20 gift card.

It's not the first time Wal-Mart has gotten into hot water for selling a questionable handheld. Earlier this month, a PSP system bought at a different Wal-Mart store in Florida was found to contain a memory stick filled with pornographic images.

Dancehall diva DAngel is shaken up following a hold up at her store in Princeville Plaza. The incident happened about 10:30 yesterday morning when three armed men walked into the store demanding money.

When that was not forthcoming they proceeded to help themselves to goods from the store. According to our source the gunmen tied up the workers and even stripped the clothes off the mannequins before making their escape with goods valued at $400,000.

The workers are very traumatized from the whole incident.

-- Edited by biggaman121 on Wednesday 10th of June 2009 10:17:13 AM

The world's largest palace has 1788 rooms. It was built for the Sultan of Brunei. The world's largest recorded gathering of people was at a Hindu religious festival in India in 1989. It was attended by about 15 million people. Abraham Lincoln went to school for less than a year. He taught himself to read and write. The longest recorded swim was 2938 km down the Mississippi River in 1930. The swimmer spend 742 hours in the water. Humans are no match for some animals. The rhinoceros beetle can carry 850 times its own weight on its back. The Emperor moth can detect smells 11 km away. The cheetah can run at 70 km/h. The Polyphemus moth eats 86,000 its own birth weight in 48 hours. The cries of South American howler monkeys can be heard 16 km away. The longest jail sentence passed was in the United States - 10,000 years for a triple murder. It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. Try it! Levi Strauss made the first pair of blue jeans in 1850. They were intended as work trousers for American miners looking for gold. In Ancient Rome only important people wore purple clothes. This is because the purple dye came from a particular kind of shellfish and was very expensive.

-- Edited by PrincessLeah on Tuesday 9th of June 2009 02:21:09 AM

I really want a chance to hear the views of all the MZJA women as you make up our community.

Any and every woman's desire is to find a perfect man; the man of their dreams. But evidently when they get a good man they trade him for something worse or far less appreciative than what they had.

I would love to hear your views on what a good man is really suppose to be like.

Take note your answer just might catch your future husbands eye. So enlighten us men on what we lack so we can make your lives better.

A motorcyclist who crashed into a cow was later pronounced dead at hospital after the animal's horn pierced his chest, the police told THE STAR. 

The dead man has been identified as Jermaine Loney, 26, of Big Woods in St Elizabeth. 

The police told THE STAR that about 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Loney was riding his Honda motorcycle from Hopewell, Hanover, to Big Woods, when on reaching near the Seventh-day Adventist church in Williamsfield, St Elizabeth, two cows ran across the road into the path of the motorcycle. 

Loney's motorcycle, the police say, collided with one of the cows and he received injuries to his chest and head. 

The police say Loney was taken to the Black River Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

An ex-prisoner in New York is suing his former prison nurse for failing to treat his painful erection, which lasted for 55 hours before he was admitted to a hospital.

Ex-con Dawud Yaduallah says he became worried after his anti-psychotic medication left him erect for 14 hours. He checked into the prison infirmary, where, according to the lawsuit, nurse Judith Lovelace simply told him to put ice on his penis and sent him back to his cell.

Yaduallah says he suffered for two more days -- long enough to cause permanent damage, but not long enough for his wife to plan a conjugal visit -- before being taken to a hospital. His lawsuit claims that Lovelace's negligence caused "severe damage to his penis, including erectile dysfunction, inability to ejaculate and pain during sexual intercourse."

Even worse than the physical distress is the fact that other inmates won't stop asking him, "Is that a shiv in your jumpsuit or are you just happy to see me?"

Dear Pastor,

I am a 35-year-old mother. My 10-year-old child is pregnant for her 13-year-old boyfriend. I have never ever heard of such a thing. Pastor, should I kick her out? What should I do? Please help me.

S.P., New York, United States

Dear S.P.,

Report this matter to the police and they will advise you what should be done. I am sure your doctor and your spiritual leader will help to give you guidance in this matter also. Putting her out of your house should not even be considered.

In the meantime, I will be praying for you. Let me hear from you again.

Pastor

SOURCE

THE two Supreme Court clerks who were arrested last week, on suspicion that they had been operating a thriving divorce racket out of the Civil Registry of the High Court, have been charged with breaching the Corruption Prevention Act.

They are Hugh Forbes, said to be in his 20s, and Lourie-Ann Williams, 34.

Forbes has been charged with two counts, while Williams was slapped with one count of breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act.

Both, who have been working with the Supreme Court for a total of 13 years, are to appear in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court today.

The two, who are in a common-law relationship, were arrested last week Wednesday. A number of documents pertaining to divorce were allegedly found at their Port Royal, Kingston home during a search by the police, according to Superintendent Fitz Bailey of the Organised Crime Investigation Division.

Both accused are suspected of filing and pushing through divorce petitions for a fees ranging from $32,000 to $45,000, which they then pocketed.

Bailey had told the Observer last Thursday that the clerks would file divorce petitions under the names of unsuspecting lawyers, effectively taking advantage of the change in the system that allows for the granting of a divorce by a judge without a hearing, and without the presence of a lawyer of the parties seeking the divorce, after reviewing documents presented by a clerk in a case file.

Williams was held at a fast-food restaurant along King Street, a stone's throw from the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston, after allegedly collecting $20,000 from an undercover cop to whom she had offered the 'divorce service'. Her co-accused was arrested at the Supreme Court after allegedly taking $20,000 from another undercover cop over a period of time to put through a divorce, said Bailey.

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Gingrich at Republican Fundraiser Says Obamas Already Failed

June 9 (Blo****erg) -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said President Barack Obamas plan to fix the economy through stimulus spending and government intervention to boost companies like General Motors Corp. has "already failed."

Gingrich was the keynote speaker at a fundraising dinner for the Republican House and Senate campaign committees, filling a role President George W. Bush had served for the past eight years.

"Bureaucrats managing companies does not work, politicians dominating the economy does not work," Gingrich told about 2,000 Republicans who attended the event at the Washington Convention Center last night.

Some Republican leaders hailed Gingrich, the leader of the 1994 "Republican Revolution," as a de facto head of the party at a time when Republicans are looking for ideas to lead them back to the majority

Miami rap star Rick Ross is bringing his marketing potential to the forefront via a new partnership with Proximo Spirits, Inc. and 1800 Tequila.

 

The rapper, along with his Triple Cs crew, will endorse 1800 Tequilas Select Silver, a new beverage described by the company as the first and only 100 proof clear tequila on the market.

 

According to Ross, the parallels between 1800 Select Silver and his musical accomplishments are prevalent as he expressed his willingness to make the drink a success with consumers.

 

Of all the tequilas out there, the 100 proof 1800 Select Silver is the big boss and the only tequila I would put the Rick Ross name behind, the rapper said in a statement. 1800 Tequila is a brand Im really excited to grind and build with, and as I keep pumping out the hits, topping the charts, and discovering new talent like my crew Triple Cs 1800 Tequila will be rising to the top with me.

 

Ross 1800 Tequila alliance comes amid the rappers success on the charts with his latest album Deeper Than Rap.

 

The rappers current good fortune as well as the popularity of his music provided Proximo with a easy decision on whether or not to involve Ross in the promotion of 18 Select Silver.

 

Rick Ross and Triple Cs were an obvious choice for us, the companys head of marketing, Elwyn Gladstone added. 1800 Select Silver is a serious tequila for the serious tequila drinker. Its making a huge splash in the tequila market right now, just as Rick Ross is shaking up the music industry.

 

The 1800 Select Silver promotion with Ross and Triple Cs is set to kick off this month with a video and photo shoot.

ZONERS LOOK AT THE CHART BELOW AND TELL ME IF U SEE ANY ALLIANCE YOUNG GUNZ ON THE CHART FOR HOTTEST SONGS IN MAY. I SEE THREE NEW ARTIST ON IT MY THUGS, REESE BADDA,TAZ AND ME SEE RUSHAN.WHERE IS IYARA AND ASSAILANT?IF U DONT BELIEVE ME, HERE IS THE SITE http://wegotitfirst.com/05/29/aight-here-we-go/ GO TO DANCEHALL 3. I KNOW ASSAILANT GOOD BUT IT LOOK LIKE IYARA CAH MAKE A HIT SONG.NO DISRESPECT TO SEANIZZLE BUT ALL HIM DEH PON DI CHART TO. GAAAZZZA

- Reese Badda - Long Time Mi Wan You
- Rushan - Bad From Birth
- Seanizzle - Dancing Cah Dun
- Sizzla Kalongi - Music
- Spragga Benz - Beautiful Girl
- Stacious - Sexy Wine
- Taz - New Moment
- TOK ft Daddy Mory - Take You Home (DaHotMix XTD)
- Tony Matterhorn - f**k Her Hard
- Vybz Kartel - Mi Baby
- Vybz Kartel - Seductive & Sexy

When Buju Banton pranced off Columbiahalle's stage and bade goodbye to the 480 fans who turned up at the Berlin club just past midnight Sunday, it was a watermark occasion signalling a new beginning.

The artiste, who last Friday kicked off a gruelling 42-city tour in Caen, France, ended a long hiatus from the Berlin party scene with a clinical performance. Twenty years after Germans began breaking down the Berlin Wall, Buju has finally been able to smash his own roadblocks.

Buju Banton has fought for years to escape the shadow that has haunted him since his controversial hit Boom Bye Bye in the early 1990s. Shows in Berlin have over the last few years been scrapped, largely due to mounting pressure from gay-rights activists and security concerns. Word of the deejay's appearance at Columbia reportedly galvanised a homosexual support group to plan protests Sunday afternoon, but that agitation fizzled. Scores of police personnel swarmed the precincts of the club as a preventative measure and to collar any potential confrontation.

No inflammatory comments

While the deejay steered clear of inflammatory comments, he delivered a subtle broadside to campaigners who had set up hurdles to shows in the German capital.

"They tried to keep me away from you, but we are united; we've got some catching up to do," he told the audience as he introduced songs from his album, Rasta Got Soul. Hits such as Not An Easy Road, which he performed Sunday, have become a metaphor of the Jamaican artiste's struggle to gain redemption after what some stakeholders call a smear campaign to destroy his career.

The seasoned entertainer dished out a diverse mix from his repertoire, juggling newer opuses with others from the past, balancing 'girls' tunes and 'conscious' hits. When he pressed the gas with Driver A, the song registered 8.0 on the Richter scale on the Berlin dance floor.

Ashraf Hassan, the Sudanese impresario who lassoed 'the Gargamel' for Sunday's event, was anxious about the turnout, which he believed might have been affected by past fumbles and stumbles. The final numbers ended up 120 short of breaking even.

Hassan said dancehall exponents were not allowed to promote discrimination against any group - including gays - as Berlin, still smarting from its role in African colonialism and World War II Nazi terror, transitions its international image.

Buju's management had to signature an agreement not to cross the line during the concert, The Gleaner has learnt.

Deejay Delly Ranx, who spoke to The Gleaner on the headache-hit Rastafarian's behalf after the show, was evasive when asked about the past problems in Berlin, a clear sign that Buju's management team is determined to turn the spotlight on performances, not side-show intrigue. He said Buju was focused on completing a successful tour, which ends late July. He is scheduled to perform next in Denmark today.

'Never'

Colin Smith, Buju's tour manager, was more declarative about the prospects of sex minorities ratcheting up pressure and putting a spoke in the wheel of their two-month programme. "Never has, never will!" he told The Gleaner hours before the Columbia gig.

Berlin has long been considered accommodative of gays, a reality emphasised by the candour of the city's mayor, Klaus Wowereit, about his own same-sex status and commitment to stamp out any whiff of discrimination. Indeed, in Berlin there is even a Schwules Museum, detailing the history of the gay movement in Germany.

What really a gwaan between Flippa and di Killa? How Killa talk bout him no inna no clash and ting and yet him go pon stage a St Thomas Saturday night and a talk up a bag at tings bout the real source of Flippa money.


Alright, so everybody know seh Flippa floss like say fi him money cyan dun and all these tings, but why Killa haffi go deso. We nah say abd mind, but it look a way. But tell me now, where Killa tink plenty promoter get money from fi put on stage show and pay bag a artiste including him. Me no know any promoter who have regular a nine-to-five, if oonu get mi drift. Killa lucky seh light did go way and Flippa neva get fi answer him. All we a say is, Flippa, gwaan floss to di flippin werlll! And Killa, kibba you mout!




Posted by YardFlex

Michael has finally let his two kids, Prince and Paris, walk around the public without those preposterous masks and veils. Now that we finally see their little faces, what do you think? Could Prince and Paris really be the biological children of Michael J?

31 Degreez Young Buck & Lil Wayne - Cashville To Hollygrove

Tracklist
1.YOUNG BUCK-CASHVILLE SOLID
2.YOUNG BUCK-SUPPORT
3.YOUNG BUCK F/PLIES-WHAT THEY TALKIN
4.YOUNG BUCK-HOLDIN ON
5.YOUNG BUCK-GOTTA LUV IT
6.YOUNG BUCK-BALLIN ENCORE
7.YOUNG BUCK F/DRUMMA BOY,8 BALL & MJG-ROUND ME
8.YOUNG BUCK-CANT CATCH ME
9.YOUNG BUCK-MY ZONE
10.YOUNG BUCK F/WILLY NORTHPOLE-MAFIA MUSIC
11.LIL WAYNE F/YOUNG BUCK-REAL N*GGAS
12.LIL WAYNE-DIE HAPPY
13.LIL WAYNE-LETHAL
14.LIL WAYNE F/KEVIN RUDOLF-SPIT
15.LIL WAYNE-FIX MY HAT
16.LIL WAYNE-DOPEMAN
17.LIL WAYNE-LEAK
18.LIL WAYNE F/DRAKE,JAE MILLZ & GUDDA GUDDA-EVERY GIRL