1990s Reggae Music: Buju Banton's 'Til Shiloh Album

Buju Banton is a talented reggae and dancehall music artist. His 'Til Shiloh album was released in 1995 with "Murderer" and "Wanna Be Loved."

Buju Banton, born Mark Myrie in Jamaica, is a popular reggae artist who has released several powerful albums including Inna Heights, Voice of Jamaica and 'Til Shiloh. Banton, although extremely talented, is no stranger to controversy. However his musical abilities are still well respected and appreciated worldwide. The Grammy-nominated Banton first came on the reggae music scene in the early 1990s and was subsequently able to garner an international following.

Buju Banton is no Stranger to Controversy

Buju Banton sang "Boom Bye Bye" in 1992 with lyrical content that is described as anti-homosexual. This song cost Banton concert appearances in the United States and the United Kingdom. On January 8, 2010, Buju Banton was arrested in December for allegedly buying cocaine from an undercover officer. In September 2010, Banton's case was declared a mistrial and was then re-filed. Later in November 2010, Banton was released on bail in the same matter with a new case date for February 2011.

Buju Banton's Musical Legacy

After his debut in the 1990s, Banton subsequently released his first album Mr. Mention in 1992. Mr. Mention featured songs that eclipsed the dancehall era - "Batty Rider" and "Dickie". The follow-up album was Voice of Jamaica in 1993. Voice of Jamaica is appropriately titled because this album literally pushed Banton to international stardom. Songs off the album included "Willy Don't Be Silly" promoting HIV/AIDS prevention and "Deportees (Things Change)." The music video for the song "Make My Day" from the same album played on BET.

'Til Shiloh came in 1995 and Inna Heights was released in 1997.  Banton then released other popular albums like Unchained Spirit in 2000 and Rasta Got Soul in 2009. His most recent release is Before the Dawn in 2010. In addition to his personal albums, through his label, Gargamel Music Inc., Banton released the 100 Watt Riddim music video featuring Ghost, East Coast, Mr. Vegas, New Kidz, Assassin, Mitch and Mr. Lex. The songs of the riddim were released on the album Excalibur Sound 1: 100 Watt in 2006.

The Songs of'Til Shiloh

Buju Banton is definitely a solid lyricist and the 'Til Shiloh album shows his talent. "Murderer," "Untold Stories," and "Not An Easy Road" brought about Banton's socially conscious reggae side. His dancehall side came out in "Champion," "It's All Over" and "Complaint" featuring Garnett Silk, now deceased. "Champion" appears a second time remixed with a sample from "You Know How We Do It" which was written by Ice Cube, QDill, T.Life and D. Wansel. 'Til Shiloh also features love songs like "Wanna Be Loved" and "Only Man."

• "Murderer" To Face Judgment: "Murderer! Blood is on your shoulders / kill I today you cannot kill I tomorrow" start off "Murderer." This song speaks against violence and reminds persons who commit such acts that they will meet their judgment. Banton hits his theme hard in the third verse with the words "Drinking sulphur bitters won't be bitter like your end / only God can help you, no family or friend." Banton and Clement Dodd penned the lyrics and included biblical references such as Noah's children, Daniel and the first verse of Psalms 121.
• "Not An Easy Road" is an Inspiring Reggae Song: Banton wrote this song as a testament to perseverance and faith. His edgy lyrics include "Upon my face I've got to put on a smile / Make up my mind just to walk more miles." The chorus sings "It's not an easy road / many see the glamor an the glitter / and think it's a bed of rose."
• "Chuck It So" is a Serious Song: In "Chuck It So," Buju Banton reminds the 'bullies' and criminals to be mindful of the wicked actions. A steady dancehall beat with piercing lyrics chanted in Banton gruff voice make this song chilling. The hook is "How you a go on like bully so / on the border line you not going."
• 'Til Shiloh's Love Anthem is "Wanna Be Loved": Marcia Griffiths sings background vocals on Buju Banton's "Wanna Be Loved." In this song, Banton expresses his need for love. He sings "been searching for a long long time / for that oh so true love" and "show me you care, up front and boldly." Banton gets metaphorical with the lyrics and sings "I'm like waiting on some honey / but there aint no queen bee."

Buju Banton, a superbly talented Jamaican artist, has released almost one dozen reggae albums. One of his albums in which has a dancehall and reggae appeal is 'Til Shiloh. Songs like "Murderer" and "Champion" make this a great reggae and dancehall album.

Tyrese Gibson: A Multi-talented Singer, Actor and Much More

Tyrese Gibson has a great voice and fans love him for his acting, singing and modeling. He has also written a motivational book and co-written a comic book.

Tyrese Darnell Gibson is known to to the world as Tyrese Gibson or, for short, Tyrese. Tyrese is a multi-talented superstar who has an extensive talent resume which includes singing, song writing and acting. In addition, Bet.com shared that Tyrese "is the first and only African-American male model to land a multi-million dollar contract with Guess." In 2009, Tyrese co-wrote a comic book and is set to release his motivational book in 2011. He is also the executive producer of BET's First In.

Tyrese's Music & Albums

Tyrese's first album was the self-titled Tyrese in 1998. He had the ladies wooed with "Nobody Else," "Sweet Lady" and "Lately." In "Sweet Lady," Tyrese had the ladies swooning with lyrics like "Would you be my Sweet love for a lifetime / I'll be there when you need me...." His next album was 2000 Watts in 2001 with the songs "I Like Them Girls" and "Just a Baby Boy." Tyrese was also featured in Da Brat's "What'chu Like" from her 2001 album Unrestricted. He released I Wanna Go There in 2002 with "How You Wanna Act Like That," which is a song that is reminisent of the sweet melodies of Tyrese.

Alter Ego was the two disc release 2006 release featuring Tyrese singing on one disc and rapping on the other. Guest artists on Alter Ego included Snoop Dogg, David Banner, Kurupt, The Game and R. Kelly. Tyrese released Super Hits in 2008 as a compilation of his hits like "Sweet Lady" and "I Like Them Girls." In August 2009, Tyrese travelled to the British Virgin Islands to perform at the Carrot Bay Festival for the territory's Emancipation Festival.

Tyrese Gibson's Movies & BET Reality Show

Tyrese acted in John Singleton's 2001 movie Baby Boy with Taraji P. Henson and Snoop Dogg,

2 Fast 2 Furious with Paul Walker and Eva Mendes in 2003 and Four Brothers with Mark Wahlberg in 2005. He also appeared in 2009 hit Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. According to Amazon.com, Tyrese has roles in the upcoming movies Fast Five and Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon. Tyrese has further diversified by being the executive producer of BET's reality show First In about firefighters and paramedics in Compton.

Tyrese Gibson sings and acts, which are ventures that Eve, Tupac Shakur, DMX, Janet Jackson and many other musicians have pursued. Tyrese steps to another level because he ventured into a comic book and is soon to release a motivational book. He has also executive produced the BET reality series First In. His acting career continues to blossom as he has scored roles in major movies like Fast Five and in two of the Transformers trilogy. Tyrese is a superstar who has delved into several segments of the entertainment industry and is certainly a star to keep an eye on.

Why is Jason the bad guy on TV?

The Jason movie series Friday The 13th portrayed Jason as a "madman" as we say in the Caribbean. Jason on Couples' Retreat was a moron who was a control freak and even seemed to plan how he would have sex. Jason on The Game was another control freak who controlled his family through his finances and hated to see others achieve more than him.

If your name is Jason, I'll still assume that you are a normal person upon first meeting. However, if you start acting funny, we may start jumping to conclusions that you are a "madman".

I know I have only provided three movies with Jason characters, but that's all I could remember. Maybe those Jason characters just had a hard start in life and they are acting out....

YEAH.

How to Create a Blog: It's Easy and Fun to Make a Blog

Creating a blog is fun and easy because a blog represents a person's personal feelings and creativity. Learn how to create a blog in easy steps.

Diaries, journals and blogs provide a healthy medium for self-expression and for improving writing skills. A blog is the online way to keep a journal of daily activities, thoughts, poetry or photography. Before creating the blog, it is important to think about why the blog is being made and who will be able to access the information. 

Decide What to Express in the Blog

The blog can be about whatever the writer chooses to share. This choice will also determine the online blog website that will be used. Poetry or articles can be also be expressed in the blog for sharing. If the blog is to be used like a diary, then the setting would have to be made private so that others cannot access the information.

Choose the Blog Website

There are many options such as WordPress.com or Blogger.com and social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace also offer blogs to their users. Most blog sites require a username and password and in some cases the blog can be made private, available only to the friend circle or open to the general public.

Format and Layout the Blog

Since a blog is a personal 'web log', users can set the layout based on the templates available on the chosen site. Be creative and choose colors that are warm and fonts that are easy to read. It makes no sense to choose a black background with navy blue text because it would be difficult to read. Photos also add a fresh look to the blog. Be sure to think before posting personal or contact information in the profile to avoid identity theft.

Get Started on the Blog

It is simple to start a blog because a personal blog is not like a school assignment. Making a 'web log' is a choice to share information. Don't over-think the content to add. Instead consider the focus for the blog, think of the topic and start brainstorming and writing. If the blog is created to share photos, a description of the photo can be added to describe the lighting and the inspiration behind the picture. A blog is a good way to express feelings and thoughts.

Making a blog is easy and can be managed with little effort. After deciding what will be expressed in the blog, be sure to choose a blog website that is suitable, layout the page and start writing.

Why I Love John Legend

I love any artist that steps out of the normal realm of popular music. Singers like Tanya Stephens, Queen Ifrica and Usher bring new fresh music with amazing instrumentals and tight lyrics.

John Legend sings a lot about infidelity and the perils of love. His music gives that neo-soul feel with the infusion of actual instruments especially the piano - like in the intro of the song "Get Lifted" and everyone's favorite "Ordinary People".

He tells it to us straight like in "Used to Love You". He gets upbeat and hip hop in "Green Light". He gets hard with his Grammy wins by collaborating with the "Roots". He goes reggae with Buju Banton in "Can't Be My Lover" and with Estelle in "No Other Love". In "I Can Change" he links with Snoop Dogg and claims that he can change his cheating ways.

While some people may say, why would you want to hear songs about cheating, this is a part of life. Poetry in music is designed to express the stresses - the realities that people are facing daily. Relationships are a fundamental part of our daily life and music can help to give us some enjoyment from the stress.

As a poet, I seek music with interesting and deep lyrics which are outside of the norm. I may listen to Rhianna or Beyonce, but mainly because of the beat first because I do love to dance. I'll add that my favorite Beyonce song is "Me, Myself & I" because it was enjoyable listening to it and watching the video.

However, I love John Legend's style and his flavor of music. He truly is an Evolver because he always brings something fresh. When I first heard "Green Light" I could not believe the guy who sang the quiet "Ordinary People" could get so 'funkdafied' - but I love the song!

Kudos to John Legend for giving us good music!

Keeping Food Safe: How to Prevent Foodborne Illnesses

You may be eating food filled with bacteria that could cause serious illnesses. Learn how to carefully handle and store food to keep your family safe.

In the United States, food safety inspections are normal at establishments that prepare food for sale. Such inspections are necessary to protect the consumers from illnesses which can result from poorly prepared or handled food and to alleviate outbreaks linked to tainted food. At home, the onus is upon the entire family to ensure that food is safely handled and stored to prevent foodborne illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), annually approximately "76 million illnesses occur, more than 300,000 persons are hospitalized, and 5,000 die from foodborne illness."

How Foodborne Illnesses Make Us Sick

Food can make us sick through intoxication or infection. According to "Applied Foodservice Sanitation" (Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1995), intoxication when it comes to food means that toxins or poisons from bacteria or mold growth are present in ingested food and cause illness such as nausea and vomiting. A foodborne infection, on the other hand, is a foodborne illness which results from eating food that contains living harmful micro-organisms. A common symptom of an infection is diarrhea. Whether the food-related illness is linked to an infection such as Salmonellosis or an intoxication such as Staphylococcus, there will be some discomfort to the affected person.

How Bacteria Can Spread in Food

Bacteria, toxins or poisons can spread through domestic and wild animals, humans, improperly processed canned goods, cooked and raw foods and water. A common foodborne illness such as salmonellosis, caused by the bacteria salmonella, can be transmitted from infected poultry, meat and the by-products of these animals when proper food safety measures such as cooking and storing food at the optimal temperatures are not followed. Another common illness, Staphylococcus occurs when cooked or prepared foods such as potato salad, cheese or ham become contaminated with bacteria.

Food Safety Measures

It is very each for bacteria to spread and contaminate food and make people sick. Below are some helpful safety measures which can aid in reducing foodborne illnesses.

• Keep Hands Clean: Food preparers are constantly encouraged to wash hands thoroughly. Bacteria from feces, nasal passages or from other foods can easily spread from hands to food items that are still in the preparation stage. Staphylococcus can easily be spread from a cook who scratches a pimple and does not wash his hands.
• Avoid Damaged Canned Goods: If cans are swollen, frothing or show any signs of damage, discard immediately. "Applied Food Service Sanitation" warns that food from cans that are damaged should not even be tasted to avoid illness and death from botulism, which can attack the nervous system.
• Keep Foods at Safe Temperatures: The Food Safety and Inspection Service(FSIS) website states that "bacteria multiply rapidly between 40 °F and 140 °F (and) to keep food out of this "Danger Zone," keep cold food cold and hot food hot". Refrigerated food should be stored at 40 °F or below in the refrigerator and in the freezer at 0 °F or below. Cooked food must be cooked at a safe minimum internal temperature. Meat such as beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops may be cooked to 145 °F and all cuts of pork, ground beef, veal and lamb must be cooked to at a temperature 160 °F. All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. Hot cooked food must be maintained at temperatures 140 °F or above and when re-heating, the temperature should be 165 °F.
• Guard Food Against Cross-Contamination: Cross-contamination can occur when utensils, cutting boards and counter surfaces are not cleaned and sanitized when cooking or preparing more than one type of food. A knife that cut a chicken infected with salmonella and then is used without being washed to cut beef can spread the bacteria.
• Purchase Produce Only from Reputable Sources: Produce, especially meat, poultry, fish and the bi-products should be purchased from reputable suppliers who meet health and safety standards.
• Listen out for advisories and food recalls: On February 25, 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recall for all lots of 25lb boxes of Crushed Red Pepper sold by Wholesome Spice of Brooklyn, New York between April 6, 2009 to January 20, 2010 because the pepper may have possibly been contaminated with salmonella. While there have been no confirmed cases of Salmonellosis linked to the product, it is important to remain vigilant of such recalls and information.

Today, it is important to be vigilant about food safety and health. While foodborne illnesses cannot be completely avoided, having the basic knowledge about the illnesses and some measures to prevent them can aid in keeping a family healthy. The list of safety measures given are not exhaustive but provide a basic foundation for keeping food safe. Visit the CDC, FDA and FSIS websites for more information on food safety and for updates on food recalls. 

Ever Get Thrown "Under the Bus"?

2011 has started off as my getting "thrown under the bus" year. Everywhere I turn, it seems like people are trying to set me up to look stupid. Fortunately for me, I keep stepping and rising. No matter what you do in your family, organization or in life in general, there will always seem to be someone or some persons who are out to get you.

But are they really trying to get you? Is it all in your mind? Somethings, difficult situations occur and we want to blame others for our failures and misfortunes. Things will never go perfectly in life. I always say that anything that is too perfect usually has too many flaws.

Whether they are trying to get you or if you are just paranoid or insecure about your various relationships, you can't let other people hold you back. Get your "Shine" on! You can shine quietly and reap the rewards of your achievements or you can share your accomplishments with those who around you so that you can inspire them.

There are days when that sinking feeling will come and someone was really trying to get you - to make you look bad. I've had one of those days recentlly and I realized the other persons involved just can not accept change. They may not be intimidated but they only see things from one spectrum. I was "under the bus" but the key persons in the end still worked with me because they knew that I did try my best.

If you are "under the bus", don't stay there! Get up and out and show everyone that no matter the size of the missile sent your way, you are destined for greatness and you will "shine"!