Producer Timbaland Invests In 50 Cent’s SMS Audio Brand
50 Cent and Timbaland, two of the music industry’s biggest forces, have joined together and formed a new partnership around 50′s SMS Audio brand.
Timbaland will invest an undisclosed amount into SMS Audio, in addition to joining the company’s board of directors.
Timbaland will have involvement in the design and audio engineering process for new products that are being launched by SMS Audio.
“50 Cent has created an aspirational audio brand that produces the highest caliber of headphones on the market,” said Timbaland. “I’m looking forward to working with 50 and being part of a company so eager to bring studio-quality sound to music fans all over the world.”
The SMS Audio company already produces a variety of products, including STREET by 50, the DJ Pro Performance headphones and SYNC by 50.
50 Cent expects Timbaland’s years of experience in the recording studio producing hits for artists like Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado and others, to pay off.
“As an entrepreneur in the music industry, I have great respect for Timbaland and his evolving role as a producer, artist and influencer,” 50 Cent said. “I welcome his expertise and guidance. Timbaland will be a huge asset to the SMS Audio team as we move forward with new and innovative audio products.”
-AHH
Skyfall up for Producers Guild of America Awards
Skyfall has become the first James Bond film to be nominated for the top prize at the Producers Guild of America Awards.
Star-studded musical Les Miserables and Steven Spielberg's Lincoln are also on the list of 10 shortlisted films.
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) award is seen as a good indicator of which film could win best picture at the Oscars.
The PGA winner has gone on to win best picture 16 times in the last 23 years.
The last time the PGA and the Oscars disagreed was six years ago when the PGA chose Little Miss Sunshine and the Oscar went to The Departed.
Ben Affleck and George Clooney are nominated this year as the producers of the Iran hostage drama Argo, while 2009 PGA winner Kathryn Bigelow is nominated for Zero Dark Thirty.
HBO sued over cancelled show Luck
US TV network HBO is being sued by a woman who claims she was unfairly dismissed from horseracing drama Luck.
The show, which starred Dustin Hoffman, was axed after several animals died.
Barbara Casey, ex-director of the American Humane Association film and production unit, says producers "engaged in ongoing, systematic and unlawful animal abuse".
An HBO statement said precautions were taken "to ensure that our horses were treated humanely".
Ms Casey's lawsuit also accuses the American Humane Association (AHA) of bending to pressure from the TV network "to allow the use of unsuitable horses".
She said her employment was wrongfully terminated after she threatened to report animal mistreatment.
HBO added in its statement to The Hollywood Reporter: "Barbara Casey was not an employee of HBO, and any questions regarding her employment should be directed to the AHA."
The drama, in which Hoffman starred as a crime kingpin scheming to gain control of a racecourse, was cancelled last March during filming on its second season.
Several horses were injured and put down, and a statement at the time said it was "with heartbreak that HBO have decided to cease all future production". It was shown in the UK on Sky Atlantic.
However, Ms Casey claims the network engaged in efforts to "conceal and cover-up" animal safety violations while filming.
She said HBO "misidentified horses so that the humane officers and/or animal safety representatives could not track their medical histories, experience and/or suitability for use".
Ms Casey, who held her position with the AHA for 13 years, claimed officers witnessed horses being "drugged to perform" and "underweight and sick horses unsuited for work [being] routinely used".
AHA said in a statement to movie website Deadline that it "is unable to comment on this pending legal matter".
--BBC
Bruce Springsteen to be honoured at Grammy charity gig
Sir Elton John, Sting and Neil Young are among the stars who will appear at a concert to salute Bruce Springsteen before this year's Grammy Awards.
Springsteen has been named the MusiCares Person of the Year by the Recording Academy, which organises the prestigious US music awards.
The concert to honour Springsteen will be held in Los Angeles on 8 February.
The academy said he was chosen for "his exceptional artistic achievements as well as his philanthropic work".
Other artists due to appear include Patti Smith, British band Mumford and Sons, Mavis Staples and Jackson Browne.
The show will raise money for emergency financial assistance, such as rent, medical expenses and addiction recovery treatment, for "members of the music community".
Past MusiCares Person of the Year recipients have included Tony Bennett, Bono, Phil Collins, Neil Diamond and Aretha Franklin.
--BBC
Simon Cowell parties with ex-fiancé Mezhgan Hussainy in Barbados
Simon Cowell and ex-fiancé Mezhgan Hussainy show that they still get along as they escaped the hustle of the entertainment industry by fleeing to Barbados.
Hussainy, who works as a makeup artist for “American Idol,” still has the looks that attracted Cowell in the first place – and she showed off her figure with a stylish teal bikini.
Some may speculate that Cowell and Hussainy have rekindled their past romance.
Cowell recently admitted to dating former Playboy model Carmen Electra, reported Ok!
“She's not my girlfriend," Simon told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show. "We're people who date. She's adorable isn't she?"
In his professional life as a talent judge, lovely ladies surround Cowell. In his personal life, the same appears to be true.
St.Vincent: baby found dead
In news just coming to hand, police in St.Vincent will now have to search for clues as to who left a baby wrapped in a blanket and placed in a plastic bag on the streets of Kingstown.
Reports are that the discovery was made a short while ago in the vicinity of the Income Tax building in the city.
Unconfirmed reports are that the baby was found by a vagrant who was at the time searching a garbage can. Further reports are that the infant's umbilical cord was still attached.
Whasupcaribbean will keep you updated as more information becomes available and will seek to confirm the report.
Antiguan ex-cops get bail on money laundering charges
The ex-police officers facing 15 money-laundering and drug trafficking offences linked to a double murder in Cedar Valley are out on bail.
Arleigh Byer and Cosbert Sergeant spent Christmas with their families after meeting their bail conditions on Christmas Eve.
In lieu of physical cash, the court accepted property and other equipment put up by independent persons.
A stipulation of the bail requirement was that Byer and Sergeant not hold title for any of the properties or have an interest in them.
Byer and Sergeant were granted bail in St John’s Magistrates’ Court for possession of 35 kilos of cocaine, but were unable to come up with the $100,000 cash deposit of the $1.2 million bail. The cash component was later cut in half.
The duo obtained bail in the High Court in the sum of $800,000 on December 20 on the money-laundering offences.
A cash deposit of $200,000 was ordered in addition to other conditions including reporting to the nearest police station three days weekly.
The cocaine was found on the scene of a double murder where thirty-four-year-old Alwin Robin and Alix Riviere, 32, both of Dominica, were found shot to death in a Cedar Valley house.
Both men allegedly are custodians of the property.
While being detained in prison waiting to fulfil the bail conditions, both men were slapped with nine counts of money laundering, by the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP).
The ONDCP later served them with an additional six charges.
The men’s arrest and charging follows a two-year probe by the law enforcement agency.
All the matters have been adjourned until February 25. The money laundering charges, under the Money Laundering Act, are summary matters to be heard by a magistrate unless otherwise directed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and without consent of the accused.
Attorney Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin is the men’s legal advocate.
Antigua Observer
Jamaica authorities smash multi million dollar fraud ring
Detectives from the Organized Crime Investigation Division (OCID) have smashed a major fraud ring that fleeced J$85 million (US$920 thousand) from a prominent financial institution in western Jamaica.
The police report that Rohan Ennis, a businessman, was arrested and charged with several counts of forgery, uttering forged documents, conspiracy to defraud and obtaining money by means of false pretence.
It’s reported that Ennis was among a group of persons who applied for loans from the institution. It was later revealed that the documents which were submitted for the loans were forged. Some of the documents submitted were from organizations that do not exist. The individuals also submitted fictitious addresses.
Ennis was granted two loans totaling $J15 million (US$160000) of which J$10 million (US$108 thousand) was used to purchase a BMW X6. The police have since seized the vehicle.
Ennis who was arrested and charged on December 27 was remanded when he appeared in the Corporate Area Criminal Court on Wednesday.
The detectives have also listed twelve individuals, suspected to be involved in the scheme, as persons of interest.
Caribbean 360
Haiti embraces leadership of CARICOM
Incoming chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Michel Martelly, president of Haiti, has called on member states to consolidate efforts in order to achieve the “necessary structural changes to increase the well-being of our peoples.”
In a message to the Community at the beginning of its fortieth anniversary year, Martelly, whose country is chairing the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM for the first time, reflected on unity as a means of overcoming the serious economic, environmental, and social challenges affecting the region.
In its fortieth year of existence, there was ample evidence that the Community “constitutes a useful mechanism to facilitate integration within the region,” Martelly said. He added that as small, vulnerable states in a competitive, economic environment, the task at hand was to ensure that CARICOM constituted a bulwark that would protect its member states in the current formidable global environment.
“In my capacity as chairman of the Community, I resolutely commit myself and my country to this noble and urgent necessity. Haiti gladly embraces this opportunity to provide leadership to the integration process for the next six months, and looks forward to help strengthen the Caribbean Community. During Haiti’s chairmanship, we shall also endeavour to promote sustainable development policies based on an effective cooperation strategy,” Martelly said.
In this quest, Martelly said he would build upon the “sterling work” of his predecessor, Dr Kenny Anthony, prime minister of Saint Lucia, and would seek the support of Kamla Persad-Bissessar, prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, who is the third member of the Bureau of Heads of Government, and other heads of government.
Referring to Haiti’s role in the Community, Martelly acknowledged that his country must accelerate its integration into CARICOM and committed to doing so during his tenure as chairman.
Caribbean News Now
Cohorts in money laundering scam including a Bermuda national jailed
A Montana judge has jailed two California residents for their roles in a Ponzi scheme involving Bermudian Andre Curtis, once the election campaign manager for former Premier Dr Ewart Brown.
According to local media reports, Shanna Raymond of Oakland and Brian Gill of San Pedro was convicted of investment fraud and money laundering.
US District Judge Donald Molloy sentenced Raymond to two years in prison and ordered the 37-year-old to pay US$1.5 million in restitution.
The judge jailed Gill , 55 for 18 months and made him pay US$570,000 in restitution.
Prosecutors said Raymond and Gill agreed to promote investments by Dan Two Feathers of Hamilton, Montana.
Two Feathers, who spearheaded the scam, was jailed in June for six years on investment fraud and other charges.
Shawn Swor, another who pleaded guilty to his involvement, was sentenced to two years and three months in July.
In September, Terrance Paulin was jailed for two years and nine months and ordered to repay victims following the scam, which saw investors conned out of more than $2.4 million.
Paulin, of Missoula, Montana, admitted conspiracy to commit investment fraud in a hearing before the same judge.
The court had previously heard people were falsely promised huge returns on their investments, with their cash then funneled through a front company which had accounts at the Bank of Bermuda.
Montana State Auditors Office told how Bermudian businessman Curtis helped run the scheme. Curtis was fined $335,000 by the Montana Commissioner in November 2010. The following month, he was jailed for 15 months by the Bermuda courts for operating an unlicensed investment business.
Curtis briefly campaigned in Pembroke South East in last month’s Bermuda general election — in which the One Bermuda Alliance ended he Progressive Labour Party’s 14 years in power — but pulled out after he was sent back to prison for unpaid bills. Brown was Premier between 2006 and 2010.
Caribbean 360