DI OBSERVER SEZ

Before you realised it, 2011 swept by. But if you were paying attention you would have seen, heard, experienced some of the things that made our Best Of list this year.
The wacky, spectacular, imaginative and creative all made the list, and if you don’t agree, you can always let us know your suggestions at [email protected]
Best Performer – Tarrus Riley
Tarrus, Tarrus, Tarrus, if anybody can hold a crowd, it’s this man. Tarrus Riley has been blessed with a soothing voice and amazing energy that may last a lifetime. It’s no wonder he is so successful in his performances.
Mr Singy Singy has a fanbase too much to number, and it spans lovers of lovers rock, reality, tributes to Rastafari and other intrinsically Jamaican topics.
He is able to sway the toughest of crowds, though he doesn’t have to try very hard because he is already so loved. Known for popular songs like She’s Royal and Stay With You, Going Out, Superhuman, Shaka Zulu Pickney, et al, Riley has also toured the world countless times, visiting countries such as Switzerland and France, where English isn’t the first language, and has managed to get great feedback.
With that said, Riley has definitely gained TEENage’s approval for Best Performer for 2011.
Best Feud – Twins of Twins vs Tony Matterhorn
Labelling a toss up as ‘best’ is a bit unusual, but after the many feuds that came up this year, there was no going around the fact that one just seemed completely unexpected.
We’re accustomed to having big dancehall artistes engage in a lyrical battle, but when a selector (turned deejay) Dufton Taylor Jr, also known as Tony Matterhorn, and twin comedians Paul and Patrick Gaynor, also known as Twins of Twins, exchange lyrical jabs for over a month, heads will turn and questions are asked.
This all seemed to have escalated from an interview that the Twins did, speaking about some of the issues within the dancehall… and they happened to have mentioned Tony Matterhorn’s name… and he didn’t take it lightly. From there we saw a number of counteractions being released with each side making strong comments about the other.
Simply put, this feud showed up the lyrical abilities from each side and it was good to have two unexpected fighters instead of the usual sets.
Best Slip of the Tongue – ‘Bus Can Swim’
Perceived, construed or otherwise, there is no doubt that the ‘Bus Can Swim’ is the Best Slip of the Tongue for 2011.
At a time when the residents of the Robert’s Field Community in east rural, St Andrew were shedding tears of frustration for having been isolated as a result of the fact that heavy rains had allowed the Yallahs River to flood its banks, it was a great relief to laugh.
And that’s exactly what happened when Clifton Brown explained the situation on the nightly news on Television Jamaica (TVJ).
Thanks to the Kevin-Sean ‘DJ Powa’ Hamilton’s skilful ‘refix’ of TVJ’s newsclip interview, Jamaica, and other parts of the world, heard about how the ‘Bus Can Swim’.
Best Slang – ‘Canna Cross It’ and ‘One Knock’
This category was a bit of a hard one to decide, so in the end we chose two winners ‘Canna Cross It’ and ‘One Knock’.
Since the debut of the Nobody Canna Cross It music video by DJ Powa in the summer of 2011, this slang has been the centre of many jokes and gibes.
DJ Powa ‘tek serious mek laugh’ in this revamped news broadcast of the flooding after torrential rains in June.
It comes as no surprise that the star of the video, Clifton ‘ClifTwang’ Brown has risen to such levels of fame that many budding musicians only dream about.
His twanging combined with the musical and editing effects has caused laughter in many households and given Jamaicans a way to laugh at hard situations that they ‘canna cross it’.
‘One Knock’
Radion ‘Chi Ching Ching’ Beckford is popularly known for coining catchy slangs. So, it should come as no surprise that ‘One Knock’ is now one of those popular slangs that you just can’t get out of your head.
Though no one would be able to tell you exactly what this means, it is used daily by many Jamaicans. When Chi Ching Ching debuted the song One Knock in September 2011, it began a new trend as people quickly adopted the slang, adding their own unique twists to the phrase.
It isn’t the first slang from this popular dancehall artiste and it won’t be the last (we hope), but TEENage gives ‘One knock’ the title of one of the best slangs for the year 2011.
Best Video – Matrimoney Movie
It’s creative, it’s clean and it’s funny,the Matrimoney Movie is a video anyone can enjoy. The video actually tells a story, combining so many great artistes that each put in their own piece to the tale.
It will elicit a laugh, chuckle or even just a smile from anyone who watches it. It’s not just a gathering of girls showing their body parts in a music video that looks like it’s been shot with a camera phone.
The movie had a good quality with more than decent editing from Michael Cushnie, and many will agree is the best Jamaican music video of 2011.
Best Riddims – Overproof and Matrimoney
Another tough one, we had to split the honours for the best Riddim between Overproof and Matrimoney.
In the midst of the summer no one expected that a literal matrimony themed riddim with a wedding inspired clip to match would have captivated the Jamaican dancehall populace, but Wayne Marshall and Washroom Entertainment’s Matrimoney Riddim did just that.
Each of the seven tracks on the piano-driven authentic dancehall production was within their own right a hit single, whether it was Wayne Marshall crooning to his Good Ole Wife, Sean Paul and Fambo being the Wedding Crashers amongst others.
Matrimoney Riddim, however, has to share the Best Riddim prize with the late bloomer Overproof Riddim by Justus and Roach.
Released in August, Overproof Riddim did not get the summer push it wanted, but instead has now achieved a monstrous almost six-month reign with a staggering count of over 25 tracks with more still being added.
Overproof Riddim is a bright electronic synth heavy production aimed at the dance floors with some of the year’s biggest hits such as Mavado’s Settle Down, Khago’s Tun Up Di Ting, Tifa’s Dash Out, Wayne Marshall and Kurup’s Right Back, and New Zealand invasion Daniel Bedingfield’s Sometimes You Just Know, and a slew of others.
Best Producer – Washroom Entertainment
The year 2011 was meant to be a brand-building year for Washroom Entertainment, and the production house exceeded their own expectations to become the producer of the year.
Washroom Entertainment proved to the Jamaican music marketplace that they were versed in not only fusion tracks, but also contemporary dancehall releases such as Konshens and Voice Mail’s Last Drink, every song on their mammoth hit Matrimoney Riddim, and the recent release Bubble Gum Riddim.
Also, Washroom Entertainment helmed the biggest posse cut of the year Swaggin by Wayne Marshall, Tifa, and Fambo, and other popular collaborations such as Here We Go with Wayne Marshall and Sean Paul, and Denyque and Ding Dong’s What You Like.
TEENage expects quality releases to be continued by Washroom Entertainment for 2012.
Best International Song of 2011 – Party Rock Anthem
Last year was more than great for American electro-pop duo LMFAO. Their number one hit song Party Rock Anthem, which featured Lauren Bennett and GoonRock, definitely scored them big in the business.
The music video gained over 342 million views on the popular website Youtube and still has lots of TEENs shuffling. It managed to remain atop Billboard’s Hot 100 for six weeks straight.
It was also the seventh song ever to spend a minimum of 25 weeks in the Top 10. It also came second for the best-selling single of the year on iTunes.
Party Rock Anthem: Great song, great video quality and has an awesome vibe.
Best Party – Marco Polo
On August 28 was the staging of the most thrilling events for 2011 — Lawless Events’ Marco Polo, held at the LIME Golf Academy.
With great music provided by some of the best disc Jocks Jamaica has to offer, the promoters had everything in place to please the patrons. A foam pit, water slide and a mechanical bull, the patrons could not get enough.
Patrons left the venue well satisfied, and for days people kept talking about how awesome the event was. Marco Polo is by far the best party for 2012, providing patrons with the greatest party experience.
Best Hangout Spot – Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records
With this hot hangout spot, the things we think about most are the décor, the food and, of course, we couldn’t forget the sport.
Named after the fastest in the world, Usain Bolt, the casual dining lounge gives a unique blend of the ‘yaadie gone abroad’ style with its international décor and delectable local dishes with a twist. Plus, the service is pretty good and the prices aren’t too expensive.
Coupled with that is, of course, the entertainment including the hottest sports on over 30 big-screen televisions and those special nights for deals, mix and mingle or those special star-studded events.
All in all, this trendy hangout spot seamlessly captures the idea of casual dining with high energy that never seems to die.
Best Gospel Album for 2011 – Heal Jamaica, Heal The World by Omari
This year was a big year for gospel music in Jamaica. This is evident in the amount of gospel albums that were released this year, some which carried the hit factor, and some which were just okay.
Among the big hits were Omari with Heal Jamaica Heal the World, Ryan Mark with Israel, Jermaine Edwards with Hide Away, DJ Nicholas with School Of Volume, and the new powerhouse whom represented for the female gospel fraternity this year Jermet ‘J Cee’ Campbell with Nah Compromise.
Notwithstanding, there had to be one that stood out the most and that is certainly Omari. His album contained some of the right ingredients such as Help, Jehovah Guide Me and Impossibly that made the project a standout one.
Comeback Artiste – Wayne Marshall
After taking an extended honeymoon from the dancehall scene, it was only appropriate that his first hit single back was on the Matrimoney rhythm.
The artiste, known for his witty play on words finally came back in 2011 with Good Ole Wife produced by Washroom Entertainment.
Yes you guessed it! TEENage’s best comeback artiste for 2011 is none other than Wayne Marshall. The Alliance affiliate, who has been missing from the charts since 2009 picked up right where he left off with his risqué lyrics and his adoring fans grabbed on to it.
As if one hit song was not enough, Marshall teamed up Tifa and Fambo to record arguably one of the songs of the year Swaggin. The song confirmed that Marshall was back and had party goers “swagging” all night long.
Marshall was definitely one of the big acts for 2011 and if his recent works are anything to go by, TEENage can officially announce that the Marshall is back in town.
Best Song – Ravin by Popcaan
Oh gosh! The song of the year without doubt is by Andre Sutherland better known as Popcaan. The 23-year-old from the Adidja ‘Vybz Kartel’ Palmer-led Portmore Empire took the summer by storm with his song titled Ravin on the Summer Time Riddim.
Popcaan, who was TEENage’s best new artiste for 2010, knocked his role model and ‘Teacha’ from the number one spot and had the dancehall raving to his beat. The song, which is lyrically compact, is also very melodious and has a way of getting the common man or woman to just rave.
While there where many other notable songs throughout the year, this song was perfectly timed and when it came out, it didn’t just fade after the summer; it was still being played over and over months after.
Best Personality – Miss Kitty
Fluffy, fabulous and fashionable are just three words one can use to describe ‘The Fluffy Diva’ Miss Kitty.
Khadine Hylton, Miss Kitty, has managed to make her name known not only for her vibes, but also for her encouragement of young “fluffy” women to feel secure with how they look. After entering the entertainment scene in 1999 when she hosted RJR’s Youth Factor, Ms Kitty’s career continued to boom where she’s currently not only a radio talk show host, but also the host of Di Show on RE-TV.
She is one of Digicel’s ambassador, and has hosted many of their corporate events including Digicel Rising Stars and has been the female judge on Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall for the past four seasons.
Recently, she released her book entitled Good Girl Gone Bad and with all these accomplishments, she continues to justify her multifaceted character and it makes her well deserving to be recognised as the Best Media Personality of 2011.
Best Sports Moment – Yohan Blake’s 200m run
Earmarked to be a star from his time at Boys’ and Girls’ Athletic Championships, the former St Jago sprinter catapulted onto the world scene with a scintillating 2011 campaign.
A campaign saw him become the youngest-ever 100m World Champion at the age of 21 — at the expense of his training partner Usian Bolt, who false-started and was disqualified.
But that is not the moment we relish.
The performance, which in the minds of many Jamaicans and track enthusiasts worldwide eclipsed his World Championship exploits, was the blistering 19.26 seconds to become the second-fastest man in 200-metre history.
Blake’s 200m run at the Samsung Diamond League Final in Brussels completely upstages his training partner Bolt, who ran the fastest 100m time of the season 9.76 in the race before. Blake’s 19.26 is only bettered by Bolt’s 19.19 from the Berlin World Championships in 2009.
A staunch supporter of hard work and dedication, Blake is a model athlete and a beacon of light to all TEENs, and TEENage wishes him all the best in his career.
Best TV Show – Wray & Nephew’s The Contender
Back in the 1970s boxing was arguable one of the most popular sport in Jamaica and in 2011 the sport again came to life through the television series Wray & Nephew’s The Contender.
The show, which started slow in January, rapidly increased viewership as it got closer and closer to the finals.
Across the island, watchers could be seen gathering at sports bars, corner shops and even on the roadside to cheer on their favourite contender.
The show saw 16 boxers competing for the grand prize of $1 million and the ultimate Contender belt. With jab after jab and blow after blow, The Contender is TEENage’s best TV Show for 2011.
Best Sports Team – St George’s College
Thirteen, generally seen as an unlucky number, is now the number of times that St George’s College (StGC) has been crowned All-Island School Boy Football Champions.
The North Street-based school swept the Corporate Area double with the Manning and Walker Cups with consummate ease. StGC then marched passed DaCosta Cup Champions Rusea’s with a style and blend of football that has now become distinctly George’s.
Blessed with skill, pace and tactical awareness that can rival any professional team islandwide, this team assembled by television personality-cum-coach Neville ‘Bertis’ Bell looked a cut above the rest throughout the competition; they are deserving champions.
TEENage congratulates StGC on a fine season.
Best Dressed Male – Chino
From morning Daniel ‘Chino’ McGreggor is one of the hottest dancehall artistes — fashion-wise. Unlike other artistes who may think ‘the bigger, the better’, Chino goes with a less-is-more approach.
Still maintaining a signature style that is hot, hype and trendy, uptown style with a yaadie flair, Chino dresses according to mood.
His very clean style can sometimes venture into adventurous, but never gets too extravagant. Never without his shades and matching watch, he shows that he not only knows how to piece things together to co-ordinate his outfit, but his accessories as well.
But what really pushed Chino to get our best dressed male pick: this male trendsetter of the year has openly admitted that he shops for most of his signature pieces in the States and Europe, just to avoid following the local trends.
Best Dressed Female – Tifa
Tifa, a Certified Diva has been crowned Jamaica’s queen of fashion fusion!
This fashonista extraordinaire has an eclectic style, mixing delicate and feminine with street urban with the help of local celebrity stylist Dexter Pottinger.
Whether she’s pretty in pink with her girly outfits, or going for a more sultry look with dark tones and animal prints, her outfits are both edgy and fashion-forward.
Tifa brings avant garde styles from the runway to the streets, and toes the line between costume and style by employing her keen fashion sense, which she proudly states she inherited from her mother.
When it comes to fashion, this was definitely Tifa’s year!
Female Artiste – Tifa
She a di B-A-D-D-E-S-T! Latifa ‘Tifa’ Brown swagged her way through 2011 to win the love of the public beyond her spelling talent.
Through collaborations and solos, Tifa Matey Wine skilfully into the Wedding Chapel, had a WTF (Wayne Marshal, Tifa & Fambo) moment with I Am Swaggin, when she killed the third verse with undeniably the baddest verse of 2011.
She had many females dancing towards to end of the year with Dash Out and with Move Ya Body she showed that her musical talent could be stretched to a dance tune.
Tifa is one of the few female artistes, who, especially during live performances, strongly supports and encourages education as a priority. Thumbs up!
Male Artiste – Mavado
Let’s be honest, 2011 was a great year for David ‘Mavado’ Brooks. And although many might have predicted that Vybz Kartel would have been crowned as king, our panel of TEENs think otherwise.
Regaining of US visa aside, Mavado stole the award with songs such as Pepper, Final Destination, I Know You Want Me featuring Ne-Yo, Delilah, and Settle Down.
He encouraged a violence-free society where he showed his preference for flirting rather than fighting with Gal Over Gun as that’s what a real Star Bwoy would do. He also built on the egos of the men to be Steppas of the nation. And that’s how Movado Tump-ed his way to the Best Male Artiste of 2011.
Best Collaboration – One By One Laza Morgan featuring Mavado
Two different artistes from two different genres produced the best collaboration of 2011, dancehall artiste Mavado and new and coming Jamaican-expat hip-hop artiste Laza Morgan’s hit One By One is still rocking the airwaves.
The duo’s song for the ladies says everything a girl wants to hear when she hits the party, and definitely conveys what the guys want to say to them.
The song, produced by Bunetta and Frank E is certainly the hit of the year, you hear it every time you ‘do road’ blazing from car stereos, in the party or as ringtones.
Best International Artiste – Adele
Four-time certified platinum recording artiste Adele is only 22 years old, but with a voice reminiscent of the jazz greats, the spirit of emotive music flows straight through her.
Her album 21 did not only mark a two-year transition in age from her first album 19, but also a musical maturity that saw the evolution of musical style and vocal treatments. The edgy guitar introduction to Rolling In The Deep has easily become one of the most recognised intros with the song itself well on its way to being a modern rock classic.
Someone Like You and Set Fire To The Rain capture why 21 is an album that takes you on the highs and lows of love with a sense of maturity, experience and honesty.
Best Movie – Rise of the Planet of the Apes
James Franco hit big with the reboot of the smash 1970s hit Planet Of The Apes last year. In this instalment, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, he expanded his repertoire from the Spider-Man trilogy that parachuted him to stardom.
This epic film offers a unique balance of action, emotion and suspense in a manner that allowed the movie to flow brilliantly to an impressive end.
At the heart of the movie is Caesar, voiced by Andy Serkis, a chimpanzee, who gains human-like intelligence and emotions from an experimental drug aimed at curing Alzheimer’s Disease. Raised like a child by the drug’s creator, Will Rodman (Franco), Caesar ultimately finds himself taken from the humans he loves and imprisoned in an ape sanctuary in San Bruno.
The action scenes are creative, magnificent, mixes fantasy convincingly with reality, and sweeps the watcher along as the storyline unfolds. It is for good reason that this movie is TEENage’s Best Movie of 2011.