Manifest Spreads Hip Hope To Barbados With HISLife, HISMic Tour

Bridgetown, Barbados… Bahamian hip hop icon Manifest is spreading hip hope to the island nation of Barbados this week and he’s bringing along his music, his mission and debuting a protégé. The artiste, who is unofficially crowned the prince of positive hip hop is making Barbados the first Caribbean island to sample his latest album HISLife HISMic, his most critically acclaimed to date. Bajans can expect Manifest to hit up some venues from March 25th to March 29th.
Barely 30, Manifest is considered a veteran in Caribbean hip hop, having launched his own record label Dunamus Soundz Records while still a teen and founded the Bahamas Hip Hop Fest over a decade ago. Barbados is the first Caribbean stop on his 2010 Hip Hope tour which will hit Miami next week, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos plus several Canadian and mid-western American cities. The multi-award winning artiste and producer had eased up on touring last year due to the birth of his first child, Johanan Manifest Parks with his wife Bahamian writer/filmmaker Radel.
“I can’t wait to be back in Barbados,” said Manifest. “The last time I was there, I was 12 years old and participating in a track meet but this is my first trip as an artist and I am looking forward to meeting the Bajan fans and performing for them at various venues while reminding them to spread hip hope instead of just getting caught up. I also hope to drop in to some of the youth organizations and schools to encourage those who will be coming up behind me to put a positive message back into the arts. It’s one thing for them to see Caribbean people blow up big abroad as entertainers but it’s another thing to ensure that we maintain a good image and set an example because we are not just carrying the weight of our individual islands or nation, we are repping the region. It doesn’t matter if its music, sports or something else, we have to set a standard, you know.”
Joining Manifest on the tour will be former Bahamian teen rapper Big Willie, who will be debuting his first full length album. Wilshire Dawkins aka WD-40 will show Bajans how he kept holding onto his title on Teen Scene (a Bahamian youth talk show with an American Idol-like sing/rap off talent segment). WD-40 already holds a special place in his heart for Barbados as his wife is a native.
“I plan to deliver,” says Manifest when asked of how Bajans will receive his music. “I know WD-40 can deliver, but even though my hip hop style is unconventional, I plan to deliver too. I mean there is the basis of hip hop on the album but we’ve also got some old school funk, opera –yes opera, rock, alternative and contemporary in there. So I think those who check me out on tour will find themselves in for a pleasant surprise.”
For more information check out www.dunamussoundz.com
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Should you like to arrange an interview with Manifest while he is in your area, please contact theambassadoragency@gmail.com or arthia.nixon@gmail.com

Rush Hour Director Brett Ratner Seeks Bahamians For Commercial

Nassau, The Bahamas…Filmmaker and music video director Brett Ratner will be returning to The Bahamas to shoot another project soon – and he’s looking for a few Bahamians to be a part of the production as extras. Ratner has had blockbuster success with movies like The Family Man, X-Men: The Last Stand and the Rush Hour series which featured Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Ratner’s last Bahamian project was After the Sunset, which showcased Salma Hayek, Peirce Brosnon and the unofficial Bahamian star, the Atlantis resort of Paradise Island.

Now, Ratner returns to Atlantis to shoot a commercial for the resort and plans to cast some lucky Bahamians to be seen worldwide. Ratner is working with local casting company Sharma Entertainment to seek Caucasians, Asians and Latinos between the ages of eight and 55 with various looks. All extras will be compensated $150 for a day’s work.

Radel Parks, CEO of Sharma Entertainment says that any and everyone fitting the descriptions can participate as there are no speaking roles and acting experience is not required since extras for the most part simple appear in the background and make a scene more natural.

“Atlantis is known for producing top notch family oriented commercials,” said Parks. “Our goal at Sharma Entertainment is to provide quality entertainment for the family through film, tv, and theatre in addition to seeking opportunities to expose local talent for work that is suitable for them though auditions, castings and other events that will place talent in the market best suited for them.”

Parks added: “This experience with Mr. Ratner promises to be very exciting and rewarding as it will give participants the chance to discover what working on a set is really like. It’s a chance of a lifetime to observe a world renowned direction in ‘action’!”

Potential extras can e-mail headshots to sharmaentertainment@gmail.com. All persons interested however, must attend a casting at Sharma Entertainment’s office in Baker’s Close, Oakes Field. For more information call 328-5729.

Manifest Now Solo Star On His Dunamus Soundz Label

Nassau, The Bahamas… After spending the past decade launching the musical careers of well rounded entertainers such as Bodine ‘BE’ Johnson and Ricardo ‘Mr. Beeds’ Forbes, multi-award winning producer/hip hopper, Lavard ‘Manifest’ Parks announced that he is now the sole artist on his Dunamus Soundz Records label.

Manifest established himself as pioneer on the Caribbean hip hop scene as a teenager when he started the label, after being musically moulded by Double Syx, the producer who introduced the world to Manifest and other artists such as Ternielle ‘TaDa’ Burrows. Now, the hit-maker and founder of the Bahamas Hip Hop Fest says he’s ready to take his music to a whole other level, and as a result has had to make changes to facilitate the road he’s now travelling.

“I just want to clear the air that no one was dropped or fired or anything,” stated Manifest. “The people who were on the label were and still are family. Everyone got to complete what they were working on and it was really cool how we are still able to chat each other up when it’s time to make music and such. The real deal is that I am unable at this time to commit to developing the whole artist as I once did because the vision I wrote is becoming plain and there is room for the work of my hands. In other words, Manifest is about to blow the roof off! Because I’ll be travelling the Caribbean and North America very soon and of course my obligation to my family and even the youth I mentor, I simply won’t have the time to focus on polishing up an artist.”

Manifest noted that while he will be pushing himself as an artist with a team of managers and publicists in the Caribbean, Bahamas and North America, the overall goal is to take the lessons he’s learnt and come back to help establish more artists from his country.

“I mean, it’s like this – in order to take your craft to another level once you’ve saturated a market, you have to follow opportunities as they present themselves,” he says. “I’ve been blessed to have had a great decade of hits in my country, and I’m blessed to see that the hardwork has paid off with the awards I’ve received, but the time is right to take it to a whole new level. We’re not breaking the company down, we’re building on to it.”

Presently, Manifest is working on his latest music video and putting the finishing touches on HISlife, HISmic set to be release in early 2010. Good Times, the first single from the album has already been making the top ten lists on several stations and magazines while providing him with opportunities to perform live including at this weekend’s Artists 4 Peace concert.

“It’s been a really good time for me because of the people I surround myself with,” admits Manifest. “My wife has been there every step of the way supporting me – I mean, when Dunamus Soundz was still an idea in my head, she was the one who got me my first computer. Of course, my right hand man Corridon ‘The Don’ Hanna has been behind the scenes from the start and while I travel he’s going to be holding it down. I also wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the fans who actually continue pushing me to bring more clean, cuss-free, feel good hits so I thank God for them. And even though he’s only been here for four months, my son Jojo also gives me new motivation and he’s already living the hip hop life by joining us when we do some interviews and shows and who knows, he might even have a cameo in one of the new videos. All in all, keep looking out and checking me up on Facebook, MySpace and www.dunamussoundz.com because we are taking it to a whole new level!”