Voice Mail's recent trip to Japan to promote their debut album Hey has paid off. The disc has reportedly sold over 50,000 copies so far. The album will be released in the US on July 18 via VP Records.

Shaggy

Hey features the songs Wacky Dip, Get On Up, Get Crazy, Jamaican Jiggaz, Bring You Body Come and Weddy Time.
The members of Voice Mail are currently in New York making the promotional rounds for the disc.

Sources close to the group have indicated that a single is being carefully selected for international release, along with an accompanying music video.

. Peter Lloyd pays tribute to Brent Dowe and the Melodians
Peter Lloyd recently recorded a cover of I Heard Them Say, as a tribute to former Melodians member Brent Dowe, who died recently. The song, which was originally recorded by the Melodians, was produced by Rohan 'Sno Cone' Fuller. It is featured on Fuller's latest project, the Peace And Love rhythm.

Peter said he decided to cover the song to pay homage to one of the pioneers of Jamaican music. Also featured on the Peace And Love rhythm are contributions from Natural Black, Capital D, Da'ville and Spragga Benz among others.

Busta Rhymes

"I just hope I did it justice, I don't generally do covers, but I could not turn down this opportunity to pay my personal respect to one of the legends of reggae and dancehall. As you will hear, Snow Cone did a great job as producer," Peter commented.

Peter Lloyd has been making inroads in recent times with a steady stream of releases, including Gold Digga, Wake Dem Up, Ready 4 Luv and U Magnet.

Among his forthcoming performances are Brimma Summer Heat at Brimmer Vale High, Port Maria, St Mary on July 8; July 9 at Little Ochie Seafood Carnival, St Elizabeth. On July 15, he can be seen live in concert at the Bottle Inn Disco, Union Street, Montego Bay.

. Shaggy remains
with Geffen
Shaggy's manager, Robert Livingston, has revealed that his high-profile charge has decided to remain with the Universal Music group imprint, Geffen. Geffen is also home to recording acts Mary J Blige, the Pussy Cat Dolls, Black Eyed Peas and Keyshia Cole.

Livingston said that the deejay was thinking of leaving based on the lack of interest that the label gave to Shaggy's most recent album Clothes Drop. However, those plans were shelved with the intervention of a new label boss, Ron Fair, who recently took over the reigns at A&M/Geffen.

Said Mr Livingston, "We were planning to leave the label, but Ron convinced Shaggy to stay. Ron knows what he is doing, and since he took over the label, a lot of the Geffen artistes have been doing well."

Clothes Drop has so far reeled out hits in the reggae market with Wild 2 Nite featuring Olivia, Broadway featuring Barrington Levy, and the title track, which has been making strides on the New York and South Florida reggae charts.

. Busta reigns at the top
Rapper Busta Rhymes has earned his first number one album in the US. The Big Bang, his latest album, has sold over 209,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

This is his best showing since his 1998 album E.L.E.: Extinction Level Event sold 212,000 in its second week in 1998. The Big Bang also scoots to the top of the Billboard R&B Hip Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts.

. Shakira's Hips
stop shaking
2006 American Idol winner Taylor Hicks has put a pause on the shaking of Shakira's hips. Hicks has removed Shakira's Hips Don't Lie (featuring Wyclef Jean) from the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with his single Do I Make You Proud. The song moved 190,000 physical singles and another 38,000 digital downloads.

Hicks is the fourth American Idol winner to reach number one on the Hot 100 chart. The others were Kelly Clarkson (2002), Fantasia (2003) and Carrie Underwood (2005).

. Chart Updates
Here is your weekly serving of the progress of Jamaican acts on the Billboard and overseas charts. First, over on the World Dance chart, Bunny Rugs' cover of Now That We Found Love debuts at #25, while Claudja Barry's I Will Stand is new at #17.

Both songs make upward movements on Billboard's Dance Music Club Play chart, as Barry moves from 18 to 13, and Rugs inches up from 13 to 12.

On the Billboard Hot 100, Ghetto Story by Baby Cham is new at #99, while Sean Paul's When You Gonna (Give It Up To Me), featuring R&B singer Keyshia Cole hops from 62 to 51. On the Rap Singles chart, Sean Paul glides from 14 to 13, and Cham bullets from 21 to 15.

Billboard's R&B Hip Hop Singles & Tracks sees Beenie Man's Hmm Hmm tumbling from 43 to 53, while Tony Matterhorn's Dutty Wine debuts at #99.

When You Gonna (Give it Up to Me) by Sean Paul and Keyshia Cole rises from 36 to 25, and Baby Cham's Ghetto Story hops from 32 to 22.

... Female Artistes

Top 10 videos of 2008

Top 10 Artistes Off the Radar for 2008