Gyptian continues to make gains on the Billboard R&B Hip Hop singles chart with the single, Hold Yuh. The track is currently number 66 on the chart moving up three spots from last week’s number 69 position.

Gyptian isn’t the only Caribbean national making moves on the Billboard charts at present. High profile Bajan songbird Rihanna is holding down the number one spot on the Hot 100 singles chart with Rude Boy for a fifth week.

Justin Bieber enlisted Sean Kingston for the collaborative single Eenie Meenie which slips from 30 to 33 on the Hot 100 chart.

Tortola, Virgin Islands native Iyaz who peaked at number two earlier this year on the Hot 100 with Replay, moves from 48 to 42 with Solo.

Over on Billboard’s Dance Music Club Play chart Barbados native Livvi Franc is charting with Automatik which recently peaked at number 6. Kreesha Turner, who topped the chart two years ago with Don’t Call Me Baby, glides to number 23 with Dust in Gravity.

Monica claims sixth number one R&B single with Everything to Me

R&B singer Monica not only scores her sixth charting album on the Billboard charts this week, but she also claims her sixth number one R&B single simultaneously.

Born Monica Arnold, she scored her first charting album in 1995 with Miss Thing. That album gave her two number one R&B singles Don’t Take it Personal (Just One of Dem Days) and Before You Walk Out of My Life.

It’s been four years since she released her last album The Makings of Me and Monica is back on top of the charts. Her new album Still Standing moved some 184,000 copies in its first week at retail to debut at number two on the Billboard 200 and number one on the R&B album chart.

The first single from Still Standing which is titled Everything to Me, has given Monica her sixth number one R&B single to date. Her other number titles were Before You Walk Out of My Life, Don’t Take it Personal (Just one of Dem Days), First Night, So Gone and the collaborative single featuring Brandy, The Boy is Mine.

BITS AND PIECES

* Veteran reggae outfit Third World recently performed to sold-out crowds in St Thomas and British Virgin Islands. The group is currently on its 35th anniversary tour.

* Rapper Drake has announced that his debut album, Thank Me Later, will now be released on June 15. The first single, Over, is currently number 10 on the R&B singles chart.

* Dancehall artiste Bugle heads to Europe to commence a month long tour this weekend.

* Singer Maxi Priest was spotted at a cosy getaway over the Easter weekend. Plans of a new album are in the mix.

* Promoters stateside are already counting their losses from the cancellation of visas of some of the music’s biggest names.

DID YOU KNOW?

So R&B singer Monica is number one on the R&B charts with the single Everything to Me. But if you listen to the track carefully, you will notice that there is a sample in the recording.

The song samples the old school track Silly which was recorded in 1981 by R&B singer Denice Williams. Williams’ tune peaked at number 11 on the R&B chart. Incidentally, three of Monica’s former number one hits, Don’t Take it Personal, So Gone and First Night all contained samples from previous recordings.