The folks at LargeUp have posted a great feature with Belizian artist Hubert Neal, Jr. discussing his 26-piece show The Dudus Chronicles which is currently showing at the Grosvenor Galleries in Kingston, JA. Check out the details below…

When Belizean artist Hubert Neal, Jr. arrived in Kingston, Jamaica on May 20, 2010 to start a residency at Melinda Brown’s Roktowa studio, he had plans to paint Jamaica. Three days later, the military and police invaded Tivoli Gardens in hot pursuit of Christopher “Dudus” Coke, a man who had been, for months, wanted for extradition by the United States of America. The hunt for Coke and its accompanying media coverage was impossible to ignore, and Neal began to paint. The results of this process was a series of twenty-six works titled The Dudus Chronicles, on display now at the Grosvenor Galleries in Kingston. It’s colorful and varied–but also quite disturbing, never shying away from depicting the violence that accompanied the search for Dudus. Largeup caught up with Neal during his last few days in Jamaica to talk about his process, his work, and his position as an outsider looking in.

Images of a few of his paintings are below…

Read the full interview here: Large Up » Drawing Dudus: Exclusive Interview with Hubert Neal, Jr..

Quick video interview with up and coming UK Deejay Gappy Ranks, courtesy of Boomshots. Check out the video below…

Gappy Ranks has been making waves since his song on the Soul Rebel riddim, “Heaven In Your Eyes,” made a big splash on the Peckings label. Astute listeners may remember him from his 2005 collabo with Kray Twinz, Lethal B and Twista or his work on the UK Grime scene (“Rep Your Endz”) or when he was ballin on a G4 in the bashment tune “Stinkin Rich.” But judging by the way he rides the classical Studio One riddims on his forthcoming VP album Put The Stereo On, way down deep inside, Gappy is a foundation deejay par excellence. Give him a listen and chances are Gappy will make you happy.

Interesting article on the upcoming Haitian presidential election and the pair of superstar musicians, Michel Martelly, a.k.a. “Sweet Micky,” and Wyclef Jean, set to be pitted against each other. Check out an excerpt below…

Better known for the eyebrow-raising lyrics (and swearing) and his ability to rouse even the most conservative of Haitian elites to dance on top of tables, Martelly, 49, dressed in a suit on Thursday to submit his paperwork to run for President on the ticket of his party Repons Peyizan, or Countrymen’s Response. He acknowledges that comparisons will be made between himself and Jean (who according to the candidacy papers he filed this week is 40 years old, not 37 as his bios previously said). But Martelly says despite being opponents for the presidency, he and Jean are friends. Martelly appeared on Jean’s first solo album The Carnival in 1997. But Martelly jokes, “He’s global and I’m local.” And he says what sets him apart from the rest of the presidential field — his friend included — is the Haitian people’s true affinity for him.

Read the full article here: Haiti: Wyclef Jean to Face Michel Martelly in Election - TIME.

London-based Photographer Leah Gordon comes through with come amazing black and white imagery. If you’re in London be sure to check out the exhibit, which run through next month. Check out the details below…

Since the earthquake in January 2010, a proliferation of horrific media images have reinforced an ongoing narrative of Haitians as victims – of disaster, of poverty, of corruption. Rarely is Haiti’s incredibly potent colonial history mentioned. Between 1791 and 1804 Haitians led the only successful slave revolt in history which resulted in the abolition of French colonial rule, and in Haiti becoming the first black-led republic. Photographer Leah Gordon’s stunning images of Haiti tell the story of a country intimately in tune with its past. We caught up with her at Riflemaker Gallery where her current exhibition, The Invisibles, is showing until September 10, to find out more.

Check out her interview with Don’t Panic here: LEAH GORDON | Photographer’s Kanaval of Haiti hits Riflemaker.

The crew from Dancehall Unscripted sat down with Aidonia to get more details on his recent appearance at Sumfest, his thoughts on the recent unrest in Jamaica and more on him and Bounty Killer.

Fader TV recently sat down with Gyptian and got the low down on his new album and thoughts on his sex symbol title.

Some things are best left in the past, like the rap intro to and Flash’s outfit in this video.

The DJing skills on display here, however, are timeless. Check out the video below…

…via.

The folks over at Friends We Love sit with Dominican-American film director Albert Xavier to talk life, art and film. Check out the video below…

Film director Albert Xavier recounts how his artistic background prepared him for filmmaking and the development of his latest release, Hermafrodita, which is the first Dominican film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

Check out their full feature here.

No need to worry I’m not posting another leak for the Distant Relatives LP, this time its an interview with Nas & Damian talking about the upcoming tour, and the album.

I mentioned late last year that Jimmy Cliff had earned a nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.

The nomination matured to an induction earlier this year, and the folks at FADER TV took the time to discuss the distinction and his career on the whole.

Check out the video below…

In Living Color’s “Hey Mon” parody of the stereotype that all Jamaicans have more than one job takes on a whole new meaning when you look at Jimmy Cliff’s résumé: He’s a roots reggae icon, actor in the Jamaican epic The Harder They Come, a doctorate recipient by the University of the West Indies and a newly inducted member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He rolled through the FADER offices to discuss his monumental career. Get schooled on the rude boy Rihanna overlooked.

…via FADER TV & SEEN.