Dancehall’s spicy vixen and real-life barbie doll will be joining the likes of the ‘King of the Dancehall,” the ‘Gully Gaad’ and the ‘Energy God’ as headliners of the Brooklyn Music Festival on Sunday, June 21st at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. Leading ladies Spice and Barbee are set to add a much needed feminine touch to the testosterone driven festival featuring the top of the top entertainers in Dancehall, Reggae, Ska, Hip Hop, and R&B.
Dancehall deejay Spice, singer Barbee and up and coming R&B singer Kendra Granville will round out the list of ladies performing at the Brooklyn Music Festival which, in addition to Dancehall greats Beenie Man, Mavado, and Elephant Man, also features ‘the Poor People’s Governor’ Bounty Killer, ‘King Shango’ Capleton, Serani–whose current single “No Games” has been riding the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart for 17 weeks, acclaimed actor Leon with his band The Peoples, roots sensations Tarrus Riley and Natural Black, Hip Hop legend Big Daddy Kane, ‘Jamaica’s Stevie Wonder’ Frankie Paul, Soca artists Patch and Berbice, dancer Ding Dong, Asian-fusion Ska band Brown Rice Family, the New Kingston Band, ‘the original Jew-maican’ Benny Bwoy, King Django, the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble, and The Rudie Crew.
“People have been asking why there were no women on the festival,” says famed Caribbean music promoter and Brooklyn Music Festival organizer George Crooks. “I just kept telling them ‘wait and see.’ There is a lot of new female talent that is really making an impact out there right now, but I needed women that can really hold their own on a line-up that includes so many hard-hitting male acts, so I chose Spice and Barbee.”
Grace Hamilton, best known as Spice for her charismatic presence and lethal lyrics, received acclaim for her 2006 hit single “Fight Ova Man,” on Dave Kelly’s 85 rhythm that also featured label mate Cham’s crossover hit “Ghetto Story.” The once aspiring accountant has recently receive international attention for the controversial hit single “Ramping Shop” a feisty sexually-tinged duet with deejay (MC) Vybz Kartel that spawned much debate among music industry leaders and new legislation in Jamaica’s broadcasting system. Despite the controversy “Ramping Shop” hit #1 on Jamaica’s Hype TV and Hot 102FM charts, and has been enjoying regular airplay overseas.
With roots stemming from Jamaica and Nigeria, New York-born Dancehall singer Barbee scored her first hit single “Missing You” with roots Reggae sing-jay Junior Kelly, reaching #3 on charts in Jamaica. More recently Barbee teamed up with Dancehall King Beenie Man on the “Give It Up,” which spent three weeks at #1 on the charts in Jamaica in 2008. Her latest hit “Love You Anyway” hit #1 in Jamaica and #3 on New York’s Top 30 Reggae Singles chart.
The Brooklyn Music Festival will be held at the Aviator Sports and Recreation’s Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, NY, on Sunday, June 21st. Featured acts include Mavado, Beenie Man, Serani, Elephant Man, Bounty Killer, Capleton, Spice, Tarrus Riley, Big Daddy Kane, Frankie Paul, Ding Dong, Barbee, Brown Rice Family, Patch, Berbice, Natural Black, New Kingston Band, Benny Bwoy, Leon and the Peoples, and Kendra Granville. More acts to be announced. General admission tickets are $45 until April 30th.
