Some of reggae's stars of the present and future come together at Rock with Squeeze

Last night, a few of reggae's newest talents joined some of reggae's iconic names for a special Rock with Squeeze. Ken Williams brought the finale of his Reggae's Rising Stars Competition to the stage at SOB's, as the six finalists competed live to win the title of the Next Reggae Star.

Each of the contestants brought out some supporters, but Leeia, the winner in the "Singer" category, had a small cheer squad on hand to root her on after her win.
Vision, the winning deejay, was also thrilled about the honor that had been bestowed upon him, and encouraged others in the crowd to continue working toward their dream as well.

Comedian Freddie Ricks brought a special guest comedian named Poetic Justice by for the "Comedic Relief" segment of the show. While he started out okay, his routine got a little too vulgar for the audience, especially the women.

A highlight of the night came when Sister Carol (who was also a guest judge for Rising Stars competition), did an impromptu set.

Join us next week when Rock with Squeeze welcomes Turbulence and Troublesome.

Gyptian brought lots of beautiful ladies out to SOB's this past Monday!

Thanks to everyone that came out to Rock with Squeeze this past Monday. The turnout was nothing short of amazing, as close to 500 people packed into SOB's to enjoy a special night of food, fun, and of course Gyptian!

The New Kingston Band made their long-awaited return to the RWS stage after their worldwide tour. The talented group played two solo sets, which of course included the crowd favorites "Empress" and "In Da Streets".


Dexta Daps also performed, and all it took was a flash of a smile from the handsome young crooner, to win the ladies over instantly. It didn't hurt that he also has a voice that can melt hearts, so this will definitely only be the beginning for this talent.


But of course it was Gyptian that got the crowd riled up, even before he hit the stage. He held the crowd captive with his smooth and sexy voice. The crowd sang along to a catalog of his hits, which included "Beautiful Lady," "Serious Times," and "Mama Don't Cry".

Make sure you don't miss Rock with Squeeze next week when we host the finals for "Reggae's Next Rising Superstar" because you never know, you may be the first to witness the next Gyptian!

Did you think Open Mic Night was a hit or miss?

This past Monday, Rock with Squeeze hosted the first Open Mic Hour for upcoming artists to come and showcase their talents.After reviewing dozens of submissions,ten performers were given the opportunity to perform one track in front of a full SOB's crowd.

Some were excellent, with one of the highlights being Keisha Martin's powerful performance of her original song "Reflections of a Woman," accompanied by the acoustic sounds of Kyeni. The pair delivered a great performance, with Keisha's powerful voice sending the crowd into an uproar.

On the other hand, not all of the acts rose to the occassion, with some folding under the pressure of performing live in front of an audience, giving comedian Freddie Ricks plenty of material to joke about.


Tribe of Djemebe made two stage appearances, bringing along a few special guests as well. The crowd seemed to be vibe with the Afro-reggae sounds of the band during their first set, but not so much during the second, when the band started performing cover tracks.

But once Cezar hit the stage there were no complaints to be heard, especially from the ladies in the crowd. Not only is the singing sensation handsome, he had a beautiful voice to match his good looks.

But the end of the performances only meant that the party was just getting started. DJs Kevin Crown and Paul Michael kept the crowd going til the wee hours in the morning.

Surprise, Surprise...RWS was full of special guests!!

The Rock with Squeeze family thanks you for your continued support of great music, good food and memorable moments at S.O.B's; last night's JAM packed crowd enjoyed one musical treat after another!

The eccentric East Village Pharmacy mellowed out the crowd, while singer Shermain delighted the crowd with her sweet sound. Freddie Ricks hit "Comedic Relief" segment continues to be a hit as he brought comedian Razor, his sharp comedy brought the house down!

Christopher Martin sent the ladies into a frenzy with his velvet vocals on songs like "Giving It To You" and "Take My Wings". Big Yard family Shaggy, Red Fox and Screechie Don all joined on stage for a live DJ session along with Assassin. Adding a little spice to the night was Major Mackerel making it another classic performance night at Rock With Squeeze.

Special guests partied with patrons all night long, mingling with the crowd as Kevin Crown spun the hottest tunes!

Video of URI's Great Performance at Rock with Squeeze

Jamrock With Squeeze @ SOB's 5/4/09 from Under The Rasta Influence on Vimeo.

ROCK with Squeeze featuring Da'Ville filled SOB's to capacity!

Lovely ladies flocked into SOB's in swarms to see reggae crooner Da'Ville perform for the first time at Rock with Squeeze.

Of course, no Rock with Squeeze would be complete without a little "comedic relief", and Freddie Ricks definitely brought it. He's a natural when it comes to making us all laugh, and is the only man who can get away with making fun of Squeeze, and still get paid to do it!


DJ Kevin Crown shows us why they call him the Natural Born Club Killer each and every week! Whether they wanted to whine, grind, or sweep, he had something for everyone and he made sure there was no one in the place just standing around.

The crowd was packed in waiting for Da'Ville to hit the stage, and he certainly didn't disappoint the ladies.

He gave one special fan a solo performance that left her speechless...

...but what left the crowd speechless was the slow whine he shared on the stage with another fan, it was enough to make anyone blush.

After the performance Da'Ville stayed around to sign autographs, take pics, and talk to all of his fans.

Thanks to everyone that continues to support and make Rock with Squeeze the biggest Monday night party in NYC!

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Khandyce Menard

I’ll admit it, the thought of taking love and relationship advice from a stand-up comedian seemed a little silly at first. Don’t get me wrong, Steve Harvey is one of my all-time favorite comedians, but how could you take him seriously? And how embarrassing would it be riding the train and displaying to the world, (or at least just the E Line), that not only am I’m desperate enough to be reading a book on relationships, I’m taking my cues from Steve Harvey?!

Then something happened. At the bus stop, in class, at work, and even on the train, everyone was reading this book! So I swallowed my pride and bought it, I mean, they all couldn’t be desperate. Surprisingly enough, even though it isn’t as juicy as a Záne book, it’s still one of the best reads I’ve had in a while.

With chapters called “Men Respect Standards-Get Some” and “Sports-Fish vs. Keepers,” Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man manages to maintain the humor you would expect from Harvey without turning the entire book, and your love life, into a joke.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man has a serious side as well. Harvey seems genuinely interested in enlightening women on how to increase their own self-value, and in turn the value that men will place on them. He also gives all of the signs that we should be looking for to know whether we found a guy that wants to get serious, or one that is just playing with us. His Ninety-Day Plan may be a little over-ambitious for some, but his advice on everything else seems to be reasonable and helpful.

It’s broken down just the way men think, very simply, which makes it a quick and easy read (I finished in two train rides). There were a lot of “duh” moments and common sense things you should’ve known, but needed to be written in a NY Times Bestselling book, before you would believe.


I give this book an A. It’s not an award worthy book, but for a self-help book I would definitely recommend it to ALL women- single, dating, married, or otherwise.