Ebuzz News
Trinidadian Mentor of Nipsey Hussle Set to Release Nipsey NFTs.
Dexter Browne, the Trinidadian mentor of martyred Hip Hop legend Nipsey Hussle, has announced the release of a special NFT offering called ‘Nipsey Hussle: the Early Years.’ The NFT’s are set to be dropped at the end of May 2024.
The announcement came on Easter Sunday- on the 5th anniversary of Nipsey’s March 31st murder in Los Angeles in 2019. There will be 3 tiers of NFTs- numbering 10, 10, and 100- in descending order of price. The NFTs are a Tribute to the progressive values Nipsey stood for and are also a mentor’s salute to the idea that all youths can be redeemed. The NFTs are created in collaboration with Digital Artist Jean ‘Normal Normal’ Benoit and Multi-media Artist/ Cultural Activist, Rubadiri Victor.
NFTs have become unique and creative holders of value in the Digital Age. NFTs- or non-fungible tokens- are unique digital objects that are recorded digitally on a blockchain and are used to certify ownership and authenticity. They cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided. Although the market for NFTs is going through a cool period following the bubble of 2021 to 2023, NFTs have fetched prices as high as US$93 million. NFTs are unique digital artefacts in this online Age and take all kinds of shapes- from paintings to cartoons to stunning animation .
The premium Nipsey NFT- which will be offered first to certain collectors and museums- will consist of a series of never seen before photographs of Nipsey in the 5 years under Browne’s tutelage after the young Ermias Joseph Asghedom was kicked out of school and was working on the streets. It will also include a short documentary about the period that Nipsey and a cohort of young people- including boys from the Rolling 60s gang- spent under Dexter and his wife Lisa’s tutelage- and as part of their Buttervision multi-media Movement. The NFTs also include a series of other rare collectibles.
Dexter’s personal collection contains hundreds of photographs of Nipsey as he grew from boy to man and creative powerhouse. The collection also contains music, interviews, and videos created by and with Nipsey from this fertile period. Most of Nipsey’s first recorded music is in this collection. This itself is a small fraction of Browne’s larger portfolio of tens of thousands of photographs that he took of young Black Hollywood and Hip Hop as he recorded their lives and created their professional dossiers. During this period- when Dexter had ‘adopted the boys from the Crips, and others from inside and outside the neighborhood- he was also working with movie and TV stars, super models, musicians, porn and sports stars, and politicians. These range from Gabrielle Union to Kat Williams, from Vanessa Williams to Rick James. All of this context is in the premium Nipsey NFT.
A media statement issued further explains that Dexter had gifted Nipsey and the boys with a fully outfitted multi-media studio that they had 24 hours access to- once they left gang beef at the door. They also had to listen to Dexter’s Pan-African consciousness, which he had imbibed as a civil engineer student at Howard University. Nipsey benefitted from being around the celebrity and the progressive ideas of Buttervision. Buttervision itself was a multi-media collective that saw itself as using the new digital technology of the late 1990s and early 2000s to try and create an alternative to Hollywood and mainstream media, which marginalizes and stereotypes black and brown people. Dexter’s ideas of Digital Defiance, Undisturbed Culture, and more, would find their most willing student in Nipsey Hussle.
The ‘Nipsey Hussle: the Early Years’ NFTs will be available at the Open Sea NFT site at the end of May. Details of the offering will be announced on the site, at the Undisturbed Culture Facebook page, and at Buttervision.com.
Ebuzz News
Trinidad and Tobago’s Voice Will Rep for Soca at Best of the Best 2026. Artiste’s Inclusion Shows Soca’s Global Reach.
He had one of the most memorable Carnival seasons with a Soca track that stole the hearts of Soca lovers in 2026 and now Aaron ‘Voice’ St. Louis is set to represent hard for the Soca music genre at the upcoming ‘Best of the Best’ Music Festival in Miami on May 26th. His appearance will be his debut to the highly anticipated festival and already, the energy is high.
Voice represents the bridge between Millennial Soca and GenZ vibes. ‘Cyah Behave Mehself’ was lapped up like good Caribbean food at Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago back in February, and it is expected to do the same as the international summer season approaches.
Set to take place on May 26th at Museum Park, Downtown Miami, Voice’s inclusion on the cast underscores the Soca genre’s continued global reach within a predominantly reggae and dancehall showcase. Known for his high energy performances and melodic songwriting, the Trinidad and Tobago three -time Soca Monarch King has built an extensive catalogue of hits that that has proven to resonate with a global audience.
Organizers say anticipation for Voice’s performance at Best of the Best, is high. “Fans are looking forward to a dynamic set that brings soca’s signature energy to the festival stage.”
Best of the Best Music Fest remains one of North America’s premiere Caribbean music events, drawing fans from across the region and Diaspora for a full day of live performances. This year’s lineup includes, Sizzla Kalonji, Beenie Man, Tarrus Riley, Capleton, Rajah Wild, Skeng, Vanessa Bling, among others.
Reggae
New ‘Jamrock’ Documentary Celebrates Unforgettable Moments. Cruise Returns to Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa, This Year.
Ahead of its 11th annual voyage in November, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise shares its story through a new film. VIBE premiered All in the Same Boat, a documentary directed by acclaimed filmmaker, Reshma B and produced by Boomshots TV that traces Marley and his manager Dan Dalton’s brainchild from a bold, outsider idea into one of the most culturally significant movements in reggae and dancehall today.
With over a decade’s worth of unforgettable moments pulled from the last 10 voyages, this 30+ minute documentary captures the spirit of a global reggae community built on shared identity, resilience, and reverence for Jamaican culture. It features iconic performances, real conversations with the artistes and DJs, and the heartbeat of it all: the “Jamrockers.” These are die-hard reggae lovers from over 40 countries who pull up every year for one reason – to feel that irreplaceable connection to Jamaican culture and keep the Marley message of “One Love” alive.
Having successfully navigated challenges including extreme weather and a global pandemic, the Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise continues to thrive. Its 11th staging will return for its annual voyage from November 11th to the 16th, sailing from Miami aboard Norwegian Joy.
Stacked from foundation to future, this year’s lineup brings together reggae and dancehall’s most influential voices: Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Stephen Marley (Traffic Jam Set), Burning Spear, Sizzla, Capleton, Beenie Man, Protoje, Barrington Levy, Elephant Man, Junior Reid, Lila Iké, Ding Dong & the Ravers Clavers, Tony Matterhorn “Man on the Moon”, Gyptian, 450, Richie Spice, Ghost, Mr. Lexx, Professor Nuts, L.U.S.T., Sister Carol, Sevana, Flourgon, Johnny P, and Jemere Morgan are confirmed.
The cruise’s famed Sound Clash at Sea will return alongside powerhouse sound systems including Stone Love (Geefus), King Jammy, Silverhawk Sound, Rory Stone Love, Renaissance Sound, Federation Sound, Warrior Sound, Rampage Sound, Kingston12 HiFi and Souljah1 Muzik, preserving a cornerstone of Jamaican music culture in its most authentic form.
Jamrock is a Premiere Reggae Event
The Jamrock experience has evolved into the premier reggae event at sea—one that continues to redefine how the culture is celebrated on a global stage. The five-day experience continues to immerse guests in the full spectrum of Jamaican life—from Nyabinghi sunrise sessions and sound bath meditations to dancehall workshops, fitness programming, and curated culinary offerings led by acclaimed Chef Lumley. A new addition this year includes a live theatrical production by legendary playwright Oliver Samuels, adding yet another layer to the cruise’s ever-expanding cultural canvas.
Following the impact of Hurricane Melissa in 2025, the cruise will return to Jamaica with renewed purpose, maintaining its distinction as the only chartered cruise with two Jamaican port stops. That commitment translates into tangible impact, generating millions annually for the island’s tourism and cultural economy while reinforcing a direct connection between the music, the people, and the place that birthed it.
As All in the Same Boat makes clear, Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise is a movement with its own rhythm, one that continues to bring the diaspora home, while inviting the world in. Since its inception in 2014, the mission remains the same: to create a space where reggae lives, breathes, and connects us all.
The documentary made its debut during the 10th annual cruise and later screened at Art Basel in support of hurricane relief efforts led by the Marley family’s Ghetto Youths Foundation. Damian Marley and Dan Dalton were executive producers of the film.
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