I recently came across a new website that catalogs a wide variety of rap artists albums, biographies and pictures. They also display the top 10 rap artists, soon to be top 100 rap artists and also the top rap songs. It’s actually a pretty interesting website. The website hasen’t been up for long, so I’m sure they are going to have a ton of different things as the site gets more traffic and gains popularity. Check it out at www.RapArtists.com.

I’ve always liked jazz sax player Najee. He’s one of those humble musicians with lots of talent. His new CD called “Rising Sun” will drop on August 14 in stores. And from an advance earful, it is typical Najee - good to the last drop. Look out for the sweet vocals of Phil Perry on a track called “Romance the Night”.

It’s one thing to be the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, the country singer who moved up the charts with the catchy “Achy, Breaky Heart”. It’s another thing when you possess the talent that would put you in a class by yourself without the help of your famous father. And that’s what Miley Cyrus has done, carved a niche all of her own in today’s music market. With her successful tv show “Hannah Montana” and a soaring singing career, the sky is the limit for young Miley. Let’s pray that she does not fall into the vacuum that seems to pull child stars and make them go bad. At least her father is mindful of what’s going on with teen stars enough to keep a close eye on Miley as he recently told the media.

Wow, so many reality talent shows are coming on board that I could hardly keep up with them. The latest is called “The Singing Bee” and its host is the former NSync singer Joey Fatone. The show features unprofessional singers vying for cash in a karaoke styled type show. I’m not sure which one was conceptualized first but there is also a similar type show that is running on another network called “Don’t Forget The Lyrics“. Hosted by Wayne Brady, the show also features unprofessional singers who are expected to remember the words of songs that are played. I’m not sure which one would be the most successful and most watched since they both fall on the same night and time. We will just have to wait and see.

There’s nothing like a getaway to a warm destination during the winter season. Barbados is great this time of year especially for their annual four day Jazz Festival. The events take place at some of the island’s hot spots where you can enjoy great jazz, good food and the cool island breeze. Top jazz and R&B artists like Will Downing, Patti La Belle, Marcus Miller and Al Jarreau have all performed at the island’s Farley Hill Park, a big spread of greenery that sits on top of a hill. This is one event where your money would be well spent.