NEW YORK, NY (RHONA FOX, INC.) - The 9th Annual New Jersey International Music Festival is back with a new name and a lineup to prove its new promise. With a dream team of international superstars that include Fabolous, Rick Ross, Buju Banton, Machel Montano, Beenie Man and rising crossover dancehall star Magazeen, the festival sets the stage to be the biggest show of the year when it goes down on Sunday, September 20, 2009 at the Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark, New Jersey.
Originally showcasing the best acts in Caribbean music, promoters G. City, RoadBlockRadio.com, RACE Entertainment and CCB International have revamped the now nine-year old New Jersey Reggae Fest in more than just name; they've added international flair with two of the ultimate names in music with Rick Ross and Fabolous, and the very top Caribbean entertainers with Machel Montano, Beenie Man and Buju Banton.
Keeping in-tune with its new international claim, the headliners all bring a massive fan base in their respective genres. From Fabolous, whose newest album Loso's Way topped the Billboard albums chart when it dropped in July, to Ross' Deeper Than Rap that also debuted at #1 on Billboard's albums chart in April, earning him his third straight #1 album debut, to the 'king of dancehall' in Beenie Man, the 'king of soca' in Machel Montano, and the versatile reggae dancehall megastar Buju Banton, whose recent album Rasta Got Soul also hit Billboard, debuting at #2 on the reggae albums chart back in May.
The all-star roster also features Maybach Music and Ross' label mate, rising star Magazeen, whose dancehall flavor was personally pegged by David Letterman to perform on his show during Ross' appearance in May to promote Deeper Than Rap.
"I'm coming with all my hits from the best rap album of the year," discloses Ross. "And it will be a great introduction for Maybach Music's dancehall artist Magazeen, who will putting his skills on display alongside the veterans in the game."
"My vision has always been to unite the Caribbean through music so that we can have a stronger presence out there in the world," reveals Montano. "So I'm looking forward to bringing soca and calypso to the same stage where reggae and dancehall and rap and hip-hop and R&B will be represented. Every one of those genres has influenced all of our music in some way."
