Bob Marley Page 2

A new filter released by Snapchat that makes users look like Bob Marley has caused a storm on social media, with many describing it as “digital blackface”.

Fans of the iconic Jamaican singer, who died in 1981, have expressed anger at the filter released on Wednesday morning, arguing that it alters the user’s skin colour to make them appear darker as well as more angular, as well as adding dreadlocks and a Rastafarian cap.

Continue reading: Bob Marley Snapchat Filter Accused Of Cultural Insensitivity

Snoop Lion used to be called Snoop Dogg and was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr - that's a lot of names for one person to have in their lifetime. The reason behind Snoop's anthropomorphising is due to his new found rastafarian status, apparently. However, now, after Snoop has made a documentary called 'Reincarnation' and recorded his first reggae album, Bunny Wailer of Bob Marley and the Wailers, is threatening to take legal action against the ex-rapper.

Speaking to TMZ he said that Snoop Lion has committed "outright fraudulent use of Rastafari Community's personalities and symbolism," and has failed to meet "contractual, moral and verbal commitments." Along with Bunny's comments, Snoop has also received a seven page letter from Ethio-Africa Diaspora Union Millennium Council (aka Rastafari Millennium Council) expressing their disgust with his actions.

They feel that Snoop's documentary is reductive and makes it looks as though "smoking weed and loving Bob Marley and reggae music is... what defines the Rastafari Indigenous Culture!" When it most certainly is not. All of this has culminated in a potential law suit. "[T]hey want Snoop to stop using the name "Lion" ... pay up the "financial and moral support" they claim he committed, and issue a public apology." Everyone knows him as Snoop Dogg anyway, he's got bags of money and sorry is just a word. Shouldn't be too difficult.

Continue reading: Bunny Wailer Disgruntled By Snoop Lion And Threatening To Sue For Being A False Rastafarian

Jimi Hendrix, in action, in his heyday

Happy Birthday, Jimi Hendrix! Today, Jimi Hendrix would have been celebrating his 70th birthday, had a tragic turn of events not resulted in his death on September 18, 1970.

Continue reading: Happy 70th Birthday, Jimi Hendrix! Is It Too Late To Become A Hendrix Fan?

After her death last year aged 79, just two years after her great friend Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor has become the world's highest grossing dead celebrity, according to Forbes. This result sees the growth of her estate beat MJ, as that was his title in 2011. 

Time report that her estate has made $210m over the past year due to an enormous Christie's auction of her belongings, which made $184m, with this, added to the sales of her perfume White Diamonds, pushed her ahead of the $145m that Jackson's estate earned. According to Dorothy Pomerantz, it's likely that Michael Jackson will hit the top spot again next year, and Taylor's success a one off due to her death. She says this is due to the multiple streams of income to his estate: "Not only does it earn from sales of his own music, Jackson owned a 50% stake in Sony's ATV catalog, which includes artists like the Beatles, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga. His estate also collects money from the successful Cirque Du Soleil show The Immortal Tour." 

Other legendary characters that appear on the list include Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, Dr. Seuss, Steve McQueen, and George Harrison. The $145m made by the dead Thriller star is more than any other living artist today, proving that although he's not leading posthumous earning, he's still the King of Pop. Although, with two of the Beatles in this list, perhaps we can award that King-dom jointly. The Liz & Dick biopic about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, starring Lindsay Lohan, will be airing November 25th 2012, and may just top up Liz's account a touch more.