An unapologetic admirer of classic Jamaican music, Mr. Vegas has shown his love for genres past by covering songs like Josey Wales’ ‘Sweet Jamaica’ and Jimmy London’s ‘A Little Love’. He was keen to record a song on the ‘Hill And Gully’ mento ‘riddim’ which is the rage in dancehall.

‘Sharon’, his song on that beat, was released in May. It is produced by Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor.

“It is good that Stephen McGregor has brought back the music to a place where people can dance. The first time I heard the riddim I knew it was gonna be a hit,” said Mr. Vegas. 

The ‘Hill And Gully’ is a modified version of a mento song that is part of Jamaican folklore. It is still performed by mento acts throughout Jamaica.

McGregor’s production is driven by songs such as ‘Slip & Slide’ by Masicka.

Having recorded hit songs like ‘Tek weh Yuhself’, Mr. Vegas is no stranger to mento, a sound that enjoyed its greatest popularity in Jamaica during the 1940s and 1950s. As a youth, one of his favorite artists was Stanley Beckford, a charismatic singer who had a flurry of hit songs during the 1970s to the 1990s.

Mr. Vegas considers ‘Sharon’ as another example of his versatility. His songs include dancehall hits such as ‘Heads High’, ‘Bruk it Down’ and the gospel-inspired ‘I Am Blessed’.

“It is important for me to record on hot riddims because of the love I have for dancehall music. Furthermore, I am very focused on taking my music to the next level within the next 10 years,” he said.

WRITTEN BY HOWARD CAMPBELL