Badgettn talks new collab with Z LaLa

He now goes by the name Badgettn but many have come to know him as Keneil Merital.

And it's a song that was done during his days with the Merital family that resulted in a collaboration with international artiste Z LaLa. Badgettn is being featured in her new single, Foh Ya Luv which was officially released two weeks ago.

Standing as the first single from her new reggae and dancehall album, Badgettn explained that the two initially made contact through the popular Merital family song, My Money Ha-Ha, featuring Vybz Kartel. Z LaLa had done a cover and someone sent it to Badgettn.

"I reached out to her. That's where the link and connection was formed," he told THE WEEKEND STAR. From there, communication led to the recording artistes forming a musical relationship. So when the opportunity to collaborate presented itself, Badgettn was happy to bring his creative lyrics and energy to the table.

Working with Z LaLa and her team was a different experience for the local entertainer, who said it was far more professional than what he was used to.

"It's very different from the local projects. Professionalism came into play, from work time to scheduling. And naturally, I delivered on my part," he added. Badgettn was especially impressed with the great work ethic of international music producers Omega Alpha Records and Z LaLa's management team.

Although his rebranding occurred about a year and half ago, he still goes by the name Keneil Merital, declaring that he interchanges the two, based on circumstances and connections. "Some people call me by both names," he said.

While the global pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the entertainment industry, he said he has adapted to change and found a new normal in music.

"The pandemic nuh stop me from creating nuh time enuh. Mi don't know which artiste the pandemic tried to stop creatively. It did stop a lot of gaps like it stopped shows and performances and that's how we generate our funds. But it nuh stop from create music. So we just affi work with social media and put our stuff out there," he said.

Badgettn said that his last major show was in 2019, and he is looking forward to performing virtually and physically, if protocol permits.

"There is no other way at the moment so we have to do what we can to keep reggae and dancehall music alive," he said.