‘Dancehall’s Lazarus’ Major Mackerel releases collab with Beenie Man

Declaring that he "feels like the Lazarus of the dancehall", veteran deejay Major Mackerel quickly reeled off a piece of his latest song, a collaboration with the Beenie Man.

The title could be Nini Nini, but the Frenz For Real Productions is called The Other Day.

The entertainer, who in 2020 lost a leg to diabetes, and lost his mother last August, told THE STAR that "this is the rejuvenation of Major Mackerel". He is apparently more than ready for his third bite of the musical cherry and has two new songs which he says are preparation for his latest journey.

"This record with Beenie Man mek in like five minutes. I come studio to record More Gal a Road and Beenie Man walk in, see mi and start deejay a tune using 'nini nini', which is my original style. Me and Beenie Man eye mek four and me seh to him, 'Yuh thinking what I am thinking?' Him seh yes. By the time I finish my song and go sit down outside a cool off, dem call me back inside the studio and tell mi seh Beenie finish his part of the song and dem ready fi mine," Major Mackerel said.

A smooth, fast-paced girls' tune with excess amount of lyrics, it is driven by the compatible energy and comparable style of the two veteran artistes who know how to entertain.

" Moses... di odda day mi a walk go a nini nini/And buck a big fat girl name Nini Nini/When yuh look she seh she live ova Nini Nini/She seh she live with her nini nini/So me go check her early one nini nini..." Major Mackerel deejayed during his interview.

He was full of praise for Beenie Man, who he called "[his] son with a heart of gold".

"Him respect mi as a elder ... just like how artiste like Bounty, Shaggy and Busy respect mi. Him deejay the song in a kinda new style with a old flavour. Everybody seh is a hit. Mi happy again. This is my third time in the business and all who count mi out and seh mi can't find another hit need to listen to this," Major Mackerel suggested.

He also hailed Jashii, who he credited for starting him on this new journey, as it was while doing a freestyle alongside Jashii that Frenz For Real producers heard his lyrics and invited him to the studio to record.

Major Mackerel, who is known for hits such as Pretty Looks Done, Miss Getty Getty, Don Man and Cow Cod, left for the United States in 1988, returned to Jamaica in 1992, but left again in 1994 and lived overseas until 2012.