Macka Diamond says she is ‘the queen of dancehall’, outside JA

Though she has been considered a top performer for the past decade, dancehall veteran Macka Diamond has had to answer many of her detractors regarding her star power, relevance, and her claims to the dancehall throne.

But, after another stellar performance in Costa Rica, she told THE WEEKEND STAR that she is the queen of dancehall in that country.

"... If not to my fellow Jamaicans, or the dancehall community there, I'm the queen of dancehall in Costa Rica. After my recent performance there, the feedback received has reinforced that I should wear my crown proudly. What's amazing is that the supporters are primarily the young people, so I know I'm reaching the youth," Macka Diamond continued.

The Big Woman vs Young Gal artiste recently performed in Santa Teresa, eight hours away from the country's capital of San Jose, to a sold-out event. It is her fourth time visiting the Spanish-speaking country and she is always pleased by how well the audience knows the lyrics of her music.

She said, "Me a really fi dem dancehall queen man, because dem know the language and di lyrics so good. Once I bring a new song, dem run wid it. Last time. it was Wuk Off, and this time I performed the new single Blap. They really embrace me; it was just a lot of love. It gets bigger and better each time I visit."

Blap was released two months ago by Eclectik Musik, which is also responsible for her song Play Tune, which has garnered over seven million views on YouTube. Macka Diamond expressed a desire to work with more producers from French- and Spanish-speaking countries, especially as she prepares a new album.

"People have been motivating me to keep on going, 'don't stop Macka' is all I been hearing, and I promise not to. There is a lot 'my diamonds' can look out for as the year continues. I'm still working on putting out a new album," Macka Diamond said while admitting that she is long overdue a full and comprehensive project.

Her last album, Don't Disturb Mi, was released in 2012 and featured tracks like Cow Foot and Hot Like We.

"Right now, I'm in the middle of pulling together a new team of both Jamaicans and Americans, to manage the marketing and all of that. We have been going over creating a new image, not new, but something that will be trending and want people to join the movement, and it's for me to finally get a look that is signature to the Macka Diamond brand ... one that stands out," she said.

"Unuh know, as a big woman of dancehall, yuh nuh want fi haffi wear certain things and I think I want to be seen more on the sophisticated, rich housewife of dancehall lifestyle. Their idea is to make people embrace me as the Madonna of dancehall, as some of dem young people already do, and there is space for that growth," Macka Diamond continued.

She is slated to perform at the Blue Ocean Sands Restaurant in Westmoreland this Saturday, and plans to catch a piece of the carnival road march celebrations before she heads to Springfield, Massachusetts for Fambo's birthday party, and then Jacksonville, Florida where she performs alongside Ding Dong on April 29.