Mavado & Jay-Z - I’m On The Rock (Remix)

Mavado's single on Baby G's The Mission riddim, I'm On The Rock aka Never Stop Me, has been hotting it up for a minute now:

MP3: Mavado - I'm On The Rock

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The riddim takes its name from an incredible vocal by Damian and Stephen Marley and there's also a good cut by Elephant Man featuring - unusually for him - a conscious/reality lyric. Now Jay-Z's jumped on Mavado's version, keeping the hooks and adding verses of his own:

MP3: Mavado & Jay-Z - I'm On The Rock (Remix)

I'm not really into Mavado's graphic and gruesome descriptions of violence but he's got an incredible voice and an ear for wicked hooks, plus his lyrics here are a lot more interesting than the usual marrow-flying and brains-spilling fare. The anti-authority message is given extra weight by the fact he's referring to the Jamaican security forces' raid on his birthday bash last December, which I mentioned in the Heatwave column for Shook magazine. As Mavado puts it:

"Helicopter inna di air, bright light a shine a ground. Them say 'nobody move, nobody run - from the river to the bank locked down."

"Tell them nah stop the fun. Cos if them stop the fun them must prepare fi stop the gun. The youts dem blood a run down there in di slum. Them mek a bag a promise and nah fulfil none."

The Jay-Z remix got its world premiere on New York's Hot 97 radio station only last Friday but the hype around it's already massive. Moving with a speed remiscent of Wiley's Wearing My Rolex, which seemed to get signed to Atlantic like a week after it was made, Mavado's management have already got plans to shoot a video for the remix and include it on his second album, due on VP Records in May.

Presumably a track with the massive crossover potential that this has will be a perfect lead single and could ensure Mavado's position as one of the dancehall elite. I don't know though, the original is a great tune and the addition of verses by Jay-Z is rarely a bad thing, but this sounds a bit unfinished still. Especially the way Jay-Z burbles over the intro and first chorus and how Mavado's hook abruptly cuts off as the verse drops in. I like the way Jay-Z plays up the Rock/Roc and Jehovah/Hova links though.

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Tuesday 04 March 2008

Comments

1. Tarik on 06 March 2008

That track is fire. We would love for you guys to do a mix for our radio show Rhythm Lab Radio - http://www.rhythmlabonline.com.

2. Tim P on 06 March 2008

The Mavado is a killer, I’m not sure if Jay-Z adds much to it though. If Mavado could lighten up on the buss shot foolishness he could really go places. That said I’m not sure if it’s ever hurt 50 Cent.

3. Sexy Ras on 14 March 2008

Eh since mavado come out i sick over de man and now how he come out wit de on De Rock he blowing up more. just keep yuh hardcore lyrics coming it real wet and he doin it grimy 2. Let de man eat ah food and drink ah juice

4. Danalin on 28 April 2008

It’s cool I love it

5. Stoney on 05 May 2008

Mavado’s got style, so much style that I kinda like any song he’s part of…

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