American stars make Jamaica the scene for video

Rap stars Sean Kingston and Nicki Minaj shot the video for their hot new single, Letting Go (Dutty Love), Sunday night at Jack Ruby Lawn on Ocho Rios' James Avenue, amid hundreds of fans gathered to get a view of the stars.

The track, the latest by the Jamaican rapper, is officially the first single taken from his yet-to-be-named album set for release in September.

"We're working on the album, it's gonna drop September," Kingston told The Gleaner, during a break.

"I don't even have a name for it yet; I'm just focusing on the music. I feel like after the music, everything else comes; it's 75 per cent done."

The video, directed by Little X (Julien Lutz), features several Jamaicans. Apart from the dancers that make up the dance scenes, artistes such as Shaggy, Ding Dong, Wayne Marshall and Tarrus Riley are included in the video.

In addition to the Nicki Minaj collaboration, the album also features several stars such as Justin Bieber (Eenie Meenie), Akon, Wycliffe, Nelly Furtado, and Gwen Stefani.

The video marks the umpteenth time that Little X is working with a Jamaican artiste. He directed several of Sean Paul's videos, including Gimme the Light, Get Busy, Temperature, Still In Love With You (featuring Sasha), Give It Up To Me (featuring Keyshia Cole), and Sean Kingston's 2007 collaboration with Baby Bash, titled What Is It.

Little X, born in Canada with part Trinidadian heritage, has also worked with another Caribbean star, Rihanna (Pon di Replay) and a host of other international stars, including Usher, R Kelly, Brandy, Common, Nelly Furtado, The Game, Ludacris, Akon, Timbaland, Aaliyah, Alicia Keys, Eve and others.

James Avenue was abuzz with activity all through the night as shooting was set to take place over a 12-hour period from 5 p.m. to 5 the next morning.

Kingston revealed that the video would be shot entirely in Jamaica. Then the rapper goes off on a 31-city tour with Justin Beiber before focusing on completing the album.

The new album will also see Kingston switching from Sony Records, to which he paid homage.

"My last album was kinda like the people from my record label didn't know which direction I was going in. I love Sony, they are the best record label around but they didn't know the direction and now it's kinda like I got my own studio, it's kinda like putting together an amazing album."

"The Justin Bieber song (Eenie Meenie) was the first single but this (Dutty Love) is the real, real single, the first official single. This is the lane I'm going in, showing more of my Jamaican background, my culture. The Nicki Minaj song is definitely the single right now," said Kingston.

"It feel good fi deh home, yuh done know!" he quipped when asked about being back in Jamaica.