Raunchy artiste eyes comeback

Hasani Walters, Gleaner Writer

Making her comeback to dancehall music is the England-born, Princess Rebel, who is adamant that this year she is destined to make and leave her mark on the music industry.

Due to travelling problems, Princess Rebel had been forced to stay away from Jamaica, but now that those problems are behind her, she is back in the island and has already begun to work on building a catalogue of songs.

"Music is like in my blood. For the years I wasn't doing it, I felt like something was missing from me. I wasn't complete. I'm really back in Jamaica now, I'm here to get myself and my name out there and it has to happen in Jamaica, where else knows reggae/dancehall best?" she asked.

In the late 1990s, the female artiste did Plug Inna Yu A Socket, a take on Capleton's St Mary Mi Come From which she noted as her best and most well-known song thus far.

She plans to top that song with her most recent collaboration with Beenie Man titled, Emergency Doctor.

Princess Rebel described the song as having strong, racy, lyrical content that will appeal to both men and women.

She said the video for the song, which was shot recently also offers excellent entertainment value.

Not only does she have a new song with Beenie Man, but she is already teaming with a number of other artistes within the dancehall community.

"I went and had a word with Beenie Man to do as song with him, at that time I didn't have the rhythm so he told me to come back when I have the rhythm. When I got it I went back, Blue was listening to it, he called Beenie and he just came and did the track wicked, wicked," said Rebel.

Her beginnings in music came while in England where she said she got into the lifestyle and culture years ago. At the time, she said, she used to hear reggae a lot and attended many reggae stage shows.

She has also worked with some famed reggae/dancehall producers.

"I used to work with King Jammys, Shocking Vibes and even Studio One, but due to the struggles faced with being a young artiste some of my songs were not released. The Studio One track I'm Still In Love With You Boy was only released in England," she said.

overwhelming responses

Among her performances are stageshows such as Sting, Spectrum, Reloaded, West Kingston Jamboree and Champions In Action.

From those performances, the response she received was overwhelming.

"I deliver such hot lyrical content that is suggestive but not slack. It usually excites the crowd and they always love my play on words, and my accent even makes it better," she said.

She has high hopes of going a far way, as her eyes are set on one day becoming the next big crossover artiste to come from the dancehall industry.

"I already have a song that could be a crossover, it just needs the right producer and the right rhythm. I see myself getting into the international side of things. I just want to set it off in dancehall before I look at anything else. I might even branch off into acting," she said.