Lady G goes against the tide - Artiste walks the comeback trail

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Back in 1988, deejay Lady G broke through with the song Nuff Respect, in which she demanded acceptance even though she was a woman from the ghetto.

More than 20 years later, the feisty entertainer finds herself in pretty much the same situation.

Lady G made a name in the 1980s and 1990s when opportunities opened for females in a competitive, male-dominated dancehall market. Now a veteran, she said it is tough for her and her contemporaries to get airplay for their new songs.

"It's like people don't want to hear the new songs, dem jus' don't see you anymore," she told The Sunday Gleaner.

"In my case, dem think my career stop wid Nuff Respect and Legal Rights."

Produced by Gussie Clarke on his hugely successful Rumours beat, Nuff Respect announced Lady G as a hit-maker. The Winston Riley-produced Legal Rights, done with Papa San, was also a monster smash.

Clarke was at the helm for Roundtable Talk, another humorous combination featuring San.

Other Lady G hits in the 1990s included Breeze Off for producer Danny Browne and Girls Like Us, a sizable smash in Britain for her and Chrissie D.

Though she had high hopes for her 2009 album, Rated G, it did not fare as well as planned. She has two new songs scheduled for release - a cover of the Jim Reeves country classic, Guilty, and This Love.

Both are duets. Guilty was done with Vincentian singer Qshan Deya, who placed second in this year's Festival Song Contest. This Love features roots vocalist Lutan Fyah who, like Lady G, hails from the Spanish Town community of Thompson Pen.

Life of music

Born Janice Fyffe, Lady G said she has been around music all her life. Her father, Kenroy Fyffe, is a singer and member of seminal roots-reggae group, The Congos.

She recorded her first song, Ghetto Rock, for producer Jack Scorpio while still in high school, then shot up local and ethnic charts in the United States with Nuff Respect, one of the biggest dancehall songs of 1988.

Despite a drop in radio time, Lady G said she is still busy on the live show scene. This year, she has performed in The Netherlands, the United States and Guyana. On the Guyana show, she performed alongside several big names from the 1980s and 1990s including Admiral Bailey, General Trees, Josey Wales and Pinchers.

The current dancehall field has its share of hot female acts, much more than when Lady G got her break. She believes she has what it takes to rumble with the young bloods.

"For me, it's a matter of keeping fresh and creative. It's all about re-inventing yourself," she said.