Genre-Bending Artist Mr. Vegas Releases Latest Song 'Sharon'

A genre-bending artist, Mr. Vegas has scored multiple hit songs on diverse beats including mento. He returns to that sound for Sharon, his latest song, which is produced by Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor.

Sharon is recorded on the Hill And Gully ‘riddim’, a dancehall beat inspired by the mento classic of the same name. The Hill And Gully has other songs including Slip And Slide by Masicka.

“I have been a fan of the mento genre for years. As a matter of fact, I have released songs like Tek Weh Yuhself and Daggering on mento beats,” Mr. Vegas noted. “My favorite mento songs are anything from Stanley and The Turbines. (Producer) Mikey Bennett once told me that I am the new Stanley.”

Stanley is Stanley Beckford, the most successful exponent of mento, which enjoyed its greatest popularity in Jamaica during the 1940s. In the 1970s when mento was in danger of becoming obsolete, Beckford had a string of hits including Leave my Kisiloo, Broom Weed and New Jamaica (with The Turbines).

He died in 2005 at age 65.

Mr. Vegas did not hesitate when McGregor approached him to cut a song on the Hill And Gully.

“It is good that he has brought back the music to a place where people can dance. The first time I heard the riddim I knew it was gonna be a hit,” he said.

One of dancehall’s prolific hitmakers, Mr. Vegas first made the charts in the 1990s with dancehall rockers like Heads High and Hands In The Air. He has also had success with lovers rock songs such as Do You Know and old school dancehall (Sweet Jamaica).

Sharon is his follow-up to Gallis Code, a self-produced song that was released in March.