Jouvay.com: Lady Saw Interview

Marion Hall redefined herself for the stage as Lady Saw after being referred to as the female version of reggae/dancehall singer Tenor Saw. Soon after she started working in the Jamaican free zone, she capitalized on her DJ skills and quit the minimum wage job for a full time career in the music business. Reknown to many for her sexually explicit lyrics and performances she has emerged as one of, if not the most popular female dancehall singer. With over Six albums, timeless hits like "Sycamore Tree", collaborations with all of dancehall's leading male singers, popular songs with hip-hop singer Foxy Brown and grammy winners No Doubt, Lady Saw remains at the cutting edge of entertainment. Cognizant of the nature of her regular stage performance, she toned it down for the children present at the Caribbean Sea Breeze Festival, making the crowd really listen to her amazing command of the word. We caught up with her backstage amongst the fans of all ages wishing for an autograph, picture or hug, and got this update from the queen herself.

Jouvay.com: Lady Saw, you raw you raw. What happened on stage. You’re too old to do all the stuff?

Lady Saw: No, too much kids so I tried to go around them.

J: I understand you produce some of your stuff.

L S: I used to produce years ago when I feel like. I produced myself, Bounty Killer. That was the first set. Then I did a Bounty Killer, Lexxus, Spragga Benz, Sizzla, a whole lot of artist.. I do it when I feel like. I have a studio at home and my boyfriend John John is a producer. So we been working on stuff. We have some new stuff coming out soon. It’s on All’s production and John John production.

J: But you’re still with VP now?

L S: Yeaaaaaah. For now.

J: The Striptease album has not dropped as yet?

L S: No, I notice they been calling me up and telling me to go record with this producer and that producer so I guess they are ready, but I don’t really care much.

J: For how long are you signed with them?

L S: It was for a three album deal and then I did an extra. But alot of things is confusing. To me now that I kind of learning the business more, if I had known what I know now I …

J: Would have signed on your own label. That’s what a lot of artists seem to be doing now.

L S: But I am alright by myself without the company. I get shows on my own and that’s where I make the money.

J: Cause you’re Lady Saw.

L S: So, it does not matter to me.

J: I need to let you know that when I put word out that I was going to interview you, women sent emails bigging you up and saying to tell you that they love you.

L S: I know I have alot of female fans. Everybody asks me why I have so much female fans, But I guess it’s because I always defend them and sing for them. I love my female fans.

J: You know Carolyn Copper at UWI (University of the West Indies)?

L S: Yes, she’s a very good friend of mine.

J: Well she sent me an article that she wrote which examines alot of your lyrics and she says that many times people don’t focus on that aspect of your work that is political or is making some serious statement about an issue other than sex. I thought it was a very good piece that shed some light on the perception of the dancehall queen and the gender double standards in dancehall music.

L S: The last time I see her was at a women’s conference and I performed there. It was all women. It was beautiful.

J: How was the bay area last night?

L S: It was a small show. I just went to MC a bubbling contest.

J: Oh, that’s what it was. I’m from the bay. You performed?

L S: Just a small set.

Jouvay.com: I think I’ve read everything written about you on the internet, is there anything new?

Lady Saw: What’s new right now. I recently started collaborating with artists from here like hip-hop artists and I am doing more of that. I did something recently with Foxy Brown for her album. I did a photo shoot for the Source magazine. Something with 112.

J: And how was the No Doubt collaboration?

L S: Good. That was a big step.

J: How did that happen?

L S: I got a call from Sly and Robbie in Jamaica and they said No Doubt was there and would like to do something with me. So, I went to the studio and got it done. And they were like, “Bravo.”

J: I know alot of people ask you about having kids, where’s that at?

L S: I adopt three kids and I have two nieces who live with me sometimes. I’m going to Orlando tomorrow to Disney World. They’re meeting me. They’ve been packing and pulling out and packing.

J: That’s a Lady Saw vacation?

L S: No, the kids vacation.

J: You get to do that often, or are you really busy?

L S: I bring them to the Bahamas like twice to what’s that place called, Atlantis?

J: I read somewhere that you said alot of women coming up should not sleep with the producers. You find a lot of young female DJs come to you now that you are producing?

L S: I am not too lucky with working with women. You will find nice girls like Cecile, Tanya, Lady G. We’re all cool, but you have some females who come up and have this attitude towards you for no reason at all. So I stay away.

J: And I know you did some soca right?

L S: Yeah, I did one with Arrow and I did one recently with this guy, but I don’t remember his name.

J: Have you ever considered doing one with one of the leading women in soca like Alison Hinds or Denise Belfon?

L S: Yes. Somebody did call and said they’d like to fly me up to Barbados to do something but I did not hear from her again. Then there’s the Sassy one.

J: Denise Belfon (Saucy baby).

L S: Oh, I worked a couple of shows with Denise. And then there is another sassy one. She always calls me up to do interviews and I do shows with her. She works on a radio station.

J: Oh, that’s Giselle, the Wassy One. In Miami.

L S: Yeah yeah.

J: And I know you sing alot about HIV and AIDS? Do you do stuff outside of the music world for this cause?

L S: Yes, I do AIDS walk. I buy candles and whatever they make you know. I had a close friend who passed away, who died of AIDS. Alot of people did turn their backs on her, but I took her in and had her staying with me. Some of my family was like…She was a beautiful women. I did not watch the hate. She passed away, leave her kids and all. It was an experience. I try to put a little of that in the music. I did a couple of songs about AIDS.

J: It’s still a taboo topic in the Caribbean. People think it’s something that cannot affect them.

L S: But it can happen to anyone. I could be in a relationship and I’m there with my partner being faithful and somehow he got weak and go outside. Same thing can happen to anyone, woman or man. Some people still don’t understand you know?

J: So, you go into schools and stuff.

L S: Yeah, I used to go into schools. I did a video once in a school on the blackboard and everything. I don’t get asked to say about it, but sometimes in the middle or at the end of my show I mention something. When I get really x-rated I tell them to wear a condom afterwards. Protect the merchandise.

J: And you were banned from reggae sumfest.

L S: No it did not happen, but they tried. There was a councilor in Monetgo Bay who constantly tried, but he was a damn drunk. He was always in the bar drunk. So, what kind of example was he setting for his people. It was impossible to ban me from my own country, but they tried. It was good publicity for me. I did not attend sumfest last year, but this year I said ok, “you’ve got to pay me for all of the trouble you put me through.” They give me what I want so I am now on Sumfest.

J: And you and Bounty Killer were taken to court?

L S: Oh yeah, for cursing bad words. I didn’t deliberately go and do it. I’m on stage and I was performing and the crowd like you rough and you catch a vibe and you say to ra….. It was nothing like you go up there and say it.

J: And who fined you, the police?

L S: It was more about politics. It was not about us. A lot of mix up, I would not say, but it was politics. We just got our lawyers to deal with it and they throw it out. ‘Cause they were trying to give us two hundred and something hours of community service. It was in the law book that you should only pay a couple hundred dollars for a bad word. So, it did not happen. Sorry judge. It did not happen.

J: On stage you were bigging up your husband. You got married?

Lady Saw: Noope, but we almost did and we still planning on doing something. We all caught up and busy. But we aight. We aight.

Jouvay.com: Cool, can we get a shout out for jouvay.com? Something raw.

My man won’t do it
So, I’m gonna get me some
Because
Yankee love s*#+$#g it
Yardie love f*+#$*g it
I want both of that baby
Yo, this is Lady Saw and it’s jouvay.com
Keep it right there. It’s all good.
Surf baby, surf.

Lady Saw's website

Lady Saw Cut Loose by Carolyn Cooper