Going to dances in his teens, Mr Vegas found the spontaneity of those events so appealing, he knew that being an artiste was his calling. Many of the hit songs he has recorded for almost 30 years bear the rub-a-dub sounds he heard in his youth.
That old-school vibe dominates Ghetto Reggae, his latest album, which was released on August 28 by his MV Music label.
It has 14 songs, including Call Tyrone, a collaboration with pioneer deejay U Roy and a dancehall remake of Eric Donaldson’s patriotic Land of My Birth.
“The concept for Ghetto Reggae is the reintroduction of 80s, 90s authentic reggae/dancehall that had people dancing and beating down the zinc fences. This is the sound I experienced in my early childhood when I used to run away from home and hung out around the sound system in my community,” Mr Vegas told the Jamaica Observer.
Many of the veteran toasters’ hit songs, such as Sweet Jamaica (with Josey Wales) salute the sound system era when artistes went to dances in some of Jamaica’s toughest areas to give freestyle performances.
Fade Away, another song from Ghetto Reggae, recalls the 1980s when hard-core toasters like Josey Wales, Charlie Chaplin and Brigadier Jerry, as well as singers such as Sugar Minott and Tenor Saw, did not airplay to find an audience.
Mr Vegas made a major breakthrough in 1998 with the catchy Heads High, which topped Jamaican charts for weeks, and was also a big hit in the United Kingdom. Approaching his 51st birthday, he speaks about staying relevant in a competitive arena.
“I believe that an artiste will always be current if he/she has carved out a great body of work. The record will show that I have put forward a great body of work that has kept me relevant over the years,” Mr Vegas stated. “For example, I Am Blessed and Heads High are still very popular.”
He performed I Am Blessed at the inauguration of Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness at King’s House on September 16.
Mr Vegas was a fixture for social media commentary and at Jamaica Labour Party rallies during the recent general election campaign. The outspoken artiste sees nothing wrong with entertainers showing their politics.
“In my view, every citizen should have a say into how the country is managed. Additionally, today’s generation is more knowledgeable about governmental issues. Therefore, it is okay to have civil discourse,” he said.
