Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

Left: Mr. G's album cover.

Right: Mr. G in slightly earlier years - Contributed photos

Having been in the music business for more than a decade, Mr. G, formerly known as Goofy, is back in the mainstream of dancehall.

Mr. G, who only a couple years ago decided to put his career as an artiste on the back burner in order to pursue his role as a producer, says he has returned to doing what he loves best.

"Mi park di production ting fi di past three to four months now. Mi back to basics yah now, being a full-time artiste," Mr. G said.

According to Mr. G, "life and music is a natural experience and it goes along with a cycle. Di other day I was not in the frame of mind to do the artiste thing fully. I wanted to produce other people and that gave me some rest and while resting I recouped mentally. Music change; I couldn't just jump up an sey mi a guh do dis, do dat. I had to readjust and get a feel of what the people wanted".

He added that "rhythms play a major role and your topic and delivery are also very important. This is my 11th year as an established artiste. A whole heap artistes come and go and never recoup, so you just have to keep reinventing yourself".

centre of dancehall

Now Mr. G has one of the hottest songs currently being played in the dancehall titled You Like That, which features Stacious. According to him, "da tune yah is not even two months old as yet an it a run off already. You Like That has placed me back in the centre of dancehall and to me, You Like That is giving me the break with this new generation".

Mr. G says he is not about to stop there either, as he has a lot of singles coming out and collaborations with the likes of Buju Banton, Beenie Man and Bounty Killer. He also has been recording for many of the current top producers, including Daseca (Pedal and Wine), Stephen McGregor (Return Him) and Ward 21.

As a matter of fact, Mr. G says, "the album has already been made but wi not going to drop it until wi have seven or eight real hit songs. I've been known to get real monster hits throughout the years. If all goes well betweennow and December, mi suppose to have bout five hit songs 'cause mi done put in the work already".

Many might have thought that Mr. G had stopped deejaying and was doing straight production, but Mr. G says he always maintained a presence on the local scene.

'whole heap a songs'

"Mi did have tune like Pocket Money and Stepfather and in 2002 when mi change mi name to Mr. G, wi did have a whole heap a songs weh did come out," he recalled.

Mr. G says with his current hit song, he has been out in the streets doing promotions and checking out crowd reaction and feels that he is definitely back in the mix of things.

"From wah day mi in the streets a monitor di song. Me and Bounty Killer in the streets in the nights an as mi long time brethren dem man deh a gi mi a whole heap a strength. Even last night, wi deh inna Quad an dem drop di song, him a sey see it deh," Mr. G said.

The deejay also feels that his years of experience in the music business have taught him much and he is now in the best position to be on top of the game.

"It easier fi run di place now, because the levels of the music was much higher first time. When I got the break in 1996, Bounty, Beenie, Buju and dem people deh were at their peak. Frisco, Spragga, Degree, Cobra, dem man deh, and up to now mi nuh si no man fi surpass dem. Suh to me, how me a deejay now in terms a keys an all a dat much more wickeder, so I just have to seek out the right rhythms, because topics are endless," he said.

So Mr. G says "mek wi si weh a guh gwaan nuh 'cause wi done have di ting dem. Before mi throw in the towel mi need fi get couple Grammy and mi not planning to throw in the towel anytime soon. And one thing mi can tell yuh; I will never ever derail my career as an artiste again and put it on the back burner because this is what I love".