‘New’ Super Cat

by Hasani Walters, Gleaner Writer

Years ago, dancehall legend Super Cat was briefly signed to The Neptunes’ Star Trak label.

At that time, producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo planned to produce a new Super Cat album. It would have been the first in ages, but it didn’t materialise.

In 2003, they had released the track The Don of All Dons with Jadakiss and Styles P as a taste of what was to come on their compilation album Attack of the Clones.

That Super Cat-Neptunes partnership was short-lived, however, as the world heard nothing more of that. Until last week at least.

As it turns out, back then, Star Trak’s A&R, Cipha Sounds, had sought out Federation Sound’s Max Glazer to create a mix preview of the planned release (the album).

A&R (Artistes and repertoire) is the division of a record label that is responsible for overseeing the recording process and artistic development, among other issues relating to recording artistes.

That mix was previously never available to many. It went online in full only last week.

Featured on the mix are the freestyles, Weedman (over the beat to Kardinal Offishall’s Bellydancer), and Wha U’ Name? (over Jay-Z’s Excuse Me Miss beat), along with a journey through Super Cat’s classic tracks including the dancehall and hip hop mixes of Ghetto Red Hot, Dem No Worry We and Dolly My Baby.

Nuff Man A Dead, Come Down, Mud Up, Cabin Stabbin, Big & Ready, Trash And Ready, Vineyard Party and Under Pressure round off the other featured songs from the great.

The mix has beenreceiving good reviews by fans of the Don Dada since being uploaded on various websites.

On the weekend of August 30, Super Cat stirred up the excitement of patrons in a surprise performance at the Hammerstein Ballroom at Massive B and Hot 97’s On Da Reggae Tip concert performing songs such as Vineyard Party and Ghetto Red Hot.

Prior to that, Super Cat’s last stageshow performance was in 2008 in Miami at the popular Best of the Best concert.