Mavado's 'Special' brand of dancehall justice

Bailed-out bankers should be thankful that the Jamaican dancehall singer Mavado doesn’t run U.S. economic policy. On his latest single, “So Special,” one of the rare dancehall records to spend time on recent Billboard Hot 100 R&B/Hip-Hop charts, he paints himself as an avenging angel of the poor and dispossessed. “Fire it 'til wet pon dat / you betta help poor people” he wails over a minimalist stutter-step beat. “Every dirty work, Jah shall show dem a sign,” perhaps one where the “special” is of the .45 variety he mentions in the song.

That sort of lyrical world -- one where violence is an appealing way out of an intractable life -- has made Mavado one of the most riveting and controversial Jamaican artists today. He’s caught the ears of Jay-Z, who made his reggae debut on a remix of Mavado’s “On the Rock,” as well as the U.S., U.K. and various Caribbean governments who denied Mavado visas based on Jamaican gun charges (which were eventually tossed out).

His neighborhood and lyrical visions are dark places, but Mavado doesn’t want you to confuse them for his heart.

“Governments don’t know me as an artist,” he said. “There are people in the media (that spread rumors) but it’s just not reality.”