DJ Frass Says He’s Teaming Up With Shaggy For A Big Dancehall Collab With A “Spanish” Artist
Almost five years after he released Shaggy’s bouncy Waistline track, on the Streetlight riddim, DJ Frass says he and the Grammy Award-winning megastar are readying themselves to team up with a big Spanish-speaking artist for another record.
Frass made the revelation to veteran entertainment journalist Anthony Miller, during Friday night’s edition of The Entertainment Report programme which was aired on Television Jamaica, after being asked to make his “last word” during the interview.
“Mi have a big Spanish collab coming up and it’s Dancehall,” Frass told Miller.
“Spanish collab with whom?” was Miller’s response.
“A big Jamaican artiste and a big Spanish artiste,” a hesitant Frass replied.
“Come on! gimme di names!” Miller ordered.
“Shaggy is on it,” Frass responded meekly.
Frass whose given name is Kimani Palmer, was producer of the song Why Dem Come Around which was featured on Morgan Heritage’s Reggae Grammy award-winning, Strictly Roots album in 2018.
DJ Frass is described on Spotify as an “internationally acclaimed producer” and “the force behind some of the most popular and influential Dancehall riddims of this decade such as Clearance, Reggae Fest, Netflixxx and Road To Success”.
In July 2018, a month before releasing his Road to Success compilation album which featured the likes of Sean Paul, Protoje, Mavado, Alkaline and I-Octane, Frass told The Jamaica Observer, that he wants to “leave a music legacy and be remembered as one of the greatest Reggae-Dancehall producers”.
The 18-track album had included Sean Paul’s House Party; Mavado’s Enemies; Alkaline’s Perfect, Kranium’s Take Control, Jesse Royal’s My Time To Shine, I-Octane’s RIP — Return If Possible and Protoje’s It Nuh Safe.)
DJ Frass had also said he always had a passion for music.
“I was always involved in the music industry. I was a “roadie”. I have a real passion for music and couldn’t see myself doing anything else. There was no other choice for me,” he said.
He came to prominence with his 2009 project, Clearance riddim. His crowning moment, however, is for his work on Morgan Heritage’s 2016 Grammy-winning album Strictly Roots. DJ Frass is also credited on Etana’s Reggae Forever, and Alkaline’s New Level Unlocked EP.
In the meantime, the producer has recently released the Sun Roof riddim which features Tarrus Riley, Govana, Intence, Jahmiel, Moyann and Shenseea. But responding to Miller on how COVID has changed the business now for producers like himself, Frass said he was using video calling platforms to interact with and guide the artists who are voicing for him.
“Yuh caan guh inna di street because yuh know me is a street yute; yuh know mi like guh Uptown Mondays, Boasy (Tuesdays). Mi like guh inna di streets fi guh promote my music because a deh suh me forward up from,” he said.
“Mi haffi a lock up inna mi house an mi haffi a Facetime artiste and mi a seh, ;yow dawg, change dah line deh bredda, yow dat bad enuh’,” Frass added.
When asked whether he was “keeping busy”, Frass said he was still going hard as he was prior to the pandemic.
“Mi vice a song almost every odda day enuh. Choo lockdown mi still a work enuh caw most artiste have studio a dem house. Me have a setup a my house to, weh mi just work,” he explained.
When asked by Miller whether he is “freaked out at the possibility of catching COVID, Frass responded in the affirmative, and said he was going to ensure he gets vaccinated.
“When di vaccine forward, me a teck it. Mi gaan do some research on it. Min naw guh jus run an guh teck it. How yuh a guh travel. Like a dat dem a try fi duh an me naw teck no boat,” Frass said.