Marion Hall’s Bombshell Announcement Rocks Dancehall: “I’m Walking Away From The Ministry”

marion hall
Marion Hall

Minister Marion Hall, formerly Queen of Dancehall Lady Saw, has created quite a stir on social media after announcing that she will be stepping away from her online Christian Ministry.

Asking the ‘Lord to forgive her,’ Hall dropped the bombshell on Tuesday evening (February 8), after weeks of a heated brouhaha between herself, the undisputed Queen of Dancehall Spice, and other female Dancehall artists whom Hall had referred to as contenders in a “race to hell” during one of her controversial Facebook Sunday sermons in January.

“To all Christians and non Christians, who’s been coming up against me and my ministry. Congratulations on your mission to take me down. You’ve successfully done so,” the I Had Jesus singer wrote in an Instagram post.

“I’ve decided to walk away from my calling, and will no longer be doing any preaching on any social media platform. May the Lord forgive me.”

On Facebook, Hall confirmed, “Yes you got it right. I’m walking away from the ministry.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZvF27grDKb/

This, of course, is a major plot twist after Minister Hall announced in her Sermon on Sunday (February 6) that she was quite adamant about recruiting the ladies of Dancehall for Christ, irrespective of the “fight” she was getting from Christians and non-Christians alike.

“People of God, the Lord said is reaping season and I will guh down dere and reap dem. I will reap dem out of every corner, everywhere in Dancehall; if I have to come there and go and do the work, lay hands everything, that’s where I’m going. And if it cause you to come up against mi, it does not matter.  I will reap for the Kingdom of God,” she had said during her Facebook live on Sunday.

As an ordained Minister and Gospel artist, Hall had avoided the Dancehall space and accompanying discourses since baptizing in 2015.  She established her church, the Holy Ghost Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ, online in 2020, with the intention of eventually building a physical church. 

On Monday (February 7), Hall even appeared set on continuing her Ministry after she told her followers that she had plans to move her Facebook Ministry to YouTube.  “Holy Ghost Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ will be moving all our services to our YouTube channel in the next two weeks,” she had announced.

However, the first signs of trouble came in late 2020, when she took to social media to defend her name against the accusations leveled by Spice’s former friend and so-called spiritual advisor, Nardo ‘RT Boss’ Smith, who alleged that she practiced ‘obeah’ on Spice to prevent her from taking Lady Saw’s title as Queen of Dancehall.  RT Boss also claimed that he had “reversed the order,” which, according to him, unleashed some bad karma on Hall, that not only ‘ran her out’ of Dancehall but also led her right into the church.

It was during this period that Hall first announced that she would be returning to Dancehall to “win some souls.”  At the time, she admitted that RT Boss, through his accusations, had disrupted her complacency in the Kingdom of God, which ultimately inspired her Dancehall mission.

“If I have to go among the wolves, that is where I’m going… I’m not going in Dancehall for money. I’m not going in there for the crown. I’m still there preaching but I’m going to do some songs,” she had said.

The songs that followed were two gospel-flavored Dancehall tracks, From Mi Born (Obeah Man), which clapped back at RT Boss, and Mi Soon Alright.

In January 2021, Hall sought to clarify that while she wasn’t actually returning to Dancehall, she would be releasing a Dancehall album.  “I am not returning to dancehall, but I am dropping a dancehall album. I have already started it,” the singer told the Jamaica Observer.

In October 2021, Hall told Tamara McKayle on The Trailblazers show, that she could use the word of God in Dancehall style, to minister to and even clash and obliterate “‘in the name of the Lord”, any Dancehall rival, who tried to test her on any stage, anytime, anywhere.  Hall had also hinted that she will be pursuing publishing rights for songs, of which she was allegedly cheated during her Dancehall heydays as Lady Saw.

In December 2021, she stunned followers with photos of herself in a straight-haired wig, white satin dress, and a full face of soft glam makeup.

ladysaw
Marion Hall

Not surprisingly, today’s news caused the If I Was Famous singer to reach the peak position on Jamaican Twitter.  Most took an opportunity to take playful jabs at the singer, while not-so-subtly hoping for her full return to Dancehall.

“Lady saw coming back to Dancehall? Is the Queen coming back for her throne? Lord forgive me but she has unfinished business. You and har talk bout that later,” one excited fan said.

“Lady Saw see seh the dolly dem nah keep up dancehall standards so she coming back,” another wrote, in the midst of the virtual eruption.

Meanwhile, another cheeky Twitter user said, “Lady Saw a guh back under the Sycamore Tree wid har heels on 😂😂” making reference to two of her hits, Sycamore Tree and Heels On.

Hall, 52, who started performing at the age of 15, is best known for Lady Saw’s feature on No Doubt’s Gold-certified song, Underneath It All, for which she won a Grammy Award.

Saw is also known for her hits If Him LefGood ManI’ve Got Your Man, and Man Is The Least.  She released her first album in 1994 titled Lover Girl, which was followed by Walk Out, Strip Tease, 99 Ways, Passion, Alter Ego, and Give Me A Reason.

Following her baptism, Hall released two Reggae gospel albums, namely When God Speaks (2016) and His Grace (2018), which included the fan-favorite track Tun Back Christians.

Over the weekend, Hall performed at the Bob Marley Roots77 live stream to celebrate the Reggae legend’s 77th birth anniversary.  She performed her songs Freedom, I Had Jesus, and If I Was Famous.  Watch below.