Hot 97’s DJ Fade On The Jamaican Songs That Impacted His Life, Career: Vybz Kartel, Bob Marley, And More
As fun-seekers flood into venues, selectors like Brandon ‘DJ Fade’ Metz hope to greet them with a steady blend of hits. The New Jersey native, with Jamaican roots, has already cut his teeth with appearances on radio at Hot 97, Essence Fest, along with a residency at Pergola—an upscale New York club. Now he’s heading towards a new challenge: meeting Jamaican partygoers on their home turf.
DJ Fade’s debut performance in Jamaica will be this Friday, July 29, at Dream Weekend’s Celebrity Playground. He promises “talented DJ skills that embody open format global beats all night long” and plans to offer “an unforgettable playlist to be embraced by the Jamaican public.”
Doubling as the architect behind tracks such as the recently released Pum Pum Song with Jamaican Dancehall artist Yared, DJ Fade is bringing a producer’s ear to his Friday set. Ahead of his appearance, he shared with DancehallMag a playlist of Reggae and Dancehall songs that have most impacted his life and career.
1. Vybz Kartel – Tek Buddy Gyal
“Tek buddy gal, yuh think me easy?” – When my Grandmother, who was born and raised in Jamaica, took me to Jamaica for the first time I remember watching a commercial on TV and this riddim was playing in the background with new lyrics to help promote the product.
2. Ding Dong – Bounce
“So watch e bounce, hop, skip yuh enemy dem” – I performed the choreography with Ding Dong and Ravers at BRT weekend earlier this month! I took lessons from Pyro Prince and Paul V to get me right!
3. Popcaan – Silence
“My thugs are the realest thugs and my heart clean, filled with love” – When I DJ’d for Rihanna I played this for her because I knew she knows it word for word. What makes a great DJ is to be in tune with pop culture and to pay attention because you always have to be prepared.
4. Cham – Ghetto Story Part 2 (feat. Alicia Keys)
“I remember those days when hell was my home” – I dropped this at the Faena fundraiser after-party for Cham, Usain Bolt, and Swizz Beatz. I got a big forward from it!
5. Beenie Man – Dude
“Holla at mi if yuh waan di wickedest wine” – I wrote lyrics for Beenie to do a dub for me that I play all the time in New York, and the crowd goes crazy!
6. Elephant Man – Pon De River
“We take dancing to a higher rank” – Growing up I used to watch this video on 106 and Park and to now have a dub with Elephant Man calling me “The Remix King” is a full-circle moment!
7. Vybz Kartel – Party
“Dancehall, you’re miraculous, you saved my goddamn life” – This song was the soundtrack to my first Dream Weekend experience. It reminds me of this woman I was in love with.
8. Bob Marley & The Wailers – Waiting In Vain
“I don’t wanna wait in vain, for your love” – I feel like God told Bob to write this song to help me heal from a bad experience in my life.
9. Christopher Martin – Cheater’s Prayer
“To have one girl, it kinda rough fi play the part” – This song motivated me to be an honest man to any woman I am emotionally involved with. Chris is one of my favorite Jamaican singers, you can tell it’s sincere.
10. Shaggy – It Wasn’t Me
“Seeing is believing so you better change your specs” – When Shaggy came into my residency in NY I played this halfway into my set and the vibes were immaculate! I turned it into a bashment party real quick.