Interview: Christopher Martin, Busy Signal And Bounty Killer Talk ‘Guaranteed’ Remix

Reggae/Dancehall singer Christopher Martin has recruited Busy Signal and Bounty Killer for a remix of his 2022 single Guaranteed.

The track, produced by Robert Livingston, also has an accompanying music video that officially releases today via VP Records.

The original speaks to patriotism, exploring the world and simply indulging in all the pleasures life has to offer. But, what made Martin decide to draw for two of his compatriots for a twist on the already popular tune?

“I love the song a lot,” he told DancehallMag during an interview.

“I really love the song and I felt like there was another level that it could reach with the help of my very good friends and some generals in music. It could get to that place and that space, so, that was the first reason behind it. I was hearing certain voices. You know when you have something in your head and it just has to come out? That’s what it was about. I was hearing Bounty Killer on it, I was hearing my brother Busy Signal and mi ah seh, ‘yo! I think this would be a monster.’ When I said it to Robert, he was very open to it and mi just mek the link.”

Martin said that he has no doubt that the remix will be well received, considering the popularity of the original version, which was ranked at No. 26 on DancehallMag‘s best songs of 2022. 

“From we put up the very first post (with the remix), you saw it was something special, and when you’re in the party and you hear that song come on, it’s like the whole mood and the whole vibration of the place changes. Every party…anywhere I’m at and it plays, it’s the same kind of reaction,” he said.

“It has no boundaries. No barriers cyaa hold it. That is the aim and that is what we’re working towards and the song—it’s so infectious,” the singer continued.

The Five Star General and Busy said that too had their hearts set on major success.

“When friends link up, it’s just vibes…it’s just extraordinary,” Busy told DancehallMag as the others nodded in agreement.

On another note, Bounty reasoned that when executed properly, remixes have the potential to increase the popularity of a track. He gave an anecdote about the wonders remixes have worked for his career throughout the decades.

“Remix always help when di remix really remake properly. Sometime you will remix an’ den it nuh really fix, but, if you can remember I had a song called Suspense, that was just a single remixed by a selector called Delano Renaissance and I had to take that likkle selector remix and release it properly as an official remix and we never intended to have a remix enuh. Delano jus’ get up (and do it) an’ the whole world ah ask, ‘where can I buy that record?’ and we have to release it. That’s what remix does when it’s effective,” he told DancehallMag.

“Each time I sing Suspense now, that’s the way I sing it or it come like it out of sync. People get to love the remix more than the original. So, when a remix is properly done, it even badder than di original,” Bounty continued.

To drive his point home, he said that local artists shy away from remixes, who is regressive, in his opinion.

“Jamaicans not taking advantage of remixes. A man feel like seh mi song hit an’ it nuh need nothing. It nuh need nothing enuh, but yuh see if yuh add sumn, yuh have something extraordinary,” Bounty added.

Bounty said he endorses the message in Guaranteed, and explained that he is not a fan of the monotonous topics being explored in Dancehall nowadays by the new crop of artists.

“A nuh Jamaica we ah sing fah again, we ah sing from Jamaica to di worl’. We not gonna get distracted by some likkle corner topic…we are looking at the Grammys and the Billboard. Right now, these little places cyaa help Christopher Martin, an’ Bounty an’ Busy anymore so we have to sing from Jamaica to di world. We’re not singing from Kingston to Mobay or Portland. When we ah sing dis we know di world wants good music; topics that (are) relatable and old school argument where the kids, the mother, the father, the grandparents will understand it. Wi cyaa sing fi wi likkle peers dem an’ wi fren dem pon di corner nuh more. Dat nah guh work,” he stressed.

Busy Signal, who has done a slew of remixes throughout his career, also said that he is deliberate in choosing what projects he chooses to hop onto based on the demands of the diaspora.

“Wi go out inna di world guh find out seh when di people dem ah listen an’ dem find out seh yeah, quality music! Especially when yuh put in ear piece an’ yuh inna di music yah guh hear everything…We want wi ting pon ah level where it’s quality music, consistently. Mi really put in the attention to detail throughout this career,” Busy said.