Jah Mason scores major hit with 'Evilous System'

Rastafarian reggae star Jah Mason has scored a major reggae hit in Europe with the single Evilous System.

"The song is creating waves over here in Europe, in Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Amsterdam. Everywhere I go and perform the song, I get crazy forwards, especially because of what the people are facing here in Europe in terms of financial hardships, and the injustices that they face in their own societies," Jah Mason said in a release.

 André 'Jah Mason' Johnson is known for the hit single My Princess Gone, and he has emerged as one of the most highly rated young reggae deejays in reggae music today.

Over the last few years, he has worked closely with friend and producer Andrew 'Khool' Johnson, with whom he released Evilous System on the Andrew Khool label.

"Jah Mason and I have a very good friendship and working relationship. We share the same last name, and my first name is Andrew, and his first name is André, so we understand each other," Andrew Khool said, laughing.

The success that is being enjoyed by Evilous System is an excellent sign for the future. "This is not my first project, but this is the first one which has taken off with such a bang. This song has an energy that is working because of the message and what is going on in the society at this time. The streets a respond to it. The song is on most mixtapes and the radio stations are playing it," Johnson said.

The single, Evilous System, is available for sale on iTunes, Amazon, and a whole constellation of music download sites. Since its release, it has been enjoying rotation on Bess FM, ZIP FM, KLAS, Suncity Radio, Links FM, and IRIE FM. The song has also popped up on reggae charts in Germany and France.

Overwhelming response

"Because of the overwhelming response to the single, we have shot a video for the project, and that video will hit Jamaican TV screens the second week of August," the KC graduate said.

Khool said the most challenging aspect of the local reggae-dancehall industry is business-related."The whole structure of the business part is challenging in terms of earning enough money to recoup your expenses, knowing how to register your songs and generate income. But I love it. I don't play instruments, but I have a great ear for rhythms, so I know what I want, and even though I am yet to make the real money, I know this is a learning process, and I am going to continue to do it," he said.

In the meantime, he has a new dancehall project, which he will be releasing this fall. "I have a couple of big names already, and Romain Virgo has promised that he will voice on it," he said.

(from Jamaica Star)