That sort of lyrical world - one where violence is an appealing way out of
an intractable life -- has made Mavado one of the most riveting and
controversial Jamaican artists today. He's caught the ears of Jay-Z, who made
his reggae debut on a remix of Mavado's 'On the Rock,' as well as the U.S., U.K.
and various Caribbean governments who denied Mavado visas based on Jamaican gun
charges (which were eventually tossed out).

His neighborhood and lyrical visions are dark places, but Mavado doesn't
want you to confuse them for his heart.

'Governments don't know me as an artist,' he said. 'There are people in
the media (that spread rumors) but it's just not reality.'

Reality has changed significantly for Mavado during the four years he's
been growing into a figurehead in one of the most compelling city-scenes in
music. He grew up in Kingston's Cassava Piece neighborhood, one of its most
notorious and crime-ridden areas. Yet he's led a revitalized wave of dancehall
artists including Busy Signal and Vybz Cartel (and young producers such as
Stephen McGregor) into a sound that pairs the mournful-thug lyricism of classic
U.S. hip-hop with icy synthesizers and rueful vocal melodies. His breakout
album, the 2007 deb't 'Gangsta for Life 'The Symphony of David Brooks' was
apocalyptic in its vision, matched by his 'full black' wardrobe and the
otherworldly, wrathful timbre of his tenor that falls somewhere between rapping,
singing and funereal lament.

But as his star grew locally (everything he touches is a chip-shot to top
the Jamaican charts) and inevitable talk of crossover grew, his followup 'Mr.
Brooks' A Better Tomorrow," which came out in the U.S. on Tuesday, lightened up
a bit. 'So Blessed 'dips into almost gospel territory, and the lascivious
double-entendre fest 'In Di Car Back' is a cheerfully racy club banger. Even the
boasts like 'On the Rock' and 'Real Killer' have something of a playfulness
about them, like Mavado knows he's winning whatever fight he's in.

It might be a pitch to finally break dancehall into the U.S. mainstream,
or simply a reflection of a better mood given his recent success -- either way,
it's working. Mavado sees his Jay-Z collaboration as less a ticket to ingratiate
himself to U.S. hip-hop than a way to introduce the new class of dancehall to
new fans.

'This will let a lot of people in the U.S. know about dancehall, ' Mavado
said. 'It's Jay-Z on a Mavado track, he can break Mavado to a wide audience. But
I'm a dancehall artist.'

So much talk about reggae centers around U.S. crossover potential, and
while it certainly couldn't hurt Mavado, who will play L.A. in May, to a point
it doesn't matter. The Jamaican and Caribbean diaspora ensures a fevered
response in cities around the globe that localized hip-hop artists would trade a
Maybach for. And, like so many artists in the U.S. and around the world, he's
already weighed in on the rap lyrical topic du jour: the merits of our new
President, with an 'On the Rock' remix titled 'We Need Barack.'

'Obama shows that black people can be whatever they want to be,' he said.
'To go from Martin Luther King to Obama, it makes the community proud."

Here is a copy of Mavado's interview with New York's HOT 97 Angie Martinez
(see player below)