Marion Hall (born 12 July 1969; formerly known by the stage name Lady Saw) is a Jamaican singer and songwriter whose career has spanned over two decades. Formerly known as the Queen of Dancehall, she is the first female

deejay A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...

to be certified as a triple-

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

and

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

-winning artist.Lady Saw Makes Studio 38 Debut
, ''

Jamaica Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. Originally called the ''Daily Gleaner'', the name was changed on 7 December 1992 to ' ...

'', 25 February 2011, retrieved 29 March 2011

Early life

Hall was born in Galina,

Saint Mary, Jamaica Saint Mary is a parish located in the northeast section of Jamaica. With a population of 114,227 it is one of Jamaica's smallest parishes, located in the county of Middlesex. Its chief town and capital is Port Maria, located on the coast. It is ...

. As a child, she attended Galina Primary School.Lady Saw gives back to Galina
Jamaican Observer. Retrieved on 14 March 2016 During her teen years, she had a sewing job at The Free Zone in

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...

. At the age of fifteen, she began performing with local

sound systems In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p. 162-3 She went on to work with the Stereo One system in Kingston.Jackson, Kevin (2012)
LADY SAW – Came, saw... still conquering
, ''

Jamaica Observer ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor i ...

'', 18 May 2012, retrieved 1 June 2012

Career

1987–1995: ''Lover Girl''

In 1987, Hall took the name "Lady Saw" after the famous Jamaican singer

Tenor Saw Clive Bright (2 December 1966 – August 1988), better known as Tenor Saw, was a Jamaican dancehall singjay in the 1980s, considered one of the most influential singers of the early digital reggae era. His best-known song was the 1985 hit "Rin ...

, who inspired her music. Her performances brought her to the attention of record producers and she recorded her first single for producer Piper, and "Love Me or Lef Me", produced by Olive Shaw received significant airplay. She had her first hit with "If Him Lef" and she topped the Jamaican charts with "Find a Good Man". After her music success on Jamaican radio, she began recording her first studio album. In August 1994, Saw released her first album entitled ''

Lover Girl ''Lover Girl'' is the first studio album by the dancehall artist Lady Saw Marion Hall (born 12 July 1969; formerly known by the stage name Lady Saw) is a Jamaican singer and songwriter whose career has spanned over two decades. Formerly k ...

''. The album spawned the hit "Stab Up De Meat".

1996–1997: ''Give Me the Reason'' and ''Passion''

In 1996, Saw released her second album '' Give Me the Reason''. The album became known for its explicit sexual lyrics which was showcased on songs "Life Without Dick" and "Name Nuh Stand Fi Sex". The album spawned the singles "Give Me the Reason", "Good Wuk", and "Condom". In June 1997, Saw released '' Passion''. The album charted at number 8 on

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

's Top Reggae Albums chart, becoming her first album to chart.Lady Saw , Awards , AllMusic
All Music. Retrieved on 14 March 2016 The album spawned the singles: "Healing" and "Sycamore Tree".

1998–2003: ''99 Ways''

In February 1998, Saw released her first

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

entitled ''

Raw, the Best of Lady Saw This is the first of two albums released in 1998 by Jamaican Dancehall/Reggae artist Lady Saw Marion Hall (born 12 July 1969; formerly known by the stage name Lady Saw) is a Jamaican singer and songwriter whose career has spanned over two d ...

''. In December 1998, Saw released her fourth album ''

99 Ways ''99 Ways'' is the second of two albums released in 1998 by dancehall artist Lady Saw Marion Hall (born 12 July 1969; formerly known by the stage name Lady Saw) is a Jamaican singer and songwriter whose career has spanned over two decades. For ...

'', which charted at number 10 on Billboard's Top Reggae Albums chart. In 1999 she had a major hit in the United States with "

Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses ...

", recorded with

Vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) an ...

, which peaked at number 18 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also a major hit in New Zealand and Canada, and certified gold with over 500,000 sales. In 2002, her collaboration with

No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, they ...

, "

Underneath It All "Underneath It All" is a song by American ska band No Doubt from their fourth studio album '' Rock Steady'' (2001). It was written by the band's lead singer Gwen Stefani and David Stewart. The song features a reggae production from Sly and Rob ...

", which reached number three in the US and sold more than three million copies, reaching triple platinum certification. The track won a

for 'Best Performance by a Duo or Group'.

2004–2007: ''Strip Tease'' and ''Walk Out''

In August 2004, Lady Saw released her fifth album ''Strip Tease''. The album charted at number 84 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 14 Billboard's Top Reggae Albums chart. The lead single "I've Got Your Man" garnered much worldwide success and charted at number 58 on Billboard's

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

. The album also spawn the singles: "Man is the Least", "Move Your Body", and "Loser". In 2006, she was featured on the

Steven Seagal Steven Frederic Seagal (; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, screenwriter and martial artist. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan and eventually ended up running his father-in-l ...

song Strut, which she also co-wrote. It has achieved internet fame under the incorrect name Me Want The Punani, a repeated lyric from the song. In March 2007, Saw released the single "No Less Than a Woman (Infertility)". The song addressed the many problems that women have involving

infertility Infertility is the inability of a person, animal or plant to reproduce by natural means. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy adult, except notably among certain eusocial species (mostly haplodiploid insects). It is the normal state ...

. In April 2007, Saw released her sixth album ''

Walk Out In labor disputes, a walkout is a labor strike, the act of employees collectively leaving the workplace and withholding labor as an act of protest. A walkout can also mean the act of leaving a place of work, school, a meeting, a company, or an ...

'', which peaked at number 8 on the Top Reggae Albums chart. Saw released two more singles: "Chat to Mi Back" and "Me and My Crew (The Rae)". Later that year, she performed on the main stage at Jamaica's annual Reggae Sumfest.

2009–2015: ''My Way'' and ''Alter Ego''

In 2009, Saw released her second

entitled ''Extra Raw: The First Lady of Dancehall''. She launched her own record label, Divas Records, in January 2010.Lady Saw Makes Studio 38 Debut
, ''

'', 25 February 2011, retrieved 29 March 2011 In August 2010, Saw released the lead single "Party Till December" from her forthcoming album. In December 2010, she released ''

My Way "My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...

'', which failed to chart. In the same year, Lady Saw was also featured along with

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

on rapper

Trina Katrina Laverne Taylor (born December 3, 1978), known professionally as Trina, is an American rapper. She rose to prominence in 1998 with her appearance on the Trick Daddy single "Nann Nigga". Trina has been described by '' XXL'' as "the most ...

's song "Dang A Lang" from her album Amazin'. In May 2011, she released a single "When Mi Left a Man". In 2012, she released an

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

entitled "Two Man". In October 2012, Saw released a single "Heels On". In November 2012 she announced that she was turning her back on dancehall and would be concentrating on

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

music in the future.Johnson, Richard (2012)
The gospel according to Lady Saw
, ''

'', 23 November 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012 In August 2013, Saw released a single "Nuh Tek Mi Man". In 2014, she released her album ''Alter Ego'', which features guest appearances from

Beres Hammond Beres Hammond Order of Jamaica, OJ (born Hugh Beresford Hammond; 28 August 1955, in Annotto Bay, Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica, Saint Mary, Jamaica)Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock St ...

Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (, ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 breakout single " Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital dow ...

, and

Ali Campbell Alistair Ian Campbell (born 15 February 1959) is an English singer and songwriter who was lead singer of the British reggae band UB40. As part of UB40, Campbell sold over 70 million records worldwide and toured the globe for 30 years. In 2008, C ...

. The album charted at number 6 on the Top Reggae Albums chart. In the same year, she established The Lady Saw Foundation; which aims to help abused and needy women. In March 2015, she released a single "Scammer". In May 2015, Saw released the single "Incline Thine Ears". In June 2015, she released a two singles "Last Night" and "The Devil Have a Way". In August 2015, Saw released a single "The Day Will Never Come". In September 2015, she released the single "Likkle Bit". In November 2015,

Singing Melody Everton Hardweare (born 23 November 1967), better known by his stage name Singing Melody, is a reggae artist from Kingston, Jamaica. He is known for his abilities as a vocalist, his production work and for combining aspects of reggae and R&B ...

released the single "Beneath Your Beautiful", which featured Lady Saw. On 6 November 2015, she released her second extended play entitled, ''Lady Saw: Special Edition''. In December 2015, she released a single "Lay On Your Body".

2016–present: Conversion to Christianity and retirement from Dancehall music

On 15 December 2015, Saw underwent a

Christian baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...

. She later stated she will no longer identify herself as "Lady Saw", but instead as Minister Marion Hall or simply Marion Hall. She also stated that she will not perform dancehall music, but instead she will begin a new music career in

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

. She has released a few gospel songs; "Jesus In The End", "Cup of Blessings", "God Almighty", and "Heaven" which appear on several mixtapes. In July 2016, she released her first gospel album ''When God Speaks''. In June 2018, Hall released the lead single "I'm Gonna Fast" from her album "His Grace". The album was released on 20 July 2018. In April 2020, Hall stated that she believed she was denied a United States

O-1 visa An O visa is a classification of non-immigrant temporary worker visa granted by the United States to an alien "who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extrao ...

because she no longer identified as "Lady Saw".Marion Hall Laments Being Denied A US O-1 Visa She Once Qualified For As Lady Saw
DancehallMag.com. Retrieved on 11 April 2020

Style

Lady Saw became known for slack performance style. The style also prompted her to record "What is Slackness?"; a song in which she defines 'slackness' in many ways. Slackness often refers to vulgarity in Jamaican culture, behavior and the music. It always sums up the explicit sexual lyrics used in reggae and dancehall music. Because of this, several of her performances were banned in some parts of Jamaica, though equally lewd male performances were not. The

double standard A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for situations that are, in principle, the same. It is often used to describe treatment whereby one group is given more latitude than another. A double standard arises when two ...

inspired her to record the song "Freedom of Speech" in protest. She also became known for her "conscious" lyrics. She recorded "Condom"; warning girls of the dangers of unprotected heterosexual sex.

Discography

* ''

'' (1994) * '' Give Me the Reason'' (1996) * '' Passion'' (1997) * ''

'' (1998) * ''

Strip Tease A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper" or an "exo ...

'' (2004) * ''

'' (2007) * ''

'' (2010) * ''Alter Ego'' (2014) * ''When God Speaks'' (2016) * ''His Grace'' (2018)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Marion 1969 births Living people People from Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica Jamaican dancehall musicians Reggae fusion artists Jamaican reggae musicians Jamaican singer-songwriters