One year after scoring a hit on regional charts with his reggae cover of Bread’s Baby I’m A Want You, singer Michael Dawkins changes course on Revenge, a song he did with Solomon Childs of the Wu Tang Clan.

The single, released in August, is from a various artistes album titled How it Goes, produced by Para Normal Ent, an independent company based in Brooklyn, New York.

Dawkins said it was principals at Para Normal who contacted him to work with Childs, who is a member of the Wu Tang Clan’s Ghost Rider division.

“I think it is a good move for me, it extends my reach into different territory an’ diversify my following,” said Kingston-born Dawkins, who lives in New York City.

He has another song, Only You, on How it Goes.

Since he began recording in the 1980s, most of Dawkins’ songs have been reggae numbers like Don’t Give Me No Crack, released in 1988. But he has always been a fan of hip hop, pointing to acts like LL Cool J, KRS One, Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B I G as favourites.

In 2004, he ventured outside of reggae with Come Have Some Fun, a song with New York City rapper Rack Raw.

The Wu Tang Clan are one of the most successful hip hop groups. They had several hit songs and albums in the 1990s including Triumph and Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).

Its ranks included colourful rappers such as Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and RZA.

After over 30 years in the music business, Dawkins had a banner 2018 with his lovers rock take on Bread’s 1973 hit. His version of Baby I’m A Want You did well on reggae charts in the tri-state area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) as well as small markets in Belgium.