Singer Cruz Rock says his love for dancehall music inspired Be Mine , which features dancehall veteran Beenie Man.

Be Mine was released earlier this month and is produced by Iyatola Records and King Dreamz Entertainment.

“ Be Mine was inspired by my love for dancehall music. I have always wanted to recreate one of my childhood favourite songs or riddims and I remember when I first heard the Buy Out riddim several years ago, and saw how the world gravitated towards the sound. I wanted to give it my own twist using some Spanish lyrics and a reggaeton flavour,” he explained.

Be Mine is recorded on a new interpretation of the Buy Out rhythm (originally produced by Tony “CD” Kelly). The song’s Latin flavour blends with the dancehall beat to create a danceable and sing-a-long treat.

Cruz Rock explained how Beenie Man got involved in the project.

“After creating the song, we knew that having one of the original artistes from the Buy Out riddim would be best for the feature. Beenie Man is one of my favourite artistes of all time so he was my first choice. Andrew Powell of Worl Blast sent the song to Beenie Man’s team. Right away everyone who heard the song knew it was going to be big,” he said.

Prior to collaborating with Beenie Man, Cruz Rock worked with reggaeton as well as reggae acts, including Lennox of Zion y Lennon, Guelo Star and St Croix reggae band Midnite.

“I do various genres of music including dancehall, reggae, reggaeton and more. My style is very versatile and I can switch from deejaying to singing with ease. I feel that I can bridge a gap between the dancehall and Latin world with my capabilities,” he said.

Born Frankie Garcia in St Croix, US Virgin Islands, Cruz Rock is of Puerto Rican and Trinidadian parentage. He currently resides in Florida.

“I come from a family of musicians. My father played in a Latin band in the 1990s and my sister was a singer. I followed in their footsteps and started my music career while I was in college. Since then I have travelled the world promoting my music and performing.

Prior to Be Mine, Cruz Rock released songs including Sabrosa and Model and Pose. He has worked with producers including Dean Pond, Duran the Coach, DJ Patio and Errol Ajanie Williams as well as producers in Germany and Holland