Veteran dancehall artiste Papa Biggy says he is now available for dub sessions, live performances, and interviews, after he returned from long hiatus from music due to concerns over his health.

“I had to take time out to address personal health issues. I have always been a big person, but when diabetes and hypertension set in I had to take time out and address those core issues, basically saving my own life,” the Connecticut-based deejay said.

“[But] now that my new-found health has afforded me a renewed opportunity to step back in the ring with confidence, I am ready,” shared Papa Biggy confidently.

Now the deejay, born Courtney Porteous, is punching stronger than ever with lyrics from his newly released track, Roots to Youths, which seeks to highlight the marginalisation of the original rub-a-dub dancehall music within the modern era.

“I think my fans will show their love for it,” Papa Biggy predicts.

The track was produced by US-based Lifeforce Productions, with the rhythm being built in Zimbabwe by Coco Beats Productions.

The 40-year veteran said that he is getting ready to release a slew of new songs, which he believes will reconnect him with his fans and introduce him to the younger generation.

“The current state of Jamaican music is very vibrant. One could not expect our music not to evolve just like any other spectrum of life. Remember people use to ride donkeys now they are [in] self-driven cars. But there must be a balance through recognition, inclusion, and education of the people and craft that brought us to this modern sound that is now embraced by today’s generation,” he said.

Papa Biggy became famous in the early 1980s. He has voiced many conscious songs including Your Dreams, Stop Dem, and Walk With God.