Declaring that image is everything, Elephant Man emerged from his red Mercedes-Benz interview-ready and dripping swag — from his Gucci slides to his Louis Vuitton bag, the entertainer’s star power was undeniable.

Even in an all-black ensemble the deejay was as vibrant as ever and deservedly so.

Elephant Man, who has earned the title as King of Remixes in the dancehall realm, has what is arguably the biggest hit of the summer after remaking Connie Francis’s widely popular hit, Pretty Little Baby. His catchy spin on the 1962 classic has taken on a life of its own, giving the deejay a musical resurgence unlike any other.

Since its release three weeks ago, Pretty Baby by Elephant Man has achieved a level of virality that is unmatched. The single has now been dubbed ‘Song of the Summer’ by not just fans of the deejay but fellow entertainers on the dancehall circuit.

Evidence of the song’s growing popularity reared its head when the deejay received a call from Grammy-winning artiste Sean Paul, who was on tour. The Gimme the Light singer said he had to take the time out to congratulate Elephant Man on the catchy banger, which he admitted has been playing in his head non-stop.

But while the single continues to gain momentum, Elephant Man admits its success comes as no surprise. He told the Jamaica Observer Splash that the moment he recorded the remix he knew it would be a hit.

“I felt it in my gut that this would be a next hit song for me, so even if some people hear it and come with dem negative energy, mi know yah go have the positive people who ago love it, and positive always beat the negative, light always beat the dark, and when the light start shine pan it a just that happen,” he said.

As he paid his respects to the late Francis, Elephant Man admitted that he didn’t know the 60s classic before it started gaining fresh legs on social media. He expressed that when the song began going viral he knew he had to jump on it and, in true Elephant Man fashion, make it his own.

“A 60s/70s song dis, and God don’t even think ‘bout me yet [when it was first recorded]. But the people and the kids on TikTok went back for the song and put it out again, and it get new life. Going in the studio and recording it was a challenge, making sure you get the melody right, mix it right, but mi do it and believe,” he said. “If you check the track record, Energy God, I’m the King of Remixes, undisputed. And another thing, when Jamaicans take something and say dem a send it go road, unnu a run with it. And once Jamaicans put down dem foot anywhere, dem run it. That is what makes this song so big. Jamaicans in the US, the UK, Canada, and it just started spreading. And, guess what? We got a hit!”

Still, Elephant Man admitted that finding a ‘studio banger’ is only half the winning formula. For the deejay, the key to a single becoming a certified hit lies within the artiste’s ability to bring it to life onstage.

Having also earned the moniker Energy God, the deejay said his vibrant personality sealed the deal for him, as fans now crave a live rendition of Pretty Baby at stage shows.

“The love that the fans have for this song, they expect to see something special from Elephant Man when it reach that song performance. I am going to be giving the ladies their flowers on this song. I don’t think no flowers gonna be left in any flower shop anywhere in the world. If it’s a tree, I’m going to be climbing it, and people are gonna need to catch me. And I think I’m going to be walking with my flower pot dem, because a me say ‘we can talk for hours, next to the flowers’.”

Describing himself as an artiste who prioritises fun, Elephant Man said his career was established with enjoyment at the centre.

He expressed that dancehall should be a place where people forget their worries and simply have fun.

“I’m all about entertaining the fans dem and making sure that everybody have fun when it come on to the music and dancehall. I want people to go home and say that is why we love Ele, and this is why we love it when he remix a song. We enjoy it to the fullest and dancehall always nice with Ele,” he said.

Elephant Man’s Pretty Baby remix has been dubbed Song of the summer by many listeners. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)