HIT songs are not strange to Mykal Rose. He’s been making them for over 40 years and still gets a lift whenever he enters the charts.

The former Black Uhuru singer has the current number one song on the New York Foundation Radio Network Top 30 Music Chart with Glory to Jah, produced by Big Feet Records.

Rose, 64, spoke about the importance of staying relevant to a younger generation of fans.

“It feels so real to know I can still have a number one song among these new artistes. It tells that Mykal Rose is still current, still into today’s generation, and can still compete with these young artistes,” he said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

Glory to Jah is inspired by global anxiety caused by COVID-19 which has forced the lockdown of key sectors including live entertainment, which provides many artistes like Rose with significant income.

The spin-offs from the pandemic have given Rose plenty of material to write songs.

“I watch the news every day and my greatest concern is COVID – how it affects all aspects of life, from going to work and the rise in prices,” he said.

His songs with Black Uhuru, which include Shine Eye Gal, General Penitentiary and Sponji Reggae, form a great chunk of Rose’s live set, but he has also had contemporary success with songs like Shoot Out, a collaboration with Damian “Junior Gong” Marley.

Glory to Jah is the first number one song for Big Feet Records, a company based in northern California. It was launched two years ago by Josh Harris.

“Having our first number one with Mykal Rose feels like an amazing accomplishment. Mykal Rose is an artiste that I’ve long admired, and to have Big Feet Records’ first collaboration with him reach such lofty heights encourages us to explore future endeavours together,” Harris told the Observer.