Going to dances in his hometown of Central Village, St Catherine was a favourite pastime for Ras Emmanuel during the 1980s and 1990s. It inspired him to become a professional entertainer, like his heroes from nearby Spanish Town.

Based in Newark, New Jersey, Ras Emmanuel teams with Lushy Banton on Dancehall Forever, a nod to the genre that helped shape his personal and professional life.

He co-produced Dancehall Forever with Mark Walcott and Lawrence Gowdie Enterprise.

In a recent interview with Observer Online, Ras Emmanuel commented on the evolution of dancehall music since he began his recording career in the mid-1990s.

“Dancehall is in full swing right now. Some great music is being produced by our recorders in Jamaica, the UK (United Kingdom), Canada, and here in the USA,” he said.

After drafting Dancehall Forever, Ras Emmanuel brought in Lushy Banton — a veteran of the New York dancehall scene — who added lyrics. Next step was production and release of the song in October.

Ras Emmanuel credits listening to lyricists like Papa San and Lieutenant Stitchie in his youth for developing as a songwriter.

“A song could come from the simplest of things. For example, a slang in the streets, your wife or empress, your friends, or if something happened to you when you are just driving. Music is mystical and could happen in different ways,” he noted.

– Howard Campbell