Armanii, DJ Mac, and CrashDummy’s HAAD (Fiesta) released April 17, 2024 samples R Kelly’s “Fiesta” and the song has topped the Jamaica YouTube and Apple Music charts. Producer DJ Mac says his decision to sample R&B singer R. Kelly’s track was to blend old school vibes with modern sounds.
Mac whose “HAAD (Fiesta” shows up first when you search Spotify for “Fiesta,” told the Jamaica Observer, “I decided to use the sample because it’s bouncy and I wanted to bring back a summer vibe with a nowadays sound. The Armanii song is part of a rhythm juggling which has four songs. The idea behind the juggling is old school and new school.”
“HAAD (Fiesta” is also currently #1 Antigua and Barbuda and the Cayman Islands on the streaming driven Apple Music chart . It is #2 Grenada, #5 St. Vincent and The Grenadines, #6 Anguilla, #6 Guyana, #11 Saint Kitts and Nevis, #17 Turks and Caicos, #22 Belize, #29 British Virgin Islands, #39 St. Lucia and #64 Barbados. On the sales driven iTunes chart it climbs #2 Cayman Islands and #34 Grenada. While on Deezer it is #14 in Jamaica.
The emerging producer, with an exclusive contract with the all-in-one record label ONErpm, acknowledges that while the song has gained traction on digital streaming platforms, he has not yet obtained clearance for the sample used. However, he expresses his readiness to comply with whatever terms the label requires in exchange for its use. “We just started dealing with the clearance, yes, we have to do that. If it’s a case where they want to be hard about it, no problem. Give them what they want. I’m trying to do things differently for the culture.”
A risky creative move for MAC, considering in 2009 when dancehall producer Notnice went ahead and sampled Miss Independent for Vybz Kartel and Spice’s Romping shop, EMI Publishing issued a cease and desist on the song that eventually gave Kartel his first US hit, peaking at #76 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
More than six publishing companies including Universal Music and Sony ATV have interests in ‘Fiesta’ from Kelly’s TP-2 album (2000) and the ‘Fiesta (Remix),’ the hit song released in May 15 2001 by R. Kelly featuring Jay-Z, Boo & Gotti, which spent five weeks at number one on the US R&B chart and peaked at number six on the US pop chart.
The single was the best selling and most played R&B/Hip Hop song of 2001 according to Billboard. Originally featuring Jadakiss, Boo & Gotti replaced his verse in the final version. The music video was directed by R. Kelly and Little X in Florida.
Stone Love’s Winston Powell told the Observer how he sampled the song in 2001 for the “Fiesta Riddim” at the height of its popularity, and like Notnice, he did not receive clearance from the publishing company.
“No, we didn’t get clearance, but I didn’t clear the publishing, so everything went to them. However, the Elephant Man song on the rhythm did a whole lot for Stone Love, because we held it exclusively before we released it,” Powell recalled.
Several international songs have sampled “Fiesta (Remix)” over the years including “Ignition (Remix)” by R. Kelly from the album Chocolate Factory (2003), “Ride Til I Die” by Shawn Do, Mistah F.A.B., and Dubb 20 from the album Thizz Nation Vol. 2 (2005), “Mafia (Remix)” by The Relativez featuring Nuttz from the album Legendary (2007), “We F’d Up” by J Dilla from the album Pay Jay (2008), “After Party” by The Lonely Island featuring Santigold from the album Turtleneck & Chain (2011), “Songs on 12 Play” by Chris Brown featuring Trey Songz from the album X (2014).
Here’s the list of the top 100 songs on Apple Music Jamaica for May 4, 2024:
- Armanii, DJ Mac & CrashDummy – HAAD (Fiesta)
- Skippa – Hugo
- SQUASH – Big Breeze
- Valiant & DJ Mac – Lumbah
- RajahWild – Inferno
- Kendrick Lamar – euphoria
- RajahWild – Gogo
- Intence & Countree Hype – Shh
- Masicka – Tyrant
- Nigy Boy – Judgement
- Najeeriii – Bubbie
- Masicka, Chronic Law & Lila Iké – Triumph
- RajahWild & Jiggy – Dolly House
- RajahWild, Brysco & Jiggy D – Muk
- Chronic Law – Don’t Fall
- RajahWild – Monster
- RajahWild & Najeeriii – Life a Di Party
- RajahWild – 100 Mile
- Najeeriii – Head High
- Nigy Boy & DJ Frass – Nomad
