Marion Hall announced a dancehall comeback in February but has left fans waiting with her dancehall-style sermons filled with sharp remarks and unconventional preaching.
She asserts that her mission is to save her female colleagues in Dancehall, no matter the opposition she faces.
“People of God, the Lord said it is reaping season, and I will go down there and reap them. I will reap them out of every corner, everywhere in Dancehall; if I have to come there and do the work, lay hands, everything, that’s where I’m going. And if it causes you to come up against me, it does not matter. I will reap for the Kingdom of God,” she declared.
Her online sermons have faced criticism from some dancehall quarters, but Lady Saw, 53, boasts a rich legacy in Jamaica’s music scene. Though she now preaches the Pentecostal gospel, her over two-decade-long career has inspired and paved the way for generations of artists.
Starting at age 15 on local sound systems in St. Mary, she became the first female DJ to achieve triple platinum certification and remains the only hardcore female DJ with a Grammy award.
Her early hits include “If Him Lef,” “Find a Good Man,” and “Stab Up Di Meat” from her 1994 debut album, Lover Girl.
Lady Saw’s breakthrough on the Billboard’s Top Reggae Albums chart came in June 1997 with her album Passion, peaking at number 8, featuring hit singles “Healing” and “Sycamore Tree.”
In February 1998, she released her first greatest hits album, Raw, the Best of Lady Saw, followed by her fourth album, 99 Ways, which reached number 10 on Billboard’s Top Reggae Albums chart by December that year.
Her 1999 hit “Smile” with Vitamin C peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went gold, thanks to its features in TV shows and ads, including Movie Stars, Cold Feet, and Beverly Hills, 90210.
In 2002, her collaboration with No Doubt, “Underneath It All,” peaked at number three in the US and won a Grammy for ‘Best Performance by a Duo or Group.’
Lady Saw’s fifth studio album, Strip Tease, charted at number 84 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 14 on the Top Reggae Albums chart in 2004. The lead single “I’ve Got Your Man” found global success, peaking at number 58 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album also featured singles “Man is the Least,” “Move Your Body,” and “Loser.”
In 2006, she co-wrote and featured on Steven Seagal’s song “Strut.”
Her sixth album, Walk Out, released in April 2007, peaked at number 8 on the Top Reggae Albums chart, with singles “Chat to Mi Back” and “Me and My Crew (The Rae).”
In 2009, Saw released her second greatest hits album, Extra Raw: The First Lady of Dancehall. In December 2010, she released My Way on her own record label. Though it didn’t chart, she was featured with Nicki Minaj on Trina’s song “Dang A Lang” from the album Amazin’ the same year.
In 2012, she released “Heels On,” with a music video featuring Shaggy.
On November 6, 2015, she released her second extended play, Lady Saw: Special Edition.
Shortly after, she was baptized and announced she would no longer identify as “Lady Saw” but as Minister Marion Hall or simply Marion Hall. She declared she would not perform her past hits but would start a new career in gospel music. She has released gospel songs like “Jesus In The End,” “Cup of Blessings,” “God Almighty,” “Room In My House,” and “Heaven,” featured on several mixtapes. In July 2016, she released her first gospel album, When God Speaks.
Whether known as Marion Hall or Lady Saw, she has paved the way for many female artists from Jamaica, and her legacy remains untouchable.
