Shaggy Praises Bling Dawg’s Album ‘Elev8’ As “One Of The Best”

Dancehall superstar Shaggy has offered his endorsement to Bling Dawg, praising the deejay’s debut album Elev8 as one of the best to be released this year. In a video clip, while in the UK on tour, Shaggy revealed he’s able to get through his workouts because of the album, which was released in February 2022.

“Mi get a chance to listen to Elev8, Bling Dawg and mi a seh big up my youth, because God know, a one of the best albums mi hear,” Shaggy said.

“I got the opportunity to listen to a whole heap of Dancehall albums weh come out —  everyone of them weh come out, mi buy them — but yours is definitely one of the best ones I heard. Great production, great songwriting, and I never got bored listening to it,” he added.

Bling Dawg’s over twenty-year career spans the full gamut of Jamaican music — from dance floor grooves like Aji Bounce and Zip It Up to the faith-based God Is Amazing. 

The artist, whose real name is Marlon Ricardo Williams, said he was thankful for the endorsement and recognition from Shaggy.

“I am happy, I feel good to know that an artist like Shaggy is a supporter and has expressed such compliments about my work, he is a diamond-selling artist so I am just grateful, and now with the Grammys coming up, I am so thankful for this,” he told DancehallMag.

When asked about the meaning behind the album’s title, Bling Dawg had said it was all about growth and positive thinking. 

“The other day I took a hiatus for over three years and said I was gonna reinvent my whole sound, image and music,” he told DancehallMag in an interview last year. 

“It’s all growth, so is really a new me ‘elevate’ from then until now. Yuh not gonna hear nothing that you used to from Bling Dawg. Positive vibration from now on, so that’s why it name Elev8, because how I used to think before is not how I’m thinking now. If yuh feel like I was a good artist before, I’m much better. If yuh feel like I was a bad performer before, I’m much better. It’s just growth and time and I’m confident in what I’m doing.”

Meanwhile, Shaggy said Tables Turn, a collaboration with Busy Signal, was his favorite track on the 19-track album.

“The one with you and Busy is my favorite but the more mi listen is the more mi find another one mi like,” the Boombastic artist said.

“Bling, big up yourself. Keep doing what you’re doing my brother, and again, thank you for your music, I am here on tour going from show to show and it has definitely helped me pass the time, so everyone go and get it. Wicked, wicked album.”

The album’s first single was YO! with Christopher Martin, a dub track about mental, physical and spiritual resilience.

Elev8 had also featured Romain Virgo on Pride, Morgan Heritage on Feelings, Popcaan on Prayer We Use, Barrington Levy on Married To Music, Bounty Killer on Buss A Road, and Tanya Stephens on Seh Dem A Love Yuh.

“It’s not the regular thing you hear in music, the choice of words is different,” Bling Dawg had said.

“Ah nuff meditation mi put inna it, nuff work, nuff sacrifice. I’m just excited for the masses to hear it. It’s not because it’s my album, honestly speaking, every song pon it ah fire. I took a break and I’m back with suppm refreshing, it’s not like I come wid di same vibes so dem ah go see di maturity and spiritually inna it.” 

The album was released via Creative Titans Music and Dawg House Productions.