Macka Diamond Says John John Was Interested In Her First, But She Set Him Up With Lady Saw

There are a couple of known facts about Lloyd ‘John John’ James Jr.

For one, he’s a hotshot producer who got the music chops from his father King Jammy. Two, he’s the ex-boyfriend of dancehall juggernaut Lady Saw – now Minister Marion Hall. Should the latter’s media archive propose another detail, John John was also a ladies’ man, and apparently, Macka Diamond was his type.

In an eyebrow-raising storytime worthy of popcorn, the Bun Him hitmaker claimed he was interested in her before he met ‘Muma Saw’.

“A me him did really like,” Macka said in a TikTok livestream this week.

She shared that he would give her money every week, which she’d allocate to groceries and other basic expenses.

“Him did kind to me because him did really like me fi true… Me did fraid because mi seh this likkle boy deh round him family dem weh rich, and me is the likkle poor girl a come studio a try fi get rich, or a try fi get a likkle hot song – him nah go waan me.”

It’s hard to fathom the resident “Money oh!” queen not jumping at an opportunity to be with a well-off guy. But as she revealed, her philosophy on dating was a bit different then.

“Me know him did really like me because he was invested in me,” she said. “You know when you’re a likkle, young, sexy girl and a likkle rich people pickney see me a studio and like me? He was really invested in me in certain ways. Dem times deh, if him give me even a certain amount of money, a nuff fi me because mi poor. But inna my head, if somebody like me and a give me dem likkle money, me know seh dem really like me… But we just stay as friends because I couldn’t do it because I was too poor. I said, ‘I can’t do this.’”

Plus, she had a preference for dark-skinned men. It appears the Nookie rhythm producer took a hint, offering a proposal when she started bringing her friends – including Hall – to the studio. 

“Mi memba one day when him couldn’t tek it no more… Him see me and har come round a the studio – cause me start bring in everybody go round a the studio and we a par – and him a seh, ‘You know weh mi waan yuh fi do like how yuh nuh waan me? Better you give me your friend.’”

And so, Macka played matchmaker to one of dancehall’s most cataclysmic couples, though she didn’t expect them to become serious. 

John John was Hall’s most public relationship, spanning on and off for 18 years with two engagements.

Even then, Macka claimed his feelings lingered.

“Him still never get over me because him used to call me same way, all when him deh round har,” the Dye Dye artist said. “She used to seh, ‘Macka, waah gwaan wid you and John John? Why him always a ask fi yuh?… All when time mi did get pregnant, him was so upset… Even for years, him always still seh that ‘Macka, you know seh a you me did love?’”

The topic arose as Macka chatted with media personality Shelly-Ann Curran who was recently accused of sleeping with John John while he was with Hall.

The allegation, hurled by deejay Spice, was shut down by Curran.