Words by Jesse Serwer—
Amidst hyping their upcoming Free the Universe single, Major Lazer has revealed that the tune features vocals from none other than our friend, “Dancehall Godfather” and one of Jamaican music’s most historically consistent artists, Johnny Osbourne. In a promotional clip for “Jah No Partial,” (which was co-produced by dubstep beatmaker Flux Pavilion) Diplo explains that the vocals come from an acapella of Mr. Osbourne’s 1981 tune “Mr. Marshall,” given to him by King Jammy. Watch the video below for insights into the genesis and concept of the track from Diplo and Major Lazer (and LargeUp) crew members Walshy Fire and Jillionaire, hear what we can only presume is an unfinished leak of the tune here, and look out for “Jah No Partial” on iTunes Oct. 22.