Photo by Martei Korley
It’s been 10 long years since we last heard new vocals from Super Cat. For some of you, that number may be closer to 15 years, since ‘Cat’s early 2000s output (the little-heard “Reggae Matic,” and a handful of mixtape tracks with the Neptunes) flew below many folks’ radar. But now hell has frozen over, and we have actual audio of a new track with Super Cat — alongside fellow reggae geniuses Shaggy and Maxi Priest, no less. The track, “Night Flight,” comes via Shaggy, who we hear had hoped to feature the tune on his last album, Out of Many, One Music. (It was also Shaggy who was responsible for luring ‘Cat out of retirement for his appearance at last year’s On Da Reggae Tip concert).
It had its public premiere two weeks ago during David Rodigan’s rain-soaked set on the Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise (more on that here), and was spun by Ram Jam on his BBC 1Xtra show earlier this week. Now it’s on the Internet in full, or close to it. The audio quality is less than desirable but hearing Super Cat, Shaggy and Maxi Priest on a track together feels so right we just had to share it, as we await better sound.
“Night Flight” features Cat and Shaggy trading toasts over a smooth, jazzy riddim that feels like a reggae version of William Devaughn’s “Be Thankful For What You Got” or some old Gamble and Huff business. What’s more Cat actually sounds pretty good, deejaying colorful lyrics in vintage Don Dada style (“Mi nah go eat the curry goat without di white rice/And mi nah go drink di juice if mi cyan find di ice”) and getting all vulnerable on the outro (“Well ah di wickedest thing inna life/When Joe Grind ah sleep with your wife/Then she wanna stab you deh inna back with a knife”).
Listen below, and tell us if the Don Dada is back… or nah. And check out our photo feature with the elusive dancehall legend here.
UPDATE: LISTEN TO THE TRACK IN FULL HERE, ON SHAGGY’S SOUNDCLOUD.