Stephen ‘Di Genius’ writes a new chapter with ‘Hill and Gully’ riddim

Multi-Grammy Award-winning producer, Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor , is excited about his newest riddim, Hill and Gully, which is a spin-off of the original mento song and riddim of the same name.

“I was just trying to tap into Jamaican culture on a deeper level, and I thought that no one really went into mento and that kind of thing. So, I wanted to see how I could merge that world with like the new people and kind of just reintroduce that part of the culture,” McGregor told The Gleaner.

He subsequently called on several artistes to play a role in infusing new energy and vibe into the riddim, and last Friday released the first track, Slip and Slide, featuring Masicka. The single went straight to number one on iTunes Top 100 Reggae Songs Chart.

McGregor is being commended for his insightfulness in stretching back into the past to make a great representation in the present, while looking to the future, and Boston-based broadcaster, promoter and selector, Junior Rodigon, did not hesitate to share his own thoughts on the subject.

“The Hill and Gully riddim exists due to producer Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor’s

knowledge of and respect for the foundation. Jamaican music has a magnificent and glorious past which is admired worldwide by millions,” Rodigon wrote on X, addding that in 2015-16 a new set of young producers started to write their own book “without any desire to add any chapters to the existing one”.

“So while that ‘new’ book is still being written ... the Hill and Gully riddim is now adding another chapter to the original book ... the one that contains all the heritage and legacy,” Junior Rodigon saluted.

Di Genius is the son of foundation reggae singer, Freddie McGregor, the esteemed Captain of the Big Ship, and he speaks passionately about all things Jamaica.

“Anything that says ‘Jamaica’ and to really represent and endorse the culture I am all in for that. Masicka’s song is getting some really good traction ... all over TikTok, all over the Internet. I think this such a great way to merge the generations. I’m seeing a lot of the interactions online ... the older people know it, but for the younger generation it’s new and fresh. I realise that it’s bringing a lot of people together and more than anything else, that’s the most important thing for me,” he stated.

The producer, who has earned his ‘Di Genius’ moniker, shared that he likes the positive energy that is emanating from the discussions and has plans to drop more of the songs from the riddim in the coming weeks. And he promised that there won’t be 600 songs on the riddim.

“No, no no ... I can’t manage that,” he said with a chuckle. “But it’s going to be some pretty good songs though. You’ll see it gradually ... you’ll see one song here and another one there. I have a mixture of some of the newer people and the people who I originally work with, like Aidonia and Elephant Man and there are some of the newer people like NigyBoy, Skippa, Valiant, so there’s going to be a good blend.”

Sharing the process, he said that the beat was made some time ago, but he started the actual recording when he came home to Jamaica recently.

“I’ve been getting all of the songs recording really fast. In the past month I got all of these songs ... so it’s a blessing. I’m excited. It’s like a new energy and, like I said, I get to like dive back into the culture properly and share some of the skills that I learned from doing other genre and bring back home,” he said.

It was in 2008 that Di Genius and his brother Chino dropped what has become one of dancehall’s biggest hustlers anthems, From Mawnin’ (Never Change). Quizzed if the duo has a song coming out on Hill and Gully, Di Genius said, “Yeah. For sure.”

He also gave an update on his father, who is continuing to make a strong recovering from a 2022 stroke.

“He’s good. He was here in Jamaica, two weeks ago to attend the funeral for Supa Dee [sound system owner/operator]. Supa Dee ... he’s like family to us ... he’s by us every day, and so we had to be here to represent,” the son of Freddie McGregor said.

Stephen McGregor wrote and recorded his first song at the age of five, a dancehall track titled School Done Rul. By the age of seven he had taught himself to play bass, guitar, keyboards, and violin, and a few years later, the young Stephen immersed himself in the production and songwriting sides of the music business. His first hit riddim came in 2004, while still attending Ardenne High School. He and Chino approached dancehall artiste, Elephant Man to deejay on the Cartoon riddim, and the artiste accepted. He the first of 15 artistes to record on the track. His Wikipedia bio states that during a radio interview, a local DJ gave McGregor the nickname “Di Genius,” as his musical talent came at such a young age.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com