LADY G - RESPECT DUE
Lady G
February 8, 2022
In an environment where musical spaces are dominated by their male counterparts, women have to work twice as hard to gain respect. However, a woman with determination and positive attitude will shatter such stereotype. With an impressive and distinctive ability to turn any story from drama to reality, Lady G became a natural force who earned her spot at the top of the dancehall genre. The “women rights” singer is fully equipped with a lyrical encyclopedia that will make any male artist think twice about a challenge. Way before all the new musical technology, social media or streaming platforms, Lady G has maintained her own within the music culture.
Born Janice Fyffe, her love for music began as a child while living in Dela Vega City in Spanish Town, St Catherine. Her father (Ken Fyffe) is a singer who has ties with reggae groups The Congos, Sparkles and The Eternals. With a career spanning over 38 years, Lady G came, saw and conquered. Her dad and Sassafrass were early influences on her choosing a music career. Growing up in a community with entertainers such as Papa San and his late brother Dirtsman, the brothers further stirred her interest in pursuing music fulltime. But it was while performing at a talent competition in Spanish Town that she met Daddy Meekie. He introduced her to producer “Jack Scorpio” and the rest was history. She made her debut in 1984 with “Ghetto Rock”, a track produced by Maurice “Jack Scorpio” Johnson on his Black Scorpio label.
The dancehall diva quickly emerged as one of Jamaica’s most inspirational lyricist with songs that frequently explore issues in relationships and ways to solve them. She has been a driving force and activist for women’s rights throughout her career. Fyffe took control of the late 80’s and was a crowd favorite with her performances. This was evident at the 1988 staging of “Sting” as she was crowned the winner of a clash with Junie Ranks, Lady Mackerel and the late Sister Charmaine. The excitement continued in ’89 as she was challenged by Sister Charmaine, Lady Patra, and Lady P. She buried the competition with the first utterance of “hanging tree”, a counteraction to Charmaine “ring the alarm”. With all the momentum in her favor, she was easily declared the winner and chosen “Female DJ of the Year” on multiple occasions (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, and 1998). Her positive and respectful lyrics paved the way for many dancehall artists of today. She is also one of the few female artists that honed her craft on sound systems before recording a song.
Throughout the years, Lady G has scored a number of hits, including her 1988 chart topping single “Nuff Respect”, an empowering anthem for women produced by Gussie Clarke’s for Anchor Records. The hot selling song changed her life while enabling her the opportunity to expand her horizon and tour the world. The song topped the JBC Radio Top 30 chart in conjunction with reggae charts in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Caribbean, and USA. In 1989, she scored two hits, “Samfie Lover” with Hopeton James of the Techniques (# 19 on the RJR Top 40 chart) and “Legal Rights” with Papa San (#1 on every major chart in Jamaica). But it wasn’t until 1990 that Lady G became a household name with “Round Table Talk”, a powerful collaboration with Papa San. She often talks about how it was the biggest highlight of her career since her Sting debut in 1988. The single was the song of the year for 1990 on the RJR Top 100. The video also won the JAMI Award for Best Music Video.
In 1994 she joined forces with producer Danny Browne and later birthed the hit single “Breeze Off” (Juvenile Records), which topped the charts in 1997. She also recorded “Man a badman” for the Jamaican movie “Third World Cop”. She teamed with Chevelle Franklyn and countered Beenie Man’s single “wickedest slam” with “The real slam” The workload continued in 2000 when she joined forces with Crissy D and B-15 Project for the smash hit “Girls like us”. The song reached #7 on the UK charts and landed them on the popular British television show “Top of the pops”. The recognition allowed her to tour Germany and other parts of Europe. The witty and talented crooner has several albums under her belt and collaborations with various artists and producers. Lady G is still performing and producing while enjoying life as a mother. The veteran singjay now resides in the states and is still maintaining a strong presence amongst her younger music peers.
she was crowned the winner of "Sting" in 1988, amongst 4 of the top female dancehall djs.
Lady G toured with some of the top artists of the 80’s and 90’s. She was a fan favorite as she defended the rights of women, especially in duets with Papa San.
Lady G performing live
She is considered one of the queens of dancehall and can hold her own against any artist. She was the female “Dj of the Year” from 1988 to 1991.
Lady G on the mic
HIGHLIGHTS & ACHIEVEMENTS
- 1988 – “Nuff Respect” reached the #1 position on the Reggae charts in Jamaica and Caribbean.
- 1988 – Lady G performed at Sting and was declared the winner of the clash.
- 1988 – 1991 – Winner- Female “DJ of the year” Award each year.
- 1989 – Hit single “Legal Rights” topped every chart in Jamaica. Top female performer at Sting ‘89.
- 1990 – “Round Table Talk” was song of the year on RJR Top 100 charts & won JAMI Award for Best Video.
- 1997 – “Breeze Off” top the Jamaican charts. “Man a Badman” appeared in Third World Cop movie soundtrack.
- 2000 – Collaborated with Crissy D & B-15 Projest to record “Girls like us”. The song reached #7 on the British Chart; #22 in the Netherlands (Certified Gold) and #35 in Scotland.
- 2001 – The success of “Girls like us”enabled Crissy D and Lady G to perform the song on the highly rated and popular British television show “Top of The Pops”.
- 2002 – Formed G-String Productions and produced other artists.
- 2020 – She was honored by Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) with the Iconic Female Artist in the Music Industry Award. Performed at Rebel salute same year.