AUDIO: Reniss FT. Jovi – Michael Jackson

Cameroon’s rap renaissance is continuing to thrive in 2015 thanks in large part to Jovi‘s New Bell Music label. On her latest effort, Mankon-born, Douala-raised New Bell signee Reniss pays homage to Michael Jackson, who in 1983 sampled Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango‘s famous mama-say/mama-sa/mama-ko-sa refrain from his early disco single, “Soul Makossa.” Featuring and produced by Jovi (as his producer alter ergo Le Monstre), “Michael Jackson” opens with a sample of Ivorian rap pioneers R.A.S, before launching into a full-on Makossa-influenced tribute to the King of Pop.

“I really wanted to represent sonically, what P-Square did visually. I wanted to give an African look to Michael Jackson’s style. Michael used a lot of African influences in his music, like in ‘Liberian Girl‘ and ‘Wanna Be Startin Something.’ So this is my way of showing respect to his work.”

Enjoy!