Macka Diamond

Also known as Lady Cham, Lady Mackerel, and the Money Goddess, the brash dancehall queen Macka Diamond is the daughter of reggae producer Phillip Munroe. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, but raised near her father’s studio in the town of Portmore, Macka was surrounded by music from an early age. Gregory Isaacs and Sly & Robbie were familiar faces to the teenage Macka, but it was hearing Sister Nancy that convinced her she too could be a singer. Rather than using her father as a connection, Macka sought out another powerful dancehall woman, Lady Junie. With Junie’s help she would get the chance to record “Don Girl,” an answer record to Major Mackerel’s “Don Ban.” Since the producer wanted the connection to the Major to be obvious, he renamed Macka Lady Mackerel. Even if she was extremely unhappy with the name, “Don Girl” was a Jamaican hit. After a string of less successful singles, including collaborations with Captain Barkey and Wickerman, she dropped the Lady Mackerel name and officially returned as Macka Diamond with her 2003 single “Tek Con,” an answer record to Vybz Kartel’s “Tek Buddy.” A year later her sexually charged single “Done a Ready” topped the Jamaican charts and Greensleeves Records came calling. In 2005 the label released her album Money-O, which featured a guest appearance from Mad Cobra along with another hit single, “Bun Him,” featuring Black-Er. That same year she became the spokesperson for Wray & Nephew Rum Cream and recorded the soca-flavored single “What Girls Like” with Denise Belfon. In 2007 her single “Hula Hoop” went to number one in Jamaica, then she became an author and gave the world “the first official dancehall novel” with her book Bun Him!!! Early the next year she hosted Macka Diamond’s Money-O Bingo with the Stars birthday bash — a bingo night/all-star concert held in Kingston — and announced that Bun Him!!! was being made into a movie. ~ David Jeffries