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Lady Saw
Lady Saw performing in July 2007
Background information
Birth name	Marion Hall
Born	July 12, 1972 (1972-07-12) (age 35) Saint Mary, Jamaica
Origin	Kingston, Jamaica
Genre(s)	Reggae Dancehall
Years active	1994–present
Label(s)	VP
Website	LadySaw.net

Lady Saw (born Marion Hall on 12 July 1972), is a Jamaican reggae singer, known as "the first Lady of Dancehall". She is the first female deejay to win a Grammy and to be certified triple-platinum. She is also the first lady to headline shows outside her native Jamaica.

Marion Hall was born in summer 1972 in Galina, parish of Saint Mary. As a child she was a tomboy sold fruits and race wooden karts. At only 15, she took the name Lady Saw after famous Jamaican Deejay Tenor Saw, whose style she is said to emulate. She quit her sewing job at The Free Zone on the outskirts of Kingston;“That job wasn't for me”, she says. “I would deejay at work during the day.”^[1] to pursue music fulltime. She was soon signed to the Jamaican grassroots label VP Records (now a powerhouse). She debuted in 1994 with Lover Girl. At that time, she guested on the Jermaine Fagan track, "Life" and her star began to rise.

Hall is mother to three adopted children, two sons and one daughter. ^[2]

Lady Saw's first big successes came at the beginning of the 1990s. While gun talk ruled the dancehalls of West Kingston, she injected a heavy dose of sexually explicit lyrics, known as "slackness", into the music, but from her perspective as a female. Recording for the local Diamond label she released early hits like "If Him Lef" and "Stab Out de Meat", which scandalized and enthralled audiences. Her stage shows usually included picking men from the audience (or sometimes her own band members) to pull on stage and to simulate sex acts with.

However, she suffered for her outspoken ways; she was banned from many events due to her lyrics. Even though male artists were performing similar lyrics and stage shows, it was Lady Saw that became a pariah for it and endured censorship and even outright banning in more than a few Jamaican parishes. She continued to be outspoken though, and often addressed unfaithful lovers, female degradation, and safe sex in the wake of the emergence of AIDS ("Condom"). Subsequent hits like "No Long Talking", "Sycamore Tree", and "Find a Good Man" cemented her position as number one female deejay regardless of what her critics would say. These also were the first songs to gain exposure in the United States, especially in cities with large with Carribean populations such as New York City.

She has also collaborated with Beenie Man on tracks such as "Healing"; with Sean Paul on "Bossman"; with her protege and Dancehall princess Ce'Cile on "Loser"; and with long-time friend and peer, Tanya Stephens on "Bruck Dem Up". State-side, she has shared the mic with Missy Elliott, Eve (rapper), Lil' Kim, and Foxy Brown.

After a 6 year hiatus, in late 2004, she released Strip Tease. It has been called her most balanced and well-written album yet. "I've Got Your Man" had significant video and radio airplay in the U.S. "I've Got Your Man" peaked at #85 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart.

In 2005 she produced a version of Gregory Isaacs's Night Nurse with her toasting over the original lyrics[1].

In 2007, she released Walk Out. The album debuted at number 2 on the Top Reggae Albums chart. The singles "Infertility" and "Chat To Mi Back" were well received.

Lady Saw received a gold certification from the RIAA for "Smile with Vitamin C.

Lady Saw received a triple-platinum certification from the RIAA for "Underneath It All" with No Doubt.

In 2003, Lady Saw received her greatest mainstream honor: she won a Best Performance by a Duo or Group with a Vocal Grammy for her 2003 collaboration with No Doubt "Underneath It All". The slow-burning ballad had Gwen Stefani emulating Saw's unique style to great effect.

• 1994 Lover Girl
• 1996 Give Me A Reason
• 1997 Passion (Album)
• 1998 Raw, the Best of Lady Saw
• 1998 99 Ways
• 2004 Strip Tease
• 2007 Walk Out

• Official site
• Official MySpace Page
• VP Profile
• Lady Saw Made In Jamaica Video