Stephen Mejias

Few people know this about me, and those who do include my mom, my sister, certain other women, and only my very closest friends—it's that kind of thing, you see—which is to say: It's not something to brag about, but it's something that's somehow central to my personality, and here it is:

I'm a complete and total sucker for late '80s/early '90s Top 40 R&B and pop.

No, seriously: I can sing all of the lyrics to George Michael's Faith—the album, dudes, not the song. In track by track order. I have irrationally vivid memories of being in the back seat of my parents' metallic gold AMC Ambassador, singing my head off as the radio plays Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative." Those of you familiar with "The Box," that delicious and most guilt-inducing of all guilty pleasure television shows where you called in and paid upwards of $1.50 to (hopefully) watch a music video of your choice, will remember that Lisa Stansfield's "Been Around the World" was a longtime number 1 pick. You want to know why that song lived for so long at the top? I spent all of my birthday money on that video, folks. For that high school freshman English assignment where I had to show how popular song lyrics can be truly poetic, I used Shai's 1992 masterpiece, "If I Ever Fall In Love Again."

The very first time, that I saw your brown eyes / Your lips said "Hello" and I said "Hi".

Yeah, I think I compared that to Shakespeare. Or was it Wordsworth? Either way, I'm sure I got an A. And, to this day, right out in the open, I sometimes break into spontaneous renditions of Madonna's "Like A Prayer," Soul II Soul's "Back To Life," Blackstreet's "No Diggity."

It's almost inappropriate.

And then here comes Queen Majesty's Trilla: Jamaican dancehall covers of '80s and '90s pop songs, all full of reverb and sway, a bobbing head and a winking eye. Holy shit, she mined my childhood for cheesy songs and transformed them into something I can be proud of.

When I see you smile, I can face the world!

All of the aforementioned hits are present, and the tracks are satisfyingly brief, with most of the 24 cuts just nudging the two-minute mark. By the end, you'll want more. These are covers—not mash-ups—but songs do flow smoothly, freely, and intelligently—Sanchez' trippy cover of "Can We Talk" morphs into Shinehead's version of "Billie Jean" like the two songs were meant to be one. Queen Majesty is, afterall, a DJ. You can find her smiling upon Manhattan's Lower East Side, perhaps spinning vinyl at East Village Radio or shopping for some at Deadly Dragon Sound.

Though Queen Majesty handled the mixing and compiling, recording credit goes to DJ Ayres. The overall sound is appropriately gritty and leaves the impression that you're listening to old, dirty, but nonetheless treasured vinyl. The sound is as it should be. This mix is party-ready and if you love dancehall or have a soft spot for pop (and I know you do), then you're sure to love Trilla. I think I love it from head to toe, like Lisa Lisa.

Trilla can be found at Deadly Dragon Sound and Turntable Lab. So far, Michael hasn't sued.