Tissie Chan, STAR Writer

Malijah - contributed

'Malijah', the stage name of Naval Lee Bennett, means 'warner' - an apt title for an artiste whose lyrics warn about 'healthy eating'.

Malijah's witty and fresh musical style is currently stimulating well-deserved attention. One of the singer's latest hits, No Combo(Breakfast in Bed), features former model Zenesha Riley. The pair put the humorous, yet meaningful, words to an enjoyable reggae beat, making the song slightly reminiscent of Tenor Saw's song Golden Hen.

Although Malijah was born into a musical household, his mother a singer too, it took a certain amount of luck for him to establish his individual stance in the industry. It was to be the faith of producer Nando Garcia which put Malijah on the map. Garcia's belief in his talent came in the form of creative and financial cultivation.

Garcia had already been approached with the rhythm for No Combo and then "Nando approached Zenny and me to write the words to the rhythm and we voiced it and the rest, as they say, is history," Malijah explained.

It is not just at home that the witty lyricist has been stirring up a storm. Malijah's fame has extended to overseas audiences too. He even featured in Spain's Madrid Hip-Hop Festival with Lutan Fyah and Norrisman. "Everywhere I go, crazy fans approach me and tell me them love the song and video," he said.

Malijah has also performed in France, Switzerland, The Bahamas, Cayman and Canary islands. He is just as good a businessman as he is a musician, fiercely promoting his music everywhere he goes: "I am also completing a new video for another single I have getting some good radio play called Gideon Soljah. I want all my fans to look out for that one coming soon," he mentioned in one interview.

The singer is signed to Nicetime Music Inc. His forthcoming album is titled Freedom Streets and with a name like this, hopefully, we can only expect more of the same uplifting beats accompanied by his 'serious' underlying messages.