J'can is executive producer for Tupac single, new hip hop album

Jamaicans continue to make

international connections that lead to big projects, the most recent involving work from late rapper, Tupac Shakur.

Before he died, Tupac recorded a track for his brother Mopreme Shakur, and that song is slated for release this summer, and local music producer Sean 'Contractor' Edwards of Contractor Music Group in Ocho Rios, is the executive producer.

In an interview with The Sunday Gleaner, Edwards explained how he came to work on a track which features work from a rapper many consider to be among the greatest of all time.

"A few years ago, I met Jethro Sheeran, who is Ed Sheeran's cousin. He wanted to get into the urban reggae scene and he and we started working together. While we were working together, I heard of Mopreme Shakur, he had worked with the Sheeran family before," he said. "He (Mopreme) had a song with Tupac doing the hook and him doing a verse and he wanted Jethro Sheeran and Ed Sheeran to do a verse on the track also. Having worked with me before, the Sheerans recommended I

produce it and release it and so I'm the executive producer for the track," he said.

The song will feature on an album with artistes including Ed Sheeran, Sean Kingston, Pitbull, Jethro Alonestar Sheeran (cousin of Ed Sheeran), Chris Brown and Capleton.

Biggie Smalls will also be featured on the project with songs from his live performance in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1996. The hip hop album will be distributed digitally by Amada Records out of Atlanta.