Peer-to-Peer: H.B. Monte Reimagines Sting and Shaggy’s “Til A Mawnin” for the Dancefloor

Peer-to-Peer: H.B. Monte Reimagines Sting and Shaggy’s “Til A Mawnin” for the Dancefloor

We caught up with DJ and producer H.B. Monte to talk about his work on the new “Til A Mawnin” remix and what went into reimagining the track for the dancefloor. 

1. How did you first get involved in the remix of “Til A Mawnin”?

I first heard the original Shaggy and Sting track, “Til A Mawnin,” in Jamaica at Island Music Conference (IMC). And for me, when I heard the record, I was like, wow.

It sounded so dope, and I loved the fact that Sting was on it. I really loved the melodies he was doing. And of course, I always love when Shaggy lays down his verses. It’s melodic—it has a lot of vocal dynamics to it.

But my biggest issue with the original, as a DJ, was that it was hard for me to put in my mix sets. I kept thinking, How can I make this so I can actually use it—not only when I perform live, but also for radio?

So I started coming up with a bunch of different ideas. I came up with three and only sent one of them to my guy Willie, who then sent it to Shaggy. When Shaggy heard it, he absolutely loved it—which leads me to question two.

2. You worked alongside Shane Hoosong and Big Dawg—what was the creative dynamic like among the three of you?

I worked with both Big Dawg and Shane. The cool dynamic here was that I laid out everything I envisioned for the remix and sent it to Big Dawg.

The thing with Big Dawg is, we’ve been working together for years on numerous projects. I wanted him involved because I’ve always done music with him alongside me, so it only felt right. He brings that musical theory perspective, and he’s great at opening up tracks with his mixing skills.

One of his ideas was to make each verse that Shaggy does feel different. I thought that was awesome. That led to more ideas—we kept building from there. Once we had a solid reference, we sent it to Shaggy.

Shaggy said, “Hey, you know what? I’ma have Shane go through this and really open it up.” So Shane went through it and added his own twists and elements, which was really awesome.

Then we had Grant at The Ranch Studios mix the full project. And for those who don’t realize, studio engineering and mixing is a whole separate beast. I gotta shout out Grant—he made it sound so sweet.

The result is this remix that I still play all the time, just because I love the feel of it.

3. The remix has a higher tempo and a lighter feel. What inspired that direction?

That direction really came from me as a DJ. I wanted to make something people can dance to but also feel good listening to. That was the big thing.

I thought, I need to make sure that no matter where people are in the world, they can dance to this and feel good about it.

4. What do you hope listeners take away from this version of the song?

To put it simply—I hope it gives them a new experience of the track.

Whether you’re catching a second wind on the dance floor, driving with your windows down, or having a drink by the beach, I want you to feel good when you hear this remix. I want it to be that feel-good boost—that reminder that every moment, whether night or morning, can carry its own magic.

This remix is meant to make sure you remember to live life loud.