Poor and Boasy seeks new lease on life

Seven years ago Poor and Boasy was just another kid on the streets. He spent many nights sleeping in a cemetery and earned a living wiping windows and windscreens.

His musical talent earned him the perfect breakthrough. The young deejay burst onto the music scene in 2009 when he emerged the winner of the popular competition, Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall.

The new king, with $1 million in his pocket, was now poised to become the next big act in dancehall music as Jamaicans fell in love with his rags-to-riches story and were ready to go on a musical journey with him.

Things didn't go according to plan as the artiste quickly fell off the music radar after he was accused of being involved in a stabbing incident. Although the case against the deejay was later thrown out of court, the artiste said he has had a hard time making a comeback.

"The incident weh happen inna 2009 put me off pan a different level. It jerk mi career and damage it a whole heap," the artiste, whose given name is Omar Johnson, told THE WEEKEND STAR.

"I had everything and in the blink of an eye everything just start fade weh so," a reflective Boasy said.

"A whole heap a contract did start get withdrawn and cancel, whole heap a producer neva want voice me because dem say Boasy a deal wid badness. Nuff a dem say dem need fi see me do better before dem give me back a run," he added.

Boasy, as he is now called, said he has been busy reshaping his image.

"Since the whole thing go down and mi see how things play out, mi drop certain company and mi stop lick head wid people weh cant help mi with mi music," he explained.

"I'm wiser now. Things that I know now mi wish mi did know before. I'm not that child anymore. I'm more mature now," he added.

The artiste told THE WEEKEND STAR that although his run-in with the law put a huge dent in his career, he is not bitter about it and is still doing music.

"Everything weh happen inna mi life is a big inspiration for me, so I'm just taking the lessons and putting it into my music. Boasy never stop the music, that's what I love, and I will always be working on moving my career forward no matter what."

The entertainer explained that while it may seem that he has been off the music scene, he has actually been working behind the scenes on projects for close friend and fellow artiste, Tanto Blacks.

"I have been helping to write songs for Tanto Blacks," he said, explaining that Tanto Blacks was one of the inspirations behind the name change.

"Since me and Tanto a par, and him say rich, mi a kick weh di poor and change out my ting," he said.

"Mi might nuh bright, innu, but mi have a likkle brains. It good fi lick head wid friends, especially those you know are going places," he said.

Boasy said Tanto is playing a key role in helping him to reshape his image.

"I want to move away from the badman stereotypes because I been grown past that. We [are] wiser now," he said.