Weh dem up to?: Gaza Kim fighting her way back from depression

Seven years ago, Kym Hamilton was on the verge of launching an enviable career in dancehall.

She had taken on the name 'Gaza Kim', and was one of the 'princesses' affiliated with Vybz Kartel's then-expanding Gaza Empire.

But her rise halted following an infamous expulsion from the crew. Now, she has stepped back into the limelight to the surprise and pleasure of many.

"I never went away, I was always here, always recording," she told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Though she was always recording, there was no indication that anyone was listening. After being forcibly, and embarrassingly removed from the Gaza Empire, the singer went back to her real name. That attempt to rebrand left her in limbo.

Posting music as Kym Hamilton did not get the desired response, and she thought everyone hated her.

"Life has been rough. During that time I was really depressed because the thing I loved the most, hurt the hardest - producers not recording me, and stuff like that," she said.

Her depression manifested physically, causing Kym to gain unwanted weight and, tragically, suffer a miscarriage.

She used music as her therapy. These tragedies, and others, reflect in her last two releases, God's Plan and Torture.

In both songs, the artiste addresses past transgressions in her own version of therapy.

"God's Plan was because I was depressed. I took a while to record the song. I was afraid and ashamed, so I didn't hurry to voice it," she said.

God's Plan plainly references the unfortunate incident of January 22, 2010, when Kym was accosted by fellow Kartel mentees, an encounter which left her estranged from her musical family.

Torture, an angry song, references an incident much farther back in Kym's life. In a recent radio interview, the artiste admitted she was raped at age 17, a tragedy she continues to blame herself for.

Kym approximates it was about a month ago that in a live broadcast on his social media page, selector Richie Feelings asked his viewers to follow her on social media.

The request invited the messages of a public relations agent, who asked her to send him some songs.

With both songs uploaded under the moniker 'Gaza Kim', more fans have been responsive.

"People dem nah lef' it alone, suh mi accept it same way. I'm checking YouTube comments and seeing people saying [they are] glad we're back. It's something I love and I never stopped trying. I was always recording music, but it's a nice feeling to get back out there even though I'm not fully out there as yet," she said.