Tommy Lee Sparta feels ‘born again’

Returning to the Reggae Sumfest stage in good spirits, dancehall heavyweight Tommy Lee Sparta told THE STAR that while lock-up did not change him, he has rediscovered being a normal man.

"Mi nuh change, enuh, 'cause me nuh regret nothing say me wouldn't say me change. But me mind just open up to a different part of life. Mi inna a situation weh me just spoil and cyah even spoil, me even like everybody else. Mi really be a normal man inna prison you know, 'cause when you deh a prison, you see everybody. Ninja Man di deh, [Vybz] Kartel di deh, Shawn Storm di deh, Laden di deh, like a normal man same way. So you really feel how it feel fi be normal again," he said.

Also speaking on the importance of self-love and family, he said that since his return to the streets he has been dialed in on the people who matter most to him.

"Mi find more time fi mi family since then. Mi realise seh when we all die, we affi dead wid a smile pon we face and show the world how lonely we become inna we casket. A we alone a go in deh. So always remember that. Put yourself first and love yourself first. No partner nah come in deh, no friends. Love yourself and treat yourself good so you can attract good people," he said.

During his show-closing performance at Reggae Sumfest Festival Night One, the artiste cycled through both his older hits like Under Vibes and Uncle Demon, but also gave the crowd tastes of newer material like his hit with Skeng, Protocol.

While he said he was unable to carry out his full intentions for his set, Tommy Lee Sparta expressed gratitude and happiness for how it turned out.

"Mi feel good man. This is good vibes, mi feel new again. I feel like mi born again. It's a different meds and thoughts right now. Right now mi wickeder than this, but it good so far. Is a good starting and me love the energy, but mi can do much better right now. But better form a come. But it nice man, mi enjoy meself," he said, adding that his breathing was the problem.

While urging us not to 'study him', Tommy Lee Sparta said the rest of his year will just include steady work and a possible performance at this year's Sting.

"Anything a anything. You done know we haffi support dancehall, enuh. Sumfest and Sting is all we have from long time, enuh. The artiste dem affi just support the show dem and know seh we help big the show and make the festival bigger yu see it," he said.