Stacious says Ninjaman is ‘at peace’ - Artiste visits dancehall legend for first time since 2019

Last Tuesday was family day at the Horizon Remand Centre on Spanish Town Road in Kingston, and dancehall artiste and businesswoman Stacious took the opportunity to visit incarcerated deejay, Ninjaman, who she reported was relaxed and contented, but "look brown".

She also commended herself for "not crying" while at the facility. In 2017, Ninjaman received a life sentence for the 2009 murder of Ricardo 'Ricky Trooper' Johnson. Stacious was one of the character witnesses at the sentencing hearing for the entertainer who will be eligible for parole in 2042.

Stacious shared that she has been visiting Ninjaman ever since he was locked up at 'Central' lock-up, and explained that she last saw him in 2019 because the pandemic had put the brakes on such visits. However, once she was told that visits had restarted, as a registered visitor, she was ready to go. She was his only visitor that day.

"I got there from 8:30 a.m. for a 9 o'clock visit, but we go in batches, so I didn't get to see him until 11:30 a.m. but it was all good," Stacious told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Ninjaman, dancehall's beloved 'Gold-Teeth-Gun-Pon-Teeth Don Gorgon', has had a storied career which has seen him as the centre of attraction at the popular Sting show. Outside of music, he has battled substance abuse and has had run-ins with the law prior to his incarceration. Six years into his sentence, Stacious described Ninjaman as a man at peace with himself.

"Him a the same jovial person ... a crack joke 'bout him belly, but it look same way to me. Him seh it did bigger and every time him walk him hear di Beenie Man voice ah seh, 'You wanna be that guy?' The only thing is that him look brown, so mi did haffi ask him if him don't get to go outside every day and him seh 'No'," the singer said.

She added, "Him have on him Burberry shorts with him bow leg and him flat belly and him khaki Clarks to match. Him look good ... clean and fresh. If it wasn't for the police officer standing over him shoulder, mi wouldn't know seh a prison him deh."

She shared that part of their conversation included reminiscing on his famous interviews and that they touched briefly on his appeal, which was announced at the time of his sentencing.

"We even a joke that I have come a far way from di bawling. Ninja always used to haffi tell mi seh 'Stop di bawling ... yuh tink if yuh bawl dat a go mek dem let me out?'"

However, when her 15 minutes were up, Stacious said she was on the verge of tears, especially with all the crying from the children who were visiting their fathers.

"It was heart-wrenching to hear the kids ... but mi hol' it. The wardens had set up an area for them and gave them school supplies and ice cream, so dem did quiet down," she said.

Putting into context exactly why she keeps visiting Ninjaman, Stacious said, "A three artiste a my deejay -- Ninjaman, Bounty Killer and Cobra. A my artiste dem that. Me look up to dem. Yuh never fathom as a child that one day you woulda meet these artiste and call dem friend. Dem deal with me with respect and introduce me to dem family, so I will do anything for those three artistes," she explained.

Stacious is currently working on an EP, from which a single release is imminent.