Tuff Head feels no pain from ‘Pan Cover’

Local dancer Tuff Head has a strong threshold for pain and said he has no signs of head trauma as he continues to thrill audiences with his popular 'Pan Cover' dance, in which he is hit in the head with the object.

Tuff Head, whose given name is Matthew Maxwell, said he has been dancing for the past 20 years, but admitted that his career has just gained the impetus he needed. He has likened his career's rise to that of a rocket going into orbit. He is a member of a three-man dancing group, World Tuff Head Squad, with members Junior Tuff and Johnny Tuff. He said the dance group had a name change last year after popular disc jock Boom Boom gave them the new moniker at a September staging of Uptown Mondays, and their dance careers have been burgeoning since.

"Mi not even know how fi describe it, it all faster than me," he said. To onlookers, the popular Pan Cover dance may appear painful, but the Portmore, St Catherine, dancer admitted that there is a technique he uses to ensure his safety, even as Junior and Johnny hit him during the dance routine. He also admitted that they do not alternate with him.

"Me always a the one who get the knocks," he said. "Mi never injure yet wid the pan cover. The pan cover no do nothing because it has a thing 'bout it weh inna the middle soft, but if the edge lick me, den mi inna problem. Mi member the edge knock mi one time and a problem, but the dancer dem naw go mek it touch mi now because dem graduate and know how fi mek the edge avoid me," he shared.

When asked about pain management he replied, "A me woman alone can tell you about that."

In addition to his dancing talent, Tuff Head recently appeared in the music video for Masicka's song Tyrant and described it as his biggest music video appearance to date.

"Mi inna nuff video before dat, but dat a the first big video mi do," he said. Despite never being injured by the pan cover, he recalled getting injured while jumping.

"When pain tek me one time a Boasy Tuesday.. Mi jump too far inna the sky and drop pon mi head. Everything good still 'cause a mi work and mi haffi do mi work. Me and pain good," he said.