Kyodi expresses ‘Gratitude’ following road crash

Dancehall artiste Kyodi turned his tragedy into melody through his new single, Gratitude, expressing how grateful he is for life, after an accident left him injured just hours before New Year's Day.

The artiste shared that he was on his way to St Elizabeth when the incident occurred.

"I don't know if it's the brakes get too hot or what, but mi just lose control [of the vehicle]. The brakes felt completely free. Suh mi just divert off a di road and crash inna some bushes," he recalled. The artiste, who was heading down Spur Tree Hill, a known crash hotspot area, said because the vehicle was going downhill and he wasn't familiar with the area, he thought "taking it [the vehicle] off the road was the safest thing to do". He surmised that there could've been more injuries and possible fatalities, as the incident occurred during the 5 p.m. peak hour when traffic was heavy on the other side of the road.

"At first I was shocked because it was the first time I ever experienced this...and a New Year's Eve suh yuh know everybody ago kinda more paranoid because everybody a seh a di final day before yuh see 2025 and den 'Boom' di brakes fail me," he said. "But thanks be to God, he kept me calm suh mi neva too panic, because I was travelling with seven other passengers. [Everything] happened so sudden so they never even had time to scream [because] they never expected."

"When di car crash, we see [it] start smoke den everybody chuck through di window," he added. The artiste further shared that a passer-by assisted them to the Mandeville Regional Hospital to treat minor injuries his team members and video vixens received. He was treated for a swollen arm, both hands were blistered and bleeding, and his foot was also swollen from cuts he got from the glass windows after jumping from the seven-seater bus.

However, after spending approximately 90 minutes at the hospital, Kyodi and his crew were determined to complete their mission and resumed their journey to St Elizabeth. They completed their video shoot for his track Portal that night.

Feeling a success story from this ill-fated incident, Kyodi penned the lyrics to Gratitude, what supporters said is one of his "most mature, calm, well-composed and versatile" songs.

"Mi nuh feel like we, the younger generation, show as much gratitude as we need to show. Because even in a situation like that, yea, me is a person weh can hold mi calm and have a little skill, but at the end of the day, dis wouldn't possible without God," Kyodi firmly expressed, noting that the roadway has claimed many lives.

"Mi have a whole heap more fi grateful fah - like all mi God-given talent dem - creating music and football, suh mi just sum up some a dem thing deh and a thank God fi everything," he added.

When asked if it was the accident that inspired him to express more gratitude, Kyodi said he has always been grateful.

"But the accident kinda mek me decide fi do like a complete song. It's like a song weh yuh can even play inna di church...everybody seh dem like di concept and how mi start off di new year - the mix, di sound, everything...dem a seh dem glad fi know seh mi alright and di song connect," said Kyodi.

Kyodi is currently working on releasing several new projects while gearing up to take on his Caribbean and Canadian tour in a few months.