STAR of the Month: Marlon Samuels teases possible performance at Buju concert

He made his musical debut last year, but fans will have to wait to see Marlon ‘Icon’ Samuels perform live for the first time.

The 38-year-old teased about possibly making his performance debut at Buju Banton’s Long Walk to Freedom concert at the National Stadium in Kingston on March 16.

“You never know, you may see Icon run on at 3 a.m. and you seh, ‘Oh my God’. Dem nuh need to contact me to make any arrangements; the Samuels and the Myries are family, great friends,” the cricketing deejay toldTHE STAR.

Samuels said that he and Buju Banton, whose given name is Mark Myrie, are long-time friends and that he maintained a close union with his children while the reggae singer was incarcerated in a US federal prison for several years on drug-related charges.

He was released on December 8.

“When Buju deh a prison, me and di youth dem all over the place, river, all over,” he said. “A family dat, enuh. You could always see his children, like Marcus and all of them, at my home. There’s no party that I keep and they’re not there. I’m always at the same house where Buju is at, too, so again, that’s family. You could look out for anything on that stage. He definitely has my support.”

Samuels’ absence from the stage should not be taken for unpreparedness. TheReal Stinga entertainer said timing is everything.

“Me ready long time, man. Me train for everything, enuh,” he said. “Sometimes me just order a live band and just do an exercise with them. I’m not gonna come out until I feel I’m definitely ready.”

But according to him, that does not stop promoters from sending him bookings, which, according to Samuels, are plenty.

“Me have a list inna me phone named ‘Shows’. All me do is keep on telling them in a respectful way, ‘I can’t do your show right now because I think I have something very special coming up’. Maybe you’ll see Cardi B coming to Jamaica, Icon fly her to do a show at Sabina Park, and that would be the first show, you just never know,” he said.