By Keril Wright, Staff Reporter
A policeman is seen here escorting deejay Alozade out of the holding area of the Montego Bay RM Court shortly after he was sentenced to a prison term. - File
WESTERN BUREAU:
DANCEHALL DEEJAY Michael Sterling, popularly known as Alozade, who was sentenced to nine months in prison last year for attacking police officers in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court, has been released from prison. The deejay first landed on the wrong side of the law after he and other deejays were charged with using profanity on the Dancehall Night segment of Reggae Sumfest's 2001.
Famous for his hit song, Nuh Pet Gal, Sterling was released on Saturday two days before his officially scheduled release date. In an exclusive interview with The Gleaner yesterday Alozade said his prison experience had made him stronger and he is now ready to unleash his music on the nation.
"It was an opportunity to see another side of the world and you know anything that doesn't kill you make you stronger and makes your knowledge increase," the deejay said in a telephone interview from his home in Kingston.
Resident Magistrate Paulette Williams, sentenced Alozade on October 2 last year to nine months imprisonment. He had pleaded guilty to two counts of assault ocasioning bodily harm and one count of malicious destruction of property. He was incarcerated at the St. Catherine District Prison.
Alozade went berserk in court and attacked Constables Steve Dempster and Ronald Reid on September 27 when he and four other entertainers appeared before the Bench to answer to the charges.
Yesterday Alozade said he was neither sorry about his actions nor did he feel they were justified. He said whatever happened it was God's doing and it must have been for a purpose.
"Only the father know why this happened. A father God a di author and editor for the script," he said.
He said his time in prison had been well spent and he had learnt a lot about how life is and now knows who his true friends are.
His status as an entertainer he said also helped in keeping him safe in prison. "As an entertainer yuh have yuh rating inna prison. No man naah disrespect yuh unless yuh bait up yuh self."
He maintained yesterday that he was ill on the day he appeared in court and insisted that the attorney whom he had tried to assault had insulted him and charged that the officers had assaulted him in court.
From all indications Alozade is unlikely to go back before the court for using profanity on stage. The deejay says he has changed the content of his lyrics and now he is devoted to clean, conscious songs as is evident in his latest release entitled "Jamaica", which is highlighting the beauty of the country.
He said he was now ready to go straight back to the studio and will be working on a number of songs including Feel Jah Power, Girls Want Money and As Far As My Eyes Can See.
