Andre Jebbinson, Staff Reporter

Moses performs at 'Recharge', held in August at the Ranny Williams Centre in St. Andrew. - Nathaniel Stewart/Freelance Photographer

And his name shall be called Moses. Kassim 'Moses' Grant's story is one that will marvel those who hear him and give hope to those who are in the same position he was.

He is now one of Jamaica's most popular gospel reggae artistes, but the journey to the top took him through the deepest trenches to record the singles Big Him Up, Di Real Big Man, Salvation Story and When Di Tunda Roll.

Moses grew up in Trench Town, Kingston, in a single-parent household after his father, one the community's top 'shottas', was killed by the police.

Turned life around

Moses also tried the bad man lifestyle before he decided to turn his life around.

The path became clearer a few years ago after he returned home from a party at 2:00 a.m. and fell asleep. At about 3:00 a.m., he was awakened by his mother's desperate plea to a gunman not to shoot her. Moses rushed into his mother's room and the gunman opened fire.

Moses took the first shot to his stomach, the second to his face and the third to his bottom.

"I had an out-of-body experience when I was at the hospital ... The nurse look on me and said, 'Yuh a bad man. Weh yuh deh a road 3 o'clock a duh? Yuh fi dead.' The only thing I could think is that I am coming back down here to kill you," he said.

His best friend then made it his duty to exact revenge on Moses' shooter. He tried venturing in the neighbouring community to carry out his vendetta, but was stopped by a soldier's bullet. Moses was amazed that his other friends were more concerned about losing a gun than a member of the community.

"All they could say is that the little boy come dead wid big man gun. I started looking at my life when I thought it could be me," Moses said.

Started ministering

Like the biblical Moses, he felt bewildered and had no place to turn but to a summer camp in Manchester put on by the Family Church on the Rock.

"I neva see people who just hug and kiss all my life. I was only used to the thug in the ghetto. I needed to have this peace that these people had," he said.

Moses returned home from the camp and started ministering to his neighbours, siblings and friends, while going to the Church on the Rock. He was then introduced to producer Danny Browne, who is instrumental in Moses' progress.

The mess has truly become the message and the messenger.

"I was now wanting to be a minister for God. The name Moses just didn't fall from the sky. People listen to me when I speak and I am a born leader," he said.

He was featured on the compilation albums Yow 1, Yow 2 and Yow 4 and his own album, Testify, is set for release in November.

"If mi nah sing, mi a preach. Mi wish is to see the whole Jamaica come under one umbrella and praise God," Moses said.