Not the usual route to stardom

- File

Sean Paul in performance. His rise to stardom is not the usual "rags-to-riches" story, but he has experienced hardship and struggles.

"RAGS TO RICHES" is normally the accurate description for entertainers in the Jamaican dancehall industry. However, not every bird sings the same tune.

There are those that were already financially stable before they made it big in the music business, which is densely populated by persons from the inner city.

From the community of Norbrook in uptown St. Andrew is deejay Sean Paul.

He attended Hillel Preparatory, then Wolmer's High School (1st - 3rd form), then he was off to Hillel Academy where he spent a year in the fourth form. His fifth form studies and CXC exams were done at Belair Academy.

He has five CXC passes to his credit - English Language, Biology, Technical Drawing, History and Principles of Business.

The talented deejay, who has delivered hits such as Infiltrate, Nah Get Nuh Bly and Deport Them also spent a year at the Institute of Management and Production (I.M.P.).

He then worked at a branch of the Century National Bank as a teller for a year. He earned enough money to help to pay for his tuition at UTECH and completed two years out of a three-year hotel mnagement course.

Hardship

The DJ didn't complete his final year because his career started to take off.

But although things may appear to have been smooth sailing for the deejay, he says on the contrary there were quite a few bumps.

"Nuff people don't think that I go through any struggle or hardship," explained Sean Paul.

He told Showbiz that when he was 13 his father, who was a businessman, was sent to the General Penitentiary to serve a sentence and never returned home until he was 19 years old.

The 28-year-old deejay said his family struggled as his mother had full responsibility for the entire family, comprising Sean, his brother and their grandmother.

"She worked for us, she wasn't making a lot of money," stated Sean.

He recalled the days when his mother painted Christmas cards and went around selling them at the offices in New Kingston and the plazas.

"That's how she bought her first car," said Sean proudly.

Love for swimming

The deejay, who also represented Jamaica in swimming at the Carifta Games, said while he didn't live in the inner city he still faced difficulties.

He said he never thought he would become a deejay, in fact most of his younger years were dedicated to swimming and his time was spent at the National Stadium Pool.

Sean Paul was a medalllist for Jamaica. He received two bronze medals on two separate occasions; at the Carifta Games in Barbados(1989) and in the Bahamas (1992).

If it wasn't for a genuine love for the music then it would have been in the swimming pool that his career would have been spent.

Apart from the exposure received from travelling to different countries to compete in swimming Sean said he learnt a lot which he has used to better himself as a deejay and a person.

"It lets me feel like a soldier, I am so proud to have represented my country and it taught me a sense of unity," said Sean.

Becoming a deejay was not something that Sean's mother had in mind for him. She wanted a secure job for her son. Being an artist, she was aware of the hardships he might face. "There were times when she would get some paintings sold and other times it would be slow," explained Sean. She also feared what people's rejection might do to him as a person.

"My mother never wanted me to become a DJ because she was afraid of what it might do to me. But as a youth me did love reggae music because I saw it as a form of self-expression and I used it to bring across my views to people, something I wouldn't normally do because I am a relatively quiet person," he said.

While Sean may not have faced as much hardship as some of his colleagues in the business, it has not made him any less of an artiste.

He has endured criticism but the deejay says he has stayed strong.

"Mi did ready fi di fight, some people don't criticise but rather try to hold you down, not the deejays but instead industry people and it never bother me at all."

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