A collective gasp of despair rang around the world when The Rock’s beloved Sean Kingston — indeed, almost a year ago — was rushed to a Miami hospital because of a near-fatal jet-ski crash. There would follow another collective gasp, but this time one of relief, when the 22-year-old singer was able to leave the hospital after three weeks. He’s kept a pretty low profile since then. Seems there’s no place like home, however, especially for recharging those batteries. Sean Kingston headed home a few weeks ago and checked into the luxe Trident Hotel where SO caught up with him for a few.

Style Observer (SO): How are you? Would it be fair to say that you are back 100 per cent and fully recovered?

Sean Kingston (SK): YES!

SO: Will your new music, inclusive of the lyrics, reflect a new state of mind?

SK: YES…I came back to Jamaica to get close to my roots, to go to the beaches and get a natural vibe…this you can’t really get in America.

SO: Were any lessons learnt from your near- death experience?

SK: Yes…HAVE FUN – but be safe…you only have one life, so be cautious.

SO: How helpful has being in beautiful Portie been for creating the Sean Kingston sound?

SK: It’s been good… I’ve been on a Geejam boat ride that was great … going back right now! I’ve visited the Blue Lagoon and Geejam Studios which just have a peaceful environment to record in. I could have recorded in Kingston but it’s still a fast-paced environment and not what I wanted. Trident and Geejam have a relaxing environment.

SO: What are you eating and drinking the most?

SK: I’ve been eating oxtail, ackee and saltfish and fried chicken and drinking mostly fruit punch.

SO: Whose musical styling currently impresses you?

SK: Frank Ocean, Miguel, Chris Brown and The Weekend.

SO: What’s next for Sean Kingston?

SK: New album. Shows…getting some endorsements…I really wanna try getting in some movies. For now, though…I’m keeping it musical.

SO: When can your local fans expect to see and of course hear you in concert?

SK: I’m looking at maybe July, in Kingston.