NOT much has been heard of veteran deejay Power Man in recent years. The artiste — who is known for songs such as as Gal a Call Mi, Body Basics, Serious Things, and Miss Kill and Bury — has made a career shift.

Now based in New York for the past six years, Power Man works at the Brooklyn Hospital and is a certified patient care technician (PCT).

“Well, my wife at the time, that’s the job that she was doing at the hospital; that’s what inspired me to get into that field. Before that I was working at Fresh Direct Food Centre as an essential worker all throughout the [novel coronavirus] pandemic, and then I resigned and started working for the Brooklyn Hospital. Helping people was something that I always enjoyed doing so it was a very easy choice for me to be doing God’s work,” Power Man disclosed in an interview with the Jamaica Observer on Friday.

The lanky deejay, whose real name is Michael Davy, started out doing music in the late 1980s after finishing third in the Tastee Talent Contest.

“Well, I used to deejay on a big sound at the time called Studio Mix Sound. The very first song I did was called Technicolor for Castro Brown’s label, New Name Music, in 1990,” said Power Man.

According to Power Man, earlier in his career it wasn’t difficult to break songs in the dancehall space.

“It was natural and so real back then so from you had talent it was easy, because the producers, the musicians, the selectors and the audience, everyone was very real. But today we have a business music, not a music business, so everyone is working. Everyone has a job, including most of the audience — even the girls that dance to the songs now, you have to pay them.”

These days Power Man is still recording and performing.

“I am still doing music and recording every chance I get, whenever I am not working. My latest single is Stone Rematch featuring Kayydyan. It was produced by 360 Degree on an updated version of the Giggy rhythm which was created by New York-based musician JayFK called Art A Dancehall. The song was released on July 8 on the Brit Lake Records label,” he shared.

He continued, “My most recent show was in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The show was called ‘Icons of the Dancehall’ featuring myself, Lady G, Johnny P, Flourgon, Michael Palmer, Jigsy King, Louie Culture, and Glamour Wayne. It was held in July.”

Power Man is originally from the Waterhouse community. He later relocated to Stony Hill, then to Norbrook and Barbican before settling in Red Hills, St Andrew. He migrated to the United States six years ago due to family obligations.