Known mainly for his lyrical prowess, especially during clashes, Honormosity wants to show his fans that he is more versatile and can bring a different, more positive energy to dancehall.

The quick witted St Mary native, given name Layton Simms, told OBSERVER ONLINE that his skills extend beyond the lyrical battlefield, noting that he’s also able to be a role model and create relatable music which transcends generations.

Here are seven questions with up-and-coming artiste Honormosity:

1. When did you start doing music?

I have been doing music from ever since me know myself. Me just get up and do music, like it is just a part of me. I don’t know much else besides music. Me start do it professionally when me come Kingston over a decade now.

2. How did you know that a career in music was right for you?

While going to school I was a brilliant student but music kinda distract me from my school work. I would find myself in class and instead of paying attention to the teacher I was making songs. Because I come from a very poor background, music was my little comfort. I would mash up a little school concert and people talk about it for a couple weeks until I perform at another concert, and it was what kept me going. So me waste so much time at school doing music, I thought might as well I continue.

3. Why did you choose the name Honormosity?

From back in the day based on the type of lyrics, how me flow and how me deejay and how me leave the crowd in a frenzy they said I needed a name that’s kinda frightening so the producer that I was working with at the time gave me the name ‘Animosity’ but me put a positive spin on it by starting it with ‘honor’. That’s is what I really want to put out into the world— more positive music. I am a well-rounded artiste so while me involved in clashing I am also great at other things.

4. What has the response to your music been like?

Because I entered clashes in the early stage of my career just to get the promotion and to be out there, like I entered the Unruly Clash and me become the clash champion, so people just label as a clash artiste. But right now me a try to put that on pause and let the people know that I am not all about clashing. Though me find that a lot of times when me put out songs people quicker to grab on to those mix-up songs but when me put out good song me get less views. But since lately people start gravitate to a more positive side of me. It take time and a start work.

5. Considering the kind of new music in dancehall now, how do you plan to stand out?

With music you have to always come with something different. So if you see that it’s negativity that is running the place you have to come with the difference because that is the person who will always stand out. When the bleaching thing did a run the place and Chronixx say ‘all when me a di only man wid pants pon waist me nah follow nobody’ even the bleacher them had to pull up that song because people like something different them like a breath of fresh air. So people want something different and if it’s not positivity a run the place now, I will bring that. What’s unique about me too is that most Rasta sing culture music but I am coming as a hard core Rasta artiste, like a gangsta Ras, with a positive vibration same way.

6. What does a future in music look like for you?

I see where I can be a great artiste because me already a get calls from different countries so now I have to go get my work permit. And me already master the art of performing on stage—which is lacking right now in dancehall— so once me get a hit song and the people see that me can perform the business is mine. With the help of my management team Rapid Production I’m going to be the new influence in dancehall because the current trend is the bleaching and tattoos so my face ago make the youth start accept themselves and still run the place.

7. What’s next for you?

I just released a song called ‘Wanted’, it is available on all platforms and is doing well in places like Florida. I have a show in July with 10Tik and I have lots of songs coming out as well so people can just follow me on Instagram @honormosity for updates.