While there are countless success stories about immigrants in the United States, misconceptions about the streets of ‘farin’ being lined with gold, abound.

Singjay Benji Hype, who has lived in the United States for many years, recalls the tough times he experienced shortly after migrating to that country in My Story.

The Love Star-produced single was released in late 2023.

“This song was very personal and satisfying, mixed with painful memories. At first, it was hard living in the US but after a while, it was like riding a bicycle,” he said, adding: “There are a lot of Jamaicans in the US with similar stories.”

Benji Hype was born Bernard Wint in Mandeville, but has lived most of his life in the Big Apple. That is where most of his songs including Bend U Back and High Life, have been recorded.

My Loss, a collaboration with Kiprich, is another of his previous songs.

New York City is the epicenter of the Jamaican Diaspora. The boroughs of Brooklyn, The Bronx and Queens are home to millions of West Indians and Americans of Caribbean descent.

But as he relates in My Story, Benji Hype says living there is not always a bed of roses.

“Jamaicans should know that moving to the US, don’t listen to everything that people tell you when you go there. It’s gonna take a while for you get adjusted, it’s not happily ever after, but stay focused and disciplined and learn as you go,” he said.

– Howard Campbell