As a student at Rusea’s High School, Navyan Williams was determined to make a societal impact after he graduated. With six CXC passes to his name, that was a move in the right direction.

Williams is known as Knavi, part of the endless flood of deejays from Montego Bay. Meech Out, his latest song, is inspired by a commitment to empowerment.

“Meech Out is about accomplishment, no matter how small it is. Some people see having $100,000 as success, others think $1,000,0000 is a success. Whatever it is for you, yuh a Meech Out,” he said.

Knavi insists the self-produced song, released in March, is more than a catch phrase. He points to reaction from fans to reinforce this.

“Mi was a household name before but Meech Out bring mi more traction. Mi get more shows an’ have more presence on social media,” he said.

The seeds for Knavi’s determination were sown in Glendevon, one of the toughest communities in St James. His father, who died when he was four years-old, operated a sound system there.

While he was a big fan of the dancehall movement in Montego Bay, academics took precedence at Rusea’s. Even before he graduated from high school, Knavi had his sights on making it big.

“I wanted to be an entrepreneur, to have my own business an’ be in control. Even with music, every artiste who mek it on dem own platform, dem inspire mi,” he stated.

The tough communities that dot Montego Bay are a stark contrast to the ritzy all-inclusive hotels the resort city is world-famous for. What they lack in tourist appeal, they make up for in dancehall value, producing acts such as Tommy Lee Sparta, Teejay and Rygin King.

Knavi made his recording debut in 2018 with the song, 12 Signs, which was followed by Paid in Full, Sexy Moan and Balmain Bomber. All are produced through his companies, World Class Music Publishing and Knavi Entertainment.