Although he has lived in the United States for over 35 years, Mission da gr81 flaunts his Jamaican heritage whenever he can. At home, it’s no different.

A father of three sons, the South Florida-based deejay projects Jamaican-ness whenever he is around his them.

“When my eldest son goes to Jamaica an’ come back (to the United States), him talk patois (Jamaican dialect) better than me,” Mission da gr81 joked. “We need to keep di Jamaican culture alive. If we don’t do it, who’s going to do it?”

Yardman Style, arguably his most popular song, is an homage to Jamaican dancehall culture which found an American audience during the 1990s through acts like Shabba Ranks, Super Cat and Mad Cobra.

Mission da gr81, who was raised in rural St Mary and St Catherine parishes in Jamaica, migrated to the US over 35 years ago. He came of age in New York City where he cut his musical teeth on local sound systems and listening to hip hop.

Mission da gr81 celebrates August 6, Jamaica’s Independence Day, in different ways. He gets a kick out of the reaction from Americans when they hear his accent.

“When people hear di lingo, they always say, ‘Oh, you’re Jamaican!’. I think that speaks to how unique we are as a people,” said Mission da gr81.

Howard Campbell