Malie Donn highlights mother’s impact on his life
On his latest single Simon Says, of which the official video ranked at #18 on YouTube Trending for Music up to Saturday May 10, dancehall artiste Malie Donn sang the words “My mom a my don.”
The Portmore-based deejay has had a special relationship with his mother, even though she relocated to the United States when he was eight years old. They later reconnected in person, when he became an adult.
“When mi see seh how mi madda haffi leave Jamaica fi many years just fi mek a better life — because mi never see har back till mi a big man — a whole heap a tings did a gwaan and her life was in danger, so she had to go away,” Malie Donn shared in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.
His mother, who is a born-again Christian, has concerns about the lyrics of some of his songs; however, she remains supportive of his decision to pursue music as a career choice.
“My madda a Christian, she nuh like the kinda music weh mi sing but she understand. A regular she will tell say, ‘Malie, you caan mek a full clean song weh mi can listen and show mi fren dem and say a mi son this yuh nuh. More while mi inna church and see the young people dem a watch yuh video dem pon
YouTube and more while mi a say, yow mi kinda feel a way, fi say a mi son music dat.’ But then she a say you know what, you haffi do weh yaw fi do, and she understand and she just pray to God say mi a go transition mi talent over inna some more positive. A dat she tell mi. My madda still post mi up and tell people mi a har son,” Malie Donn disclosed.
The deejay whose real name is Kimarlie Hylton said his mother is one of the persons who has had the greatest impact on his life and who helped to mold him into the person that he is today.
“Mi come from a poor family and as a child not having your mother or yuh father around, some children caan really tek dat mentally. And a desso mi know mi strong point because my father used to live overseas and my madda did haffi go weh fi get a better life fi wi. Me growing up, mi did end up force ripe but it teach mi to become a man quicker. When mi live wid mi grandparents, they were elderly and mi did haffi a play a man’s role because dem old and couldn’t deal wid certain tings,” Malie Donn recalled.
Known for the hit songs V6, Crook, Cups Up, Hennergy, 7:00 featuring Armanii and 8 PM, a song he also did with Armanii, Body Tea and Dirty Mirror, Malie Donn released his EP The Grand Rising via VP Records a few months ago.
