JAMAICAN-BORN Leonard “DJ Damage” Douglas is celebrating career-defining achievements as the creative force behind Without You, a chart-topping single by Jevon Dewand and The Trap Starz.

The single, which reached #1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay Chart in February, was recognised as one of the year’s most-performed gospel songs at the Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI) Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards on July 21 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The milestones are an international breakthrough for DJ Damage, whose two-decade career has taken him from Jamaica’s sound system culture to the global music stage.

The Atlanta-based DJ played a multidimensional role in the success of Without You, which is recognised as an urban, hip hop praise anthem, contributing as a songwriter, scratch DJ, producer, background vocalist, and featured performer in the accompanying music video.

The Billboard #1 capped an extraordinary 33-week run that saw Without You reshape the gospel and urban radio landscape, including a 12 per cent surge in radio spins during its climb to the top spot, and a #26 placement on the Billboard Year-End Top Gospel Airplay Chart.

“Reaching the Billboard #1 spot was nothing short of a dream come true. For a kid from Jamaica to achieve that level of recognition on one of music’s most prestigious charts is a milestone I don’t take lightly,” he said. “It represents both my personal achievement and a moment of pride for Jamaica and the Caribbean as a whole. Very few creatives from our region have ever stood at that height, and I’m deeply grateful and humbled to be among them.”

DJ Damage has built a career behind the scenes of the music industry, spinning for Grammy Award-winning R&B group 112; touring with American rap rock band Gym Class Heroes; and sharing stages with artistes including Swizz Beatz, DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, Ashanti, Sean Paul, Vybz Kartel, Mavado, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, and Bounty Killer.

Jevon Dewand credits DJ Damage’s versatility and musical instincts as key ingredients in the success of
Without You.

“He has a great ear for music. Sight is a blessing and vision is a gift. I saw the vision in him,” said Dewand. “DJ Damage knows all types of music, and he’s very versatile in all genres. Most DJs play music but can’t make it music. He can.”

While Billboard recognition and the BMI Award mark two of the biggest moments of his career, DJ Damage says the journey began in Prospect, Clarendon, where he first dreamt of making it in music. His breakthrough came years later in Stony Hill, St Andrew, when he convinced promoters to let him perform with R&B group 112.

“That night in Stony Hill was everything. It was me taking a chance and betting on myself. I knew that if I could just get my foot in the door and get on that stage with 112, my skills would reach the right ears,” he said.

They did.

“I still DJ for 112 to this day. From there I took the momentum to Jersey City and began DJ’ing with Gym Class Heroes, and it just kept building. Every connection, every show, and every risk led to the next opportunity. I went on to DJ for Shai, joined a sound system called Diamond Movements, and had the privilege of performing alongside legends across reggae, dancehall, R&B, hip hop, and more. That one night in Stony Hill set everything in motion.”

That momentum eventually led to an introduction from Wayne Wonder, which opened doors to King Promotions, touring opportunities with producer and songwriter Jazze Pha and, in 2023, performing before an audience of over 60,000 people during hip hop’s 50th anniversary celebration.

“It was electrifying. There’s really no other word to describe it. To me, standing on one of hip hop’s greatest stages, surrounded by some of the biggest names in the culture, celebrating 50 years of a genre that was born from Jamaican sound system culture, as a Jamaican DJ was priceless,” he said. “Every obstacle, every sacrifice, every door that was closed before one finally opened, all of it flashed in that moment. Not many DJs will ever have that experience. And standing there, I knew without a doubt that it was exactly where I was supposed to be. That feeling is truly indescribable.”

DJ Damage hopes his story encourages the next generation of creatives to dream bigger than their circumstances.

“These are moments I worked for over 20 years. I started with nothing but a chance and a will to prove myself. I hope young creatives across Jamaica and the Caribbean will see this win and know that if they have a dream and don’t know if it’s possible, it is.”

Following his latest achievements, DJ Damage will continue his momentum with a performance at the 41st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards on August 15 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The awards ceremony will be later aired on BET.