AFTER doing 10 years in the Canadian army, Lethal Vybz decided to put aside his camouflage and black shiny boots. Now, he is on the frontline in the music arena as a record producer.

He said he joined the army because he was seeking adventure.

“I was in Canada and, like many young, energetic teenager, wanted some new experiences. Oftentimes, I felt there is a void in my life which needed to be filled. I had always loved music from a very tender age and became a deejay when I was only 15 years old. My brother, Andrew, owned a sound system called Khaos. I became the main selector mixing music while learning a lot about the art of being a successful producer from Kevin Green, my cousin. He is known in Jamaica as the principal of Pay Day Music Group in the early 2000. He is now US-based for the past six years,” said Lethal Vybz.

Lethal Vybz’s latest project is Unforgettable by Canadian-based artiste Jonelle. It was released September 9, 2022 on his two-year-old Lethal Vybz Production imprint.

“I decided to produce Jonelle because she is a very talented and creative artiste whom I have known in Canada for sometime now. We will be doing some more work, in terms of producing some more singles as the year progresses,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“As a producer, my aim is to produce music for just about any artiste worldwide, whether the music is Afrobeats, dancehall, hip hop or gospel. So, my ears are in tune with whatever is trending because we need to follow the new and crossover beats,” he continued.

Lethal Vybz’s musical bloodline runs deep. He is the nephew of Grammy-winning reggae artiste Buju Banton and cousin to producer Markus Myrie. Emerging acts Jahazeil Myrie and Leelo are also his kin.

He has done work with local-based female deejay Pamputtae.

“In the case of Pamputtae, I have produced a song on the Damage rhythm titled Put On A Show, released two years ago. This is a song which refers to dancing and entertainment,” he said.

“I met Pamputtae when she came here [Canada] to do a show with deejay Spice. It is a song which is so easy to dance because it is vibesy. The two other songs on the Damage rhythm are Iyara’s Upstairs and Eyesus’s Live Nice.”

The producer has two other rhythm-driven projects: the nine-song We Ready and eight-track 5th Galaxy.

Lethal Vybz said his uncle, Buju Banton, is arguably the greatest influence in his career.

“I was probably about six years old when I first met Buju and then I saw him performed at Air Canada Center in 2006. In fact, I was in Jamaica for his Long Walk to Freedom Concert at the National Stadium in Kingston and had travelled to The Bahamas for a similar concert,” he said.

Lethal Vybz, given name Troy Sterread, was born in rural St Andrew. He migrated to join his mother Angela in Toronto, Canada, when he was 12 years old. He attended Carleton Village Elementary and later Bloor Collegiate, after which he enlisted in the Canadian army.