MONTEGO BAY, St James- Delivering a curtain closing performance at festival night one of the Reggae Sumfest on Saturday morning, dancehall act Tommy Lee Sparta spoke candidly of lessons learned during his time in prison.

Tommy Lee, whose real name is Leroy Russell, told patrons at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Centre in Montego Bay that he believes his prison sentence was “the best two years of my life”. The entertainer was released from the Horizon Remand Centre in Kingston in March of this year after serving just over two years of a three-year sentence for a gun conviction.

“Mi nuh regret go deh cause guess wah? A the best two years of my life. Mi get time fi pree, and find time for my family and…myself. Mi used to have all 15 girls one time, now mi start ease offa the girl thing,” said Tommy Lee.

Commanding the attention of patrons with the perspective of his prison sentence, Tommy Lee went on to share that he has since overcome a drug addiction, and was grateful to perform at the festival for the first time since 2019.

“Mi used to do a heap of drugs. Mi used to a pop pills and mi come offa my addiction, so mi glad fi the likkle break. A God mek it happen suh,” he said.

Tommy Lee added, “Mi wah say respect to the police dem wah gi me a chance fi perform and understand say youth can change, you understand? Nuff a the youth dem wah change but more while it tek the chance cause you need somebody fi point a finger pon.”

Additionally, the entertainer shared a conversation he said he had with incarcerated deejay Vybz Kartel through a fence at the remand centre, before encouraging youngsters to stay on the right side of the law.

“We have a thing name recreation weh we go down go play football more while…a the only time sun touch we. Wah day me and Kartel a reason…bout we youth dem. Him a say ‘[from] my youths a baby mi deh a prison and now dem have baby’. It rough in deh bro,” said Tommy Lee.

“All mi can tell the youths dem, you see prison? If unnu can do anything fi stay far from it, and mi love how the crime a tun down. Stay far from prison,” he pleaded.

At the same time, Tommy Lee sang praises to the warders at the Horizon Remand Centre.

“Big up the warders at Horizon Prison. Mi rate unnu because unnu believe say people can change. Unu give them a chance to prove [themselves],” he said.

The entertainer had been arrested on December 14, 2020, after a vehicle in which he was travelling was intercepted by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Specialised Operations, and a 9mm Glock pistol was found in his possession during a search.

After sharing these words, Tommy Lee led right into an emotional performance of his 2019 single ‘Blessings’, which commanded the attention of supportive patrons.

His 30-minute set also had the crowd rocking to favourites like Under Vibes, Psycho, and Buss A Blank, and resulted in many patrons leaving Catherine Hall on a high at minutes to 7am.

Earlier in the programme, fast rising star Bayka was forced to exit the stage for continuously swearing which is against the guidelines of the show. It was said that he would have been sanctioned by the police as a result. He was reportedly taken to the police post at the festival, but it was unclear up to publication time whether he had been charged.

Valiant delivered an energetic set and repeatedly expressed gratitude to God, fans and his manager Romeich Major for the trajectory his career has been on.

Other showstoppers included Masicka, 450, Teejay and a cameo appearance from Kaka Highflames.