Music a calling for Miggz Meddi

Recalling his youthful days in Jamaica, UK-based aspiring artiste Miggz Meddi revealed he used to get 'beaten' for sneaking out of his mother's home to attend street dance sessions.

Still, no matter how many times he was scolded and punished, Miggz Meddi could not stay away from the dance. He told STAR on the Rise that there was something magnetic about dancehall music that kept him coming back. Still, although he felt from early on that music was his calling, he only drummed up enough courage over the last four or five years to jump-start his professional career. But now that he has finally found the confidence to actually pursue music, Miggz Meddi says it's full speed ahead as he looks to make his mark on the local industry.

Music was always in me

"Everybody in my family knew I loved music. Mi mother used to tell mi say me used to siddung in front a di radio and just quiet and nah say nothing, just a listen, so music was always in me. It's literally everything for me because it has helped me get through a lot of rough times in life. It's been my source of therapy and expression," he said. "I think personally the most challenging part of this journey has been to actually find the confidence in myself fi voice me song dem and take the music serious and put the song dem out deh, because as much as mi did love the music, mi never confident inna mi self so that was the hardest part."

Miggz Meddi said he also struggled to find his voice because in the UK, one could get influenced by many different types of music.

"It becomes a battle. As a creative, you start to think maybe people wah yuh sound like this or that but once I found my natural sound, I was good," he said. The entertainer, given name Miguel Henry, revealed that now that he has found his footing in the industry, he has big goals. Atop his list is the hope that he would one day get to such a level that he could help other up-and-coming acts.

"I see myself as a big big influential artiste all over, not just UK or Jamaica, but all over. Mi wah my thing fi be more about longevity like Bounty, Beenie, Buju and Kartel. Mi wah be an artiste weh deh round fi a long time and have a big influence, so that even 10, 20, 30 years from now people still a talk bout me," he said. "One of my biggest dream is to be one of the biggest UK dancehall artistes to crossover and I want to do that so that I can build an empire wid me and my bredren dem, man like Haynes from Haynes Records. We just want get to a level where we can help out younger artiste and be in a position to positively influence the lives of others."

1. First love was athletics - As a young boy in St Thomas, Miggz Meddi said he was good at the 100m and 200m. He had hopes of pursuing a career in athletics but migrated to the UK and decided to focus on his other love, music.

2. Dream collaboration: "One of my favourite artistes is Vybz Kartel but in terms of who I would want to work with right now, it would be Chronic Law because a St Thomas we forward from and mi rate him fully. Also Skillibeng, St Thomas artiste again, Eastsyde. Mi rate Jahmiel because a lot of people compare me to Jahmiel in terms of the tone of my voice. Plus I love the message that he promotes in his music as a young artiste. Those are the main aristes I would work with in the dancehall industry."

3. Songs promoting: Enjoy Life, Money Me Want and Blessings featuring Ortega, all produced by Haynes Records in Jamaica, and Dis Life produced by Dis Way Records.