I-Octane hits all the right notes

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: ​Musical and triple brand ambassador, I-Octane, always seems to effortlessly hit the perfect note, whether on or off stage.

Coming from a scintillating performance at the recently concluded Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay, the young veteran, who created history by closing the festival two consecutive years – 2013 and 2014 – is just as focused now as when he started his impressive journey close to a decade ago.

The Rastafarian reggae-dancehall artiste admits that this year’s Reggae Sumfest was very special to him, one reason being that for the first time in three years he performed during prime time to a crowd that was already wholly energized and super ready for his commanding performance.

And, of course the fact that he and Bounty Killer proceeded to ‘tun ova’ Catherine Hall with an unrehearsed but superb performance of their collab “Bad Mind Dem A Pree”, surely added to his delight.

“That performance was completely spur of the moment,” a smiling I-Octane, who is brand ambassador for Digicel, Busta and Golden Eagle shoes said. “I had finished entertaining my fans and was already off stage when Bounty indicated to me his intention. At that point I just hurried back on stage and started the song, and then Bounty picked up,” he explained.

And, as they say, the rest is history. In fact, so historic was it that Allianceboss, Bounty Killer did something that was out of character. Right there on stage in front of one of the biggest crowds ever assembled for Reggae Sumfest Dancehall Night, Bounty praised  I-Octane and told Digicel that the company were indeed fortunate to have such a great artiste as their official brand ambassador.

I-Octane, who has been hailed as one of the most talented next generation of reggae troubadors, has amassed an impressive slew of hit songs throughout the years and has skilfully positioned himself as the flag-bearer of culture, reality and message music, while maintaining a strong appeal in the dancehall where his songs have become anthems.

Excitement as I-Octane and friends roll into Guys Hill High for school tour

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: From the moment I-Octane’s tour bus rolled in to the campus of Guy’s Hill High School in St Catherine on Tuesday April 12th, it was clear that this would be no ordinary day at that institution of learning. It was the official start of the artiste’s School Tour 2016 and what a blast it proved to be!

The entire school community at Guys Hill High – teachers, students, ancillary workers –   was treated to a balanced mix of uplifting and encouraging speeches from sponsors, along with giveaways and also top quality entertainment from the artistes. Included among the entertainers who were on hand to give I-Octane their full support were Tanto Blacks, Vybrant, Don Andre and StafaceKMT, Vershon, Charly B, Rhyming King, Shaniel Muir, Bingi Banks and  Bryka,.

The host was BaddaBling from Di Unit.

Among the sponsors who unhesitantly clambered on board this year are Digicel, Golden Eagle Stores, HEART Trust NTA, Di Unit, Eyeland Eyewear, Coke Lines Transportation, Conquer The Globe Productions, Good Good Productions, HYPE Tv, D’Wrap and the official online media partner, Riddim Don Magazine.

The students gave their undivided attention to HEART representative, Ms. Nerva Davis, who carefully outlined the many opportunities that are waiting at HEART Trust NTA for high school graduates. As a sign of the institution’s commitment to higher learning, the HEART Trust presented scholarships to the two top academic achievers at Guys Hill High School,  Legecia Angus and Josh Hemans.

Presenting a powerful and at times very personal message was Narada Hill, a representative from CSJP's Men with a Message, whose life journey was a testament to the fact that negativity can be turned into something positive. Hill gave the students much food for thought as he encouraged them to make the best use of their talents and their educational opportunities.

Satisfied that the goals of the major part of the school tour had been achieved, I-Octane and his team then focused on the ‘brawta’ - the giveaways and the entertainment. Digicel and Golden Eagle Stores, the two companies for which I-Octane proudly flies their flags as ambassador, proved to be very generous with credit giveaways, shoes and T-shirts, while entertaining the students with some really fun games. Good Good Production and Di Riddim Don Magazine awarded the two top academic achievers – male and female – with cash prizes, much to the delight of their peers.

All the entertainers gave exceptionally good accounts of themselves and the cheers from the student population could not have been any louder. Of course, the icing on the cake was the masterful closing performance from the man of the moment, I-Octane, whose happiness was contagious and spread throughout the entire Guys Hill community. Definitely ten out of ten. 

I-Octane Goes Back To School Again

With the huge success of last year’s inaugural school tour, reggae/dancehall heavyweight, I-Octane is ready for another parish hop, as he and his crew take a mini-tour across Jamaica to rap with, listen to and encourage the youth.

With that being said, we are now looking forward to I-Octane’s School Tour, Chapter 2. “Bringing Di Right Vibes To Di Yutes.” This year, the school tour has been brought forward by one month, in order to better facilitate the school calendar and give the artiste access to more students at each school.

“Last year, we did it in May because we didn’t realize that CSEC and CAPE exams actually started so early. A lot of the students, therefore, were unable to participate in the activities, so this year we are maximizing our opportunities by kicking off the tour on April 12,” manager Ray Alexander explained.

Four schools have been confirmed, namely Guy’s Hill High in Linstead, St. Catherine (April 12); Montego Bay High School, St. James (April 19); Brown's Town High School, St. Ann (April 26) and Garvey Maceo High School, Vernamfield, Clarendon (April 27). This year, I-Octane has invited on-the-rise entertainers Vershon and Jahmiel to accompany him on his mission.

Noting that the school tour was in fact one of his personal highlights for 2015 – a year which saw him reaping mega-success across the globe – the Digicel, Busta and Golden Eagle Shoes ambassador declared that he was “as excited as child on September morning”.

 “Sometimes it takes an experience such as this to bring you down to earth,” I-Octane admitted. “Going through the school gate and talking with the principal and the teachers, I somehow felt like a student again and that if I messed up ‘Miss’ would give me a detention or something,” the multi-award winning entertainer confessed with a laugh.

An enthusiastic I-Octane said he was happy that sponsors HEART Trust NTA, Digicel, Good Good Productions, Coke Line Transportation Service, and Conquer the Globe Productions, had come on board for a second year and extended a big welcome to newcomers Golden Eagle Shoes, Hype TV and riddim-donmagazine.com.

The sponsors have pledged their full support of the tour, with HEART again awarding scholarships to outstanding students at each of the four schools and other sponsors giving away cash prizes, gift baskets, phones and, of course phone credit to the youngsters.

I-Octane kicks off new brand ambassador role

Left - I-Octane and right - marketing manager for golden eagle Peter Plummer

Kingston, JAMAICA: - When you see reggae/dancehall star Byiome ‘I-Octane’ Muir these days, chances are he’ll be wearing a pair of spanking new, Italian-made, Golden Eagle shoes.  That’s because the in-demand, multi-award winning entertainer recently signed a deal as the official ambassador for the trendy footwear brand.

The signing which took place Wednesday, November 18 at Sunset Beach in Montego Bay, was a private affair attended by all the key players, including marketing agent Peter Plummer, along with I-Octane and his manager, Ray Alexander. Man of the moment, I-Octane was like a child in a candy store as he indulged himself by trying  on several different pairs of Golden Eagle shoes in an effort to decide which pair to wear for the signing.

“I feel really good about endorsing this shoe brand,” stated a beaming I-Octane, who is also the brand ambassador for Digicel and Busta.

The shoes, which I-Octane emphasized “are the ultimate in comfort, fashion and style” are available island-wide and although relatively new to Jamaica, the brand has stamped its name throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas as a brand to contend with in men’s fashion, since its inception in the mid-1980s

“Golden Eagle selected some of the best fashion designers out of France and some world renowned shoe designers  and shoe engineers out of Italy to create and design our foot wear to ensure style, safety, and durability,” marketing agent Peter Plummer explained.

Golden Eagle, which was introduced to Jamaica in 2009, has its main store and headquarters at Sam Sharpe Square, Montego Bay.  Over the years, the management has been approached by various agents of athletes and entertainer from the music fraternity negotiating endorsements deals. One was never negotiated until now.

Meanwhile, I-Octane who recently returned from a successful tour of Europe, is literally working hard in the studio. His latest dream project sees him building his own recording studio, Conquer The Globe, which, incidentally, is also the name of his personal backing band.

“Over the years, I have worked with various producers and at different studios, but the time eventually comes when you want your own. I am not saying that I won’t be working with other producers in the business, because that would be arrogant, but having my own studio will enhance my creativity and give me more flexibility. Team I-Octane is ready to conquer the globe,” he emphasised. 

I-Octane drops Prison Life video amid controversy

Kingston, JAMAICA:- Right on the heels of shooting the video for his much-hailed social commentary piece, Prison Life, singer I-Octane quietly observed as the island has been plunged into a heated debate surrounding the questionable gift of a prison for Jamaica from former slave masters, Britain.

Whereas the award-winning reggae/dancehall artiste preaches earnestly about the ills of prison life in his song and begs his listeners to stay away from all activities which could possible land them in jail, here comes Britain’s Prime Minister, David Cameron with money to build another jail to fill up with offenders.

Cameron has been accused of insulting Jamaicans during his visit to the island by ignoring calls for discussion on the issue of reparations and announcing the controversial deal that will see the UK helping to construct a state-of-the-art prison in Jamaica to house Jamaica-born convicts created by the British system.

“Right now, we don’t need more prisons, we need jobs. We need more funds that we can spend on educating our youth and ensuring that school-leavers can be productive and can contribute meaningfully to society,” a thoughtful I-Octane opined.

He added, “Jamaica needs serious rehabilitation efforts for the persons who are now in prison so that once they regain their freedom they won’t become repeat offenders and can also help to keep their friends on the straight and narrow. This song, Prison Life, has opened up to me a whole new level of understanding. So many persons have reached out to me to share their personal stories of being behind bars and their feelings of horror, despair and loneliness … I could write a book,” the usually jovial entertainer said seriously.

Prison Life is  the first song from the DJ Frass-produced EP, New Chapter. Released less than four weeks ago, the single has catapulted its way into mainstream and has connected with the psyche of the people. The video, which is quite a creative piece which truly reflects the imagery of the song, is scheduled to have its highly anticipated premiere this week.

“The video shoot was real…almost too real. Respect to Bling Blang and the crew for a job very well done. This is not about getting ‘likes’, this song/video is a gift which I hope will help even one person to stay away from prison,” the Never Sell Out singer stated.

I-Octane takes on Europe

STARTING tomorrow reggae singjay I-Octane is set to kick off his month-long tour of

Europe with a performance at the Salle Fado in Paris, France.

The string of gigs on that continent will see him making 19 stops across nine countries -- France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy and The Netherlands -- before it culminates in Rotterdam, on November 8. The stops will see the Clarendon-born artiste performing in some of the major cities in these countries.

I-Octane told the Jamaica Observer that he is looking forward to returning to Europe, a major market for his brand of reggae.

"I have matured as an artiste and expanded my repertoire and I'm looking forward to sharing that with my European fans. I am also going as a solo act this time and that is a great accomplishment for me," he said.

For him, Europe holds a pride of place due to the loyalty of the fans on that side of the 'pond'.

"Europe has done a lot for artistes in general, not just for reggae. Even though each market has its own unique advantages, Europe is one of those places that is extremely loyal. Once they accept and love you, they love you for life. It doesn't matter whether you are current or considered to be in the top 5. Europe is more focused on the music itself instead of the hype that surrounds it. That is important in an industry where great talent can easily be overshadowed by other things. It is great that there is a place that is always willing to accept and stand by positive music," I-Octane explained.

-- Richard Johnson

Source: Jamaica Observer 

I-Octane rocks St Vincent; conquers St. Petersburg

In his continued quest to musically conquer the globe, reggae and dancehall star, I-Octane added two firsts to his exciting journey last week.

On Thursday, the tiny southern Caribbean nation of St Vincent & The Grenadines came alive to the pulsating beats of reggae and dancehall music when Octane made his rollicking ‘Vincy’ debut, after which he headed straight to St Petersburg, Florida, where he performed on Saturday for the very first time. Such was the impact of the I L.O.V.E. Y.O.U.  singer that even Saints Vincent and Peter, after whom both places are named, must surely have found their celestial dancing feet and rocked to the beats wherever they may be.

It was a very upbeat I-Octane who arrived at the St. Vincent airport near to the capital, Kingstown on Wednesday and proceeded to do a flurry of radio interviews, visiting Boom FM, Xtreme FM and Star FM. Keeping his legions of fans up-to-date on his activities via social media, the internationally acclaimed artiste promised his fans in St Vincent – affectionately called Vincy by the citizens – a night to remember. Well, they took him at his word and flocked to the venue in their thousands.

In front of a sold-out audience, the Digicel and Busta soft drinks ambassador made good on his promise and reeled off a multitude of hits, among them My Story, Once More,  L.O.V.E., Y.O.U., Hurt By Friend, Wine and Jiggle, Buss A Blank,

Lose A Friend, Study You Friend, Never Sell Out,  Gyal Ting, Gal A Gimme Bun, Puff It and Prison Life. Feeding off the high energy from the massives, Octane was at his best as he found his comfort zone and kept the excitement level at its optimum.

As one fan accurately summed it up on Facebook, “Octane prove himself to Vincy tonight… buss a blank!”

Still relishing the Vincy vibes, the in-demand entertainer flew out of the island on Friday and made connections into Tampa, Florida for his fun-filled St Petersburg date, where his eager fans embraced him enthusiastically, as they made a big deal about his debut performance there.

prison life video shoot

“At the end of the day, it’s the fans who are the really important people. They could have been anywhere, but they chose to spend their money and time to be with me,” Octane said, flashing his trademark disarming smile. “I cannot thank them enough…and of course maximum respect to the promoters. They, too are an important factor in this equation. Lots of love to Vincy and St Petersburg. Looking forward to performing at both places in the near future,” he declared.

prison life video shoot

Meanwhile, I-Octane recently concluded the video shoot for the song which has started a much-needed and timely conversation, the exceedingly popular, Prison Life. The video, shot by Bling Blang in Tivoli Gardens on Saturday September 19th and Monday September 21 will be released in a few weeks.  

I-Octane writes a ‘New Chapter’

Kingston, JAMAICA: - As highly-acclaimed singjay, I-Octane, continues to make hugely

successful strides in his career, the time has come for the Lose A Friend artiste to add a significant, new chapter to his remarkable musical journey.

New Chapter, not surprisingly, is the title of his upcoming DJ Frass-produced EP, a six-track offering soaked with the type of reality, conscious lyrics and melodies which are the hallmarks of this versatile artiste. On one level, New Chapter sees I-Octane coming full circle as he gets deep into the mellow groove and haunting, thought-provoking lyrics which characterises early songs like  My Life (DJ Frass) and Mama, singles which are numbered among his biggest hits.

Prison Life, the first song from the EP, is already making mega waves in the industry and receiving much love from radio disc jocks and, just as important, from the ordinary man in the street, whose support is quickly making this song into an anthem. Without a doubt, Prison Life is the quintessential I-Octane singing lyrics with a conviction that makes the listener believe that he is talking about a personal, true-to-life experience.

With his emotions turned all the way up, he pleads with the youth over and over to “try nuh come yah Chargie”. He outlines the horrors of prison – “dutty water, cockroaches pon the concrete” – and highlights the deep regrets of the prisoner who is now wishing “him never pull the trigger”.

According to I-Octane, after seeing the effect of this part of his repertoire on his Reggae Sumfest audience, it left him in a reflective mood and he teamed up with DJ Frass, who had produced his critically claimed 2013 album, My Journey, to begin this all-important New Chapter.  

“This is as real as it gets,” the artiste whose slang is “everything correck” stated soberly. “Prison Life lays the facts bare. No pretty up. It is what it is and it’s not anything nice. This is a song that people can relate to on many levels – whether you were in prison, are in prison,  had a loved one in prison or doing stuff that could send you to prison. Right now, the crime thing is too rampant and if this song can turn around the life of even one person who is headed to prison, then I give thanks,” he added.

Mellow mood the signature of I-Octane’s Reggae Sumfest performance

Kingston, JAMAICA:- Renowned for his amazing high-energy performances once he

touches any stage, it was a cooled down, but no less electrifying I-Octane who treated patrons at Reggae Sumfest to an European-style performance last Thursday night.

The singjay, who has been dubbed ‘The Closer’ – owing to his history-making back-to-back closing performances at the festival in 2013 and 2014 – performed during prime time in a slot that followed insanely up-tempo sets from two of dancehall's luminaries.  Taking an on-the-spot decision to switch his set from the bouncy, riddim-driven, fast-paced flow to which his fans have become accustomed, Busta Soft Drinks Brand Ambassador I-Octane instead chose the more evocative songs from his extensive catalogue and went into straight singer mode as he wooed Reggae Sumfest Dancehall Night with a thoroughly entertaining reggae package which earned him huge forwards.

Ably backed by the award-winning Ruff Kut band, who, fortunately knows the artiste’s entire catalogue and was able to seamlessly move from the set rehearsed for the festival into this new unrehearsed track-list, the singer and the band were in complete harmony as Octane cemented his space in Sumfest history with mellow songs including My Story, Once More, L.O.V.E., Hurt By Friend, Study You Friend, Never Sell Out, Mama You Alone and others like these. He closed off with one of his most recent singles, Ghetto Life, a powerful, thought-provoking song which many critics say could very well have been the song to close the entire festival.

In an interview after his performance, the “Lose A Friend’ singer explained that he rarely makes changes to a rehearsed set, but his experience dictated that significant move last Thursday night. “As an artiste you have to keep in tune to the vibrations in order to give the audience maximum satisfaction. I know that Ruff Kut knows my songs, so although I went on stage with the high-energy Buss A Blank, as we had rehearsed, I signaled to them that we were going a different route, and by the third song, we were well on our way. It was good to give my fans a taste of a ‘mellow’ Octane and I think they loved it,” he said modestly.

Music critics, radio disc jocks, musicians have lauded it as a “brilliant move”.

“What I-Octane did had the hallmark of experience,” said the drummer for Ruff Kut Band Ricardo ‘Ricky’ Davis. “He realized that with the pace at which the show was going, the set he had planned might not have had the desired effect, so he changed up things and this made for a much more interesting Dancehall Night package overall. It was a good move and I would have advised him to do the same thing.”

And was the band fazed any at all by the last-minute change?

“Not in the least. We’ve worked with the best of the best in Reggae and Dancehall, and this is the type of reaction we have come to expect from those extraordinary artistes who have a deep passion for their craft. Once he paused and held up his hand to us we knew what he was about to do. Immediately, Beenie Man comes to mind as an artiste who would have successfully done the very same thing, given the same circumstances,” Ricky concluded.

I-Octane reflects on ghetto life in new social commentary

Kingston, JAMAICA: - Following a blazing premiere by DJ Sunshine on Irie FM last Wednesday, the single The Ghetto (Ghetto Life), has definitely taken on a life of its own and is saturating radio, the dancehall and the clubs.

This new, must-listen, social commentary from consistent hit-maker, I-Octane, demonstrates yet again, the reason that this versatile singjay maintains his lead ahead of the pack. Octane is one of the select few entertainers who knows exactly where to find the big tunes and, added to that, he is also keenly aware of precisely when to drop them. Music critics predict that The Ghetto will have fans and detractors alike uniting is complete harmony as they sing the true-to-life words of this single on the De Saga riddim  

     

The Ghetto speaks to the roots of crime and violence, the effect on the ghetto youth and the role of the corrupt politician who facilitates the dons and at the same time shuns them. It is a thought-provoking single which seeks to open the eyes of the ghetto youth to the reality of the “system (which) tun you inna Don” and enables the “politician (to) control we”.

According to I-Octane, this song is more than just another commentary, it speaks to him on a personal level. The artiste, who was quoted in The Gleaner recently bemoaning the level of crime in his home parish, Clarendon, feels that the time has come for many in the society to wise up.

 “It’s time for ghetto youths to wise up, rise up and take a positive stand. A life of crime is not anything to aspire to. At the end of the day, it’s the youths who are losing their lives senselessly – whether they are killed or they end up behind bars. It’s time to send the politicians packing with their hand-outs, whatever they may be,” the Lose A Friend singer said.

The Ghetto, which is on the Jones Ave label, also has other big names making an impact on the riddim, including the likes of Vybz Kartel featuring Lil Miss, Mr. Vegas and others.

Meanwhile, the workaholic entertainer is putting the finishing touches to his third studio album, which takes its title from his trademark slang, Everthing Correck. Produced by Marcus Myrie, the son of iconic deejay, Buju Banton,Everthing Correck is a masterpiece production from the young Myrie. The first single, Don’t Stop the Vibes, has already been causing a stir since its release and the accompanying music video has already been packaged.  

I-Octane thrills O2 Brixton Academy

Dancehall entertainer’s I-Octane and Macka Diamond attracted a full house at the 02 Brixton Academy in London, England on Sunday for a show dubbed 'More Life'.

Over 5,000 patrons crammed into the venue to be a part of 'More Life", the largest cultural experience for black music, with a heavyweight lineup that consisted of Mighty Crown, Stone Love, English ragga-pop star Ms Dynamite, Macka Diamond and I Octane.

I Octane was simply brilliant during his set opening up with "My Life No Easy like 1-2-3' for which he got a huge roar of approval from the audience. He clambered on top of the nearby speaker boxes on the stage, and the venue lifted as he declared "mi no wear bwoy clothes", and lighters dotted the venue. He told the crowd to buss a blank, leaping up on the speakers, and the crowd exploded.

He then changed gears neatly by serenading a sexy white girl in white leggings, white shirt and a black bikini bottom, by singing 'L-O-V-E'. Then he stopped to talk to the crowd for a few seconds, before he declared "ah the gal dem we love", and he performed 'Wine and Jiggle'. 

During this song, a buxom dark-skinned girl challenged the white girl, getting on all fours and wining up a storm, and the crowd loved it. Men beat Guinness bottles on nearby speaker boxes and the girls shrieked their delight.

Then Octane received a big forward when his white dancer got on her head, and he attempted to mount her in that position. The girls screamed out his name. 

He then settled down the crowd with 'No One Can Love You Like I Do' before upping the tempo again with a song for Chimney Records.

"If mi drop da song, and no man no move, then something wrong...TJ Records, Gal ting, it nu hard," he deejayed, and the forwards were defeaning inside the Brixton Academy. 

One of the high points of the night came when he instructed the technical personnel to lock off all the lights, so he could see the phone lights illuminating the venue. He then did 'Lose a Friend' with the crowd singing in unison, the phones making bright pinpoints of light like a million fireflies gathered in the gloom. It was a touching moment. 

Octane segued neatly into 'Study Yu Friend'. More forwards. 

"Mi can memba when mi did want to close a show at Brixton Academy and now it a happen," he said, before doing one of his biggest singles, Bun. He earned a forward, and then pulled up the song and did it again. 

"Him drink out mi fruit juice dem," he said laughing, and the crowd erupted into laughter. 

Then he segued into 'We Love the Vibes' pulling down the curtains on an excellent show. Earlier, Macka Diamond worked an excellent 25 minute set peppered with hits such as 'Bun Him', 'Done Already' and the monster hit, 'Dye Dye' and she interacted well with the crowd on one of the biggest shows that a female has performed on in the UK in several years. 

Dancehall insiders believe that 'More Life 2015' has put reggae back on the UK Map, especially against the background of no-shows because of visa challenges and poor organisations from promoters in recent years. 

The show was organised by  Another Level and Flames Radio promotions.

After inspiring school tour, it’s ‘More Life’ for I-Octane

I-Octane performing in the rain at Claude McKay High in Clarendon

Kingston, JAMAICA:- Fresh from a whirlwind school tour which saw reggae and dancehall ambassador, I-Octane, in full inspiration mode as he accomplished his two-fold mission of teaching values and preaching upliftment through his music, the accomplished entertainer is ready to hit the road with renewed vigour.

 I-Octane noted that although the main aim of the school blitz was to inspire the students, he admitted that he himself has been inspired by the students at Lennon, Claude McKay, Titchfield and Robert Lightbourne High Schools, and he is even more motivated to be the best role model that he can possibly be.

“If only we as artistes fully comprehend the great responsibility that we have to these young mind. These kids see us as little gods who can do no wrong, so whatever message we send out there through our lyrics and our behaviour, that is exactly what they are going to run with. When I spoke to the students about the importance of getting a good education, I could see them listening attentively and I hope that even one person will be motivated to start getting higher grades and aim for the stars,” I-Octane said passionately.

Badda Bing bring the right vibes at Titchfield High School in Portland

He added, “I was really moved by these kids. At one school it started to rain during my performance and nobody moved – not even the teachers. I want to say a big shout out to all the students and teachers of the schools we visited and thank them for their hospitality. And to the generous sponsors – Digicel, Busta Soft Drinks, Di Unit Sound System, Good Good Productions, Coke Lines Transportation Services and HEART Trust NTA – more love, because without them this tour wouldn’t have been possible.”

Now back to his full-time job, first up on I-Octane’s busy calendar is the More Life concert in London scheduled for the O2 Academy Brixton on May 24. This marks the first time in two years that the dynamic entertainer is performing in London and Octane is just as excited as his legions of fans, who have been expressing their anticipation. He returns to the island in time for the Star awards, in which he is nominated in three categories and is also among the night’s performers.

I-Octane(left) top student Cinton Predergast and Digicel Diaspora Manage Tari Lovell pose for a quick pic celebrating outstanding academic achievement (2)

The workaholic entertainer is also putting the finishing touches to his third studio album, which takes its title from his trademark slang, “Everthing Correck”. Produced by Marcus Myrie, the son of iconic deejay, Buju Banton, “Everthing Correck” is a masterpiece production from the young Myrie. The first single, Don’t Stop the Vibes, has already been causing a stir since its release and the accompanying music video has already been packaged.  

I-Octane brought the energy and fun to Lennon High

The minute the bus rolled in on the grounds of Lennon’s High School in Mocho, Clarendon, Jamaica, there was no escaping the buzz of energy that heralded his arrival. Teachers could be heard ‘shushing students” to get back to their classes as it was not yet time for what they were anticipating.

As it turned out it was something worth waiting for as I-Octane, plus the special guests artistes who accompanied him – including Blade, East, Rhyming King and Mikki Ras gave the students something to think about.

Prior to his performance the artiste born Byiome Muir gave students a ‘pep’ talk.

“I’m trying to make you look at life from a different perspective. Life has a lot of challenges. Not all of you will end up at UTECH (University of Technology) but focus on your academics and shoot for the stars if you fall you will still land in the sky,” he told them.

He encouraged them to highlight their strength and then maximize on it.

‘”Each have your own individual talent and gift, and each play an important role in the puzzle of life,” he said.

With the ‘talk’ out the way it was time for what they were all clamouring for – his high energy performance and that he delivered with the aid of sound system Di Unit with selectors Badda Bling and Little Rich.

With students looking down from the upstairs block and those on the ground floor level, I-Octane abandoned the make shift stage and positioned himself in the centre of the green area and had both teachers and students totally captivated.

He could do no wrong as he performed songs such as Happy Time, Mama You Alone, What A Way We Shatting and it was even more personal and touching when he dedicated his super popular Lose A Friend song to Courtney Coleman – music teacher who died this year, in addition to the boys and gentleman that were recently gunned down in Clarendon.

The first of five tours was not without its fun moments as students got the chance courtesy of Digicel, Busta and Good Good Productions to win prizes through deejaying and dance off.

Head girl Kadia Smith who also enjoyed the title of Most Outstanding Student was specially recognised by sponsors as she received a phone and credit from Digicel, a gift basket from Busta and cash from Good Good Productions.

The I-Octane School tour will continue on May 12, 13 and 18 at Titchfield High School in Portland, Robert Lightbourne High in St Thomas the following day and Claude McKay High in Clarendon. 

I-Octane goes to school; tour kicks off May 5

Kingston, JAMAICA:- Acclaimed reggae singer Byiome Muir aka I-Octane is preparing to go to school, and yes he will definitely be focusing on the three ‘R’s – reading, (w)riting and (a)rithmetic – and so much more as he seeks to live out the theme, ‘Uplifting the Island’s Children’.

A school tour with a difference is what the Digicel and Busta brand ambassador had in mind when he assembled his team to flesh out the plans for this journey. His idea was to use this opportunity to interact with young minds in a meaningful way and give them a life changing experience. It was decided therefore that  during the month of May - Child Month – Team I-Octane would visit select rural high schools and seek partnership with institutions of higher learning. The day’s activity at each school would therefore focus on motivational talks from both I-Octane and a representative from the college, along with a performance from the artiste and giveaways from sponsors.

“I wanted to visit schools in the country, preferably those that are called ‘deep rural’. The fact is that everything seems to happen in the city – Kingston, Mo Bay – and unfortunately some places are forgotten. I also wanted to bring more to the table than a performance. As artistes, we are always criticized for not using our influence and status to uplift the youth, and with all the killing and the madness  that is taking place, I felt that now is the time for me to take some more crucial steps towards that upliftment,” the Lose A Friend singer explained.

The conscious reggae artiste added “We took the decision to invite HEART Trust NTA to  accompany us and tell the students in detail what they are all about and let these youngsters realize that this is a wonderful opportunity for them after leaving high school.”

The tour, which also has another component, a quiet model search by renowned modeling agency, Saint International, kicks off on  May 5 with a visit to the school named after Jamaica’s first national hero, Marcus Garvey High School in  St Ann. This will be followed by a trip to Lennon High School, situated in Mocho, in Octane’s home parish, Clarendon, on  May 7. Also on the artiste’s school tour itinerary are Titchfield High School in Portland on May 12; Robert Lightbourne High School in St. Thomas on May 13 and Claude Mckay High School, also in Clarendon on May 18.

Main sponsors for the ‘Uplifting the Island’s Children’ school tour are Digicel and Busta soft drinks, while associate and media sponsors include Youth Link, Fiwi Choice, Heart Trust NTA, Saint International and Di Unit Sound system.

Busta signs I-Octane as Brand Ambassador for third consecutive year

A beaming I-Octane makes his re-signing official with his Signature and tag line Everything Correck & Sick

Kingston, JAMAICA:- Popular soft drink company, Busta, has proudly re-signed successful Reggae artiste, I-Octane, as Brand Ambassador for the third consecutive year.

At the ceremony, which took place at Edens Garden Savannah Suite recently, the company used the opportunity to unveil the delicious new Busta Cranberry flavour which has a specially designed label. The image and signature of I-Octane are prominently featured on the bottle, which comes in two sizes. This will be officially released to the market in the upcoming months.

I-Octane flashes a smile as his new pairing with Busta Cranberry Flavoured soda is unveiled.

Explaining the company’s decision to continue to use I-Octane as the voice and face of the brand, Busta’s Marketing Manager, Andre Noel, declared that it “the perfect collaboration”.  He added, “Not only is I-Octane the most versatile artiste in the industry at this time, he has maintained his high standards and has proven to be an excellent ambassador. Busta Soft Drinks is renowned for our association with Jamaican lifestyle and culture and our commitment to high standards and excellent quality.”

Also present at the function was Regional Brand Manager for Busta, Christine Kellawan, who stated: “Busta is proud to have on board I-Octane with his unmatched combination of explosive talent, conscious lyrics, high-energy performances and pure charisma. His music has made a resounding impact internationally and Busta, being a successful regional brand is an avid advocate of youth, optimism and embracing life. It is no surprise that we at Busta have aligned ourselves with the vibrant I-Octane. This relationship will undoubtedly bring the many facets of this brand to full colour.”

 I-Octane also shared similar sentiments, echoing that being a brand ambassador for Busta over the past two years has been rewarding both on a professional and personal level.

“Partnering with Busta gives me a sense of giving back to the community as I know what it feels like to struggle and today I am in a position to give back to the community, my fans can only expect bigger and better things,” stated I-Octane.

I-Octane sandwiched between Busta Promotional ladies Toni Lawson(left) and Sydnie Greaves (right)

Bestowed with the task of setting the pace for the next generation of troubadours, this smooth Rastafarian singer has amassed an impressive slew of hit songs in a few short years. He has skillfully positioned himself as an ambassador of culture/reality/message music, while maintaining a strong appeal in the dancehall, where his songs have become anthems. I-Octane is now one of the most sought after artistes globally having toured the Caribbean, North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

ZJ Sparks and I-Octane share a moment just before he makes his speech about re-signing

In closing, Kellawan stated, “I-Octane is the voice and face of Busta. There is in no doubt that we are committed to developing and collaborating Jamaican culture, youth and music –a commitment that is also evident in our sponsorship of activities such as our annual sponsorships of the Jamaica Premier League and other sporting sponsorships such as Jamaica Tallawahs cricket team and Caribbean Premiere League (CPL), RJR Cross Country Tours and our grassroots community events.”

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