Busy Signal’s manager speaks out on the deejay's prison stay, future in music

With embattled Dancehall/Reggae superstar, Busy Signal just under two months away from regaining his freedom, the entertainer’s esteemed manager has illustrated a very thought-provoking picture of his client’s prison experience.
Busy Signal was slapped a six month sentence last week Friday for absconding bail in relation to a 2002 drug case in the American state of Minnesota. However, given that the Reggae Music Again singer had already served time in Jamaica and the United States in relation to the matter, presiding judge, Donovan W. Frank ruled that Busy Signal would be released on November 21 and will subsequently be given 45 days to leave the North American country.
But before Busy can one again return to his musical exploits, the internationally acclaimed singjay will be focused on regaining full health after a rigorous stay at the Sherbourne County Jail in Minnesota. In an interview with Irish and Chin Inc. radio outlet, Sound Chat Radio, Busy’s manager, Shane Brown painted a grim picture of his client’s life behind bars, revealing that the entertainer would only be fed fish once a week, would never see sunlight and has lost considerable weight and energy while in jail.
“Busy has lost quite a bit of weight…closer to 12-15 pounds. He’s very weak and he’s not eating right ‘cause Busy just prefer to hol’ it and eat some crackers and some juice fi all a week straight,” he said.
“The most important thing to us right now if to have Busy fit and healthy.”
Meanwhile, Brown shed light on the situation that landed Busy Signal in this predicament ten years ago, before considering a career in entertainment. According to Brown, Busy Signal took a risk in deciding to flee the United States in a desperate attempt to make something of himself, resorting to cleaning shoes at one point just to make ends meet.
“To come back into Jamaica and to be in the streets of the ghetto, it’s easier to go left that on the right track. You know what Busy was doing for two years? Busy was cleaning Elephant Man’s sneakers just to get some money to buy likkle sardine and likkle rice,” he said.
After being Elephant Man's helper for two years, Busy Signal decided to try his crack at deejaying and, after being encouraged by Alliance founder, Bounty Killer, Busy soon launched his career, envisioning that he could capitalize on other Dancehall/Reggae markets as big or bigger than the United States, where he could not go given his legal situation.
“Under my management, I know Busy can’t come to America so therefore I’m saying, ‘Ok, we need to clear Busy Signal a stronger fan base in Europe and in Africa because the reality is that Europe and Africa endorses Reggae music more than the United States,” Brown said.
With that re-focusing, Busy has established strong fan bases in Europe and Africa, performing a litany of shows in across both continents while emerging into one of Jamaica’s premiere musicians through classics such as Step Out, Not Going Down, One More Night, Nah Go Jail Again and Come Over.
Now, ten years later, Busy hopes to continue that marquee success across many of those same markets while Brown hinted that the popular singjay may perform a series of concerts and promotional events in the United States to promote his successful new album, Reggae Music Again before leaving the country.
Though Busy has this black mark on his otherwise clean record, Brown hopes that Busy Signal’s growth as a person over the last 10 years will help him to regain his status and reputation within the musical scene worldwide.
“The most we can do is present Busy as he is and ask for pardon. I’m going to work hard at it to try and get him back in these places. As the judge said, the purpose of being incarcerated is to try and rehabilitate somebody. This man naturally rehabilitated himself. We just a beg mercy, that’s all we can do.”
Listen to the full version of Shane Brown’s exclusive interview with Irish and Chin here: http://www.irishandchin.com/listen-to-exclusive-radio-show-interviews/3602