Dancehall artiste Tommy Lee Sparta is currently being sought after by police officials following an increase in crime in his hometown of Flanker, Montego Bay.
Tommy Lee Sparta, whose real name is Leroy Russell Junior, has experienced some tragic events of his own. Back in March, four individuals, including his 6-year-old daughter, were shot in the community of Flanker, St. James. Thankfully his daughter survived the tragic incident, but a nine-year-old boy sadly died. Following that, there have been several retaliation shootings, according to the Jamaica Constabulary force.
Flanker is well known by those in St James as a violent and dangerous community. According to law enforcement, there are numerous gang activity taking place within the area. However, following the shooting of fellow Flanker artiste Rygin King, Tommy Lee posted this message on Instagram, “violence is not the solution. Unity will make our land a better place. Speedy recovery bro @ryginking.”
This message is a stark comparison to the artiste that many fans have come to know and love for his “bad man tunes”. The onslaught of killings in the country has led to these very songs, such as “Uncle Demon”, “Psycho”, “Buss A Blank”, “Rich Badness”, “Top Shotta” and “Warn Dem” being dissected by those that state that once an artiste can sing about wrongdoing, then he must have some personal experience on the matter. They state that these violent and gruesome lyrics are a revelation about the true lives of dancehall artistes. In many of the songs, Tommy Lee instructs other people to do his bidding, which most times involves the killing of another.
Although many of his songs seem to have the same message, Tommy Lee has repudiated all claims and allegations of criminal actions and behaviors. Back in 2015, the Jamaica Constabulary Force claimed that he was involved with gang members and activities in St. James. He immediately went on the defense, stating that he was affiliated with controversial entertainers in the past. However, he is no longer connected to them and, as such, is not a person of interest. He further added that those controversial figures have led to a misleading account of his public image and reputation.
Despite these many admissions of innocence and his outcries of peace, Police Officials have once again cited him as a person of interest. According to the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), the official communications medium of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Tommy Lee Sparta, is being asked to report to the Freeport Police Station by midday, Tuesday, July 7. According to reports, this is in relation to a drastic increase in violence in the community of Flanker.
Upon hearing the announcement this morning, Tommy Lee’s fans were outraged. They pleaded on social media for Law Enforcement Officials to give Tommy Lee a break, stating that he is being unfairly targeted by police. One user commented, “I feel like they keep using him as a scapegoat smh,” while another added, “Again? Like seriously them just well want lock up the man.”
Let’s hope that this situation will be resolved quickly for Tommy Lee Sparta and his family.
