Before Tommy Lee Sparta brought dark imagery to Dancehall, breaking onto the scene as the
genre's first goth.
Before Uncle Demon dropped songs like Spartan Soldier, Grim Rim Rave, and Soul Reaper.
Before receiving shout outs from the likes of Usain Bolt, working with Vybz Kartel and
Gaza Slim, beefing with Bounty Killer, and feuding with Gage and Alkaline at the same
time
While music insiders who know the man tend to say that Tommy Lee Sparta is a super nice
guy, he's been incredibly controversial for his dark Uncle Demon persona and gothic style.
So much so that he had to tell the Fader, back in 2012,
“[I'm not] a demon and mi nuh worship did devil and dem things.
The [music] buisness is just an evil business.
[None of us are] perfect.”
But his past might give us some clues about aethetic choices.
Tommy Lee Sparta lost his father at a young age, and was first inspired to write music
at his grandfather's vigil.
As he developed as an artist, he fathered his first child at just 14 years old, dropped
out of high school two years later, and found himself literally scavenging to put food on
the table for his growing family.
Wagwan my youth?
Mi name Michael McCrudden, documenting the life and career of Tommy Lee Sparta prior
to fame, here for you on Before They Were Famous.
I've covered Vybz Kartel, Mavado, Alkaline and Popcaan in the past and there is one dude
on my Instagram 300_SpartanSoldier who has been requesting this video day in day out
for something like 6 months.
This video I dedicate to you buddy.
Let me know who's next in the comments down below.
Leroy Junior Russell was born on November 4th, 1987, and grew up in the Flankers community
in Montego Bay.
He grew up with five siblings, but his childhood was difficult, as he lost his father when
he was just nine years old.
He's said of his family,
“Mi just come out hardcore, alone.
One brother is a soldier, another sister is a Christian, one brother is a manager at a
hotel.”
Leroy grew up in a musical home.
His grandfather and great uncles had a band that would often play traditional Jamaican
wakes.
When that grandfather passed away, young Leroy attended the vigil, and it was then he was
inspired to pen his first lyrics.
Apparently, music wasn't the only thing Leroy was getting into from a young age.
He fathered his first child when he was just 14 years old.
He tried to balance his music, fatherhood, and his studies, while attending Anchovy High
School.
But while he was in the 10th grade, he would drop out of school, after discovering that
his 11th grade girlfriend was expecting to give him a second child.
His mother then allowed his pregnant girlfriend to move into the family home, presumably to
prevent her young son from knocking up any more chicks.
But that wouldn't exactly work.
As of June 2016, he's fathered a total of 8 children.
Still years away from making a name for himself in the music industry, Leroy starting hustling
on the streets and picking up work on construction sites.
But this wasn't enough to make ends meet.
So, to feed his family, he turned to the sea, catching fish, shrimp and conch.
He would also climb breadfruit and ackee trees.
He told the Jamaica Star,
“You know ackee grow my kids dem when dem younger.
Mi nuh ramp fi feed dem ackee.
Ackee tree a bawl a daytime.”
While still struggling to literally put food on the table, Leroy continued to have a passion
for music.
He began deejaying at Snipa Studios in late 2008, and recorded his first song, Spartan
Story.
Leroy donned the stage name Tommy Lee, which would eventually
be changed to Tommy Lee Sparta to avoid confusion with the Motley Crue drummer by the same name.
Still, music was still just a hobby for him.
He didn't consider the possibility of being a professional musician, even when he began
performing as the opening act for local shows and receiving warm responses from the crowd.
He even opened for Vybz Kartel on a number of occasions.
Eventually, Vybz would invite Tommy Lee to move out to Kingston with him, and join his
musical collective, Portmore Empire.
But Leroy was reluctant to leave his home and growing family, so he turned down the
offer.
At least, at first.
Tommy Lee Sparta was later invited to perform at Vybz Kartel's Birthday Bash in January
of 2010, and it was then that he accepted the offer to become a member of Vybz Kartel's
crew.
His first underground hit with the Portmore Empire would be Warn Dem, released in November
of that year.
A bigger hit would follow with Some Bwoy, released in 2011
The song was not a smash hit out of the gate, but after the arrest of his mentor, Vybz Kartel,
and the release of the song's music video, things began to turn around.
As the song began to generate buzz for Tommy Lee throughout 2012, he released a total of
five EPS, and heavy-hitting follow up singles like Shook, Buss a Blank, and Psycho
In the summer of 2012, Tommy Lee Sparta's music was
everywhere, and he would headline both the Raggae Sumfest in Montego Bay and the Sting
music festival in Portmore.
While Vybz Kartel's on going legal issues led to the shut down of his label, Adidjahiem
Records, Tommy Lee teemed up with Gaza Slim to start a new label called PG13, which they
ran until Vybz was released from jail.
Now one of the most prominent members of the Gaza camp, it wouldn't be long before he would
be feuding with Gully.
Alliance leader Bounty Killer took to twitter on September 8th, 2012, writing,
“Christmas is 4 christ so nuh demon or devil cyaah win we bloodclaath all dem a dead a
sting!!!”
Many saw this as a direct reference to Tommy Lee Sparta and a threat regarding his upcoming
Sting music festival performance on Boxing Day.
But Bounty Killer denied this, claiming it was just an innocent message against the devil.
Tommy Lee Sparta said that he would overlook the slight out of respect for his dance hall
elder.
Then, just one week later he released a diss track and music video aimed at Bounty Killer,
called Goat Head.
Bounty Killer responded with two diss tracks of his own, and the two were slated to clash
at the up coming Sting music festival.
But then, after the festival's lead promoter implied that Tommy Lee Sparta might have a
chance of beating the veteran artist, Bounty Killer cancelled his performance.
During the festival, Tommy Lee Sparta then expressed respect for Bounty Killer, and both
artists have since stated they consider the beef to be over.
Throughout 2013, Tommy Lee Sparta would release two LPS, Uncle Demon and Sparta Boss, as well
as EPs, Save Dem Soul, Bun nu nu, and Spartan Soulja.
Dream would follow in 2014, with Big Bike and Rebirth dropping in 2015.
As for the rest of the story, well, you know the story because this is before they were
famous.
My name's Michael McCrudden.
Thanks for watching.
Two more videos for you down here.
Check those out and let me know who you want me to document next in the comments down below.