Musical soldier marches on stage Friday

Rapper Big J, Cayman’s
musical soldier, relaxes as
he prepares for his
performance at
McField Square.

Friday,  April 22, 2005

Jeff Seymour aka Big J, the rapper with a social conscience, will be one of the acts featured this Friday at McField Square. 

Big J was one of the performers to represent the Cayman Islands at Cuba Disco last year. 

While this 26-year-old rapper mixes politics and music, he does it in such a way that he makes the crowd dance, laugh and shake their heads. In other words, his music has a message with a beat. 

Growing up in George Town, Big J was drawn to music because of local musicians and reggae legend Bob Marley. But despite his passion for music, he never realized that he had the talent to be a performer. 

One day about seven years ago he was cutting the lawn with a fellow employee named Bragga Dan, a popular Jamaican DJ. Bragga Dan told Big J he had talent.

“Bragga Dan told me, ‘Big J, you can put together your rhymes well and you have a good voice,’” Jeff Seymour said. 

With a little more encouragement, Big J made his debut two years later on a show titled “Warrior King” that Bragga Dan helped to organize. From then on Big J was often called on to open for international reggae artists performing in Grand Cayman. 

He even performed in Jamaica. Last year he won the Cuba Disco pre-competition organised by the Ministry of Community Affairs, which allowed him to entertain in Cuba. 

“Performing at Cuba Disco was awesome. It was an experience I will never forget. The reception I received was incredible. I look forward to going back in May to represent Cayman again,” the entertainer said. 

Big J also has a CD out entitled Lyrics from the Heart. 

His songs, “Indangered [sic] Species”, “Youth Crying Out”, “Lottery” and “Aids Will Kill”, are about what is happening in life today. 

“It all about truth,” the musician said. 

When Big J is not on stage, he operates his own removal service. He is married to Maria and has two children, Jeffery, nine, and Joseph, five. 

His CD is on sale at Funky Tang’s and JM Electronics.

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