Topmann Says He Doesn’t Regret Ditching Football For Dancehall
Gyal Code artist Topmann says he is relishing his decision to put his football goalkeeping days behind him and focus on music, and that he does not miss playing the sport at all.
The former national under-23 goalkeeper, who captained the Cornwall College to the finals of the DaCosta Cup Schoolboy Football Competition in 2016, told Television Jamaica’s Anthony Miller that there are several reasons why he ditched the sport, among them the high risk of injury, football being unlucrative as a career, and the potential to be blamed for team losses.
When asked whether he missed the sport, Topmann’s answer was immediate.
“No sah. Yuh know how much ball lick mi inna mi face an buss up mi face? Yuh know how much time boot kick? Yuh know how much time mi all a play football an all get elbow out teeth an dem likkle sittn deh, and teeth a shake fi how much weeks an dem sittn deh? And how much ‘cherry’ – mi naw guh meck dem sittn deh happen to mi now – or mi guh dive inna all post, caw mi dive inna post aready. Suh if mi fi guh dive inna post now, wha a guh happen to mi? Mi caan guh perform. Football a pay less too,” he said.
The Montego Bay native, whose given name is Jamario Hines, told Miller that he lost interest in the sport, after playing for a club and being blamed for his team losing a particular football game.
Asked whether he was at fault, he replied: “Yuh can seh dat, yes. I take full responsibility. A ball kick from far out an one a mi own schoolmate from Cornwall score paa mi at a finals and it kinda just mess up di whole ting. And me did a get blame cause mi know seh di team work hard fi reach di finals and mi just do dat – as di team captain as well to. Suh dat a more responsibility, so more blame,” he said.
The artist, who is currently pursuing a first degree in Management Studies at the University of the West Indies, says he incorporates the skills he learned in Economics in his musical business.
“That’s why Gyal Code hit suh: supply and demand,” he explained.
“Controversy a sell di most right now and me have a lot of songs weh mi a sing and dem likkle ting deh, but it naw appeal to di people dem like how (Gyal Code) – dem want suppm weh a guh grab dem attention,” he added.
Topmann said that it was after a trip to Atlanta last year, where he observed how artists were being treated with reverence, that he decided to up the ante with his music. He also told Miller that his female family members are supportive although they do not support all of his lyrical content.
His life, he says has changed for the better since doing music, as opposed to football and that he has become more famous amongst Jamaicans.
“Fi get recognized as a footballer, dat a waa good recognition. But yuh naw guh deh pon like road and hear people a talk bout seh: ‘dah footballer deh bad enuh’, but when yuh den pon di road now and hear yuh songs a play, persons a pick yuh out from a mile or ladies deh inna di party an waan teck picture,” he said.
“As a footballer to, mi a di goalkeeper, so is not like di forward weh people go really give me di credit like weh mi deserve. Now, mi a di striker, a me a play mi own ball game now man,” he said proudly.
Topmann recently released a new track titled Choppa Lesson, a collab with Troublemekka, for which he amended a line in the lyrics about guns, after some music fans said it was promoting violence and diluting an otherwise pertinent message.
He also told Miller that he could be considered a self-made artist, and that at no time he felt entitled, or that other artists were obligated to give him a ‘pull-up’.
“Me neva try run backa no artiste or no gang or nuttn like dat fi try get my break…Mi get advice from couple artiste, but yuh caan gi weh alla yuh energy inna yuh prime and me understand dat. suh me gun a di vision board and work,” he said.