I-Octane Shares Why He Relocated From Jamaica To Florida: “Mi Nuh Have No Regrets”

Dancehall’s Hot Rass I-Octane has outlined the reasons he opted to relocate from Jamaica to Florida, among them, disloyal music selectors and producers, but also the fact that he already had massive accomplishments such as dominating the biggest stage shows, and contracts with the biggest corporate brands in Jamaica.

In an interview with The Entertainment Report, the 38-year-old born Byomie Muir shared that instead of trying to be “the hot deejay in Jamaica,” he strove to build his overseas following.

“Memba seh mi do everyting inna Jamaica, yuh understand.  Mi sign to 13 corporate company; mi close every single show; mi mash up everyweh.  Mi bun dung place till dem ban mi,” Octane said.

As for the music producers, the Lose A Friend singer said that some with whom he had worked closely had allowed themselves to be inveigled by artists into shunning him.

“Because yuh have producer weh me buss and sen guh a road and dem teck side and artiste start to control dem and tell dem seh ‘if dis man voice fi yuh mi naw voice’, or if dat man voice fi yuh,” he said. 

“And den selectas, whole heap a people who yuh give, invest in, dem stop play yuh music.  Mi have selector weh mi buy computer an dem nuh play mi song,” he added.

When Miller stated: “You relocated to Florida.  Was that a smart move?  Any regrets?” Octane replied: “Mi nuh have no regrets.  Look at mi.  Beautiful,” he said laughing. 

“Look at my neck,” he added, showing off a string of gold chains hanging from his neck. 

“Look at it.  Come closer.  Look at my fingers,” he added, showing off his rings.  “Look at my glasses.  Mi nuh have no regrets.  And watch yah, my mind difference.  How mi fi have regrets?  Four year mi nuh perform inna Jamaica and look weh mi come do a Rebel Salute.”

When asked his opinion on the fact that many in the music industry regard him as a “hype deejay,” Octane said it was a matter of “perspective”, dependent on how well people know him.

“Rememba seh I don’t need a next man validation.  Dat is my ting.  I don’t need you to validate me.  Mi always believe in myself.  Suh hype is imperative; hype is necessary. But where yuh apply it; is application a beat di whole a wi,” he said.

“Some people wi out deh suh and have a perspective of you, an den some people fi know yuh and den some people fi come roun yuh and si di flip side a yuh.  Because di 48 Laws of Power seh ‘if you don’t have no enemy create dem’,” Octane added.

I-Octane’s broke out on the music scene in 2007 with his one-drop Stab Vampire hit track, which rose to the top 10 of several local charts.

In 2009, he topped the charts with Mama You Alone and Lose A Friend, and continued to reign in Dancehall with a slew of hits produced by Cashflow Records, including No Love Inna Dem and Puff It.  The Clarendon native also topped the charts once again with the DJ Frass-produced My Life in 2013.

I-Octane’s debut album, Crying To The Nation, was released on 13 February 2012 through Robert Livingston’s Scikron Entertainment in the Caribbean and VP Records internationally.   The album’s lead single was the lovers rock L.O.V.E. Y.O.U., which was hit in Jamaica and was also marketed to international audiences.

Following the release of the album, I-Octane did a tour of the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and also followed up later in the year with a string of hit singles, including Badmind Dem A Pree, a collab with Bounty Killer and Love Di Vibes, and Gal A Gimmi Bun on Seanizzle’s One Day riddim.

His second album, My Journey, was released in March 2014 on Tad’s International Records label.

He followed up with Love and Life (2018), Moods (2021), and I Am Great (2022).

As for his brand ambassadorships, in 2013, he signed on as Brand Ambassador for the telecommunications firm Digicel.  That same year he was also selected as brand ambassador for the Caribbean soft drink Busta. In November 2015, he also became the brand ambassador for Golden Eagle shoes.

In 2021, I-Octane was named by a witness in the Klansman-One Don gang trial. According to the Gleaner, the witness claimed that reputed leader Andre ‘Blackman’ Bryan and other alleged gang members would frequent the St Andrew studio of Octane.

“The witness testified that the alleged gang members, including him, visited the location multiple times to record music with the entertainer,” the Gleaner report stated.

The Observer also reported that “the witness who resumed his testimony in the trial involving 33 accused members of the criminal outfit, (said) while at the studio I-Octane would be recording music” and that “more than one time we went to the studio,” which was “located on Dunrobin Avenue going toward Constant Spring Road in a plaza next to a car mart.”

A worked-up I-Octane took to Instagram and rejected the claims about him cavorting with gang members.

Speaking to DancehallMag in 2022, when new claims were made by a second witness, Octane maintained his innocence.

“I said what I had to say from the first time. We just haffi mek it gwaan and gwaan until it dead out. All dem a do inna court and talk, and that’s it. If something drastic happens now and we have to take legal action, then I will. But I have nothing more to say,” I-Octane had said.