Tommy Lee Sparta
| Tommy Lee Sparta | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Leroy Russell |
| Also known as | Tommy Lee, Uncle Demon, Captain Sparta |
| Born |
4 November 1987 Saint James Parish, Jamaica |
| Origin | Montego Bay, Jamaica |
| Genres | Dancehall, reggae fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Deejay, singer, lyricist |
| Years active | 2008 – present |
| Labels | Da Wiz/Snipa (2008-2010) Adidjahiem (2010-2012) PG13 (2012-present) |
| Associated acts | Vybz Kartel, Popcaan, Massicka, Vershon,Aidonia,Bounty Killer,Govana |
Leroy "Junior" Russell (born 4 November 1987), better known by his stage names Tommy Lee and more recently Tommy Lee Sparta, is a dancehall artist from Montego Bay, Jamaica. Tommy Lee Sparta gained popularity as a member of Adidjahiem Records and the associated Portmore Empire crew under the leadership of Vybz Kartel. He has been a controversial figure in dancehall due to his self-described "Gothic Dancehall" style, which often features dark and Satanist-inspired subject matter. As of now he has left the Portmore Empire.
Tommy Lee Sparta began deejaying in late 2008 at Snipa Studios in Flanker, where he recorded his first song, "Spartan Story." During this time, he performed as an opening act for local shows, including several from Portmore artist Vybz Kartel. Kartel, noticing that the artist was receiving positive responses from the crowd, invited him to move to Kingston and become a part of the Portmore Empire, Kartel's music crew. Tommy Lee Sparta, however, was reluctant to leave his family and neighborhood, and declined the offer.
According to Tommy Lee Sparta, it wasn't until his performance at Vybz Kartel's Birthday Bash on 7 January 2010 that he decided to take the idea of being a musician seriously, and he soon accepted the offer to become an official member of the Portmore Empire together with the gaza team. "Warn Dem," released in November 2010, was Tommy Lee Sparta's first recognized hit, based on a riddim by Da Wiz, his original producer from Snipa Studios. The accompanying music video, directed by Dk Konsepp, was also a first for the artist.
Tommy Lee Sparta's breakthrough hit came with "Some Bwoy (Link Pon Wi Chain)" on the 2011 So Bad Riddim. However, it wasn't until well after Kartel's arrest and the release of the music video in 2012, under new management from Junior "Heavy-D" Fraser, that the single gained traction. The single worked its way to the number one spot of many of Jamaica's informal music charts, including Pree Dis and Entertainment Report, and the video was in heavy rotation on Caribbean stations such as RETV, Hype TV, and Tempo Networks. "Some Bwoy," along with follow-up singles such as "Psycho," "Buss a Blank," and "Shook (Uncle Demon)," gave Tommy Lee Sparta significant exposure locally, and in 2012 he was a headlining artist for both Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay and the Sting music festival in Portmore.
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