Busha Mark sends message to at-risk youth

Reggae artiste Busha Mark is pleased with the early feedback to his latest single, Know Your Worth, which calls at-risk youth to love and respect themselves.

"The youth need to know that they need to respect their souls, don't sell out their morals, their values just to gain material possessions," said Busha Mark. The song is enjoying rotation on radio stations such as HITZ 92 FM, and has been popping up on mixtapes all over the Central American region, especially in Panama. Busha Mark, given name Lee Jay Scott, is encouraged that young women, in particular, appear to be responding to the message.

"I am trying to elevate the minds of the male youth with a message that reminds them to know their worth, and that they are free to choose their own paths. But I am also appealing to the ladies - who are the backbone of our society - especially, for them to know their worth, and the feedback from the women in particular has been very positive and inspiring. All the ladies need to do is to believe in themselves," Busha Mark said.

Born to parents Olive Robinson and Desmond Scott, he grew up in the tough streets of Chisholm Avenue in Kingston 13. Raised in a house filled with music, he began developing his own musical style as a young boy while attending Maxfield Park Primary School.

Influenced by his father, he forged a distinctive songwriting and vocal style, and continued to pursue music while he was a student at Norman Manley High School. He infused his music with deep spirituality and adopted his stage name.

"My pet name is Mark, but there were too many 'Marks' in the community, so in order to identify us differently, they added my dad's name, Busha," he explained.

He recorded his first single, Gi Wi Di Gal Dem, and has continued to hone his craft, drawing on musical influences such as Ken Boothe and Gyptian.

By fusing different styles, Busha Mark is working towards achieving his ultimate goal: uniting the world through music. He is compiling tracks for a reggae-infused EP in which he explores social, political and topics that are personal to him.