Born in the tough neighborhood of Maxfield Park Road, education where he attended the Mandeville Primary and Junior High school, and he was already a natural leader who became known as a protector among his friends.
During his high school years at DeCarteret College, he joined the cadets, which taught him militancy in self and where he developed many fond memories. He soon discovered his deejaying and writing abilities and honed those skills relentlessly. Interestingly, it was his experience in the cadets that taught him the life lessons he now employs in his life and his art.
“Being in the cadets taught me that we create our limits in our mind. With enough determination, we can find an unknown power and with team work, we can challenge any force in the way,” 10Tik reasoned.
At age 18, he moved to Kingston where he lived in the area close to the tough ‘Common Sense’ off Red Hills Road, and later, he joined the Jamaica Fire Brigade where he worked five years as a top firefighter. He was one of the fearless first responders when an inferno destroyed sections of the 303-room Wyndham hotel in New Kingston in 2013.
He then decided to jumpstart his music career, releasing songs such as Lead Inna Head and She Don’t Mind on his own X3M Inc Productions label. He began to solidify a potent underground fan base, and caught fire with songs like Gangsta, Soul of the City, before his monster hit, Roll Deep, the ominous trap banger that showcases all his lyrical gifts.
Roll Deep is the culmination of all his experiences risking his life as a firefighter daily in the slums of Kingston. It falls in the category of the rare track with universal appeal, that offers introspective analysis.
“I talk about the ones who are unspoken, the ones who are marginalized and forgotten. When people listen to my music, it’s going to be personal to them,” he said.
Asked what was the meaning of his signature slang, Gwallaz, he responded, “Gwallaz is a way of life and no one word can explain its meaning.”
“At its core, ah the people who a come from nothing, born with a burning urge to change their conditions . As a Gwalla, you must be down to earth, spiritual and appreciative of life in its simplest form. A rebel. A warrior of life.”