Jamaican musician X3MYST has caught the attention of people around the world with his realistic and vivid lyrics and imagery.
Born Romaine Ruddock on January 17, 1990, X3myst is no stranger to the inner cities and the violence that comes with it. X3Myst spent most of his formative years in the Jamaican community of Arnett Gardens more popularly known as ‘Jungle’, a shortening of ‘concrete jungle’. This notorious title alludes to the harsh living realities that exists in this area. Growing up in Arnett Gardens was not easy for X3Myst, he recalls having hardworking parents but their hard work was never enough to escape this community and have a life free of violence.
It was during his time at Arnett Gardens that X3myst discovered his passion for music and made the decision to pursue a career of it. X3Myst has always had a love for music, especially the sweet sounds and melodies of R&B. However, X3Myst chose to pursue a career in dancehall music because it was what he grew up with and felt more connected to. Dancehall music to him represented what he was experiencing and what he could relate to.
The Trench Town area where Arnett Gardens is a part of is known to be the birthplace to many influential Jamaican musicians such as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. For X3Myst, this is just proof that despite his harsh upbringing, he can achieve something spectacular.
X3Myst’s ascension into music started in small studios in Jamaica where he worked with local producers. Today, X3Myst is a rising dancehall artist, after his career was launched with the release of popular songs ‘House a Joy’ in October 2016, a single that landed him a feature on the hottest local entertainment program ‘Intense’ as well as his breakout single ‘Smood Criminal’ which was released in June 2017 and the music video was released in March 2018. The single and music video caught the attention of internet users worldwide and captured local and international music waves. This attention immediately put the artist on the radar of music lovers and industry heads. In May of 2018 X3Myst was featured in a Jamaican labour day concert with top dancehall and reggae performers such as Jahvinci and Serani. X3Myst’s talent and music even caught the eye of one of his early inspirations, dancehall veteran and legend Bounty Killer who complimented him on his gift for music.
X3Myst spends most of his days in the studio and working on new music, in fact he is currently working on his upcoming EP.
X3Myst has accomplished a lot in a very short time, now at 28 X3Myst has been able to turn hardship and violence into a burgeoning music career. For X3Myst himself, his mission is to let his story be heard and understood; he wants people to be able to relate to his life and experiences through his music.